Information AboutAmiga Cd32 |
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| fifth-generation video game consoles | |
| commodore amiga | |
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The Amiga CD32 was the first 32-bit CD-ROM based Game Console released in western Europe and North America. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London , United Kingdom on 16 July 1993 , and released in September of the same year. The CD32 is based on Commodore 's Advanced Graphics Architecture chipset, and is of similar specification to the Amiga 1200 . Using 3rd-party devices, it is possible to upgrade the CD32 with Keyboard , Floppy Drive , and Mouse , turning it into a Personal Computer . A hardware MPEG decompression module for playing Video CD was also available, however, it is rumoured that as few as 400 modules made it to market, though other sources put it up to 5000. The CD32 managed to secure over 50% of the CD-ROM market in the UK in 1993 and 1994, outselling the MegaCD , Philips CDi , and even PC CD-ROM sales. Total sales of the CD32 have been put at just under 100,000 - though since this was the total ''manufactured'', it's unlikely that they all sold through at the time of launch. The CD32 was released in Canada , and was planned for release in the United States , but a deadline was reached for Commodore to pay a patent royalty to Cad Track for their use of their XOR patent. A federal judge ordered an injunction against Commodore from being allowed to import anything into the United States. Commodore had built up CD32 inventory in their Philippine manufacturing facility for the United States launch, but, being unable to sell the consoles, they remained in the Philippines until the debts owed to the owners of the facility were settled. Commodore declared bankruptcy shortly afterwards, and the CD32 was never officially sold in the United States. However, imported models did come over the border from Canada, and many stores in the United States (Primarily Mail-Order Stores) imported units for domestic sale. During the long bankruptcy proceedings, Commodore UK also provided some hardware components and software for the American market, including production of the MPEG Video Module that was not officially released by Commodore International. Ultimately, Commodore was not able to meet demand for new units because of component supply problems. The success of the CD32 in Europe was not enough to save Commodore, and the bankruptcy of Commodore International in April 1994 caused the CD32 to be discontinued only months after its debut. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
ACCESSORIES AND THIRD PARTY DEVICES The CD32 can be enhanced using these devices: ProModule , Paravision SX-1 and DCE SX-32 (which optionally includes 68030 CPU ). Those devices extend the capability of Amiga CD32, allowing it to utilize hardware such as an external 3.5" floppy disk drive, Hard Disk and IBM PC Keyboard . An Amiga CD32 can be turned into a ''de facto'' Amiga 1200 via the addition of 3rd party packages. The SX-1 appears to have been designed around Commodore's mechanical specs and not the actual production units – it did not fit very well and requires an internal 'modification' to fit properly. Consequently, the SX-1 can be jarred loose if the console is not handled gently. The upgraded SX-32 expansion pack (which included a 68030 25MHz processor) solves these problems. As well as its own special controllers, the Amiga CD32 is also compatible with SEGA Megadrive/Genesis controllers. CD s created for the CD32 conform to ISO 9660 level2, mode1, although the Rock Ridge and Joliet extensions are not compatible. SOFTWARE If the system is turned on without a CD, a splash screen with scrolling colours will appear and a tune will play. After this tune ends, the user can press the blue button on the game pad to enter a language selection menu. The user can also press the red button to access a menu where they can view the contents of the internal Flash ROM. Unlike most game consoles, this menu does not allow the user to delete items. Instead, the system will automatically overwrite the oldest entries when memory runs out. The menu allows the user to "lock" files to prevent overwriting. At launch the CD32 was bundled with two games, '' Diggers '', a new game from Millennium Interactive , and '' Oscar '' from Flair . The CD32 was capable of running most of the titles developed for the Amiga CDTV multimedia device (differences in CPU speed and Kickstart version prevented some of the earlier CDTV titles from running). Many of the games released for the CD32 were simply Ports of games that were already available for Amiga computers. One benefit of this is that, when appropriate, many games retain the ability to use an Amiga mouse (in port 2) or Amiga keyboard (plugged into the AUX port). Like all later Amiga computers, the CD32 has a hidden boot menu that can be accessed by plugging an Amiga mouse into port 2 and holding both buttons down while turning the system on. Most of the options in this menu aren't useful on a CD32, but from this menu you can choose to boot in either NTSC or PAL mode. This is important, as there are some games that will refuse to work if the system is in the wrong mode, also since most games don't advertise what video mode they were developed for. It should also be pointed out that despite the naming, the menu really only allows a choice of 60Hz or 50Hz video output; a PAL system booted in NTSC mode will still output a video signal using PAL color encoding, which will usually result in a black and white picture when connected to an NTSC television. While the console was fairly successful during its lifespan and managed to be the best-selling CD format console in 1993, it was not able to sustain its growth, with Commodore filing for Chapter 11 just a year after its release after not being able to secure additional CD32 shipments for the holiday season. It was speculated that the holiday season could have kept Commodore afloat for another six months. Another problem was the lack of original games, which had also plagued the CDTV before it. Most CD32 titles were simply A1200 games on a CD, with the occasional Full Motion Video sequence or CD Audio tracks added on. However, a large fan base carried over from the success of other Amiga computers, and several notable titles, such as '''', '' Simon The Sorcerer '' and '' Super Stardust '' prevented the console from sliding into total obscurity. USES OF THE CD32 In 1993, 109 CD32s were installed to run the interactive exhibits at the London Transport Museum , Covent Garden . They provided information, animations, pictures, sound and text available in several languages. The systems were produced by a company called "Index Information". In 1995, an Italian company named CD Express used the CD32 as a basis for an arcade machine called "CUBO CD32" {Link without Title} . Inside these machines, stock CD32's were hooked up to an external circuit board which essentially acted as a converter to route all the input and output into a standard JAMMA connector for use in an arcade cabinet. The software was provided on CD-ROM. Nine games are known to exist, all of which are original games created by CD Express. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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