Imagine Panasonic released the M2 in late '97.

>>3814075
>Perhaps gaming history might have gone very differently.
But I doubt it. PS1 already had too much momentum.

>>3814075

No the Panasonic name was already ruined in the world of gaming.

It.. it looks like a box for itself

File: 18014501.jpg (228KB, 850x1100px) Image search: [Google]

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I love the D2 we ended up with and the original D2 is the only thing I can think of off the top of my head that we missed out on.

>>3814094

Before I clicked on the M2 image I assumed it was the packaging.,

PS happened at the right place in the right time, and took in all the companies which ran away from Nintendo. Now, what could M2 seriously offer to make them switch? PS was already cheap and had and good enough hardware; Sony had CD production facilities.

Besides, FFVII was coming in late 1997, and even before it PS had huge hits like Crash, Tomb Raider, RE, etc.

>>3814075
>How
Not in the slightest

>Perhaps
Not in the slightest

But good to hear you learned about another failed console on youtube today.

What are Panasonic and the rest of Japanese electronics companies up to today? You don't hear much about them lately.

>>3814724
Making batteries.

>>3814724
capacitors.
audio technika
jap clothes are very trendy
art
books
capcom still
hudsoft
squaresoft
....nintendo

>>3814075
'97 is too late, the ps1 would have been dominating during that year. what they should have done is release the 3do around the time the saturn/ps1 came out

>>3814724
Panasonic stuck till the end with plasma. They were heavily invested in it. Begrudgingly, they switched to LCD and now OLED. And frankly, they're making some good TVs, except they're somewhat less popular. But unlike Sony or Sharp, they aren't making screens for smartphones AFAIK.

They're also making notably good cameras. But as for the rest, they're not too much invested in consumer digital electronics, I'd say. Their smartphones are Japan-only, if they're still making them at all. And their Toughbook series are obviously aimed at specialized use. The rest is just boring stuff: electric razors, rice cookers, kitchen appliances, projectors, and such.

Otherwise, AFAIK they're more invested in business market now. All in all I think they stuck with the past too much. They used to be a household name in consumer electronics; but in 2000s, they were too late to every trend that happened in it, while sticking with their old stuff.

>>3814724
As for the rest of the companies, the story wasn't too great either. First Japanese economic bubble, then the increasing competition in digital tech, and finally facing the smartphone era and even heavier competition from LG and Samsung.

Some of them tried to ride the wave of smartphones, but without much success. For example, Sharp used to be the biggest phone brand in Japan. But in 2016 they've been bought out by Foxconn, after years of losses. All of this despite they were some of the leaders in LCD tech.

Alas, these are not good times for Japanese tech companies, except for Sony. Tech is a fast changing world, where a lot depends on luck; those who fail to innovate and change with the times soon wind up bought out. In the recent years, it's been especially apparent: we've seen giant companies like Nokia going out of business—think what it's like for smaller companies.

Looks like a cubist Dreamcast

>>3814150
Yeah, that's why I said that

File: m2-coffee.jpg (6KB, 225x300px) Image search: [Google]

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It actually got released, as a coffee machine.

I still love Panasonic. I bought an LCD TV from them in early 2009 that has an A-IPS panel when 95% of the rest had shitty TFT displays. Also have a microwave from 1995 that still works pretty good.