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[camineet]

The Atari Mirai

Rumored to be in development in conjunction with SNK.

BTW The Atari Mirai was something *before* the first incarnation of the Atari Panther.


There were rumors of an Atari ST based console. This would've been natural because of the other computers that were used as the basis of consoles (FM Towns computer used as the basis of FM Towns Marty console. Amiga 500 computer used as the basis of the CDTV multimedia console. Amiga 1200 with AGA graphics used as the basis of the CD32 console.).

Anyway, the expected Atari ST console never happened. So what WAS Mirai? Some speculate it was going to be an Atari-badged NEO-GEO. Look at that HUGE cartridge slot, HELLO? Although it turned out that Mirai was *not* an Atari NEO-GEO, here are some articles that mention that possibility.

http://www.atarihq.com/museum/miscatari/mirai.html

This one has all of us perplexed. Judging by its XE Game System-like design and liberal use of pastel colors, we reckon that Mirai was a mock-up of a proposed late 80's game console. That's about the extent of it. If it weren't for the faceplate with "Mirai" written on it, we wouldn't have a clue of anything about this thing.

At first, we thought that it might be an early mock-up for a game machine based on the ST line of 16 and 32-bit Atari computers. Upon further inspection, however, we noticed the massive size of the cartridge slot... it's HUGE! Then we began to wonder if it wasn't something that Atari and SNK were discussing behind the scenes -- an Atari version of the Neo Geo, perhaps? Well, the Mirai's cartridge port would effortlessly swallow an already-hulking Neo Geo cartridge and spit it out for lunch. What about the unreleased Panther machine? The color and design scheme doesn't fit the time frame in which Panther was being developed (early 1990's). We're going to stop splitting our hairs over this one, and let you guys theorize on what this darned thing is. The only other thing worth noting is that Mirai means "future" in Japanese.

http://www.videogex.com/hotstuff.htm

the Atari Mirai which is rumored to be the design for the game system based on the Atari ST computer lines

http://www.atari7800.com/html/documents_articles_10.htm

8.) SNK, (Shin Nihon Kiaku Corporation) which is best known for their Neo Geo line of arcade and home gaming products, was based just yards across the street from Atari Corporation in Sunnyvale, California. On many occasions during the early 1990's SNK and Atari had worked together on a few interesting undisclosed projects. It is believed that the mysterious Atari MIRAI mockup game system was the ultimate product of this union, possibly being the "Neo Geo for the masses" while being marketed under the more familiar Atari brand name. The MIRAI featured XEGS-like styling and a massive cartridge port which could easily swallow a Neo-Geo sized cartridge.

Atari Mirai

We came across a prototype mockup of Atari Mirai at the Classic Gaming Expo. The Mirai is apparently an enigma to many since there is really no information about it. There are many who feel that the Atari Mirai may have been meant as a console conversion of Atari’s ST line of computers. This may be since it so closely resembles the Atari XEGS, which is a console conversion of Atari’s 65XE line of computers. Such a guess is understandable since both units share the same pastel like color scheme. However, Atari never produced cartridge software for their ST computers. The Atari Mirai clearly displays a cartridge port (an enormous port as you may be able to tell).

Another guess was that the Mirai was another mock-up for the Atari Panther, but many disagree since the design does not appear to match (Particularly for a console in the 1990’s. It is believed the mock-up appeared in the 1980’s).

Possibly the most interesting guess is that Atari Mirai may have been meant as home port of SNK’s MVS arcade system. There are a few facts that seem to point in that direction. For example, look at the cartridge port. This port can easily handle the MVS / Neo Geo sized cartridges. In the late 1980’s, Atari and SNK were corporate neighbors both residing across the street from one another in Sunnyvale California. Both companies were no strangers to each other. Both collaborated to port SNK’s arcade hit Ikari Warriors, and other undocumented items were also reported. Also look at the name Atari Mirai. “Mirai” is the Japanese word for “Future”. Why would Atari use a Japanese name? Atari’s other consoles either used numerical names, used wife names for developing units, or felines (In the case of Panther and Jaguar). The Neo Geo was released in 1990. It may have very well been that SNK may have thought to partner up with Atari in order to insure a successful home market launch. Such a concept may seem far fetched, but hey…Nintendo almost had Atari release the Famicom…

All in all the Mirai remains a mystery. An interesting console enigma

http://www.neo-geo.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1430586&postcount=1

Okay, it is a well known fact that Atari had a deal in the works with Nintendo in the 1983-1984 timeframe, to bring the Famicom to the America under the Atari name. without going to the history of that, it all fell apart and Nintendo went their own way.

