Today's most failure-prone video: Console duds

by Zack Stern { May 7th 2007 at 12:00AM }

In today's video pick, GameTrailers counts down its list of the top ten console failures, including the Jaguar, Virtual Boy, and 3DO. We were tortured by watching footage of these console failures, yet we couldn't turn away, wishing that the hardware had succeeded while laughing about all the obvious reasons the systems bombed. The list covers the systems we expected; would you have added others?

See the video after the break.

Tags: 32-x, 3d0, 3do, 5200, atari 5200, Atari5200, cdi, game.com, genesis, gizmondo, jaguar, n-gage, ngage, phantom, sega cd, SegaCd, tiger, virtual boy, VirtualBoy

Related From Joystiq

Teens like video games (and other stuff you don't get)
4 days ago
Video Game Price Charts reveal biggest resale prices of 2009
10 days ago
FBI crime study finds video game system theft on the rise
53 days ago

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

chuck @ May 7th 2007 12:11AM

first one to mention playstation 3 gets punched in the face for not being original.

Dustin @ May 7th 2007 12:14AM

... PS3?

Draco @ May 7th 2007 12:16AM

they sure did stuff an awful lot of PS3's in there considering it didn't make the list.

Ian Von Porter @ May 7th 2007 12:18AM

lol .. all the Genesis add-ons were counted as one.. take a note M$.

Nino @ May 7th 2007 12:23AM

Watch, someone will mention the Wii, saying that it will become obsolete in 2008 once everyone simultaneously decides to stop buying them.

I'm actually surprised the Sega Saturn didn't make this list.

BPM @ May 7th 2007 12:24AM

Ian, that's really pointless. The HD-DVD add-on is... Make sure you read the following part carefully:

FOR.

MOVIES.

ONLY.

That's right. It has no impact, what-so-ever, on game sales. Whereas the Sega CD and 32X were... Make sure you understand this:

FOR.

GAMES.

Yes, that's right. The two were for completely different purposes!

nick @ May 7th 2007 12:25AM

The PS3 is bound to be brought up, only because it was priced in the 'what were they thinking?' territory. The current cost has niche written all over it. Sony needs to rethink their strategy if they hope to achieve over 100 million units sold.

As far the consoles on the list, I agree with with their choices, although the Sega mention isn't technically a console or a handheld, but rather 'accessories'

Regarding the 5200, while it was poor design with the non-self centering joystick, I don't recall ever breaking one 'in hours' as the reviewer mentioned. In fact, in the year I had the system, nothing broke. I did have one of the original (4 port) units. Maybe subsequent units had cheaper controls.

dustandechoes91 @ May 7th 2007 12:26AM

im suprized they didnt try to stick ps3 in there, not that it should of...but it seems everyone "wants to be cool these days" so they talk down about it. Yea the price is high, but its still good.

Lord Chako @ May 7th 2007 12:29AM

The 32x wasnt cd based. It was cartridge based.
That and the cdx can't really be considered a genesis add-on, since it was a standalone system.

And where was turbo graphix 16, and neo-geo?

SWAT Doctor @ May 7th 2007 12:33AM

LOL on how the PS3 makes a brief appearance at the intro

CD-X??? Sega what were you thinking?

Where's the Saturn? and

Lord Chako @ May 8th 2007 12:11AM

The 32x wasnt cd based. It was cartridge based.
That and the cdx can't really be considered a genesis add-on, since it was a standalone system.

And where was turbo graphix 16, and neo-geo?

Alexisonfire @ May 7th 2007 12:33AM

PS3, for the idiots behind the system; the 64DD, for reasons that do not need to be explained; and the Gamecube, for the crappy third-party support.

Fatass of Kickassness @ May 7th 2007 12:34AM

lmao, Sticky Balls.

Fatass of Kickassness @ May 7th 2007 12:36AM

Alexis, I agree with the 64DD but not the other two. In fact, you're the idiot for thinking that either of those systems could be considered failures.

Foil_Goon @ May 7th 2007 12:40AM

@9 The TG16 did great in japan, so it wasn't really a huge flop and the Neo-Geo has some of the greatest games in the fighting genre and will always be remembered for that.

