3DO
The first 3DO machine, Panasonic FZ-1 R.E.A.L. 3DO Interactive Multiplayer | |
| Developer | The 3DO Company |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Panasonic, Sanyo, GoldStar, Creative Technology |
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | Fifth |
| Release date | |
| Introductory price |
|
| Discontinued |
|
| Units sold |
|
| Media | CD-ROM |
| CPU | 32-bit custom ARM CPU (ARM60) @ 12.5 MHz |
| Memory | 2 MB RAM, 1 MB VRAM |
| Storage | 32 KB SRAM |
| Display | 320×240 @ 60 Hz, 384×288 @ 50 Hz; 16-bit palettized color (from 24-bit) or 24-bit true color. |
| Graphics | Panasonic FZ-1 "Madam" graphics accelerator |
| Sound | Panasonic FZ-1 "Clio" DSP: 16-bit stereo @ 44.1 kHz, 4-Channel Dolby Surround; |
| Online services | Planned but canceled |
| Best-selling game | Gex (1+ million) |
| Successor | Panasonic M2 (canceled) |
3DO is a video gaming hardware format developed by The 3DO Company and conceived by Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins. The specifications were originally designed by Dave Needle and RJ Mical of New Technology Group, and were licensed by third parties; most hardware were packaged as home video game consoles under the name Interactive Multiplayer, and Panasonic produced the first models in 1993 with further renditions released afterwards by manufacturers GoldStar, Sanyo, Creative Labs, and Samsung Electronics.
Centered around a 32-bit ARM60 RISC-type processor and a custom graphics chip, the format was initially marketed as a multimedia one but this had shifted into purely video games within a year of launching. Despite having a highly promoted launch (including being named Time magazine's "1993 Product of the Year"), the oversaturated console market and the system's mixed reviews prevented it from achieving success comparable to competing consoles from Sega and Sony, rendering its discontinuation by 1996. In 1997, The 3DO Company sold its "Opera" hardware to Samsung, a year after offloading its M2 successor hardware to Panasonic.