It is a much lesser known fact that Atari was, one way or another, trying to acquire the Sega Genesis. yeah the Genesis almost became the Atari Genesis, sometime in the 1988-1989 timeframe before Sega introduced the Genesis to America itself at Summer CES 1989.

So, I think it is very very very reasonable that Atari was in discussions with SNK in the 1989-1992 timeframe to either bring the NeoGeo over to the U.S. under the Atari name (in 89-90 obviously, before SNK did it themselves) or, make some sort of NeoGeo clone in the early 1990s, even after SNK introduced their NeoGeo AES.

 

[camineet]

artist's impression / prototype Genesis CD-ROM

 

[erlim]

Fujitsu's FM-Towns Marty

The first 32-bit console released anywhere in the world (1991). Came out two years before the 2nd 32-bit console, Commodore's Amiga CD32.

Yeah I saw this in videogamesnewyork, what it is?

 

[robor]

O_____________-~((O)) Man that is like looking into an alternate dimension....freaky stuff.

Bandai's "answer".

The prototpye to start it all for SEGA.

The Panasonic M2.

"Women, girls… They're only the beginning." - Miyamoto.

 

[We Are Ninja]

Playstation Debug Units & Net Yaroze Unit:

PS2 TOOL:

PS2 TEST:

Want. OMFG, Want.

 

[camineet]

not really a console, but based on PS2.

Sony GSCube

 

[BirdFlu]

not really a console, but based on PS2.

Sony GSCube

Still not as big as the original Xbox

 

[camineet]

Still not as big as the original Xbox

LOL it's bigger than original Xbox and bigger than PS2 Tool.

 

[camineet]

IBM/SEGA TeraDrive

Sega's TeraDrive was an unusual beast. Produced in collaboration with IBM (who manufactured the system) it combined a 286 PC with a MegaDrive (Genesis). Very few were sold, and little software was released.

The system is very robustly constructed, which is typical of IBM's hardware. The keyboard is the clicky type and is very durable - also typical for IBM. There is a matching Sega-branded monitor, but the manufacturer is unknown. The rest of the system was manufactured by Sega. Peripherals included or purchased separately include the mouse (similar or identical to the MegaDrive mouse), and a 3-button joypad which is indistinguishable from the MegaDrive part.
IBM's involvement didn't end with the hardware, they were responsible for the drivers and OS as well. The system shipped with IBM DOS J4.0/V. Full Japanese character support and drivers for the MegaDrive hardware were included.

For reasons known only to themselves, Sega launched the TeraDrive in 1991, three years after the 1988 Japan release of the MegaDrive. It's not known how long the system was in development, but I hope it was a very long time, or Sega's management at the time should be very, very ashamed. The 80286 CPU was rolled out in 1982, the '386 in 1985, and by 1989 the '486 was available. The TeraDrive was released with a CPU two generations behind, and only two years before the first Pentium processor. Appallingly slow out of the gate - never a good sign. (Note that these CPU release dates were taken from Intel's press releases, and they indicate ithe release dates to developers and manufacturers, actual street dates are usually years later).

Production numbers are unknown. The system is moderately rare in Japan, although prices are rising rapidly due to collector demand. As of this writing (June '03) the prices are triple what they were two years ago. The original price for the system ranged between ¥148,000 (Approximately $1099 USD at the time) and ¥248,000 ($1842 USD).

