and also when chicken will grow teeth
I have some prototype pictures I have found around the internet. I apologise for not giving credit to the sources of these photos and scans. I also apologise for the massive post incoming.
The first few here are prototype Dreamcast consoles from sagagagadomain and other sites.
This next photo has the controller and VMU, the controller has a circular start button.
I will include more photos in my next post.
DERP
These next photos are of Nintendo console prototypes.
This image appears to be similar to the Nintendo Advanced Video System except that the wireless game controllers are attached to the top-back of the system when not in use.
This appears to be some wierd mashup of the NAVS components...
This next image seems to be a prototype of the Nintendo Entertainment System derived from the original Famicom design.
This next image is an interesting half-way point between the Nintendo Advanced Video System and the Nintendo Entertainment System. It would have probably been better than the current original N.E.S because it utilized the smaller Famicom style cartridge without that damned ZIF connector system.
DERP
and now I have some PlayStation prototype pics.
These next pics are PlayStation logo prototype options.
And the last 2 PlayStation related prototype pics I have saved on my computer are of controller prototypes.
And here is a supposed XBOX 360 prototype.
Again I apologise to the source and owners of these photos.
Last edited by Sonicwolf; 02-23-2009 at 01:42 AM.
DERP
I'm kidding, of course. It was a design that was intentionally leaked because it was so rediculous. The picture of the confrence room was staged. It was a joke from the design team because the design was awful.
Thinking about the PS3 being supposed to have two Ethernet ports...I always wondered why. I mean, outside of workstation environments, it's rare to have a normal computer with multiple network interfaces (of the same kind--I'm not worried about Ethernet + 802.11). What did they expect the PS3 to be doing that it would ever need two Ethernet ports?
Gah! The hell is that? It looks like an evil, betentacled...thing!
Also, I just realized that (correct me if I'm wrong) nobody mentioned the PS3 batarang controller.
I would have been interested in trying one out. Too bad the Internets got in such an uproar over it.
Knowledge is Power.
Power corrupts.
Study hard.
Be evil.
I actually would have preferred that controller as Sony has seemed to try and distance themselves from their former PlayStation consoles anyways. I personally think the design of the PlayStation controller is now dated. Its just not totally comfortable like the 360 controller is and cube controller was. Its just a Super Nintendo controller with handles and a couple analog sticks smacked on in 1997.
PLUS THE NEW PS3 CONTROLLER HAS DAMNED NON-REMOVABLE RECHARGABLE BATTERIES! LIKE THATS GOING TO HELP IN 20 YEARS WHEN ITS A RETRO CONSOLE.
Last edited by Sonicwolf; 02-24-2009 at 12:21 AM.
DERP
Having an extra ethernet port on the PS3 might have targeted 360 owners, or anyone who already had something networked in their entertainment center for that matter. Since most people aren't going to want to run ANOTHER ethernet cable from their router to their entertainment system, a passthrough is a pretty good alternative. Personally, I have to have an old router in the back of my A/V rack to keep everything networked.
As for dual HDMI, I can't think of a good use beyond multi-monitor capabilities. The one exception would be if your TV didn't pass through multi-channel audio, so you'd want HDMI to go to your receiver for digital audio. Still, optical audio cable handles MOST of the formats that HDMI does, and most stereo receivers that have HDMI inputs are going to have outputs, except some that don't output 1080p. That's not going to be a very common setup...
the original plan for the dual hdmi connections was for multiple screens. The "planned specs" for the PS3 had the system capable of running 2 screens at 120 FPS @ 1080i. Obviously it's not.
It pissed off a lot of devs that the projected spcs ended up being nothing like the end result.
Last edited by ProgrammingAce; 03-06-2009 at 12:21 AM.
No, that's basically unheard of. The only other console that changed specs was the Saturn. The problem is, games take 1-2 years to develop, so the manufacturers have to have the specs locked down that far in advance for the launch titles to make it out the door. Because sony was lying to them, developers got screwed. It's created a lot of bad blood in the industry towards Sony.
Cleaned that up a bit. Still a bit of artifacting left, but hey. Bite me.
Last edited by PACHUKA; 03-17-2009 at 07:58 PM. Reason: seriously? no html? What is this? 1998?
No, what happened with the dreamcast was a clusterfuck all on it's own. Sega of Japan and Sega of America both decided to use their own R&D branches to compete with each other to create the successor to the Saturn. The US branch was codenamed Blackbelt while the Japanese branch was called Katana. The problem is, they let development continue all the way to the final prototype stages for both platforms, basically doubling the R&D costs for the dreamcast. The katana eventually won the battle and became the DC.
Rumor has it, there are working blackbelt consoles at Sega of America's HQ.
From what I understand, Sega actually killed the blackbelt because of how 3dfx LEGALLY filed their IPO. By divulging technical details (required in the US), Sega felt betrayed and threatened, or something like that. The way I heard it, it seemed like they were more interested in using the blackbelt than the katana.
I'm curious, are there any screenshots or demos of the blackbelt hardware in action?