The gaming industry generates more than one-hundred billion dollars each year. With such huge potential for profit, any tech company with the appropriate hardware will understandably want a slice of this pie. Though, not all projects that are started see completion. There’s a veritable graveyard for unreleased and canceled consoles.
Some by big-name gaming companies, some by powerful tech giants who simply couldn’t get the ball rolling, and others from random celebrities or individuals who love gaming and wanted to leave their mark on the world with their own console. It takes a lot more than good tech and a bright idea to launch a console, though, especially with gaming giants like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo around.
10 Apple Iplay
Apple has been increasing its lineup of products for decades, so it is no surprise that it tried to get its foot into the gaming industry. With the budget to fund the project and staff capable of coming up with sleek, popular designs and functions, it seemed like a winning bet for investors.
Furthermore, the Apple iPlay could have boasted many interesting exclusives that could draw in gamers. However, this project never saw completion and faded into the abyss of the early 2000s.
9 Action Enterprises Gamemaster
Probably the most ambitious console ever thought up, the Action Enterprises Gamemaster was intended to run games from multiple consoles, including the SNES, Sega Genesis, and NES; naturally, this was in addition to titles created specifically for the console. All of this in the early 1990s.
The plan, apparently, was to use adapters to run simplified versions of these games. While the concept was quite cool, the console was doomed to fail from the start. This was intended to be released as a handheld console, but the hardware required for it to work would not be able to fit into an empty room, let alone someone’s hands.
8 AT&T 3DO
Yes, this well-known company did in fact try to launch a gaming console. The only traces that now remain of the AT&T 3DO are a horribly low-resolution image file and speculation about what it was supposed to do.
This is a cryptid of the gaming world, something that only exists in myth and tech lore. This unreleased console serves as proof that there is a tremendous amount consumers will never know about the origin and nature of the development phase behind certain devices.
7 Bandai HET
This was less of a stand-alone console and more of a variation of one. It was essentially a computer designed for gaming that came with its own controllers and accessories. It even had a few games, proved by the Dragon Ball title that can be seen in some images of this console.
With a big gaming company behind the Bandai HET and a potential line-up of Nintendo-created games, this thing had real potential. Though, sadly, the Bandai HET did not fit with the marketing ideals of Nintendo or other companies and was abandoned.
6 GamePark XGP
With a nice design and actual prototypes existing, the GamePark XGP seems like a handheld console that could have done well on the market. The issue with this device was not the hardware or marketing, but rather the internal strife of a company.
GamePark split into two different companies who both tried to continue the same product line. Furthermore, multiple iterations of the XGP were created to target different demographics. Being as sundered as they were, neither half of GamePark were able to keep things going until release, both eventually filing for bankruptcy.
5 Indrema L600
The Indrema L600 was another promising device that could not make it all the way through development. This console was capable of running MP3, VCD, CD, and DVD files from its disk drive and USB ports.
With a sleek design, an ability to read multiple formats, and presumably compatibility with big-name games from big-name developers, the L600 could have been a hit. Interestingly, it was meant to be an open-source console, meaning that anyone with a Linux could have been a developer, potentially opening a whole new world for gaming.
4 Ericsson’s Red Jade
It may look a bit wonky, but this handheld device had a lot of time and effort put into it. Ten million dollars worth, to be specific. Though that was not enough to see this project through to completion. With PDA-like capabilities, wireless connectivity similar to Bluetooth, and graphics on par with the original PlayStation, the Red Jade could have made the early 2000s a very different place for gamers.
In addition, it was also apparently designed to download games directly from a secure server instead of using cartridges like most other handheld consoles of the era. Unfortunately, development ended when the company making it suffered severe economical pressure and had to cut thousands of jobs.
3 Atari Game Brain
The massive knobs, directional pads, and archaic switches make this seem clunky, but considering the Atari Game Brain was designed in the early 1970s, it looks pretty good.
Back during this era, there was no home-gaming to be had besides on a few computers. Compared to buying and installing a full game cabinet into one’s house, this could have been a very attractive option for some. Though, it never made it to the market as it was dropped in favor of producing the Atari 2600.
2 Sega VR
Long before modern VR headsets came around, Sega was toying with the idea while simultaneously allowing people to cosplay as Cyclops from the X-Men. During an era when games like Virtua Fighter and Doom were showing up, this seemed like the future of gaming and would allow people to dive head-first into their favorite games.
Turns out, VR is the future of gaming, but Sega never got a chance to become the forerunner of this movement. The reason being that most of the corporate suits in charge of funding deemed this project as too much of a risk. They were allegedly afraid of people walking into traffic or having similar accidents while wearing this device and having to deal with lawsuits.
1 Nintendo SNES CD
The legendary canceled console. The one most people think of when they ponder about gaming devices that never made it to the market. Back before Sony made the original PlayStation, they had a deal with Nintendo to create this console.
It boasted the ability to run both cartridge and CD games, marrying the two in what could have been the console to end all consoles. For some reason, Nintendo decided to turn away from Sony and partner with Phillips, which resulted in the hilariously strange CDI. Had this not happened, though, the gaming industry today would be vastly different.
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