???? – 1996retired
32X
“Project Mars never quite landed, but it gave the Genesis a brave, brief boost.”
“One console to rule movies, music, and games — provided you could afford the modules.”
Released by Pioneer in 1993, the LaserActive was a hybrid LaserDisc player and home video game console, marketed as a high-end modular entertainment system that combined movies, music, and video games in one unit. Out of the box it played LaserDiscs and CDs, but games required optional expansion modules called PACs. The Mega-LD PAC unlocked Sega Genesis cartridges, Sega CD discs, and exclusive Mega-LD titles, while t
It launched in Japan on August 20, 1993 at ¥89,800, and in North America on September 13, 1993 at $970 — no small sum for a box that needed accessories to truly shine. By 1996, Pioneer had quietly retired it. What remains is the memory of a beautifully ambitious idea: one machine, every format, a living room command center ahead of its time.
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“Project Mars never quite landed, but it gave the Genesis a brave, brief boost.”
“Product of the Year 1993, gone by 1996 — even Time can't save you from a price tag.”
“The first 64-bit system, if you were willing to meet it halfway”