Awsome, one can only imagine what that game system would have been like had it been released. Are there any pics of it out on the web?
nope, not officially. definitally not of the Namco console. the only *possible* pictures of the hardware and what it was capable of would *maybe* be one of the Namco 16-bit arcade boards, such as NA-1 / NA-2, and the games for it (see the link in my OP) but I am basing that solely on something I read on Assembler forum years ago, or maybe an instant message while discussing the subject. in no way is that confirmed. I am hoping Assembler or someone else might remember/know something about this.
Dunno about that, maybe it's possible they designed the processor, tho they mention nothing of it in their pfficial history, tho it is quite a selective one http://www.hudson.co.jp/corp/eng/coinfo/history.html
yeah I am pretty sure Nintendo designed the Famicom internally. the main chipset, a modified 6502 (IIRC) and the PPU ~ Picture Processing Unit. it would not surprise me though if Hudson had a hand in the development of the Famicom chipset, but for now I'll continue to assume Nintendo designed it.
http://members.tripod.com/~faberp/ that site has mentioned the system..although sadly i thinks thats all that we'll know about it Ryan
Also these newsbits must be from 1989 or so way before anything recognizable as the PC-FX would have been in development. They're probably referring to the SuperGrafx as the third newsbit seems to indicate (based on PC Engine, updated video and sound capabilities) even though the SuperGrafx was technically 8-bit just like PC Engine. Also quite possible that NEC had a real 16-bit system in early stages of development and it just never cam to fruition (or that it eventually did morph into the PC-FX years later). As for this Namco system, I always assumed that the Namco NA-1/2 architecture was a response to the MVS and CPS systems (low cost and easily updated with new games), so if it's right that the Namco system mentioned in these articles eventually became the NA-1, then I guess it would almost pre-date the MVS and CPS or at least it was developed nearly simultaneously. Maybe Namco scrapped the architecture when their deal with Hudson fell through and then revived it a couple years later so that they could have something to compete with the MVS and CPS. All just wild speculation, of course. I'd heard that Namco once had a home console planned, but I didn't know it was as early as this. I figured it was after SNK released the Neo-Geo and about the same time that Capcom was also releasing the CPS-Changer and that it would have been a system basically like those. Very interesting. As for Hudson developing the Famicom, I don't think it's true, though the PC Engine is also based on a custom 6502 so there's some link. The SNES is based on the successor to the 6502, though, as well, so those two facts pretty much cancel each other out. Most like Quartermann is just wrong, his page always had tons of factual errors. ...word is bondage...
I've heard this thing about Hudson working on the Famicom before i never put much stock into it. You would think they would hold some patent on it if it were true... but the theory does come up every now and again.
Indeed the news clips are from spring-summer 1989, published in summer 1989, concidering the lead time of upto 2-3 months before magazines reached newstands. And yes, they are all to do with either the 16-bit PC-Engine2 or the 8-bit PC-Engine2 ~ SuperGrafx, well before info on PC-FX surfaced. however, it would not be long until EGM (and probably other magazines) would start reporting on an NEC 32-bit, and answering mail about such a system the 32-bit Ironman (aka project Tetsujin) did not go into development until mid to late 1990, and it was not shown until 1992.....but EGM was reporting on an NEC 32-bit system as early as end of winter ~ or spring 1990. EGM #10, May 1990 as for the NA-1/2 arcade hardware, I know next to nothing about it, except what is on System16.com I don't know when it was developed, although one could guess, based on the timing of the Namco 16-bit console. I know that Capcom's CPS came out in 1988 with Forgotten Worlds. The MVS was probably developed in 1988, as it came out in Japanese arcades by 1989 (i think) or no later than early 1990. I don't really believe the EGM comment about Hudson making the Famicom.
I remember a a bit about this, how they declined to release a console and it became an arcade board. At least that is all I recall.
You know it just occured to me, we do a lot of speculating about unreleased hardware and stuff, has anyone here ever tried getting in contact with some of these companies, see if they have some of this old hardware laying around in a wherehouse or something? I'm not talking in the way of getting a hold of any prototypes, I mean like somebody pose as a reporter and email Namco, try to get an interview with somebody and see if they would let us take pics of any stuff they have laying around? Companies dig stuff like that, like free advertising. I'm sure one of us could bullshit thier way into Namco's old hardware closets. Just a thought.
but i think in 99% of the cases that stuff just gets trashed to save on the taxes and costs of storage ?
that's what I remember reading here Assembler, I might have talked to you over IM a long time ago (4 years) about it.
