Epic Fail Fridays: Panasonic 3DO

Every Friday, Ziggytek presents a special article featuring the most epic fails in technological history. Today’s monumental failure strikes to the core of my heart because, to this day, it remains one of the most expensive items that my parents have ever purchased for me. Released in 1993 and far, far technologically ahead of its console gaming competitors Nintendo and SEGA, Panasonic’s 3DO was an epic fail the likes of which only Apple’s Pippen and Atari’s Jaguar (which was all smoke and mirrors) would subsequently surpass in failure.

Launch: October 4th 1993 at $699.99 USD
- 32-bit 12.5 MHz RISC ARM60 CPU
- 4X CD-ROM
- 2Mb RAM
- 1Mb Video RAM
- Two Accelerated Video Co-Processors: 25Mhz clock rate, 9-16 million REAL pixels per second.

Compare these above numbers with the 2D-only 16-bit Super Nintendo (3.58MHz) and SEGA Genesis (7.67MHz), which were both many times less powerful than the 3DO –not to mention the latter had CD storage, meaning significantly larger capacity memory and cheaper gaming manufacturing (but also higher system price). By the Playstation’s release in the fall of 1995, the 3DO’s price tag dipped to $499, but Sony’s new gadget retailed for $299 and was more advanced.

Designed by The 3DO Company, the console was supported primarily by Panasonic but also by Sanyo, Goldstar, which all released versions of the system. Toshiba, AT&T, and Samsung got lucky and canceled their plans for the 3DO. Billed as a computer entertainment system and not just a gaming console, the 3DO actually paved the way for the Playstation (December 1994 in Japan, September 1995 in North America) but fell on its face due to two crucial factors: high pricing and a dearth of quality games, although long load times due to the first-generation CD-ROM did not increase enjoyment either. The 3DO was so promising that Time magazine named it “Product of the Year” in 1994, but despite ferocious marketing, the machine simply ran out of games and retained an astronomical price tag until its production ceased in 1996.

I remember when I begged my parents daily to get a 3DO for me. Sometime in early 1995, my pleas were answered, and they paid around $550 (CDN) for an FZ-10 model with its redesigned exterior and top-loading tray. Not being an economist, I do not know exactly how much this amounts to with inflation, but a safe estimate would be about the price of a mid-range notebook in today’s money. When I got my 3DO, it was near full maturity and would not get much better from there, as good titles decreased, and the Playstation gained steam towards its North American debut.

The main reason why I craved a 3DO, aside from its being a technological marvel, was because of Super Street Fighter II Turbo, the game that stole my youth. The 3DO version was nearly an identical arcade-perfect port and was much better than the SNES game. I had endless hours of fun with Street Fighter, but eventually everything becomes trite, and I could not afford any of the dozen standout games for the the 3DO. After playing through the demo discs for months and plenty of Return Fire, I ended up trading my 3DO for a friend’s SNES and his collection of cartridges. In retrospect, it was not a terrible decision because the Nintendo console continued to be in vogue for years after the 3DO’s death. Ironically enough, working 3DO units still fetch modest sums on eBay.

The 3DO was not without its charms though. In addition to its hardware potency, a handful of games were stellar –including the previously described Street Fighter, there were Gex, Shockwave, Madden, Samurai Shodown, Road Rash, The Horde, and Return Fire.

Too ambitious and just way ahead of its time, the 3DO had amazing potential. Ultimately, the system’s thundering crash was equaled only by its brilliant promise. As of today, the 3DO has sold approximately 2 million units compared to the SNES’ 49 million, Genesis’ 40 million, and the Playstation’s staggering 102 million. The Sony Playstation has (probably) sold more copies than any Beatles, Led Zeppelin, or Michael Jackson album; Imagine that! Is it not and Off the Wall statistic? This is why we are called the “Playstation generation.”

If nothing else, the 3DO’s epic fail perhaps helped make the Playstation’s gargantuan success possible.

References: WikiPedia, New York Times, Gamepro, 3DO Today