EGM TurboGrafx-16 preview from summer 1989

[jeffhlewis]

Too bad Nintendo was an ass and basically forced producers to work only on their line of game consoles. NEC got the short end of the stick except for Japan where they launched before everyone else.

Also I feel that TTi would last way longer on US if they managed to do a DUO unit with SUPERGrafx capabilities. I don't doubt that they could at least get close to outsell the Genesis, specially with all the new developers they (briefly) attracted with the new Super CDROM2 addon. (EA, Lucas Arts, Maxis, Spectrum Holobyte, Psygnosis, and others...)

And a Namco SuperGrafx 16 DUO with Arcade CDROM would be neat to see hehe.

It didn't really come down to hardware - Sega's success had everything to do with sports game licensing and Katz/Kalinske's ability to market the product.

I don't remember back then ever viewing the TG16 as an inferior machine to the Genesis hardware-wise. But I sure as hell remember their advertising both in print and on TV being laughably bad, even at the age of 12.

[seieienbu]

I don't remember back then ever viewing the TG16 as an inferior machine to the Genesis hardware-wise. But I sure as hell remember their advertising both in print and on TV being laughably bad, even at the age of 12.

...sounds like Feka got to you.

[Mathius]

Too bad Nintendo was an ass and basically forced producers to work only on their line of game consoles. NEC got the short end of the stick except for Japan where they launched before everyone else.

Also I feel that TTi would last way longer on US if they managed to do a DUO unit with SUPERGrafx capabilities. I don't doubt that they could at least get close to outsell the Genesis, specially with all the new developers they (briefly) attracted with the new Super CDROM2 addon. (EA, Lucas Arts, Maxis, Spectrum Holobyte, Psygnosis, and others...)

And a Namco SuperGrafx 16 DUO with Arcade CDROM would be neat to see hehe.

It didn't really come down to hardware - Sega's success had everything to do with sports game licensing and Katz/Kalinske's ability to market the product.

I don't remember back then ever viewing the TG16 as an inferior machine to the Genesis hardware-wise. But I sure as hell remember their advertising both in print and on TV being laughably bad, even at the age of 12.

For me the biggest selling point of the Turbo was the in-store playable kiosks. I don't remember seeing any ads but I sure as hell remember playing Legendary Axe in EB. Unfortunately, store demos wasn't enough to spur interest in the general public.

[kiketonto]

a keyboard to PCEngine?
I don't ever see this one!

[ccovell]

You can see the keyboard here: http://www.chrismcovell.com/secret/sp_tsushinbooster.html

Was meant to input BASIC programs with the Tsushin Booster more sanely.

[kiketonto]

You can see the keyboard here: http://www.chrismcovell.com/secret/sp_tsushinbooster.html

Was meant to input BASIC programs with the Tsushin Booster more sanely.

thanks for the link! (and for the tongueman's logic game too, i really love it!!)
so, you can connect to BBS and programming 23 years ago???
I think here in Spain...don't have a good connection to internet these days...

[handygrafx]

Question #1 - What is this Namco system of which they speak?

Almost nothing is known about the Namco system.  Supposedly it was nearly complete by mid-1989 but Namco didn't know how / or feel capable of marketing it with so many new systems coming out in 1989-1990.  I believe it eventually became the NA-1 and NA-2 arcade boards. Note their very simple, clean motherboards. Very console like, as with Sega's Mega-Tech, System C-2 and Mega Play boards, all based on the MD/Genesis.

When we look at the two pieces of "info" (rumor) that EGM provided in their next issue (#3 - August/September 1989)....
(sorry I don't have clear scans)




...We see that Namco's system almost became the PC-Engine 2.   However Hudson would have none of it.  Afterall, Hudson were the creators of the original PC-Engine, so they felt threatened by NEC going with Namco's hardware instead of their own.  Hudson killed the deal between NEC and Namco.

If this is true, there may have been as many as 3 different PC-Engine 2 specifications.

*A 16-Bit system designed by NEC-Hudson with a real 16-Bit CPU, much improved graphics capabilities, perhaps even scaling & rotation. Improved audio/sound capability.
(This is the one they should've went with, for the later half of 1990.)

