The Konix Multi-System

[Rogue Trooper]

ahhh just found the other interview ATD did with EDGE and Konix mentioned again:

Fred Gill said :'We did a flying carpet demo on the Konix 1 in just 11 days from having it from scratch.it's just a bit Zarch-like in the way the carpet rolls and they liked that'


He then goes onto say they were hired to find ALL the bugs in the Jaguar chipset and they had 12 weeks to test and debug and they made suggestions based on what they had found, (a couple of bits here and there in the Blitter) and they asked if a mode could be included where, when you were texture-mapping, you could add a constant value to the pixels, so it does depth-shading (a feature they say AVP used to good effect), they also say they thought of a couple of instructions to be added to the processors.....

also:Jaguar was originally intended to be a 40 MHz machine, but manufacturing 40 MHz chips turned out to be a nightmare for the Silicon manufactuers at that time and they would'nt guarantee them at 40 Mhz...

[mqarkcambie]

That'll be this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 7A1CFhvJNA


What issue of Edge was the ATD interview with the Jag bug hunt in?

[Rogue Trooper]

That'll be this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 7A1CFhvJNA


What issue of Edge was the ATD interview with the Jag bug hunt in?

ATD interviewed in 2 issues of EDGE (off top of my head)

Feb 1995 (An audience with.......ATD) talked about debugging chipset, but not in much detail


And earlier in Feb'1994 issue (Issue 5), where it's part of the feature on the Jaguar console itself, Developing with Attention To Detail.

[Rogue Trooper]

Also, EDGE Issue 7:April '94:

TXE Multi System Joins The Fray, 2-Page feature/Slipstream ASIC/Wyn Holloway.

Talks of the TXE being  a 32 Bit games machine with CD+G, proprietary FMV, Karaoke, 2 Mics etc.

Games wise 8 titles, just 'enhanced' versions of existing games:Likes of Team Suzuki, F16 Combat Pillot, Lotus Turbo and Robocod.Plus you had enhanced version of PC Moonstone and there was development of a game called DTOX, which was a shooter with rendered graphics.


Tech wise:

386 CPU running at 25 Mhz and Slipstream 32 Bit custom RISC.32 Bit graphics processor, resolution 256X200, best quality FMV in 192X128 window, no hardware sprites, Gouraud shading, texture mapping, can bit in front and behind each of 4 hardware planes, capable of drawing 96 Million pixels per sec.

Release was planned Autumn'94 Japan+Europe, price £399.

[Rogue Trooper]

@Mqarkcambie:Mev Dinc was interviewed in The One ST and mentions the Konix and Hammerfist (as well as being given opportunity to develop for Atari's Panther, but declined as Atari did'nt have a great track record with consoles).

I've also found  the Konix itself in Issue 6, could'nt see said page on your site, happy to loan out the DVD with mag scans on.

Also, slight tangent, but looked at how System 3 used extra power of a micro on Last Ninja 3.ST version ran in 16 colours, Amiga version 32, but the extra colours just used for extra shading, so wonder just how much of Konix would have been used on Last Ninja II status panel gubbins aside....

[TL]

Here you go:

[Rogue Trooper]

That's the bunny.

Interesting to note the doubts raised already over hardware's claims:

'...but the game demo's running were, to be blunt unremarkable......Programmers don't yet seem to have got to grip with existing 16-Bit technology, so what hope of packing as much as possible into 880K?'


Compressed graphics data of Rainbow Islands conversion to ST+Amiga mentioned, question asked if Amiga/St games used up this much space already, would there be much room left on Konix games for actual gameplay? or would games come on multiple disks?.

[mqarkcambie]

Ok, guy on ebay now saying that he's talking to companies in the US AND the UK and the price of his stuff is now 28 thousand ( funny, keeps going up all the time... " title="Roll Eyes" /> ).
Now there's no mention at all of the supposed Japanese deal.

I am fully aware that this guy could be reading this, but I don't care, it is just bullshit. There is STILL no proof, I have no idea how all these people are supposed to be knocking at his door, and he should know that I will never make an offer for something I've not even seen a picture of...