Roger @ May 7th 2007 12:43AM

how dare they say the sega cd was crap? what about the good games nobody remembers!?!? Snatcher, rise of the dragon, the lunar games, and many others! damn you game trailers! the sega cd was the only addon with barely the status of a give it a try! it still is the ONLY add on that was good.

GaryM @ May 7th 2007 12:53AM

Amusing list. Too bad they couldn't have snuck the Adam in there; I guess that was considered a "computer" though, and not primarily a gaming system.

joel @ May 7th 2007 1:07AM

Like someone above said, the CDX was a stand alone system, so who ever wrote the script obviously doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

Aside from that, the Atari Lynx (although cooler than the Game Gear, in my opinon) didn't fare so well. I agree that the Neo-Geo (although it did have some good games) was a big friggin' failure as well.

Alexisonfire @ May 7th 2007 1:18AM

@13.

I geuss this is the wrong list to include the two systems. I did not mean that either system is a complete failure, as the PS3 and Gamecube do have redeeming features, something every other system on that list cannot claim.

But you must admit that, in terms of third party support, the gamecube was a big failure. The systems lifetime was just a drought of titles between the nintendo exclusives. Sure, there was RE4 and Eternal Darkness, but that was really it. That is why I got my gamecube at launch and then bought a PS2 just so I'd have something to play.

The PS3, on the other hand, I consider a failure thus far, but can still redeem itself. Sony managed to make the most highly anticipated console of this current-gen into a laughing stock. The E3 presentation ("Giant enemy crabs"), the price tag, the inclusion of blu-ray, the lack of must-have titles thus far, the backwards compatibility issues (although they were much better than the 360), the underusage of the PSnetwork, the inclusion of the motion sensitivity that will never be used, the lack of rumble, and, most of all, the outrage claims by the people behind the system outragous claims of $1200 for each PS3 on a store's shelf and that it will cure diseases.

The PS3 will not succeed if Sony keeps this up. They need a major price drop and a lot of great exclusives. I'm sorry, but as tempting FFXIII, MGS4, and White Knight Story are, they don't warrant the purchase of a $700CND console.

aaron @ May 7th 2007 1:19AM

The Sony Defense Force is alive and active here.

idioteraser @ May 7th 2007 1:27AM

Listen again number 17. They state the cdx was a single system that it cost 100 dollars more then the Sega Genesis and Sega CD together did. So SEGA morons for doing that and expecting the CDX to take off. It was a failed console.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Multi-Mega

The gamecube is not a failure unless you also consider the xbox a failure as well.

kevinski @ May 7th 2007 1:26AM

There were CD-based 32X games.

SoullessJoker @ May 7th 2007 1:40AM

What about the PSP?? Shitty games, crappy UMD's, and crap control setup. Enough said..

BPM @ May 7th 2007 1:40AM

While the CDX can't be considered a Genesis add-on, it was a Genesis remodel with the CD add-on built-in.

A pretty nice piece of hardware, if you ask me. I'd love to get my hands on one someday...

Burnt Meatloaf @ May 7th 2007 1:40AM

LOL. The CD32 was such a failure, it didn't get on the list.

Interesting how hand-held systems and consoles were bunched together in the video. Of course, there were quite a lot of bad hand-held systems.

idioteraser @ May 7th 2007 1:44AM

"how dare they say the sega cd was crap?"

Watch the video game nerd demolish the sega cd and atari 5200.

All the good sega cd games were later ported over to the playstation or other compliations, consoles.

samfish @ May 7th 2007 1:43AM

Hey, I liked Night Trap.
...although admittedly I was, I believe, about 12 or 13 years old at the time and I'd take just about any glimpse of skin on a girl I could get...but that's not the point!

...Hell, yes it is. Who am I kidding?

