Wikipedia:Sandbox/Archive and Amstrad GX4000: Difference between pages

GX 4000
	The Amstrad GX4000 video game console.
Manufacturer	Amstrad
Type	Video game console
Generation	Fourth generation
Lifespan	1990
Media	Cartridge
CPU	Zilog Z80A

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Revision as of 17:31, 19 January 2008

The GX4000 was Amstrad's short-lived attempt to enter the games console market. The console was released in 1990 and was based on the still-popular CPC technology. The GX4000 was actually a modified CPC6128+ computer. This allowed The GX4000 to be compatible with a majority of CPC+ computer line software. Initial reviews were favourable - the console had impressive enhanced graphics and sound, a huge colour palette of 4096 (more than the 16 bit Sega Mega Drive), hardware sprites and hardware scrolling. The console itself had a sleek curved design (reminiscient of Nintendo 64, which came out six years later). It retailed for £99 and came bundled with driving game Burnin' Rubber. GX4000 game cartridges could also be used by the new 464+ and 6128+ computers released at the same time.

Commercial failure

The GX4000 was a commercial failure and is one of the least successful game consoles ever made. This was in part due to the GX4000 being powered by 8 bit technology and almost immediately being superseded by the 16 bit Sega Mega Drive (released in November 1990 in Europe), and eventually the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. There was little available software at launch, with some games being released months late or cancelled entirely. To make matters worse, several GX4000 games were simply CPC games from previous years rereleased onto a cartridge. This was not inspiring and users were not prepared to pay £25 for a cartridge game that they could buy for £3.99 on cassette instead. Like Commodore with their C64GS system, essentially a cut down C64 in much the same was as the GX4000 was a cut down CPC, Amstrad massively overestimated how much extra people were willing to pay for the reliability and instant loading times of cartridge technology. Within a few weeks of the initial launch, the system could be bought at discounted prices. Popular UK videogame magazines marked the system as "the worst system of the month" as voted by readers.^{[citation needed]}

Many readers complained about lack of coverage in Amstrad magazines, Amstrad Computer User & Amstrad Action. Amstrad Action continued to give coverage for the machine when possible and included a complete rundown on every game released for the console that ran for 3 issues well after the GX4000s demise.

In an interview with UK magazine Retro Gamer, one Amstrad insider (implausibly) claimed that the GX4000 was 'technically at least on a par' with the SNES and that the machine faltered due to a lack of games and Amstrad not having the marketing budget to take on Nintendo and Sega.

Games

In all, fewer than 40 games were produced for the GX4000, of which only half were original and unique to the console. The games were made by UK-based companies Ocean (Bought out by Infogrames UK and now Atari Inc.) and U.S. Gold (later Eidos & now owned by SCI (Sales Curve Interactive). Notable GX4000 games were Burnin' Rubber, RoboCop 2, Pang, Plotting (AKA Flipull), Navy Seals and Switchblade. The last was later released for the CPC range with only minor concessions, mainly colour.

The GX4000 was only manufactured for a matter of months before it was discontinued.

Technical specifications

CPU: 8-bit Zilog Z80A at 4 MHz
Graphics:
- 16 sprites
- Resolution: from 160x200 to 640x200
- 4096 colour palette - 32 onscreen
Memory: 64 kB RAM, 16 kB VRam, 32 kB ROM
I/O: Audio output, 2 x digital controller connectors, Analog controller port (IBM standard), Light gun connector (RJ11 socket), Audio & RGB video output (8 pin DIN), Scart connector (audio & video), power supply socket from external PSU, power supply socket from monitor
Sound: 3 channel Mono; AY-3-8910 chip
Game Format: cartridge

