The Official Pioneer LaserActive Player thread-

[laseractiveguy]

I see all the time on forums people picking up LaserActives for 20-50 bucks in pawn shops...  but they are just LUCKY!!.  Then, most of those people only use it for Sega games and LDs... not even knowing theres a whole selection of 'real' titles for the sytem, or dont want to spend money to get them.  I was on a LA kick (still really am to be honest) when I first got it, but a few months later, went back to more modern systems.  No matter how advanced LaserActive was in its hay-day, todays systems and a $20 game just blow it out of the water.  I'm not even sure why i'm devoted to such expensive antique equipment... but I do admit its cool-as-heck!!   Part of the problem as to why its typicaly isnt cheap today... is because it wasnt cheap back in the day.   In fact, except for the elite title game group... were getting quite a bargin compared to original prices!

[TheClash603]

No matter how advanced LaserActive was in its hay-day, todays systems and a $20 game just blow it out of the water.

From a technological standpoint, you can say that new $20 games are better, but this is also nearly 20 years later.  From a gameplay standpoint, I think it depends on the games obviously.

However, either way, I think you are missing the point.  There is no other home entertainment device that was released in the U.S. that had the format and capabilities the LA did.  The uniqueness of the system is why it is so cool.  There was not before and there will never be any replication of the device, which is the allure.

[Bardoly]

So, is this auction a decent deal?

[xelement5x]

I picked up my second LaserActive for $30 locally.  Before I really got into it there were several in the Colorado Springs/Denver area that were selling for around $150 or so with a PAC and a bundle of LDs and/or Genesis stuff.  They seemed to have all dried up now though, I bought in at $170 for a unit with PAC-S10 the guy drove down and delivered to my door.

I agree with TheClash they they're a crazy product of the 90s, that's one reason I enjoy it.  Also, it's like the second most expensive video game console ever released.  It's cool to own something that would have cost as much as (an admittedly crappy) car at one point. 

Modern collectors are getting a heck of a deal on most games.  A lot of them were 7000-9000 yen at least back in the day from what I see on the jackets, others like Time Gal and Road Prossy have really gone up though.

[laseractiveguy]

No matter how advanced LaserActive was in its hay-day, todays systems and a $20 game just blow it out of the water.

 There is no other home entertainment device that was released in the U.S. that had the format and capabilities the LA did.
  /
- I beg to differ.  I present to you the PlayStation 3! - Granted, the 1st version!

[SuperDeadite]

Backwards compatibility and new media for movies?  That's exactly what the PS2 was, I don't see anything special about the PS3 in that regard...

No matter how advanced LaserActive was in its hay-day, todays systems and a $20 game just blow it out of the water.

 There is no other home entertainment device that was released in the U.S. that had the format and capabilities the LA did.
  /
- I beg to differ.  I present to you the PlayStation 3! - Granted, the 1st version!

[laseractiveguy]

If you wanted to get into it just a little bit... even though LA played 'movies' of its time... the Playstation was pretty much only backward compadible.  The LA played its Own games, plus a bunch of other consoles games, making it superior in that regard.

The Playstation 3... It only Does Everything!
The LaserActive...  It only Did Everything!

Lets get back to figuring out how to make a game!   Is it possible for a Mega Drive cart to control the LD functions?  If so, were home free!  I'll worry about making the non-digital discs.

[SignOfZeta]

I'm sure it's possible for an MD (or PCE) cart to control LD functions. I don't think "home free" is very accurate though since nobody has pressed an LD in ages and nobody knows how.

An idea: make a game based on an already existing LD. Port Dragon's Lair by combining custom MD/PCE data on a flash card with an actual Dragon's Lair arcade LD.

Or maybe something more original. Something like the Gunbuster PCE games where they gives you a digital comic that relies on footage of the show. Make a Hunt for Red October digital comic that uses actual Red October discs for footage. That could be pretty fun/hilarious.

Maybe someone could code a LA version of HyperCard, essentially, allowing anyone to make games like this if they have a flash card.

[Vecanti]

I'm sure it's possible for an MD (or PCE) cart to control LD functions. I don't think "home free" is very accurate though since nobody has pressed an LD in ages and nobody knows how.

An idea: make a game based on an already existing LD. Port Dragon's Lair by combining custom MD/PCE data on a flash card with an actual Dragon's Lair arcade LD.

Or maybe something more original. Something like the Gunbuster PCE games where they gives you a digital comic that relies on footage of the show. Make a Hunt for Red October digital comic that uses actual Red October discs for footage. That could be pretty fun/hilarious.

Maybe someone could code a LA version of HyperCard, essentially, allowing anyone to make games like this if they have a flash card.

Wow those are awesome ideas and could probably be pulled off actually.   I'd love to see a Blade Runner RPG.

[laseractiveguy]

Believe it or not, this is percisely what the PC pac allows a person to do.. by making LD discs readable, searchable, and perhaps put txt on screen, with user selectable options.  If software could be made that fits in a MegaDrive or PCE flashcard to do similar operations, it can easily be done!  Not original games, but some creative stuff could be done witha lot of 'fairly easy' to get LDs.   Now, I have heard that once 'cart' mode is enacted, it basicly locks down the LD drive.  That will have to be circumvented somehow.

[laseractiveguy]

What is the Blue LD-ROm disc on the left side next to Zoom 7?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SEGA-CD-LaserActive-GENESIS-Mega-Drive-KEIO-TurboGRAFX-Lords-of-Thunder-SNATCHER-/161028440357?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item257e0b0125

So, is this auction a decent deal?

[McKie1]

Looks like Dora Dora paradise

[laseractiveguy]

Your right.  Working too many hours to have missed that one... i gota go to bed!  Thanks

Looks like Dora Dora paradise

[SignOfZeta]

Believe it or not, this is percisely what the PC pac allows a person to do.. by making LD discs readable, searchable, and perhaps put txt on screen, with user selectable options.  If software could be made that fits in a MegaDrive or PCE flashcard to do similar operations, it can easily be done!  Not original games, but some creative stuff could be done witha lot of 'fairly easy' to get LDs.   Now, I have heard that once 'cart' mode is enacted, it basicly locks down the LD drive.  That will have to be circumvented somehow.

I think the PC PAC basicaly just gives you the serial port that many LDV series players have. This is nice, I guess, but you can't do much except control the disc transport. If a MD/PCE flash cart was used you'd be able to do that but also generate good quality graphics, score counters, etc.

[SuperDeadite]

Correct.  PC Pac was just to give the LA the only other function it was missing.  Hence nobody bought one.

Believe it or not, this is percisely what the PC pac allows a person to do.. by making LD discs readable, searchable, and perhaps put txt on screen, with user selectable options.  If software could be made that fits in a MegaDrive or PCE flashcard to do similar operations, it can easily be done!  Not original games, but some creative stuff could be done witha lot of 'fairly easy' to get LDs.   Now, I have heard that once 'cart' mode is enacted, it basicly locks down the LD drive.  That will have to be circumvented somehow.

I think the PC PAC basicaly just gives you the serial port that many LDV series players have. This is nice, I guess, but you can't do much except control the disc transport. If a MD/PCE flash cart was used you'd be able to do that but also generate good quality graphics, score counters, etc.