Such a crying shame that this is going down the way it is. I still struggle to understand why it should be this difficult if this guy does have anything, and then - if he doesn't, why he keeps this going for so long!

[TL]

Scans from ACE magazine:

[DreamcastRIP]

A console of the KMS's nature and they were planning a chess game for it? The mind boggles!

[Rogue Trooper]

A console of the KMS's nature and they were planning a chess game for it? The mind boggles!

Think it was just another box to be ticked.Maybe they did'nt want the system to take some flak by offering just action /arcade type games and prove there was no reason why it should'nt see something with a bit more depth to it, try and encourage developers to open up to all manner of genres on the system?.

Just a guess, but knowing what press etc were like at the time back then, danger might of been the Konix seen as offering somewhat shallower games, so not for everyone.

[DreamcastRIP]

A console of the KMS's nature and they were planning a chess game for it? The mind boggles!

Think it was just another box to be ticked.Maybe they did'nt want the system to take some flak by offering just action /arcade type games and prove there was no reason why it should'nt see something with a bit more depth to it, try and encourage developers to open up to all manner of genres on the system?.

Just a guess, but knowing what press etc were like at the time back then, danger might of been the Konix seen as offering somewhat shallower games, so not for everyone.

I 'get' that but a chess game?! Maybe an RTS game of some sort and I'd understand it but not a chess game!

[Rogue Trooper]

A console of the KMS's nature and they were planning a chess game for it? The mind boggles!

Think it was just another box to be ticked.Maybe they did'nt want the system to take some flak by offering just action /arcade type games and prove there was no reason why it should'nt see something with a bit more depth to it, try and encourage developers to open up to all manner of genres on the system?.

Just a guess, but knowing what press etc were like at the time back then, danger might of been the Konix seen as offering somewhat shallower games, so not for everyone.

I 'get' that but a chess game?! Maybe an RTS game of some sort and I'd understand it but not a chess game!

True, but looking at the line up of games, where as things like run The Gauntlet would (we hope) have made fantastic use of the transforming control scheme, just what was say Robocod other than the cutesy console style platformer-another box ticked.

Guess at the time with developer support being so patchy, something was better than nothing, plus likes of Battlechess etc big on Amiga, MCD had Star Wars Chess, so chess cropped up on formats i'd not think of being the 1st place to find a Chess game.

Did RTS games ever make it 'big' until Dune II on MD (which was an Amiga port was it not?).

[DreamcastRIP]

True, but looking at the line up of games, where as things like run The Gauntlet would (we hope) have made fantastic use of the transforming control scheme, just what was say Robocod other than the cutesy console style platformer-another box ticked.

Guess at the time with developer support being so patchy, something was better than nothing, plus likes of Battlechess etc big on Amiga, MCD had Star Wars Chess, so chess cropped up on formats i'd not think of being the 1st place to find a Chess game.

Did RTS games ever make it 'big' until Dune II on MD (which was an Amiga port was it not?).

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that if they were trying to promote a 'console for all genres, not just arcade-style action games' image for the KMS then it was fine having a chess game but that something a little more snazzy as well as or instead of may have been the ideal choice, imho.

I certainly do recall the popularity of Battle Chess, now you mention it, as I bought that game for my ST at the time. Chess isn't my thing but I do recall enjoying playing that game. 

Maybe the example of an RTS game that I suggested wasn't perfect - I was just trying to put forward an example of a non-arcade-style genre that could perhaps have served the KMS's image better (were it to have been released) than a chess game, that's all. I'm not anti-chess, for the record, lol!

[mqarkcambie]

Chess... I've no real problem with that - I wouldn't have bought it - but it was something different I guess.

But Konix claiming that it supported the Power Chair - What the Hell? That's just bat shit crazy and really smacks of someone at the top passing down an edict that every game must support the Power Chair so that they can ensure it's not just a buy it once never use it again peripheral.

Also, talk of BattleChess sounds cool - however from the only screen shot know to exist of Konix Chess, it had terribly simplistic graphics that wouldn't have encouraged anyone to play it for anything other than the love of Chess.