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Thread: !The M2 Gaming system?

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    Strawberry (Level 2) Necrosaro420's Avatar
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    Default !The M2 Gaming system?

    Did the M2 system ever make it to the market in the USA? And if so, does anyone have a good page about it with some pics? THanks

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    No, it never came out here. Had some really good looking games too, mainly Power Crystal (Power Stone)? A really awesome looking action RPG, almost Fable-ish.

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    drowning in medals Ed Oscuro's Avatar
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    We're talking M2 3DO, correct?

    That system's games really ended up looking like PlayStation games...maybe even SUB-PlayStation, in fact. Konami did PolyStars (a shooter) and Battle Tryst (a fighter that looks grapically similar to B.A. Toshinden, with Simon Belmont!) and while they look fun, they also look primitive. I personally love it, but I also would've liked it had the screenshots Matsushita put out been accurate at all. The system just couldn't do it.

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    Konami used the M2 tech for their arcade boards at the time, didn't they? The actual expansion for the 3DO wasn't released though, as far as I remember. I'm sure someone here can correct me if I'm wrong.

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    am i mistaken in remembering that the m2 was the basic starting block for the dreamcast,including having D2 move from M2 to DC?

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    Anyone happen to know of a good "Fan site" or dedication site? I did a quick search on google and came up short

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    I know two forum members with prototype M2's. As I understand it they need it to be hooked to a Macintosh computer to function at all.

    http://www.digitpress.com/DP/cmf/game.cmf?gameid=163220

    I don't have pics but I will direct them to this thread.

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    I used to own one of these M2 development pieces. It did indeed needed to be hooked up to a computer for it to work, and the only game I ever saw running on it was M2 Racing. I was looking forward to this thing FOREVER because I actually like the 3DO for some reason. (It might have to do with the fact that I spent 500$ of my college money to get one with Super Turbo 10 years ago.) It was decent looking, but because it was early, it just did not have that crazy appeal that I was hoping for.

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    Did the M2 system ever make it to the market in the USA
    No.

    We're talking M2 3DO, correct?

    That system's games really ended up looking like PlayStation games...maybe even SUB-PlayStation, in fact. Konami did PolyStars (a shooter) and Battle Tryst (a fighter that looks grapically similar to B.A. Toshinden, with Simon Belmont!) and while they look fun, they also look primitive. I personally love it, but I also would've liked it had the screenshots Matsushita put out been accurate at all. The system just couldn't do it.
    A fighter, I can't remember the name at the moment, came out for the PS. It was orginally intended to exploit the M2 abilities. THe M2 screenshots looked far better then the PS game. D2 was a sort of port to the DC and it looked better then anything i've seen or played on PS. I agree that the 2 Konami titles you mentioned don't look that great.

    Konami used the M2 tech for their arcade boards at the time, didn't they? The actual expansion for the 3DO wasn't released though, as far as I remember. I'm sure someone here can correct me if I'm wrong.
    Konami used the M2 and the Cobra board for 4 or 5 arcade titles combined. The Cobra was dubbed as the "Model 3 killer." It was supposed to run at 5 million polys per second (max). The games that were supposedly running on Cobra sure didn't look like it.

    The M2 changed into a standalone system and was never released.

    am i mistaken in remembering that the m2 was the basic starting block for the dreamcast,including having D2 move from M2 to DC?
    I don't know what you mean by starting block. I don't think the M2 and DC share the same guts if that's what you mean. The DC's specs are far greater then what the M2 was rumored to do. D2 is a "legacy title" from M2 to DC, the same way Dinosaur planet on N64 went on to become Star Fox Adventures for the GC.

    I know two forum members with prototype M2's. As I understand it they need it to be hooked to a Macintosh computer to function at all.
    My partner Adam from the East Coast Gaming Expo is one of em. He had it at the show. He didn't tell me he was bringing it for our little museum section. I was impressed. He told me the same thing. You have to hook it into a MAC.

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    I don't know what you mean by starting block.
    i may just have a case of bad memory but i thought i remembered them selling the M2 technology to sega back forever ago.i just swear i remembered something about that from a old EGM .

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    Quote Originally Posted by tonyvortex
    I don't know what you mean by starting block.
    i may just have a case of bad memory but i thought i remembered them selling the M2 technology to sega back forever ago.i just swear i remembered something about that from a old EGM .
    The M2 was sold by 3DO to Matsushita, who I don't believe ever did anything with it except some interactive kiosks...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Loguidice
    The M2 was sold by 3DO to Matsushita, who I don't believe ever did anything with it except some interactive kiosks...
    I swear I remember reading a while back that Matsushita was supposed to integrate the technology into car navigation systems or microwaves or whatever. I don't know if they ever did that.

