The video game industry is full of very ambitious and successful projects but also dreams that are not fulfilled.
Not all the plans of the big video game companies end up being realized.
While there were consoles that many bought and ended up being a failure, there were others that did not even see the light of day.
Today we talk about those consoles that died before being born.
Phantom
The Phantom console promised great things to gamers. For starters, the system had been designed to use a direct download content delivery service instead of disks and cartridges.
It was in 2002 when Infinium Labs announced the project, promising many, many things, but with excessive use of suspicious words, so, from the beginning, the console was ridiculed by the media.
At E3 2004 it was first seen in operation in prototype form; however, it was a promise that was never kept. It was never possible to sell; it didn’t even get investors.
Among its main promises, The Phantom would offer a service of downloadable online games on request through subscriptions, but there were no real photographs, or technical details; just a simple render with many advertising phrases.
The console went through a series of financial scandals but never made it up for sale.
Atari Cosmos
The Atari name is practically known around the world for being one of the pioneering companies in the world of video games, but not all of its projects were successful.
Initially, this device was designed to look like a portable console, but with an arcade appearance. Also, one of its main attractions was probably the fact that it used holographic imaging.
The project would begin in 1978 and Allan Alcorn, Harry Jenkins and Roger Hector, would be in charge of bringing it to life. The idea was very innovative for the time and Atari invested a lot of money to secure the rights to the holographic technology to apply it in the Cosmos.
Everything seemed to indicate that this device was serious; in fact, the creative minds behind put together a functional sample to display. The console supported two players at the same time, but the trade press did not marvel like the general public.
The main critics pointed out that a device with such a tiny screen was useless, in addition to the fact that the gameplay did not change in relation to its detractors and there was nothing interesting with holography in video games.
In that sense, the same company decided not to give the device the green light, although a few units were produced; one of them is in the Atari museum and another is in the hands of a former employee, although his identity is unknown.
Panasonic M2
The idea for this console was first carried out by 3DO at the end of 1994, but later it was sold to Panasonic so that they could pick up the project and take it on a better path.
The Panasonic M2 was late to the 32-bit console industry, but it still had everything to revolutionize the future of video games by being almost twice as powerful as a PSX and even its graphics were much better than those of the Nintendo 64.
What happened? Poor management and little developer support. Thus, the year 1997 will always be remembered for its cancellation. Although Panasonic tried to speed up its launch, the console was only going to survive a single video game in its first months of life.
Unfortunately, Panasonic M2 never managed to continue its trajectory, but 10 units were distributed that are currently available on the Internet, although at excessive prices.
Sega Neptune
Sega Neptune would integrate the Sega Genesis console with the Sega 32X add-on; In other words, it would combine the operation of both products, but it was never released to the public.
Sega recognized how troublesome the 32X was, so they decided to make a combo version with the Genesis thinking it would be a better idea.
However, when a prototype came out, the Sega Saturn was ready for launch. Given this, Sega felt that players might not be very interested in the Neptune, so the project was scrapped. Plans for the system reportedly included the ability to play Sega-CD titles.
If the Neptune console had been released, it would have been available in late 1995.
It is not known how many prototypes of Neptune were made, but there is one easily identified that is part of the Museum of Video Game History.
However, this version is thought to have no electronic components; just a combination of wood and plastic to give the impression of an almost definitive system.