the Konix Multisystem

[guyjin]

http://www.konixmultisystem.co.uk/index.php?id=home

It's impressive how much information this guy has been able to gather on a game system that never came out. pretty much all the listed games have some video or screenshots.

it's kinda awesome.

[Joe Redifer]

I remember reading about that before NEC even renamed the PC Engine into the TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem!  The Konix would have sold millions!  Billions!  Actually it would have tanked really hard as the games looked like ass.

[Michael Helgeson]

Yea, everything looks like shite. Woulda went no where fast.

[Tatsujin]

but i want one.

[guyjin]

I don't see how it 'looks like ass'. 

[Necromancer]

I don't see how it 'looks like ass'. 

Me neither; the games that look to be far along in their development look quite colorful and detailed for '89.  In fact, they look just as good or better when compared with the Amiga and ST versions.  Besides, who wouldn't want to play Attack of the Mutant Camels with such fine quotes as "My nipples explode with delight"?  Sign me up!

[Michael Helgeson]

It all looks like poorly done eurotrash rip offs of other crap from that time,esp from Atari ST and Amiga, and nothing on there looked good enough to compete completely with the arcade, esp afterburner and outrun. I noticed other things too, like the dismal jerkiness movement of the games in some titles. No,this is just fail. One Jeff Minter Defender clone isn't enough to make me think otherwise. Defender 2000 didn't save the Jaguar,did it, and it was awesome. Mutant Camels I don't think could touch Defender 2000 in its best day. One games quality (good or bad) doesn't decide the rest of the titles anyway, in any case what so ever.

[guyjin]

You talk about ST and Amiga games like they're bad or something. And besides, we're clearly looking at unfinished software.

[Michael Helgeson]

You talk about ST and Amiga games like they're bad or something. And besides, we're clearly looking at unfinished software.

You talk about ST and Amiga games like they're ALL good or something. And besides, we're clearly looking at failed software like Sailing, Vendetta, Crazy Cars 2 and Bikers....

[Necromancer]

You talk about ST and Amiga games like they're bad or something. And besides, we're clearly looking at unfinished software.

Indeed.  Only a few titles are even shown in a playable state (2/3 of 'em don't even have screen shots), but the few that were near complete compare favorably with the ST and Amiga games or early MD and PCE games.  I certainly wouldn't say that the Konix hardware was head and shoulders above the established players, but it was at least competitive and may have had a chance with the gimmicky innovative controls (sounds like Wii).

[Joe Redifer]

It may have done OK in EU, but this would NEVER fly in the US, guaranteed. 

[Necromancer]

It may have done OK in EU, but this would NEVER fly in the US, guaranteed. 

Its price certainly wouldn't have helped it sell.  A projected launch price of 200 pounds would've been about $300 in '89, but couldn't the Genny and Turbo be had for half that?

[Joe Redifer]

I think the Genesis and Turbo were released at $189.  At least the Genesis was... I didn't get the Turbo until a year or so later.

[termis]

I believe the TG16 came at about that ($189-$199) as well.  The price of the TG-CD was a shocker for the time ($399... or was it $499?) I didn't know a single kid with the TG16 CD system until... well, I got it once it went on clearance for $99.

Its price certainly wouldn't have helped it sell.  A projected launch price of 200 pounds would've been about $300 in '89, but couldn't the Genny and Turbo be had for half that?

I dunno about straight conversion for price.  The Europeans (or as a matter of fact, any non-Americans) seem to get the worse end of the price deal when systems are released.  If straight conversion for £200 would've been US$300 or at the time, then the more likely final price would've been $250 or so.

Still probably would've failed though.  I can't imagine parents plunkin down more money to buy tons of additional accessories.

[Joe Redifer]

The TG-CD was $399 and then it dropped to $199 a year or two later.  I got it with my TurboGrafx-16.