Of the three 64-bit systems of the fifth generation (Atari Jaguar, Nintendo 64, Panasonic M2), only Nintendo 64 turned out to be not only viable, but also commercially successful. And the reason for this was not so much the latent power of the console, but the global promotion of its brand under a single name. Thus, eliminating the discrepancy between Ultra 64 and Nintendo 64, Nintendo has forever put an end to the uncertainty with the name, moving to a single design layout and standardization of visual solutions.
But the real reasons for the rebranding were much deeper and more interesting. How much? Let's figure it out together.
For a long time, the marketing of console holders has been based on black PR, hype and empty bravado, sometimes misleading gamers. In the fifth generation, SEGA, ATARI and The 3DO company became the absolute record holders of such manipulations of gaming consciousness. But to successfully dominate the market, these three players lacked a "secret ingredient" that could not only trample the technological frontiers of a generation, but also become the basis of the upcoming nextgen. This circumstance, multiplied by the limited funding of current projects and the vague strategy of this troika, led to an inevitable shortage of competitive products. A powerful but expensive 3DO, a deranged Jaguar and a series of extensions for the Mega Drive / Genesis are clear evidence of this. Do I need to explainthat a similar situation was successfully exploited by the champion of patents and gaming licenses - the great and terrible Nintendo. True, I did not use it right away, but after 3 long years after the beginning of the 32-bit era.
Famicom N , . , , . Nintendo : Famicom, Super Famicom. , Ultra Famicom, .
Steepler 1993 , . SEGA, ATARI The 3DO company , , . 23 1993, Mark Hopkins Nintendo Silicon graphics Inc (SGI) -, Project reality.
SGI . : « Nintendo Silicon Graphics ».
, Project reality, . 1994 SGI Project reality , 1995 — .
CD-ROM- Super Famicom Sega CD, N . !
« » 64- MIPS R4000i, SGI Project reality . 1993 (, !) 70 (!) . 1995 , .
Project reality , SGI Rambus , Alias Multigen Inc. , Nintendo NEC .
Nintendo Silicon graphics Inc. The 3DO company NASDAQ. , - 3DO Interactive multiplayer . Sony PlayStation . , 3DO Electronic Arts, 1996 .
SGI , Project reality ONYX. 1994 : Super Mario 64 ! , .
, Nintendo, 1994 , 1995 . Sega Sony Saturn PlayStation, N .
- ?
Project reality ONYX -, Nintendo , . , «» Argonaut — Super FX-, «» StarFox, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Stunt Race FX ., 3D- Super Famicom, MegaDrive/Genesis 3DO, 32 Jaguar!
4- 5- Super Famicom 3D (, Donkey Kong country) 32- , SA-1 , Ultra 64. , Sega Saturn Sony PlayStation.
Doom SNES, Virtual boy Killer instinct . 16- Doom, 32- Mario Clash 64- Killer instinct N -, Nintendon't.
, , .
, Ultra…
Rare , . , - 23 1994 Nintendo Project reality — Ultra 64. , - Ultra 64. « » Acclaim, Rare, Ocean, Williams, Time warner interactive, Spectrum holobyte ., .
1993 Project reality , 1994 Ultra 64 ONYX SGI . Nintendo, .
Williams, N Ultra 64. Williams/Nintendo Killer Instinct Cruis'n USA , Ultra 64.
, SGI , 1995 Ultra 64 development board, Indy SGI.
, Nintendo ONYX SGI Indy. , Indy Ultra 64. , – Killer instinct Super Mario 64, Onyx.
C 19 5 1995 « SGI» « Nintendo» , - 1996 . - , , , Ultra 64 4- .
, , -, - 480i (NTSC-) / 576i (PAL-) , 24 , 24- CD-, ( 254 /), , , , , , , MIP– Z-.
- Ultra 64, Nintendo 3 1995 , Virtual Boy SNES. Ultra 64, , .
, Ultra 64 , , . , Nintendo — R&D3 , , .
c Wii, . , – .
3 1995 Ultra 64 , «» . , Ultra 64 Cruis’n USA Killer instinct. , , , …
, , . 70 SGI Ultra 64, 20 R&D3 .
, , , Super Famicom, 3D-, . , , . , . , . , , , Wii.
. , Nintendo of America, R&D3 , , . - Super Mario 64. , .
Ultra 64 , 3D .
, , , , 4 ( B 6- , ). SNES , .
, . , , , , , PlayStation 3DO. , R&D3, Ultra 64 , Famicom – .
. 3DO, – Sega Dreamcast Xbox.
, , , . A B , .
, . , () , . , L R Start.
...
3 '95 , Nintendo , 7- Shoshinkai. 24 1995 N , , , ! Nintendo Ultra 64, , — Nintendo 64. - . Ultra, -, . 64, N .
, , Nintendo Ultra 64 ( NUS-001 ), .
Nintendo 64, Super Mario 64 Kirby bowl 64, , . : Pilotwings 64, Waverace, Blastdozer, Legend of Zelda . , Doom 64, Killer instinct, Crius’n USA. , , .
1996 1996 . , , Nintendo 64. .
, Nintendo 64 , , . , , .
, : , , 3D (007, Doom 64, Turok, Perfect dark), 3D (Super Mario 64, Zelda: Ocarina of time) .
SGI Nintendo , 23 1993 , 5- - ( $199-250 ). , Sega Dreamcast, 128- 6- .
Nintendo Ultra 64 ( Nintendo 64) Killer instinct Cruis‘n USA, . , Super Mario 64 Pilotwings 64. Killer instinct , Rare Killer instinct SNES (!).
It is noteworthy that in 2013 the Killer instinct franchise again hit the starter roster, but this time for the Xbox One console.