The M2/3DO Prototype Thread

**Alien Workshop** · 08-01-2004

I am starting this thread to get more information on the M2 and Prototype 3DO systems. I am sure most of us know the story behind the M2, but for those of you who do not, here it is.

The Original 3DO was not the success that Trip Hawkins had hoped, so he began work on a successor for it, the M2. Around 1995 3DO announced their new system, however, by 1996 3DO's funds were drying up, and they could not continnue with M2 development, so they sold the M2 technology to Matsushita for one hundred million USD. Unfortunately, Matsushita did not feel they could compete, so the M2 was never released, as a games system anyway.

Here are some Matsushita (Panasoinc) M2 Prototypes:

Prototype 1

Prototype 2

Final System

Goldstar M2

Does anyone have any more info on the Goldstar M2?

The M2 Black Box

Also, there are two other 3DO, not M2, Prototypes that exist

The AT&T 3DO

The Samsung 3DO

More info on these two units would be Appreciated.

**dj898** · 08-01-2004

Goldstar unit would be now lost forever since it merged with Lucky Corp. and became LG as we know of today. :)

cheers

**Alien Workshop** · 08-02-2004

Originally Posted by dj898

Goldstar unit would be now lost forever since it merged with Lucky Corp. and became LG as we know of today. :)

cheers

I think they became LG before the M2 was announced, or at about the same time. I have an article about it in an old Game Players, I will have to dig it out.

- Edit -

July 1995 issue, GamePro

Some screens of M2 tech demos, a woman fighting a dinosaur and an Island with a boat going around it.

August 1995 issue, GamePro

3DO's E3 report, Goldstars name change to LG is in the report

January 1996 issue, Game Players

"Goldstars" M2 mock up, with report of 3DO's selling of M2 technology to Matsushita.

The Goldstar (LG) unit might still exist, and it might have gone under the name Goldstar because of the Goldstar 3DO.

**dj898** · 08-02-2004

I might ask dad about it as he used work for Goldstar and have friend but he retired 7 years ago... and he know next to nothing about video game so it might not easy to explain over the phone... :p

cheers

**ASSEMbler** · 08-02-2004

The M2 is finished and was shipped. It was however recalled, more accurately support dropped.

I and a few others have working M2 units and dev systems.
The unit was modified to become the FZ-35, FZ-55, FZ-21
Also an arcade board, more similar to the FZ series (35).

The games that were made were mostly beta code, a few discs were probably made, but most code was done on dev units.

I have some software, people have SDK.

It's very hard to get, but it's out there.

There are blue and white units out there.

The others were just mockups.

That's what I know.
And no, I won't sell mine.

**Alien Workshop** · 08-02-2004

Originally Posted by assembler

The M2 is finished and was shipped. It was however recalled, more accurately support dropped.

I and a few others have working M2 units and dev systems.
The unit was modified to become the FZ-35, FZ-55, FZ-21
Also an arcade board, more similar to the FZ series (35).

The games that were made were mostly beta code, a few discs were probably made, but most code was done on dev units.

I have some software, people have SDK.

It's very hard to get, but it's out there.

There are blue and white units out there.

The others were just mockups.

That's what I know.
And no, I won't sell mine.

So, the M2 was actually shipped, like to stores to be sold :smt119
So then are there also grey units out there as well, ones that can play games?

**madhatter256** · 08-02-2004

I dont think they were shipped.

Anyway, I'm surprised that the arcade board is "very" similar to the FZ35 model which is what the M2 black box is that you show. I have that. I was going to bid on the M2 software assembler was selling but it way out of my budget.

A question. Whatever happened to the D2 prototype demo for the FZ21 (M2 game console)?? Does anybody know where the code is, if its out there or something?

**Alien Workshop** · 08-02-2004

I found some interesting pics of the M2 Dev unit:

Pic of mainboard from working prototype

Pic of M2 development expansion card

**GigaDrive** · 08-02-2004

between 1994 (when Bulldog / Mark II / M2 was announced) and 1997, the M2 went from being a single PowerPC processor machine to a dual PowerPC processor machine. memory started at 4 MB, was upgraded to 6 MB, then finally to 8 MB.

overall the final M2 was meant to be 2 to 3 times more powerful than Nintendo 64. the M2 could produce around 300,000 polygons with full texture mapping, g-shading, filtering, z-buffering, mip-mapping, etc. or 700,000 polygons with just texture mapping, or over 1 million flat shaded polygons, making the M2 slightly more powerful than 3Dfx Voodoo1, PowerVR PCX1/PCX2, and Sega's Model 2 board.... although M2 was a lot less powerful than Sega's Model 3 or Dreamcast.

