PC Engine Shuttle

[ccovell]

Thanks, it was a small addendum to the larger page about the early Super Famicom announcement:

http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/secrets11.html

Check out that page and compare the software publishers' reactions to the SFC versus the SuperGrafx.   

[SignOfZeta]

Now its hard to see what the point was of the Shuttle, but if you look at the original retail prices of PC Engine systems, it all makes sense. Released two years before the down-priced Core Grafx II, the Shuttle cost 18800 yen, where as the Core Grafx was 24800 yen. The Shuttle was for gamers that would never eventually buy the extremely expensive CD add-on. Since they wouldn't be using that functionality, they weren't go to pay for it either so the price was lowered by about $50 USD, and the functions disabled. Then system was modified to look like stand-alone device, rather than a chunk of something (the original PC Engines).

This sort of thing is done all the time with, say, multi-core CPUs. Several of the cores will be disabled on the budget ones because making an entirely different chip for them would actually bring the price up, not down.

This happens with automobiles all the time with accessory and powertrain packages also.

[Turbo D]

I didn't know that they did that with cpus  those bastards! 

[SignOfZeta]

Would you rather that they didn't, raising the cost of all the CPUs in the range?

[Turbo D]

I'd rather them sell all the cpus for cheap since they can obviously afford to. But I must be realistic and agree with you 

[shubibiman]

Thanks again Chris for your links. It's good to see pc engine fans doing so many things for the community. I salute you for all your work

[esteban]

The Shuttle is awesome looking. I would buy one in a second.

Yeah, the novelty of the design is really the fun part. I mean, come on, who can't appreciate a totally wacky item like the PC Shuttle? It's much more fun than a CoreGrafx IV, which would have been practically indistinguishable from its predecessors (well, the "CoreGrafx IV" logo would be printed in green and purple, but otherwise...)

Aside: I have to go to a party right now, dammit, but I can't wait to read the page that Mr. C made! I don't remember seeing it before.

Trivia: Apparently, there was a Battery Backup peripheral made for the Shuttle. I was surprised to see it at ncsx.com a few weeks ago (there is a thread here about it). If I had the extra $$$, I would have picked one up.