Yeah, that's a fair list, though. With the exception of Sonic CD and MAYBE Road Rash for the 3DO, there wasn't a single good game on any of them.

btribble @ May 7th 2007 2:04AM

I would have actually put the 7800 instead of the 5200. At least 5200 was somewhat advanced for its time, had a pause button, and had an awesome trackball. While the 7800 had some good games and backwards compatibility, the 7800 controllers create serious hand cramps and get my vote for worst controller ever. Plus, the 7800 was 1984 technology released in 1987 by the "on its way down" Atari (no longer owned by Warner). This Atari had been focusing on computers after the big crash, while Nintendo released the NES a few years later to great success. Atari tried to follow suit with the 7800 and the "under 50 bucks" re-release of the 2600. Too little too late.

Myrpok @ May 7th 2007 2:33AM

I remember one Christmas waking up to a SegaCD ready to play with 3 games: SewerShark, Echo the Dolphin, and Sonic CD. Sonic CD made that system worth it. (then again, this was a year or two after the system bombed, so I knew they didn't pay much for it.) That is still the best sonic game ever.

TrevorNYC @ May 7th 2007 2:33AM

My list would have included the Coleco Adam. It had some pretty amazing games on it's high speed cassette drive, but after a few hours of play, the cassette could actually melt from the heat. And the power supply for the system was in the daisy wheel printer. If the printer died, the whole system was dead. I think I had 3 die on me before giving up.

GL @ May 7th 2007 2:50AM

The Freezebox360 should be on that list!

Ryan P. @ May 7th 2007 2:51AM

yeah that "Sticky balls" bit was killer funny.

James @ May 7th 2007 3:01AM

The original Xbox should have been on that list. Having slightly better graphics than the competition doesn't change the fact that you were playing an endless stream of rehashed PS2 and PC games. At least the Gamecube made a profit...

scott @ May 7th 2007 3:03AM

3DO and Virtual Boy were both way worse than Gizmondo!
It's not fair that Gizmondo won in part due to the reputation of Exec. Eriksson.

Virduk @ May 7th 2007 3:38AM

One wonders how the Pippin escaped a mention.

jake b @ May 7th 2007 4:15AM

let me say one thing before i discuss what i need to discuss... i personally do not like the ps3 and have no plans to own one. with that said, i believe that the ps3 having blu ray makes total sense. although the system costs more because of the blu-ray drive, there is a different strategy at work. the ps3 could now ensure the success of the blu-ray format. if blu-ray wins sony will make far more money off of being the owner of the next mass market media format. after all, the job of a sony exec is to make more money for their shareholders, not make a cooler gaming system.

Banners @ May 7th 2007 4:10AM

What about the C64S or the Amstrad GX4000?

M@

Wobble @ May 7th 2007 4:20AM

I personaly still like my virtual boy. the controler was super comfy, and mario tennis for it was really good.(i remember playing it for hours at a time, yes even with out getting a headache!) also they were right about warioland for it being good. id love to see a 2d port of it for the DS or the GBA

-Wobble

Tim @ May 7th 2007 5:28AM

Dear God, why does gametrailers suck so much? The ugly and needlessly-tiny controls are bad enough, but why the hell do I have to sit through 1 minute of loading to watch 3 seconds of footage? I don't want pixel-perfect video quality of something that's been through a really bad VHS conversion anyway, why the hell can't they load in a reasonable time like youtube can?

Waiting hours for that video to load has now made me completely forget my comments about the video itself.

GamingInstinct @ May 7th 2007 6:14AM

Loved the clip.
Come in to Digg it ! Gamer Brethren...
http://digg.com/gaming_news/Lemons_TOP_10_Gaming_Console_Flops
For the best of the GamingInstinct check out
http://gaminginstinct-gaminginstinct.blogspot.com

Be cool Gamerz!!!

Morose @ May 7th 2007 6:00AM

a few thoughts...
1) I didn't think those Tiger Electronics things even counted as video game systems to begin with. I thought they were, more or less, bargain-bin toys for parents who didn't want to get a Gameboy or the like for their kid and wanted some cheap alternative.

2) Yes, the Phantom is vaporware, and the head of the company had little regard for gamers (per various documents cited by Penny Arcade in those days), but how can it make the Ten Worst list if it never actually existed?

3) while the Game Gear and Lynx were certainly battery-hungry bricks, I'm glad they didn't make the list. they were good for what they were - valiant attempts to give Nintendo a little competition in the handheld market, which isn't an easy thing to do.