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How exactly was the SNES CD supposed to work and what happened?

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So what exactly happened with the SNES CD?

Nintendo was working with Sony to make an add-on for the SNES, but they were also working on a whole console that combined the add-on and the SNES right?

I haven't seen the add-on prototype, only the whole console so I'm not sure how it supposed to play out.
Also what was the whole deal with Philips? When/how/why did Nintendo leave Sony for Philips, and why didn't that work out?

Was there any info from the time about the console? Was anything announced at events?

I believe there is 3 full SNES CD prototypes out there, but the whole thing seems a bit unclear.

If anyone can clarify it would be greatly appreciated!!!
 
Apparently, it was going to be a cartridge-based SNES, adding support for a CD-ROM-based format known as Super Disc, but Sony got greedy and wanted the full rights to all games published for the SNES CD-ROM. Nintendo refused and decided to team up with Philips instead, which also didn't pan out. All companies went their separate ways. Sony created the PlayStation, Nintendo created the N64, and Philips created the CD-i.

It would have probably been a big flop, just like the Jaguar CD addon.
 
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PerryRhodan said:
Apparently, it was going to be a cartridge-based SNES, adding support for a CD-ROM-based format known as Super Disc, but Sony got greedy and wanted the full rights to all games published for the SNES CD-ROM. Nintendo refused and decided to team up with Philips instead, which also didn't pan out. All companies went their separate ways. Sony created the PlayStation, Nintendo created the N64, and Philips created the CD-i.

It would have probably been a big flop, just like the Jaguar CD addon.
Click to expand...

Without the SNES CD however, the PlayStation wouldn't have existed. Its very bizarre to think that if that part of video game history had never happened, Sony probably never would have entered the gaming market in the first place.
 
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Greninji88 said:
I believe there is 3 full SNES CD prototypes out there, but the whole thing seems a bit unclear.
Click to expand...
What's not clear about it? The prototypes are all very well-documented and re-re-documented at this point; there's even homebrew available.

Anything beyond that is speculation.
 
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Kwyjor said:
What's not clear about it? The prototypes are all very well-documented and re-re-documented at this point; there's even homebrew available.

Anything beyond that is speculation.
Click to expand...
Was this documentation how we got MSU-1 support for CD-quality audio in SNES games?
 
emmanu888 said:
Didn't we get MSU-1 before the first prototype came back into light?

I think Super Road Blaster came out before the SNES CD proto was found.
Click to expand...
I'm unsure, I just didn't know how we got CD quality audio from the SNES when storage back then was at a premium, and it definitely wouldn't have fit on a cartridge of the time.
 
Jayro said:
Was this documentation how we got MSU-1 support for CD-quality audio in SNES games?
Click to expand...
No, that is completely unrelated.

Jayro said:
I just didn't know how we got CD quality audio from the SNES when storage back then was at a premium
Click to expand...
I remember a demo of "CD-quality" audio playing from a SNES cart without an MSU-1, but it seems kind of hopeless to find it now. It might have been by byuu/Near. I think it was so demanding on the CPU that it couldn't do much else while the music was playing.
 
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Kwyjor said:
What's not clear about it? The prototypes are all very well-documented and re-re-documented at this point; there's even homebrew available.

Anything beyond that is speculation.
Click to expand...
Could I get the documentation then please? So I was confused about the add on, I haven't seen that, only the whole console.
 
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I
emmanu888 said:
Without the SNES CD however, the PlayStation wouldn't have existed. Its very bizarre to think that if that part of video game history had never happened, Sony probably never would have entered the gaming market in the first place.
Click to expand...
I think we have Sony engineer, Ken Kutaragi to thank for the PlayStation. He apparently became interested in video game development after observing his daughter playing games on Nintendo's Famicom. Without full corporate approval, Kutaragi secretly designed the S-SMP audio chip for Nintendo's upcoming Super NES console. At the time, Sony was not interested in the video game business, so most of his superiors didn't approve of the project, and it nearly cost him his job, but Kutaragi received support from Sony executive Norio Ohga, who allowed the project to proceed and the PlayStation was born with much improved hardware. In the end, the outcome benefited gamers who ended up with a choice of three different game consoles instead of just one. :)
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Greninji88 said:
Could I get the documentation then please? So I was confused about the add on, I haven't seen that, only the whole console.
Click to expand...
There's an English video documentary on the Internet Archive about the SNES CD, and plenty of documentation. Being a newbie, I don't think I'm allowed to post links yet. :(
 
Last edited by PerryRhodan,
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