What is the black history game hard "CD-i" that was developed as a result of the joint development of Nintendo and Philips PlayStation?

byTekniska museet - CDi-Spelare

Dutch electronics manufacturer ·PhillipsAnd game hardware developed jointly by Nintendo is "CD-i (compact disc · interactive)"is. CD-i has disappeared from the market without being particularly talked about, but in reality it is possible to say even that "Sony's PlayStation could not be born unless CD-i was developed".

The History of the Philips CD-i, Failed PlayStation Ancestor - Atlas Obscura
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-history-of-the-philips-cdi-failed-playstation-ancestor

The New International CD-i Association
http://www.icdia.co.uk/players/index.html

The world's first gaming machine equipped with an optical media drive was released from NEC Home Electronics in 1988PC engine · CD-ROM²Speaking of previous game softwareRom cassette(ROM cartridge) was. However, as a storage mediumSemiconductor memoryIt is a disadvantage that cost rises and mass production is difficult because it uses. As a result, it was hoped for optical media to be applied to games.

In 1986 Philips and Sony announced that they jointly developed the new standard "CD-i standard", and the specifications were released in 1987. The CD-i standard has become a standard that can reproduce various information in a form corresponding to the user's operation contents, and it was expected that it can sell video games on CD-ROM by using this It was.

In 1990, Sony worked on Nintendo and developed it at the timeSuper Nintendo Entertainment·Super Nintendo Entertainment SystemWe jointly developed an external CD-ROM drive as a dedicated peripheral device. The code name of the development project was "PlayStation".


However, in June 1991, Sony added Super Nintendo with CD-ROM driveNintendo PlayStation"The next day after announcing the prototype at the event, Nintendo is tying up with Phillips to develop game machines using the CD-i standardAnnouncementThe we. After that, Sega was on sale "Mega CD"Nintendo will give up on the development of game machines equipped with CD drives, as Philips continues to develop CD-i, as it was not so accepted by the market. In 1991, we launched various types of players such as "CDi 310", a business specification player, "CDi 601" with software development capability and floppy drive installed.

Phillips · CD-i start screen can be confirmed in the following movie.

Philips CD i Startup Intro {Widescreen HD 1080p} - YouTube


In 1994, "CDi 450" of game specialized model attached with controller was released from Philips.

byStaffan Vilcans

At the same time as this "CDi 450", one of the software released from Philips is "Hotel Mario". Nintendo who gave up the development of the CD drive mounted game machine allowed Philips to use their own game characters such as Mario and Zelda. Therefore, "Hotel Mario" is a quite rare existence of game software that Nintendo characters appear, officially sold with game hard machines other than Nintendo.

byFrédéric BISSON

You can see what game "Hotel Mario" is in the following movie.

Hotel Mario Game Sample - Philips CD-i - YouTube


The actual game screen looks something like this. Players use the elevator to climb the stage, only to close the door that keeps opening while leaning the enemy. To Hotel Monio's too simple and boring content, "The severity which made the "elevator action" as if it waste garbage"It has received criticism from abroad so much that it is said to be.


Also in "Hotel Mario", animation part Mario · Luigi Kuppa moved and talked was implemented. However, its quality is extremely low,The more you are netted.


By the time Philips released "CDi 450" as a model specialized in games, Sega Saturn and PlayStation had already appeared. Timing too far too late and the sales strategy so far have hurt, and "CDi 450" rarely is handled at game specialty shops,Total 124 piecesAlthough CD - i compatible software was released, Phillips has withdrawn from the game market by 1996, as there was no remarkable title. Ultimately, CD-i sold only 570,000 units worldwide even if all types were combined.

Although Sony initially protested Nintendo's "betrayal act", "Sony contracted only with the development of CD-ROM adapter, there is no impact on tie-up with Phillips and adoption of standards," sticks to Nintendo As a result, it is forced to interrupt the development of "Nintendo PlayStation". And in 1992, when discussions on the entry into the game industry within Sony's company were discussed, the result obtained from the development of the previous "Nintendo PlayStation" was transferred to the new project "PS-X" as it was, in 1994Sony Interactive Entertainment"PlayStation" was released from Sony Computer Entertainment which is the predecessor of the SIE (SIE). Without the development of CD-i by Nintendo and Philips, Sony's PlayStation might not have been born in this world.