PlayCable
Developer | Mattel, General Instrument |
---|---|
Type | Online service |
Launch date | 1980 |
Discontinued | 1984 |
Platform(s) | Intellivision |
Status | Dissolved |
PlayCable was an online service introduced in 1980 that allowed local cable television system operators to send games for the Intellivision over cable wires alongside normal television signals. Through the service, subscribers would use a device, called the PlayCable adapter, to download the games for play on their Intellivision. It was the first service that allowed users to download games for play on a video game console. PlayCable was not widely adopted, due in part to high costs for users and operators, as well as limitations of the PlayCable adapter. The service was discontinued in 1984.[1]
History
PlayCable was developed as a joint venture between Mattel and General Instrument.[2] The PlayCable service was deep in development even before the Intellivision was widely released. In 1979, tests of the service were announced for several cities, including Moline, Illinois, Jackson, Mississippi and Boise, Idaho.[3] The service was officially launched in 1981.[4] Subscriptions were available for a monthly fee, allowing users access to a selection of games through cable television providers that supported the service.[2] Up to 20 titles were available each month.[5] Former professional baseball player Mickey Mantle appeared in commercials for the service.[6] According to a CED Magazine article, the service was available in thirteen cities in 1981 including Fayetteville, N.Y. However, in spring 1983 the available market totalled 650,000 households. The less than 3% subscription rate was still higher than the rate of Intellivision sales in markets where PlayCable was not available,[2] and Intellivision Productions reports that PlayCable was popular where available.[7] Cable operators complained about the high cost of the computer needed to run the service as well as the cost of the in-home PlayCable adapters; the adapters proved to be inadequate to run the larger Intellivision games being produced.[2][7] In addition, Mattel Electronics was losing millions of dollars due to the video game industry crash of 1983 and stopped all new hardware development in August that year. Initial estimates by Mattel projected that the service would have 1 million subscribers within five years,[2] however PlayCable was discontinued in 1984, three years after it was introduced.
Implementation and limitations
The PlayCable channel was broadcast from a
The 8K of memory inside PlayCable adapters proved to be insufficient for the larger games that Mattel started to release in 1983.[2][5] To this point PlayCable was compatible with 90% of Mattel's catalogue of Intellivision titles, with only Chess and three Intellivoice games proving problematic. Compatibility fell with the introduction of 12K and 16K titles, such as Pinball and Bump N Jump, and the release of games dependent on the Intellivision Entertainment Computer System (ECS). Despite this, 47 titles in the full 61 game Mattel catalogue were compatible with PlayCable when Mattel Electronics closed its Intellivision business in early 1984.[9] Therefore, the fact that PlayCable was restricted to first party titles, effectively blocking 33 compatible third party games, had a larger impact on the potential catalogue of games the service could have offered.
See also
- GameLine
- Nabu Network
- Sega Channel
- Satellaview
References
- ^ Harrigan, Kathryn Rudie (2003). Ventures, Alliances, and Corporate Strategy. Beard Books. p. 169.
- ^ a b c d e f g Schley, Stewart. "Look ma, no cartridge!". CED Magazine. Advantage Business Media. Archived from the original on 2013-11-29. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
- ^ Fraser, C. Gerald (May 19, 1979). "Cable-TV System to Enable Viewers to Play Games; ABC-TV Leads Networks In Daytime Emmy Awards". New York Times.
- Imagine Media. May 1997. p. 26.
- ^ a b Langshaw, Mark. "The History Of Online Console Gaming". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK.
- ^ Connelly, Sherilyn (August 30, 2011). "TV Ads We Can't Forget: Mickey Mantle Goes to Bat for Archaic Gaming Service Called PlayCable". SF Weekly. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
- ^ a b "Intellivision PlayCable". Intellivision Lives. Archived from the original on 2002-02-12.
- ISBN 0879421975.
- ^ a b c d PlayCable - A Technical Summary. September 18, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2020.