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    i may just have a case of bad memory but i thought i remembered them selling the M2 technology to sega back forever ago.i just swear i remembered something about that from a old EGM .
    I remember something about that too. I think Sega was interested in M2 for the rumored hardware add on to up the Saturns capabilities so that it could run VF3. I think. Can anyone confirm or deny this? I don't feel like looking it up!

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    So the M2 was never released as a home system in ANY market, or just not in the US? I could work with a Jap M2 as well if it was released therE? Thanks

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    First off, I see there's a lot of unnecessary confusion about what was announced for the M2. Power Crystal would be the name of that fighter. This is a pretty good link, but make no mistake, it omits the two Konami arcade games and thus should be viewed as more information about the M2 - as opposed to definitive information about the M2:

    http://www.gamesasylum.com/showarticle.php?articleID=12

    Quote Originally Posted by CRV
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Loguidice
    The M2 was sold by 3DO to Matsushita, who I don't believe ever did anything with it except some interactive kiosks...
    I swear I remember reading a while back that Matsushita was supposed to integrate the technology into car navigation systems or microwaves or whatever. I don't know if they ever did that.
    Fuck's sake, people! I already mentioned that Konami used the system to make at least two arcade games: Polystars and Battle Tryst.

    If you WANT a WORKING M2 3DO Polystars unit, nfg.2y.net/sales/ has one. Go get it before I do one of these days. If it was a Battle Tryst unit, I'd be saving for it right this instant. Might not be the end all of arcade gaming, but if nothing else it's a very rare piece of Castlevania tie-in :P

    But yeah, you're right in that Matsushita/Panasonic (Panasonic was their major brand name for many years, now I believe it's their only brand name as a part of their effort of creating a recognizable unified identity) was thinking about other uses for the tech. However, that's like saying that Sony would like to put their PlayStation 2 hardware into...navigation systems, microwaves, you name it! Of course they'd like to sell in volume, but of course they have to actually get the basics down right. The HiSaturn Navi unit is a oddball - very cool though - piece of work, but outside of that one rare outstanding example, game platforms haven't seen much success integrating into applications outside of entertainment. This is especially true of things like home appliances, where you need to worry about the cost of your unit versus that of a competitor...doctors might be able to afford equipment with crazy 3D rendering systems built in, but for the average person there's absolutely no use for this capability. Make no mistake, we'll eventually be sold refrigerators that are more powerful than the XBox 3 will be - but manufacturers will only make them when people are willing to (grudgingly) pay the extra cost. These early musings are Panasonic's version of way-out concept car models from the 1960s that use solar power, hydrogen fuel, even nuclear reactors, and the like. They're fun to talk about and have potential payoffs, but no company will spend time developing them until the time is right.

    Now the interesting thing is that Panasonic NOW feels that the time is very close to being right - they're working on systems that will integrate computing and networks into your television. They believe the near future of entertainment isn't in moving away from the television, but moving other items into it (I can give a source for that quote too).

    The Dreamcast is completely unrelated. The core of the M2 was the polygon rendering system, a proprietary one developed by 3DO, and at the time that's what was most desireable in a new console. It appears that 3DO design was based upon some software design choices (I vaguely remember John Carmack talking about the original 3DO) that ultimately turned out inefficient, but this doesn't mean 3DO was completely incompetent...in the world of 3D polygon rendering, 3DO's rendering systems clashed with other systems in design ideologies. You'll find something of a parallel in the RISC/680x0/x86 or x86/PowerPC debates. 3DO was a trailblazer and unfortunately their efforts produced a less efficient design.

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    To add on to what has been said, 3DO just did'nt have the money and the desire to release the M2 -- really, just a upgraded 3DO that was susposed to be more powerfull then the PlayStation and Saturn but not the Dreamcast -- so they sold it to Panasonic instead. Panasonic decided not to try to throw their hat into a crowded ring and all we saw from it was some arcade hardware. I think they made the right decision -- I doubt the system would have done very well.

    There's a lot of information on the M2 at the back of the 3DO Game Secrets 2 book, partily written by Zach.
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    If I'm not mistaken, I believe that Panasonic actually paid 3DO 100 freaking million for the M2.


    Needless to say that the people at Matsushita that green lighted that purchase were all fired not long after that.


    Basically, some people at Matsushita were extremely impressed with the Technology, thinking it to be far beyond the PS1 and Saturn, but in the end they decided to eat a 100 million dollar loss on it, rather than possibly a half billion dollar loss on it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Anthony1
    Needless to say that the people at Matsushita that green lighted that purchase were all fired not long after that.
    Ever heard of Amae?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Oscuro
    Quote Originally Posted by Anthony1
    Needless to say that the people at Matsushita that green lighted that purchase were all fired not long after that.
    Ever heard of Amae?


    Huh?

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