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DW FACTS
 - by Dark Watcher

In the early 1990's, the price and interest in personal computers was not as it used to be. Many companies were converting their devices into so called video game consoles in order to capitalize on the industry. Apple also fell into this category. They took their second generation Power Macintosh, and slimmed it down to a console like device. They then began to license out the technology similar to what was being done by a company called 3DO. The first company to license the Apple Pippin technology was Japanese toy and anime publisher Bandai. "Pippin" technology made its debut in Japan in December 1995.

Originally Apple and Bandai had intended the Pippin to be a game system that would support other computer functions. Basically, this machine is a Macintosh computer at heart. With a PowerPC 603 RISC CPU, this machine had the potential to produce some amazing graphics and control that could have rivaled the Playstation had it been properly supported.

While its true that Apple planned on marketing this system as a game machine, it was also going to support a large variety of educational software. The apparent failure of the 3DO scared Apple into rethinking this strategy. Apple and Bandai switched gears and decided that this system would be sold as an internet device. At this same time, the Internet was really taking off. Anyone who introduced a product without an internet spin on it would be largely ignored. So, Apple and Bandai re-spun the Pippin as an internet appliance that also played games.

That decision didn't work either, because, by the time the Pippin was ready to go, PC prices had dropped even more. The Pippin simply wasn't enough of a price break from a real computer, and the public wasn't ready to surf the web from their television sets. In a last ditch effort, almost unnoticed by everyone, the Pippin was marketed as a set-top-box. Basically, an all-in-one system that will get you online, do computing tasks, and play games.

Bandai failed to sell enough units to justify continuing support for the system. A planned merger in Jan 27,1997 to Sega sealed the consoles fate. Sega was marketing a similar product called Netlink with its Saturn. So Bandai ceased all Pippin support in favor of the Sega product. The merger failed, and the Pippin died.

The unit, produced in white for the Japanese market (Pippin ATMARK) and black for the U.S. market (Pippin @WORLD) made a silent disappearance from shelves. Less than 12,000 units were sold in the U.S., and it is believed that as few as 5,000 units were actually sold to consumers. Of those, only a fraction remain.

This system, due to its obvious rarity, has become a collectors "Holy Grail" of gaming console hardware. Even if you were lucky enough to buy one, the software is even more difficult to find. If you buy a system, it may remain on the shelf, unused for years, until you can locate any games for it. Since Bandai had a stake in the system, many of their character licenses were made into games. These games are obviously the rarest versions of the game available.

FACT: A Norwegian based company called Katz Media had intentions to market Pippin technology in France, Germany and the UK. The unit would have retailed from 400 to 550 British pounds. Bandai dropped support and killed off Pippin's chances in the UK.
 

  HANDS ON REVIEW
  - by Marriott_Guy (29-Nov-07)

During the early 1990s, many developers flooded the video game console market with attempts at being home multimedia centers - all-in-one units capable of performing supplementary functions in addition to their primary gaming platform purpose. The consumer was treated, but at most times disappointed, with releases like the Philips CD-i, Memorex VIS, Pioneer LaserActive and the Panasonic 3DO.  In 1995, Apple Computer Inc. joined the foray by finishing the development of a system based on a scaled down version of their System 7 OS. Named the Pippin, Apple followed the 3DO Company's lead by licensing this technology to an outside manufacturer - Bandai Digital Entertainment. The Bandai Pippin ATMARK was released in Japan in 1995 and was marketed as the first modern hybrid console merging the power of a computer with the ease of a gaming station - as well as integrated network capabilities (hence the connotation in the name). Too bad that by the time of its release, the technological world had passed them by.

The Bandai Pippin was released to the public in three different models:

  o 1995 - Bandai Pippin ATMARK - Japan (white model)
  o 1995 - Bandai Pippin @WORLD- USA (black model)
  o 1996 - Bandai Pippin @WORLD - Japan (black model)

Technologically, there are basically no differences between the three systems that I am aware of (I don't have the Japanese Black model version). All come equipped with the same features and user interface (buttons/ports/etc.). Since all three are the same machine, the console(s) will be referred to as the Bandai Pippin in the following paragraphs.

An attractive piece of hardware, the Bandai Pippin weighs in at a hefty 8 lbs and is sturdily built. The user-friendly control panel is featured on the top of this slightly curved console. One keyboard and two ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) controller ports are easily accessible on the front of the system. Being a gaming system that was trying to encompass characteristics of a MAC computer, network connectivity was supported right out of the box with the included 14.4k external modem. Further supporting this all-in-one theme, two serial ports (modem/printer), a PCI compatible expansion slot and a keyboard / writing tablet were standard on all units. The surprising fast 4x CD-ROM drive performed far better than the its competitors (the Sony Playstation, released the same year, only had a 2x Max drive).

