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Philips Videopac+ G7400

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(Redirected from Odyssey 3)
Videopac+ G7400
Philips Videopac+ G7400 console
ManufacturerPhilips
TypeHome video game console
GenerationThird
Released1983; 43 years ago (1983)
CPUIntel 8048 @ 5.91MHz
Memory6 KB RAM, 1 KB ROM
DisplayRF modulator, composite, RGB; 320×238 resolution
GraphicsIntel 8245, EF9340 (VIN), EF9341 (GEN)
Sound1 channel, 8 sounds
PredecessorPhilips Videopac G7000
SuccessorPhilips CD-i
Philips MSX

The Philips Videopac+ G7400 is a third-generation home video game console released only in Europe in limited quantities in 1983.[1] An American release as the Odyssey³ Command Center was planned for the Odyssey series but never occurred. The G7400 was the successor to the Philips Videopac G7000, the European counterpart to the American Magnavox Odyssey².[2] The system featured excellently tailored background and foreground graphics.[3] A licensed clone called the Thomson-Brandt J0 7400 or Jopac was also released in France.[4]

The G7400 could play three types of games: all normal G7000 games, special G7000 games with additional high-res background graphics that would appear only when played on the G7400, and G7400-only games with high-res sprites and backgrounds.

Odyssey³

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The Videopac+ G7400 was initially announced as the Odyssey 3 in North America (stylized as Odyssey³), planned for release in mid 1983.[5] Representatives were initially unsure whether the system would be positioned as a video game console or a home computer.[6] It was showcased at Winter CES 1983, where it was called the Odyssey Command Center.[7] The console was announced as fully compatible with all previous Odyssey² titles with included peripheral ports for Voice compatibility. N.A.P. showcased updated version of games such as Pick Axe Pete! and Freedom Fighters! with more graphically rich backgrounds.[8] The system was set for a release in July 1983 at a suggested retail price of $199.[9] A peripheral that expanded the system into a home computer platform with 16 KB of RAM was planned for a Christmas launch.[10]

At Summer CES in June 1983, N.A.P. announced that the North American release of the Odyssey 3 would be delayed to early 1984. Mike Staup said "We are convinced that the computer capability must be built in to the unit rather than as an outboarded capability as announced in December."[11] According to N.A.P. spokesman Jerry Michaelson, they choose not to release the console in the United States because they were "leapfrogging to the next [generation]."[12] Odyssey discontinued operations in March 1984.[13] the Odyssey 3 was never released in North America.

Specifications

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  • CPU: Intel 8048, 5.91 MHz
  • RAM: 6 KB + 192 Byte
  • ROM: 1 KB
  • Display: 320×238×16 (Intel 8245 for G7000 compatible 128x64 16 color graphics and Thomson EF9340 [VIN] and EF9341 [GEN] )
  • Audio: 1 channel, 8 sounds
  • Input / Output: RF modulator, Péritel/SCART connector (with RGB), joystick port(s), ROM cartridge port
  • Expansion
    • The Voice – Speech synthesis unit, compatible with G7000[citation needed]
    • Chess Module – Increased the G7400's computing power such that it could play chess, also compatible with G7000
    • Microsoft BASIC Home Computer Module (C7420) – Similar to above, with the purpose of converting the G7400 into a "real" computer, not compatible with G7000. An additional Z80 CPU with 16 KB RAM and 16 KB ROM.

Games

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Legacy

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The Videopac Collection Volume 1 was released on Steam on November 24, 2022. It uses O2EM for emulation and includes the G7400 versions of the games when applicable.[14][better source needed]

References

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  1. ↑ Wolf, Mark J.P.; Perron, Bernard (8 October 2013). The Video Game Theory Reader. Routledge. pp. 312–. ISBN 978-1-135-20519-5.
  2. ↑ L'Europeo (in Italian). Vol. 39. Editoriale Domus. November 1983. pp. 282–. Il tutto, tradotto dal computerese, significa che invece di programmi si tratterà di una nuova consolle per far girare i programmi stessi, più precisamente il Philips G7400 Il vecchio Philips Videopac aveva il difetto di essere il videogioco con la ...
  3. ↑ Bali, S.P. (1 March 1994). Colour Television: Theory and Practice. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 373–. ISBN 978-0-07-460024-5.
  4. ↑ "Standard Europeen". Tilt (in French). No. 6. July–August 1983. p. 14.
  5. ↑ "Corporate Strategy". Videogaming Illustrated. No. 1. August 1982. p. 13.
  6. ↑ "Facelift Underway at Magnavox". Arcade Express. Vol. 1, no. 3. September 12, 1982. p. 4.
  7. ↑ "Odyssey 2 News". The Video Game Update. Vol. 1, no. 10. January 1983. p. 1.
  8. ↑ "O³ Boasts Computer Features". Arcade Express. Vol. 1, no. 13. January 30, 1983. p. 5.
  9. ↑ Gutman, Dan (March 1983). "Odyssey 3: Look Out, Atari and Mattel". Electronic Fun with Computers & Games. Vol. 1, no. 5. p. 28.
  10. ↑ "Odyssey 3 Command Center: Once More with Feeling". Video Games. Vol. 1, no. 9. Pumpkin Press. June 1983. p. 45.
  11. ↑ "Market Blur". Videogaming Illustrated. No. 8. August 1983. p. 77.
  12. ↑ Papa, Vincent (November 1983). "I/O Breakdown". Videogaming Illustrated. No. 11. p. 22.
  13. ↑ "Odyssey Halts Home Video Game Output, Plans to Dissolve Firm". Toledo Blade. March 21, 1984. p. 30.
  14. ↑ "Videopac Collection 1 on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
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