*Namco's 16-Bit Super System renamed PC-Engine 2 with abilities comparable to the Super Famicom.
(I think this would've been the 2nd-best option)

*Hudson's upgrade of the original PC-Engine with the exact same CPU and audio ability, with only modest improvements to graphics and more RAM/VRAM.
It was rushed to market in Nov 1989.  This of course was released as the SuperGrafx with a 2nd VDC/VPD with its own 64K VRAM thus 128K in total
and 32K work RAM, up from 8K in the PCE.


I like the first and original choice best.  A Hudson-designed 16-bitter that would've been a real leap forward. It could've been as far ahead of the competition in 1990-91 and '92 as the original PCE was in 1987-88.   It would've easily surpassed the Super Famicom/SNES in power, and (at least) even given the Neo Geo a run for its money (no pun intended).  

When combined with the Super CD-ROM/ System 3.0 card, then later, the Arcade Card,  NEC-Hudson's 16-bit console would've been the 16-Bit home platform to beat. Provided the marketing got equally better and provided more 3rd parties abandoned Sega and especially Nintnendo.

[handygrafx]

I found this web page from 2006:

http://www.revrob.com/sci-a-tech-topmenu-52/50-namcos-lost-game-console-super-system

Namco's Lost Game Console - Super System
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra    Sunday, 02 April 2006



When? 1989. Where? Japan. Who? Namco.

After creating the most recognized video game mascot, in the 1980's Namco felt that they could do anything. Traditionally an arcade developer, Namco saw the success of Nintendo's Famicom (NES) system in Japan and abroad and felt that Pacman could take on Mario.

After Nintendo began to reveal information about their Super Famicom (SNES), Namco revealed that they were working on a true 16-bit console of their own, one which would have rivaled the processing speed of the MegaDrive (Genesis) and surpassed the color pallet and sound capabilities of the Super Famicom. It promised to be the most powerful 16-bit game console in the world, hence earning the name 'Super System.'


What happened?

In 1989 a console called the PC Engine was the number one selling game machine in Japan. In the West, American's were patiently waiting for their iteration of the system, the TurboGrafix, to hit their shores. The PC Engine was a joint venture between Japanese electronics giant NEC, and game development powerhouse Hudson Soft.



Namco began to question how they could compete in a market were veterans like Nintendo, Sega and NEC/Hudson were all gearing up for a prolific struggle for domination of the console hardware market.

They decided to align themselves with insurgent NEC. NEC recognized the brand power that came with Namco. In a time where video games were relatively underground or regarded as a kid's toy, Pacman was instantly recognizable and transcended all facets of society; age, gender, race and social class.

NEC and Hudson were already in the designing phase for a PC Engine 2. This would have also been a true 16-bit console, a follow-up to the PC Engine, and a guarantee that the PC Engine brand would endure for another hardware generation.

Talks between NEC and Namco were ongoing, and Namco's console was nearly complete and ready to be integrated with NEC's technology. It would have been ready for the US market within a year.

No Namco materialization or manifestation?

Jealousy has been known to humankind for as far back as history is recorded, and beyond. Just as jealousy exists in human society and even in the animal kingdom, it is also present in the business world.

Hudson feared that they would lose control over the PC Engine to Namco and that NEC would favor this new partner. As a result, Hudson pushed the PC Engine2 to the market, the version that they had co-designed with NEC, leaving Namco and their impressive hardware back in the lab.

This PC Engine2 came to be known as the ill-fated and ill-remembered SuperGrafx. The SuperGrapfx was more like a PC Engine 1.5 than a version 2.0. It featured upgraded graphics, but used the same 8-bit core, not living up to the promise of a true 16-bit console. It also offered no upgraded sound capabilities. Backwards compatible with the PC Engine's HuCards, the SuperGrafx hailed few supporters. NEC and Hudson would try one more time to enter the hardware market to compete with Sony and Sega with a 32-bit machine with CD based media, but the PC-FX faded even faster than its 16-bit ancestor.

