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In the first episode of Memories of 3DO, learn about the gaming legends behind the system, and how a new challenger to SEGA and Nintendo's dominance came from the unlikeliest of sources.

With an eager gaming press showering this upcoming console with praise, gamers began to count down the days when the 3DO system would launch. But problems were starting to arise behind the scenes...

As the launch of the 3DO got closer, the problems surrounding the hardware, a lack of games, and an astronomical price looked set to doom the hardware before it had even launched. But a surprise success in an unexpected market was about to give the machine a timely boost.

After the stunted launch in North America, where there was only one game available on the day of launch, things were going to be different for Europe, which would benefit the North American and Japanese markets by association. 1994 saw a slew of great games released for the system, and really helped gamers see what all the early fuss had been about.

If 1994 was the year that the 3DO finally got the quality games that had offered the promise the machine held, 1995 was when it truly solidified its reputation as a serious piece of kit. Owners of the system were treated to excellent games like: Killing Time, a photo-realistic take on the first person shooting game Return Fire, an excellent multiplayer war game, where vehicles and strategy played a huge part Slam 'n' Jam, an awesome and super fun basketball game BattleSport, a futuristic sports battle game, and a forerunner to this generation's Rocket League Space Hulk: Vengeance, a hugely atmospheric shooter based on the popular board game and Demolition Man, a movie tie in that offered scenes from the Sylvester Stallone movie alongside a multi-genre platformer. These were just some of the games that helped the 3DO company enjoy their best sales since launch. Coupled with the ongoing teases of the upcoming 64-bit upgrade, the M2, and other hardware partners releasing versions of the console, 1995 looked as if it was going to be a banner year for the machine. However, there were storm clouds on the horizon, from both a gaming and a financial viewpoint. On the gaming front, while Sega had released the Saturn at the end of 1994, it was industry newcomer Sony who was making the biggest noise with their PlayStation, also released in Japan at the end of 1994. Back at the 3DO company, despite the excellent games lineup the company published throughout the year, it was clear things weren't looking good. The Sega Saturn and the Sony PlayStation had essentially stalled sales of the 3DO console, and the licensing model that the 3DO company hoped would change things in the industry hadn't made the impact the company hoped for. Get involved: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/3dopodcast (Support the show) https://twitter.com/dannybrownca (Follow Danny on Twitter) My equipment: https://amzn.to/2ZOhDbC (Electro-Voice RE320) https://amzn.to/3geVL2w (Motu M2 Audio Interface) https://amzn.to/35AgGpg (Denon DJ HP-1100 Over Ear Headphones) https://www.ocwhite.com/product/podcast-pro-microphone-boom/ (Podcast Pro Boom Arm by Accu-Lite and O.C. White) Recommended resources: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=dannybrown2 (Captivate.fm) https://www.aweber.com/easy-email.htm?id=513434 (Aweber email marketing) https://accusonus.com/?ref=podcasterstories (Accusonus audio plugins) https://app.boomcaster.com/users/sign-up?referral=6oZlBSl1P8EU5Wsy (Boomcaster remote interviewing) https://mypodcastreviews.com/?ref=150 (My Podcast Reviews) https://reel.so/?via=3DW0OVDL (Reel.so audiogram creator) This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

For all its failures, the 3DO was an enjoyable and fun endeavour, that still brings fond memories to gamers of a certain age.

In Memories of 3DO, host Danny Brown takes you on a journey looking back at the ups and - ultimately - downs of the hardware, the games, and why it was a gaming system that should have shone had things gone slightly differently.