Commodore 64 Games System
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Third generation (8-Bit era) | |
Release date | December 1990[1] |
---|---|
Units sold | ≈2000 |
Units shipped | ≈20000 |
Media | Cartridge |
Predecessor | MAX Machine |
Successor | Commodore CDTV |
The Commodore 64 Games System (often abbreviated C64GS) is the
The C64GS was not Commodore's first gaming system based on the C64 hardware. However, unlike the 1982 MAX Machine (a game-oriented computer based on a very cut-down version of the same hardware family), the C64GS is internally very similar to the complete C64, with which it is compatible. Out of the approximately 20,000 consoles produced,[2] only 2000 consoles were sold.[3]
Available software
The software bundled with the C64GS, a four-game cartridge containing
Ocean produced a number of games for the C64GS, among them a
System 3 released
Through publisher
Commodore never produced or published a single title for the C64GS beyond the bundled four-game cartridge. International Soccer was the only widely available game for the C64GS but had actually been written for the C64.
Hardware-based problems
The C64GS was plagued with problems from the outset. Firstly, despite the wealth of software already available on cartridge for C64, the lack of a keyboard means that most cannot be used with the console. This means that much of the cartridge-based C64 software, while fundamentally compatible with the C64GS, was unplayable. The standard C64 version of Terminator 2: Judgment Day was designed for the console,[6] but was included on a cartridge that required the user to press a key in the initial menu to access the game, rendering it unplayable, despite the game itself being entirely playable with joystick only on a conventional C64.
To partially compensate for the lack of a keyboard, the basic control system for the C64GS was a joystick supplied by Cheetah called the Annihilator. This joystick, while using the standard Atari 9-pin plug, offers two independent buttons, with the second button located on the base of the joystick. The joystick standard is fundamentally compatible with the
However, it was poorly built, had a short life, and was not widely available, making replacements difficult to come by.
Primary reasons for failure
Prior to the console's release, Commodore had generated a great deal of marketing hype to drum up interest in an already crowded market. Zzap!64 and Your Commodore, Commodore 64 magazines of the era, reported that Commodore had promised "up to 100 titles before December",[7] even though December was two months from the time of its writing. In reality 28 games were produced for the console during its shelf life[citation needed] - most of which were compilations of older titles, and a majority of which were from Ocean. Of those 28 titles, only 9 were cartridge-exclusive titles, the remainder being ports of older cassette-based games.
While most of the titles that Ocean announced did appear for the GS (with the notable exception of
There were other reasons attributed to the failure of the C64GS, the major ones being the following:
- Poor software support: Most of the existing software on cartridge did not function well with the C64GS, and enthusiasm from publishers was low. Ocean Software, Codemasters, System 3, MicroProse and Domark developed titles for the system, but probably only because the games were compatible with the original C64, providing the titles with a commercial safety net in case the C64GS failed. And failure to reprogram the games for use with the cut-back system was another blame for the fault.
- The C64 computer: The C64GS was essentially a cut-back version of the original Commodore 64, and the games developed for it could also be run on the original computer. The C64 was already at an affordable price, and the C64GS was sold for the same. People preferred the original C64, particularly since the cassette versions of games could often be picked up for a fraction of the cost of the cartridge versions.
- Obsolete technology: The C64 was introduced in 1982.
- An already saturated console market: The 8-bit C64GS entered the market in 1990, parallel to 16-bit Mega Drive and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The Nintendo Entertainment System and Master Systemwere already dominating the market with more popular titles, and did so until around 1992.
- TV hookup, joystick support and cartridge slots were already found on regular C64 machines. Hence normal C64s were already recognized as "game consoles" despite actually being home computers with integrated keyboards.
Commodore eventually shipped the four-game cartridge and Cheetah Annihilator joysticks in a "Playful Intelligence" bundle with the standard Commodore 64C computer. Several years later, Commodore's next attempt at a games console, the Amiga CD32, encountered many of the same problems.
Technical specifications
The specifications of the C64GS are a subset of those of the regular C64; the main differences being the omission of the user port, serial interface, and cassette port. Since the system board is a regular C64C board these ports are actually present, but simply not exposed at the rear.
References
- ^ "Retro Treasures: Commodore 64 GS". retro-treasures.blogspot.se. 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2013-06-16.
- ^ "OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
- ^ "Commodore 64 Games System". Retrieved 2022-05-24.
- ^ "Commodore C64 GS Games System - REMOVED - Game Console - Computing History".
- ^ Fischer, Andrew (2018-04-19). "Revisiting the C64GS". PressReader. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
- ^ "File:Terminator2 Cartridge.JPG - C64-Wiki".
- ^ "Munchy Box". Your Commodore. UK: Alphaville Bublications Ltd. October 1990.
External links
- "The C64 Console!" / "Inside the future: The C64GS" – By Ed Stu, Zzap 64magazine, issue 66, October 1990
- The Commodore C64 Games System – Photos and information from Bo Zimmermann's collection
- 8Bit-Homecomputermuseum – Nice pictures of the C64GS