Only three models were released, a low-end Model 1, with 640k RAM and no HD, a Model 2 with two floppies and no HD and 1MB RAM, and the high-end Model 3, with one floppy, 2.5MB RAM and a 30MB drive. All three shipped with the same software and accessories, which is to say they didn't come with anything much.

There has been speculation that the system was intended as a developer platform, but I think the release date and anemic hardware, as well as the availability of Sega's own actual dev hardware, should put that theory to rest.

Many people, especially those pesky Europeans (particularly the British), are fond of saying "Oh, yeh, the TeraDrive. Did you ever see the Amstrad PC/MegaDrive combo? Fine bit of kit that was, eh wot? Let's go down to the pub!". On the surface the two do seem to share many features. Both are PCs, with MegaDrives in them! That's pretty much where it ends, however.

The Amstrad was more powerful than the TeraDrive, with a 25MHz 386 processor, and had more RAM (16MB compared to 2.5). The TeraDrive was more flexible, however. Where the Amstrad was literally a PC with a MegaDrive inside, the TeraDrive was a hybrid machine with both units integrated and to some extent aware of each other. The Amstrad had a sliding door which would shut off one unit and activate another, Slide it to the PC side and you unconvered the MegaDrive cartridge slot and pad ports. Slide it the other way to uncover the PC floppy drive. The Amstrad was also shoddily manufactured, where the TeraDrive was very robust.
The IBM drivers included with the TeraDrive enabled properly written software to install software in RAM and run them on native MegaDrive hardware. One of the very few software titles released for the TeraDrive was Puzzle Construction, which included a PC-side editor suite for changing the features of a falling-block puzzle game, which was run on the MD-side.

The monitor, which sold separately for ¥79,800 ($593) was capable of both low resolution rates (15kHz) and high resolution (31kHz), which enabled the user to run both MD + PC software on the same screen. Most Japanese computer monitors of this era were capable of similar feats, unlike North American monitors which were almost always capable of either, but not both, resolutions.
Rumor Control: There is a definite shortage of English information about this computer, and what information there is often contains numerous fallacies. One page I'm often referred to is Assembler's page, which has a few errors. It's possible he's got information no one else on the internet has seen fit to share, or more likely that he's based his page on someone else's bad info. In any case, and no disrespect to Assembler, here are some corrections to some common inaccuracies:

- It has been reported that there is a 386 version of this computer. There is not - probably some confusion between this and the Amstrad MD/PC.

- I've heard that the CPU in this system is upgradable, but I'm not aware of any upgrades to a surface-mount, non-removable AMD 286 CPU.

- On the Teradrive it is possible to use both the MD + PC at the same time. This is another issue confusing the TeraDrive and the Amstrad, I think. The Amstrad was limited to one use at a time.

- The MD can be used on the RGB/VGA port as well as the composite video port, although the system does not 'upscan' the RGB, so a 15kHz monitor must be used on the RGB output. The PC output cannot use the composite port.

- There are only 2 RAM expansion slots, and the max RAM is 2.5MB (Sega TeraDrive User's Manual, page 127/128)

go here for additional specs



I learned something here, while looking up info about the TeraDrive, a machine I've known about since 1991, I learned there was a machine I'd never heard of, the Amstrad Mega PC.

Going by what I've just read (and posted) it seems to be a British version of the TeraDrive, but it's not the same.

 

[Gasgul]

IBM/SEGA TeraDrive

ohh yes definately under the rare category, I nearly gott one of these, but eventually held out for a 486sx33

 

[Diablohead]

I remember adverts for those sega related computers, wow thats pretty dated now.

 

[mr stroke]

GOLDSTAR(now LG) 3DO-

x-eye(which did come out but was very rare)-

LOL-

Please come out some day-

ps1 prototype?-

DISC-COVER console-

 

[Wark]

GOLDSTAR(now LG) 3DO-

What is the difference between this model and the retail Goldstar 3DO?

 

[Zombie James]

artist's impression / prototype Genesis CD-ROM

On board the Genesis peripheral will be a full 512K-bytes of RAM, equal to over 4,000 meg!

What kind of fucked up math were they doing?