External links

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Unreferenced|date=October 2007}}
-===Basic Principles===<!-- This section is linked from [[Homebrewing]] -->
+{{Infobox CVG system
+|title = GX 4000
+|logo =
+|image = [[Image:AmstradGX4000.jpg|thumb|300px||The Amstrad GX4000 video game console.]]
+|manufacturer = [[Amstrad]]
+|type = [[Video game console]]
+|generation = [[History of video game consoles (fourth generation)|Fourth generation]]
+|lifespan = [[1990]]
+|CPU = [[Zilog Z80]]A
+|media = [[cartridge (electronics)|Cartridge]]
+|onlineservice =
+|topgame =
+}}
+The '''GX4000''' was [[Amstrad]]'s short-lived attempt to enter the [[Video game console|games console]] market. The console was released in [[1990]] and was based on the still-popular [[Amstrad CPC|CPC]] technology. The GX4000 was actually a modified CPC6128+ computer. This allowed The GX4000 to be compatible with a majority of CPC+ computer line software. Initial reviews were favourable - the console had impressive enhanced graphics and sound, a huge colour palette of 4096 (more than the [[16 bit]] [[Sega Mega Drive]]), hardware [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] and hardware [[scrolling]]. The console itself had a sleek curved design (reminiscient of [[Nintendo 64]], which came out six years later). It retailed for £99 and came bundled with driving game ''Burnin' Rubber''. GX4000 game cartridges could also be used by the new 464+ and 6128+ computers released at the same time.
+==Commercial failure==
-Brewing relies on the conversion of [[sugar|sugars]] into [[ethyl alcohol]] and [[carbon dioxide]] by yeast through [[fermentation]].  Fermentable sugars are typically obtained by steeping malted [[grain]] ('''[[malt]]''') in hot water during a process known as '''[[mashing]]'''.  When malt is mashaed at temperatures between about 60-70°C, natural [[enzymes]] in the grain break down large [[starch]] molecules into both smaller non-fermentable starch-like [[molecule|molecules]] known as [[dextrin]] and into fermentable beer.
+The GX4000 was a commercial failure and is one of the least successful game consoles ever made. This was in part due to the GX4000 being powered by 8 bit technology and almost immediately being superseded by the 16 bit Sega Mega Drive (released in November 1990 in Europe), and eventually the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]. There was little available software at launch, with some games being released months late or cancelled entirely. To make matters worse, several GX4000 games were simply [[Amstrad CPC|CPC]] games from previous years rereleased onto a cartridge. This was not inspiring and users were not prepared to pay £25 for a cartridge game that they could buy for £3.99 on [[compact audio cassette|cassette]] instead. Like Commodore with their [[C64GS]] system, essentially a cut down C64 in much the same was as the GX4000 was a cut down CPC, Amstrad massively overestimated how much extra people were willing to pay for the reliability and instant loading times of cartridge technology. Within a few weeks of the initial launch, the system could be bought at discounted prices. Popular [[United Kingdom|UK]] videogame magazines marked the system as "the worst system of the month" as voted by readers.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
+Many readers complained about lack of coverage in [[Amstrad]] magazines, [[Amstrad Computer User]] & [[Amstrad Action]]. [[Amstrad Action]] continued to give coverage for the machine when possible and included a complete rundown on every game released for the console that ran for 3 issues well after the GX4000s demise.
+In an interview with UK magazine [[Retro Gamer]], one Amstrad insider (implausibly) claimed that the GX4000 was 'technically at least on a par' with the SNES and that the machine faltered due to a lack of games and Amstrad not having the marketing budget to take on Nintendo and Sega.
-{| class="wikitable"
-|-
-! test
-! test
-! test
-|-
-| info 1
-| row 1, cell 2
-| row 1, cell 3
-|-
-| row 2, cell 1
-| row 2, cell 2
-| row 2, cell 3
-|}
+==Games==
-oh yea i made a table
+In all, fewer than 40 games were produced for the GX4000, of which only half were original and unique to the console. The games were made by UK-based companies [[Ocean Software|Ocean]] (Bought out by [[Infogrames]] UK and now [[Atari|Atari Inc.]]) and [[U.S. Gold]] (later [[Eidos Interactive|Eidos]] & now owned by [[SCI]] (''[[Sales Curve Interactive]]''). Notable GX4000 games were ''Burnin' Rubber'', ''[[RoboCop 2]]'', ''[[Pang]]'', ''[[Plotting]]'' (AKA ''[[Flipull]]''), ''[[Navy Seals]]'' and ''[[Switchblade]]''. The last was later released for the CPC range with only minor concessions, mainly colour.
+The GX4000 was only manufactured for a matter of months before it was discontinued.
-OK, here's my table:
-{| class="wikitable"
-|-
-! 1
-! 2
-! 3
-|-
-| [[apples]]
-| oranges
-| grapes
-|-
-| red
-| orange
-| purple
-|}
+==Technical specifications==
-Code: Longhorn
+*CPU: 8-bit [[Zilog]] Z80A at 4 MHz
+*Graphics:
+** 16 sprites
+** Resolution: from 160x200 to 640x200
+** 4096 colour palette - 32 onscreen
+*Memory: 64 [[kilobyte|kB]] [[RAM]], 16 kB VRam, 32 kB [[Read-only memory|ROM]]
+* I/O: 	Audio output, 2 x digital controller connectors, Analog controller port (IBM standard), [[Light gun]] connector (RJ11 socket), Audio & [[RGB]] video output (8 pin DIN), Scart connector (audio & video), power supply socket from external PSU, power supply socket from monitor
+*Sound: 3 channel Mono; AY-3-8910 chip
+*Game Format: [[Cartridge (electronics)|cartridge]]
+==External links==
+*[http://www.pcwking.netfirms.com/cartridge.html Listing and pictures of Amstrad GX4000 games]
+*[http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=2&c=1082 Old-Computers.com page on the GX 4000]
+*[http://andercheran.aiind.upv.es/~amstrad/docs/carts.htm Complete list of GX 4000 games]
+*[http://cpcwiki.com/index.php/Plus The CPCwiki article about the GX4000. Lots of info]
+{{Dedicated video game consoles}}
+[[Category:Third-generation video game consoles]]
+[[Category:Video game failures]]
+[[Category:Amstrad CPC]]
+[[Category:Amstrad]]
+[[de:Amstrad GX4000]]
+[[fr:GX-4000]]
+[[it:Amstrad GX4000]]
+[[nl:Amstrad GX4000]]
+[[simple:GX4000]]