Digital video disc playback is enticing a non-negligible segment of the entertainment industry as distributors seek to turn this novel format into the next big thing. DVD has a ton of potential, no doubt, though with this technology in its infancy it is too early to tell if it will succeed in overtaking VHS as the standard medium. VM Labs is looking to jumpstart that adoption rate with its Project X, a DVD-based console hybrid. This device would function off of one mega-powered multiprocessor chip, theoretically significantly reducing the manufacturing cost of an MPEG decoder.
Project X, if picked up by consumer electronics manufacturers like Matsushita, could be the first affordable home DVD player on the market. VM Labs plans for their console to be a one-stop shop for home entertainment, including digital movies as well as games. These games, predominately described as educational/edutainment content, would consist of interactive elements in a digital setting. Their business plan is ambitious, cracking open an untapped market just as 3DO pledged it would do, yet a combo device like X could have real appeal.
While VM Labs seeks to forge an untested path, others like Bandai are playing it safe into the next millennium. The Tamagotchi developers are crafting a boxy handheld gaming device in direct competition with the Game Boy. It will contain a 2.5 inch, high-resolution LCD screen powered by one AA battery, priced a tad lower than Nintendo's flagship portable. This tiny, rectangular unit may be played either horizontally or vertically - How curious! Upwards of twenty games are in-development for the launch date this autumn. Currently no plans are in-place to release it outside of Japan.