I wanted the M2 version of Warp's D2, rather than the totally different Dreamcast version.

**Alien Workshop** · 08-02-2004

Originally Posted by GigaDrive

between 1994 (when Bulldog / Mark II / M2 was announced) and 1997, the M2 went from being a single PowerPC processor machine to a dual PowerPC processor machine. memory started at 4 MB, was upgraded to 6 MB, then finally to 8 MB.

overall the final M2 was meant to be 2 to 3 times more powerful than Nintendo 64. the M2 could produce around 300,000 polygons with full texture mapping, g-shading, filtering, z-buffering, mip-mapping, etc. or 700,000 polygons with just texture mapping, or over 1 million flat shaded polygons, making the M2 slightly more powerful than 3Dfx Voodoo1, PowerVR PCX1/PCX2, and Sega's Model 2 board.... although M2 was a lot less powerful than Sega's Model 3 or Dreamcast.

I wanted the M2 version of Warp's D2, rather than the totally different Dreamcast version.

It would have been dificult for M2 to succeed because it was being released at such an awkward time. It would have been too expensive to release it to compete with N64, SS, and PSX, but if they waited thier system would be have been no match for the DC and PS2. An impressive system for the time though.

**Alien Workshop** · 08-02-2004

Look at this advertisement

Maybe a Goldstar M2 does exist.

antime · 08-02-2004

Konami made an arcade board out of the system, and the reviews I've read describe the graphics as slightly better than the Playstation's, but not much.

**ASSEMbler** · 08-02-2004

The finished units were shipped as debuggers. Obviously not to stores.. :smt120

The arcade machine like the FZ has initial 30-60 second load time.

I am looking to get a cd, and see if it'll load on a FZ-35, they are so similar.

The FZ is way too much hardware for a kiosk, you could do the same on a CD-i. They only sold a few as ATMS and Kiosks, but you could do those cheaper as well.

**ASSEMbler** · 08-02-2004

I'd have to say there's probably less than 100 dev and finished units. I have yet to see a unit numbered above 50..

**sayin999** · 08-02-2004

I think the only thing worth hunting down is the unreleased version of d2 for the m2, the graphics seemed to be close to dreamcast quality from what i could tell, but was the m2 also designed to handle dvds before it was finnaly canceled?

**Paulo** · 08-02-2004

Originally Posted by sayin999

I think the only thing worth hunting down is the unreleased version of d2 for the m2

No the gfx werent as good as the dreamcast by far....

Originally Posted by GigaDrive

I wanted the M2 version of Warp's D2, rather than the totally different Dreamcast version.

Well ive said before that D2 was either changed into the dreamcast game while it was on the M2 or both games were on the M2.

Unless someone leaked VERY VERY very early pictures of the game on the Dreamcast.

**ASSEMbler** · 08-02-2004

1. Warp is like 6 frickin people

2. Eno is semi crazy, he might give you a copy if he's in the rightmood.

I really like the man, he has a lot of ideas and
speaks his mind, something really uncommon in the Japanese
games industry.

**cahaz** · 08-02-2004

i have an article of the m2 with the gold star system in it , i don't know if it should help for more infos on it ... il'll search it and scan it.

**Alien Workshop** · 08-02-2004

Originally Posted by assembler

The finished units were shipped as debuggers. Obviously not to stores.. :smt120

The way you said it in your first post made it sound like they were actually shipped to stores. Anyway, all this info is awesome, thanks guys. BTW, does anyone know anything about the Samsung and AT&T 3DO systems?

Assembler, you said you have an M2 unit right. Which one do you have, and did your unit come with any kind of controller? I remember seeing a pic of two M2 units, and they had contollers that looked very similar to the N64 controller.

**ASSEMbler** · 08-02-2004

I have a few tpes, none are the same, they all have revised boards.

None came with "retail" controllers. They worked on 6 button 3do pads and there wasn't any finished controller I have found yet. I am sure they are out there.

The NUON controller has a VERY close look to the final.