History of video games/Platforms/Panasonic M2

History The M2 was a planned successor to the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer game console. In 1995 3DO sold the console to Panasonic/Matsushita for a sum said to be around $100 million dollars.After the prototype PlayStation: six more obscure games consoles https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/07/prototype-nintendo-playstation-obscure-games-consoles-snes-cd 5 February 2021 the Guardian 7 July 2015 en3DO M2 - Ultimate Console Database https://ultimateconsoledatabase.com/unreleased/m2.htm 5 February 2021 ultimateconsoledatabase.com In 1997 the 3DO M2 was cancelled.Yin-Poole Wesley Collector unearths playable file for original, cancelled D2 - the 3DO M2 game thought lost to history https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-12-09-collector-unearths-playable-file-for-original-cancelled-d2-the-video-game-thought-lost-to-history 5 February 2021 Eurogamer 9 December 2019 en Following the cancellation of the console, parts were reused in other non-gaming applications.Six of the best: unreleased games consoles https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/09/six-of-the-best-unreleased-games-consoles 5 February 2021 the Guardian 9 November 2014 en Panasonic would once again nearly bring a console to market with the Panasonic Jungle. Throughout the 2010's the collector Anthony Bacon did much to preserve M2 related items. As a result, a free compilation disk was produced containing surviving demo software for the system by February 1st, 2020.Yin-Poole Wesley 3DO M2 collector releases playable demo disc for free https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-02-01-3do-m2-enthusiast-releases-demo-disc-for-free 5 February 2021 Eurogamer 1 February 2020 en Technology The system was initially envisioned as an add on to the 3DO instead of its own console with the name M2 being short for Mark 2 Accelerator. (The first design was called Bull Dog),Panasonic 3DO M2 https://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg90-3do_m2.htm#page=reviews Video Game Console Library 11 February 2021 similar to how the Sega 32X was developed into the unreleased Sega Neptune (Though neither concept of the M2 saw release). This development path likely influenced the components chosen for the console. Standard Components The M2 was an early adoption of the PowerPC processor architecture in a game console, a choice other console makers would often make later during the 2000s.IBM Gives Away PowerPC; Goes Open Source https://www.eejournal.com/article/ibm-gives-away-powerpc-goes-open-source/ 5 February 2021 EEJournal 27 August 2019 The system sported two individual Power PC 602 processors each clocked at 66.7 megahertz, as well as 10 custom coprocessors. Though the console was marketed as being 64-bit, this was actually in reference to the bus width of the CPU, as this component was a cost reduced version of the PowerPC 603,CPU Shack - IBM PowerPC 602 http://www.cpushack.com/CIC/embed/announce/IBMPowerPC602.html 11 February 2021 www.cpushack.com a 32-bit CPU.Motorola PowerPC 603 https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/PowerPC-603/index.html www.cpu-world.com 11 February 2021 This is yet another trend from the period, where marketers would either mistakenly or misleadingly use bit size as a measure of console power, and would find other specifications which met that bit size, or claim that two components with 32-bit hardware were the same as 64 bit hardware. Even so, the system was quite powerful for its time, and was equipped quite favorably compared to typical desktop computers of 1995,Comparing today's computers to 1995's https://www.relativelyinteresting.com/comparing-todays-computers-to-1995s/ 11 February 2021 Relatively Interesting 7 October 2019 and even some multi processor workstation designs.OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=1142 www.old-computers.com 11 February 2021 The console was outfitted with 16 megabytes of RAM. Per Model Components Beyond the basic compute platform, the system had varying specs between prototype models. Notable Games Despite the ultimate cancelation of the M2, a solid lineup of games had been planned for the system. Many games that started development on the M2 saw release on other platforms. D2 A Survival Horror game that was later released on the Sega Dreamcast. Read more about D2 on Wikipedia Power Stone An Innovative fighting game later ported to the Sega Dreamcast.Stuart Keith Power Stone: the Dreamcast brawler that foresaw Fortnite and Overwatch https://www.theguardian.com/games/2019/aug/14/power-stone-sega-dreamcast-fortnite-overwatch 5 February 2021 The Guardian 14 August 2019 Read more about Power Stone on Wikipedia. External Resources Panasonic M2 Panasonic Video Game Console Library - Panasonic M2 Page with photos of prototype hardware and historical information. References 250%__NOTOC__