Most still don't understand what CD-i really was. It was attempting to be an "all in one" device that ran Green Book CD-Interactive (CD-i format), Red Book Digital Audio (CD-DA ), White Book Video CD (VCD), and Beige Book Photo CD (PCD).
In 1991, the Audio CD format was still just catching on, and CD players were still quite novel and expensive to the masses. So, this was a selling point. Photo CD was attractive to consumers interested in digitizing their film based photos, before scanners were common in homes. Filmed entertainment on Video CD and CD-i was an alternative to the niche Laserdisc and low quality VHS formats.
The main selling point was the CD-i format, basically a CD-ROM (Yellow Book) for your television. The main focus was on edutainment titles for school aged children and simplistic games aimed mostly at children as well. Other manufacturers produced CD-i consoles, as Philips was attempting to create a whole new format, like Audio CD - not a proprietary home console.
It was never intended to be a graphics powerhouse home console to compete with Genesis, SNES, 3DO, etc.
The first problem was that Cd-i arrived to the market several years late. By 1991, computers were in more homes in America. Secondly, the edutainment CD's failed to be the type of selling point Philips had hoped for. That's when they began leaning more heavily into games and movies.
Philips and other Dutch studios did some good work, considering they didn't have a Genny or SNES to develop for. They accomplished much more than just the Zelda and Mario games. The vast majority of the original games have never been ported. The Apprentice is probably the best of their platform games and should be of interest to fans of classic Nintendo.
The Philips CD-i is a unique piece of home electronics history.
Really looking forward to Arzette. All of the retro games on Switch are what helped me get back into gaming after passing on all of the other 8th-gen consoles.
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Re: "Spiritual Successor" To The CD-i Zelda Games, Arzette, Comes To Switch Next Month
I am new - be gentle.
Most still don't understand what CD-i really was. It was attempting to be an "all in one" device that ran Green Book CD-Interactive (CD-i format), Red Book Digital Audio (CD-DA ), White Book Video CD (VCD), and Beige Book Photo CD (PCD).
In 1991, the Audio CD format was still just catching on, and CD players were still quite novel and expensive to the masses. So, this was a selling point. Photo CD was attractive to consumers interested in digitizing their film based photos, before scanners were common in homes.
Filmed entertainment on Video CD and CD-i was an alternative to the niche Laserdisc and low quality VHS formats.
The main selling point was the CD-i format, basically a CD-ROM (Yellow Book) for your television. The main focus was on edutainment titles for school aged children and simplistic games aimed mostly at children as well. Other manufacturers produced CD-i consoles, as Philips was attempting to create a whole new format, like Audio CD - not a proprietary home console.
It was never intended to be a graphics powerhouse home console to compete with Genesis, SNES, 3DO, etc.
The first problem was that Cd-i arrived to the market several years late. By 1991, computers were in more homes in America. Secondly, the edutainment CD's failed to be the type of selling point Philips had hoped for. That's when they began leaning more heavily into games and movies.
Philips and other Dutch studios did some good work, considering they didn't have a Genny or SNES to develop for. They accomplished much more than just the Zelda and Mario games. The vast majority of the original games have never been ported. The Apprentice is probably the best of their platform games and should be of interest to fans of classic Nintendo.
The Philips CD-i is a unique piece of home electronics history.
Really looking forward to Arzette. All of the retro games on Switch are what helped me get back into gaming after passing on all of the other 8th-gen consoles.
Here are articles relating to the Philips-Nintendo relationship from the defunct Interactive Dreams blog, a wonderful CD-i resource.
https://web.archive.org/web/20190419004947/http://cdii.blogspot.com/search/label/Nintendo