3DO

3DO

   <company, games, standard> A set of specifications created and
   owned by the 3DO company, which is a partnership of seven
   different companies.  These specs are the blueprint for making
   a 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and are licensed to hardware and
   software producers.

   A 3DO system has an {ARM60} 32-bit {RISC} {CPU} and a graphics
   engine based around two custom designed graphics and animation
   processors.  It has 2 Megabytes of {DRAM}, 1 Megabyte of
   {VRAM}, and a double speed {CD-ROM} drive for main storage.

   The {Panasonic} 3DO system can run 3DO Interactive software,
   play audio CDs (including support for CD+G), view {Photo-CDs},
   and will eventually be able to play {Video CDs} with a special
   add-on {MPEG}1 {full-motion video} cartridge.  Up to 8
   {controllers} can be {daisy-chain}ed on the system at once.  A
   keyboard, mouse, light gun, and other peripherals may also
   some day be hooked into the system, although they are not
   currently available (December 1993).  The 3DO can display
   {full-motion video}, fully {texture map}ped 3d landscapes,
   all in 24-bit colour.  {Sanyo} and {AT&T} will also release
   3DO systems.  Sanyo's in mid 1994 and AT&T in late 1994.

   There will be a 3DO add-on cartridge based on the {PowerPC} to
   enable the 3DO to compete with {Sony}'s {Playstation} console
   and {Sega}'s {Saturn} console, both of which have a higher
   specification than the original 3DO.  The add-on is commonly
   known as the M2 or Bulldog.  It should hit the shops by
   Christmas 1995 and will (allegedly) do a million flat shaded
   polygons per second.

   3DO Home (http://3do.com/).

   Usenet newsgroup: news:rec.games.video.3do.

   (1994-12-13)