The Failed 90s
Ahead of Their Time: When Innovation Outran Success
These consoles pushed bold new ideas in power, media, and design—but arrived too early, too expensive, or too unfocused to win the market. See and play these rare consoles at the Detroit Retro Gaming Show
3DO Interactive Multiplayer
Why it failed
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Very high launch price scared off consumers
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No single manufacturer led to inconsistent quality
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Lacked must-have exclusive titles
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Overshadowed by PlayStation and Saturn soon after
Why it mattered
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Introduced advanced CD-ROM audio, video, and FMV
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First major attempt at a licensed console hardware model
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Influenced multimedia presentation in later systems
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Marked the transition into the disc-based gaming era
TurboGrafx-16
Why it failed
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Weak North American marketing and retail presence
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Confusing branding compared to Sega and Nintendo
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Limited U.S. software releases despite strong Japanese library
Why it mattered
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Technically impressive for its era
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Home to some of the best shoot-’em-ups ever made
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Strong influence on arcade-accurate console design
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Revered today by collectors and hardcore retro fans
Philips CD-i
Why it failed
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Not designed primarily as a gaming system
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Confusing identity: part console, part educational tool
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Poor-quality licensed games damaged credibility
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High price and weak controls frustrated players
Why it mattered
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Early experiment in interactive video and multimedia
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Demonstrated the risks of licensing iconic IP without quality control
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Helped shape future thinking around CD-based media
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A legendary cautionary tale still referenced today
Atari Jaguar
Why it failed
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Extremely complex hardware made development difficult
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Weak third-party support and a small, uneven game library
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Marketing leaned heavily on “64-bit” hype without delivering consistent results
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Atari’s declining reputation hurt consumer trust
Why it mattered
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Pushed the industry toward higher-performance 3D thinking
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Alien vs. Predator proved immersive console shooters were possible
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Represents one of the last major attempts by Atari to stay relevant
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Became a cult favorite that symbolizes raw ambition over polish