The hard plastic chassis encompasses a mini-MAC under its hood. The PowerPC 603 RISC microprocessor ran at 66MHz and was supported by 6 MB of RAM memory (shared between the system and video output) and 128 KB of internal NVRAM. Both 8 bit and 16 bit video is supported and graphics are displayed 16.7M colors. Audio is delivered in full 16-bit stereo (44 kHz sampled output). At the time, the Bandai Pippin was technically a very powerful machine compared to the main competition at the time - 3DO, Philips CD-i and the Sony Playstation. The important question - How was all of this muscle and power put to use in game development? The answer - not very well.

The Bandai Pippin ran games using an abbreviated MAC System 7 OS (operating system), which was actually included on every compatible CD. Small updates to the core system files (stored in the NVRAM) were delivered and included on respective new title releases. Like the Sony Playstation, there is a boot sequence that performs an authentication process to validate CDs. Small, but efficient banana-styled wired game controllers feature an analog D-pad, 4 color-coded action buttons and a centrally located mouse-like roller. The Bandai Pippin combined Japan/USA library consists of approximately 22 titles - mostly games with a sprinkling of edutainment offerings. A couple of forgettable games were packaged with the hardware, along with a web browser application to allow internet website viewing on your television. This was a first for a video game console - WebTV type access and the possibility of online gaming. Having very few titles available at the time of its release coupled with the failed delivery of supporting existing MAC software was just one of many nails in the coffin for this console.

The Bandai Pippin, though technologically superior at the time, failed miserably on many levels. The first error was the positioning of this console within the market - a multimedia, mini-MAC, internet ready, gaming machine. Though the ambitious nature of their goals should be commended, the Apple R&D team on a whole should not. The general population was not yet ready to embrace this type of all-in-one unit. The internet, at that time, was not considered a 'utility' as it is today. As detailed earlier, lack of first\third party software support and compatibility was also an issue. Then there was the initial price tag - $599 USD (roughly $830 USD in 2007 dollars). This put the Bandai Pippin out of reach of the majority of the buying public. With the price of computers dropping due to rapid advances in technology, this all-in-one unit was quickly an out-dated piece of hardware when it was released. Going against the Sony Playstation (amongst others) did not help either. Only around 5,000 units were sold in the USA, though the system did fare just a bit better in Japan. In fact, more peripheral devices were manufactured (and since sold off for parts) than actual consoles produced.

Overall, the Bandai Pippin was a more powerful and technically capable machine in 1995 compared to the eventual juggernaut Sony Playstation - if it had competed as a pure gaming console. Poor market strategy and positioning, coupled with an attempt to drive an internet\computer hybrid console to a still technologically adolescent market was the primary downfall. The foundation and inspiration of online gaming and the network\internet realities we now see from the current generation of consoles (Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii) can be attributed in part to the Bandai Pippin.

This console is recommended for console collectors only. Though produced in limited quantities, the Bandai Pippin is available through auction sites and private sellers. The original Japanese version (white) is not hard to locate but will still cost you about $200 USD CIB (complete in box) plus around $85 USD shipping from Japan. The same rates, surprising, apply for the Japanese Black versions of the ATMARK (some say that these are the unsold units from the USA that have been modified with Japanese labels). The US version, the Bandai @WORLD, will run you quite a few dollars and is the rarest. Expect to spend $300+ USD for a CIB unit, anywhere from $200+ USD for a bare system.
 

Various picture\media for this console.  Click pictures to enlarge.

Bandai Pippin ATMARK - Front 1

For the hardware enthusiasts out there - all the detail you\we love.

Games, media format, emulators and screen shots for titles released on this system.

Software for the Bandai Pippin was distributed in the CD format, with some titles offering additional content on 3.5" floppy disks. 

For for the native Japanese market, most games were packaged in jewel cases, which were about twice the thickness of those utilized in standard CDs.  There isn't really any need for this variation, as the contents include the software, instruction manual and registration card (for the most part).  Though most games do not necessitate the larger sized jewel case, they do stand out in your collection.  A spine overlay, separate from the one included in the CD packaging, accompanies most games and provided extra details on the title (some even with pricing).  Packaging did vary, with some title being distributed in large, cardboard Mac-style boxes. 

The games released in North America were distributed in tall cardboard boxes, very similar to the packaging used for the 3DO but a bit wider.  These cartons featuring a bright royal blue background along with the game information.

Games, regardless of region, are very rare and hard to find.  The crown jewel is Super Marathon (pictured to the left).  This title contains both Marathon 1 and Marathon 2, the spiritual predecessors to Microsoft's Halo series for the Xbox \ Xbox 360.

Bandai Pippin Game Screenshots

Additional authorized releases for this console. 

European company who bought the Pippin license
to release the console in Europe.  Proto types were
made, but it is unclear if the console was ever
publicly released to the public.
 

Non-licensed releases (clones).

Highly recommended additional sites\resources for this system.

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