3DO

3DO is a video gaming hardware format developed by The 3DO Company and conceived by Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins. The specifications were originally designed by Dave Needle and RJ Mical of New Technology Group, and were licensed by third parties; most hardware were packaged as home video game consoles under the name Interactive Multiplayer, and Panasonic produced the first models in 1993 with further renditions released afterwards by manufacturers GoldStar, Sanyo, Creative Labs, and Samsung Electronics.

Centered around a 32-bit ARM60 processor and a custom graphics chip, the format was initially marketed as a multimedia one but this shifted into purely video games within a year of launching. Despite having a highly promoted launch (including being named Time magazine's "1993 Product of the Year"), the high price relative to other game consoles, an oversaturated console market, and the system's mixed reviews prevented it from achieving success comparable to competing consoles from Sega and Sony, leading to its discontinuation by 1996. In 1997, The 3DO Company sold its "Opera" hardware to Samsung, a year after offloading its M2 successor hardware to Panasonic.