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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Episode Transcript

Danny (00:04):
You're listening to Memories of 3DO, a retrospective look at a video games console classic.
Choose your preferred app to follow on.
And now this week's episode.
If 1994 was the year that the 3DOfinally got the quality games that had offered a promise machine.

(00:25):
1995 was when it trulysolidified its reputation.
As a serious piece of kit owners ofthe system were treated to excellent games like killing time for a realistic take on a first person shooting game returned, fire an excellent mobile player
war game, where vehicles and strategyhave played a huge part slamming jam and awesome and Superfund basketball game, battle sport, a futuristic sports game, and a 4runner to this generations.

(00:53):
Space hope vengeance, a hugely atmosphericshooter based on the popular board game and demolition man, our movie tie in, at the offered since Roman Sylvester Stallone movie alongside a multi-channel Andra platformer.
These are just some of the gamesthat helped if radio company enjoyed their best sales since launch coupled with the ongoing teases of the upcoming 64 bit upgrade the M two and other hardware partners release in versions of the console.

(01:16):
1995 looked as if it was goingto be a banner year for the.
However there stone close on horizon fromboth a gaming and a financial viewpoint on a game front while Sega had rollies to start on at the end of 1994, there was industry newcomer, Sony who are making the biggest noise with their PlayStation.
Also released in Japan at the end of1994, following an excellent CES tech dam or the previous summer gamers were chomping at the bit to get the hands on Saunders machine where the promise of giving giants, Namco, square Konami, and others making games.

(01:49):
Fever pitch reached a frenzy by thetable of the machines, Japanese launch.
At the end of 94, it sold a hundredthousand units on the first deal on a blood tourist in anything.
The other game companies hadmanaged was strong arcade games like rich racer, as well as fighting games like battled in a torsion.
Then PlayStation soon becamethe linen console for gamers everywhere throughout 1995.

(02:11):
Back at the video company, despitethe Exxon games laying up the company published float the year, it was clear things weren't looking good.
Sega Saturn and a SonicPlayStation had essentially stalled sales of the 3d or console.
And the licensing model thatthe video company hoped would change things in the industry.
Hadn't made the impact, the companyhoped for while the licensing cost for developers to make games for the 3d, or were much lower than Sega, Sony and Nintendo.

(02:36):
It relied on units beingshifted to make a profit.
This was especially true for the hardwarepartners like Samuel and Goldstar because the company knew that the other came in, manufacturers had drum machines.
In 1995, the drop the price of thehardware to an extremely aggressive 2 99, a $400 drop from the launch price less than 18 months earlier, while this led to a spike in sales, it still meant the

(02:58):
company had only sold 300,000 units inthe U S despite being out for two years, admittedly, the Japanese markets, Ella release, and Japanese specific games.
So the unit fare much better withsales of half a million units, but let's still men machine had sold less than a million units in two years.
Compare that to the a hundred thousandsoreness PlayStation sold on the very first day I was released and the fact that it sold over 1 million units in Japan alone by mid 1995.

(03:25):
And it was clear that the, a companyand a machine we're going to struggle, we compete heck even established giant Sega would struggle to compete.
Well, that's what another podcastand the structural game and Cirrus as 1995, came to a close.
The pressure was on the videocompany orders of its console, trying to remain optimistic.
Well, how do our partnersand several software partners were already jumping ship.

(03:48):
It was clear if they were,the three deal was to continue something drastic, needed to happen.
The company believed they're 64 bitupgrade and two would be the answer.
And once again, establish radio asa true next generation machine that gamers are looking for a $100 million licensing agreement with Matsushita the parent company of electronics, giant Panasonic for exclusive use of the

(04:10):
Offered hope for 30 days orowners that 1996 would be another defining year for them, it would, but not in the way they hoped.
And the next episode of memories of thegame release schedule starts to dry up and a decision that CEO's, if the is fate.