Episode 5

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Published on:

30th Jan 2022

1995: A Banner or Swan Song Year for 3DO?

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.

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Transcript
Danny:

You're listening to Memories of 3DO, a retrospective look at

Danny:

Choose your preferred app to follow on.

Danny:

And now this week's episode.

Danny:

If 1994 was the year that the 3DO finally got the quality games that

Danny:

1995 was when it truly solidified its reputation.

Danny:

As a serious piece of kit owners of the system were treated to excellent

Danny:

war game, where vehicles and strategy have played a huge part slamming jam

Danny:

Space hope vengeance, a hugely atmospheric shooter based on the popular board

Danny:

These are just some of the games that helped if radio company enjoyed

Danny:

1995 looked as if it was going to be a banner year for the.

Danny:

However there stone close on horizon from both a gaming and a financial viewpoint

Danny:

Also released in Japan at the end of 1994, following an excellent CES tech

Danny:

Fever pitch reached a frenzy by the table of the machines, Japanese launch.

Danny:

At the end of 94, it sold a hundred thousand units on the first deal

Danny:

The other game companies had managed was strong arcade games

Danny:

Then PlayStation soon became the linen console for gamers

Danny:

Back at the video company, despite the Exxon games laying up the company

Danny:

Sega Saturn and a Sonic PlayStation had essentially

Danny:

And the licensing model that the video company hoped would

Danny:

Hadn't made the impact, the company hoped for while the licensing

Danny:

It relied on units being shifted to make a profit.

Danny:

This was especially true for the hardware partners like Samuel and Goldstar because

Danny:

In 1995, the drop the price of the hardware to an extremely aggressive 2 99,

Danny:

company had only sold 300,000 units in the U S despite being out for two years,

Danny:

So the unit fare much better with sales of half a million units, but

Danny:

Compare that to the a hundred thousand soreness PlayStation sold on the

Danny:

And it was clear that the, a company and a machine we're going to struggle,

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Well, that's what another podcast and the structural game and

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The pressure was on the video company orders of its console,

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Well, how do our partners and several software partners

Danny:

It was clear if they were, the three deal was to continue

Danny:

The company believed they're 64 bit upgrade and two would be the answer.

Danny:

And once again, establish radio as a true next generation machine that

Danny:

Offered hope for 30 days or owners that 1996 would be another

Danny:

And the next episode of memories of the game release schedule starts to dry up

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About the Podcast

Memories of 3DO
a retrospective look at a video games console classic
In 1993, electronics giant Panasonic released the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, more commonly referred to as just 3DO.

At the time, this 32-bit gaming console was a huge leap over competing consoles like the SEGA Genesis and Super Nintendo, both 16-bit machines.

Using CD-ROM instead of cartridges, and positioning itself as a true multimedia component for your home entertainment set-up, the 3DO was, in many ways, ahead of its time.

Although it was always doomed to fail, it remains a beloved part of video game history for many.

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.
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Danny Brown

Danny is a podcaster, creator, and an official geek. Sometimes in that order. He's the host of the shows Podcaster Stories, Memories of 3DO, and The Old Man Brown Show, as well as co-host of Mental Health & Us with his wife Jaclyn. When not podcasting, you can find him relaxing in beautiful Muskoka, Ontario, Canada, hanging out with his family, and enjoying a good craft beer.