Namco never released their Super System on their own and very little is know about the machine. There are no prototypes know to exist anywhere in the world, though it is widely speculated that Namco still owns at least one prototype as well as specifications.

...And all that could have been

The landscape of the game industry could've been very different had NEC partnered with Namco, or had Namco gone the same route as Sony when Nintendo backed out of their deal to create a CD add-on device for the Super Famicom codenamed "Playstation."

Had the SuperGrafx been canned in favor of the Namco console, Namco/NEC might still be major players today. Namco is one arcade developer who could've handily capitalized on their universally recognizable IP such as Pacman and Dig Dug, and as well as the success of their modern arcade hits such as Ridge Racer, Tekken, Soul Calibur and Time Crisis, and develop new IP such as Kalona and Ace Combat.

If Namco 'pulled a Sony' and decided to release their Super System on their own they may have wound up on top and remain major player today -or- Namco might have deteriorated under the pressure and costs of hardware development and folded before such classics and Soul Calibur and Dead to Rights could be imagined.

Despite the historical outcome of Namco's experiments with their own home videogame system, it would still be interesting today to see their 1989 Super System in action!

First of all, I don't believe this guy came up with this on his own.  He used one of the EGM news clips that *I* took a photo of.  That much I know for certain.  

I don't know for sure, but I believe he looked at the speculation & comments that I had written and posted on the subject of the PC-Engine 2 and the Namco console.  What he wrote was not copied from me, but I believe he based it on the research I had done.  Let's be clear, this guy did absolutely nothing wrong.  However I do feel a little credit was due. But whatever.  I'm actually glad this person made a page on Namco's console.

He did what I couldn't, make a website/page. So in a sense, I am grateful to him.



There is at least one mention of Namco's system posted on a usenet newsgroup in 1989:

However note that NEC is coming out with a PC Engine 2, and Namco (I think) has a new 16 bit machine they're thinking about marketing.

http://tinyurl.com/k2dwvug


Also, from The Strange (and Rare) Videogame Pics Page:
(credit to Fabrizio Pedrazzini)

ONCE TOUGHT TO BE POSSIBLE PLAYERS

Acorn (with a video game system based on the Archimedes/Risc PC platform)
 Amstrad (with a CD-I compatible system)
 Data East (they worked on a Neo Geo-type system called DECO)
 Epson (they worked on a 32-bit system)
Namco (they had a 16-bit and a 32-bit system ready)
Seta (like DE they worked on a Neo Geo-type system)
 SNK (with a Hyper Neo Geo 64 home version...)
 Sony (with a Gameboy-like handheld system that some sources said it had a color screen)
Taito (look here!)

http://faberp.tripod.com/Future.htm

I have no idea about a 32-Bit Namco console, I suppose its possible, but I've never even seen a rumor about this.

Anyway, while I think a 16-Bit Namco console could've been really neat -- I'd have much rather seen a true 16-Bit PC Engine 2 / SuperGrafx-16 designed by Hudson.

I could be wrong, but from what I've read (right or wrong), Hudson may have designed the custom chips in the Sharp X68000 computer.  I know they *did* design the OS for the X68K.
Either way, the first X68K came out in Japan in 1987, around the time of the PC-Engine. That means both were designed around 1985-1986. (the original Amiga chipset was shown in 1984 before its 1985 release).

Imagine then, what Hudson could've done with a system designed between 1988-1990...

Ah, all the "what could have beens".

[TheClash603]

Thanks for all the Namco system stuff.  I hadn't known about any of it, so it was a good read.

It would be interesting to look at the balance sheet of Namco circa 1990 to see if the company had even the slightest chance (aka - money) to release a system.

Obviously NEC had the funds, at least for the Japan market, but they seemed to be making bad decisions by this point.

[Tatsujin]

I believe it eventually became the NA-1 and NA-2 arcade boards. 

Numan Athletic is a very funny game

  It would've easily surpassed the Super Famicom/SNES in power,

But it eitehr way did.

[esteban]

Not that it would help much, but did the Japanese media provide any coverage that is useful?