Apparently 3DO showed off a handheld console prototype at E3 1995?

[Leeroy ST]

LA TIMES June 1995 E3 coverage:

 

 

Considering the media from that show I find it odd how this i never mentioned anywhere else on video or in print, by any other source. Not to mention zero images of the prototype I can find?

 

Anyone have any idea about this? I wonder what stopped them from continuing the project, it seems to just be a CD player with a control pad and likely wouldn't be very costly to make especially since 3DO games would work with the device straightaway. 

 

The same article talks about the Atari VR on the right side of the page which we did get pictures for. How strange.

 

Also for fun:

 

 

Man, I feel bad for those who actually held the Jaguar from launch waiting for games lol. Nearly 100 games my ass. 

 

 

But anyway it would be cool to see pictures of this 3DO portable prototype and if there are any in the wild that someone may be holding onto. 

[Greg2600]

http://www.defunctgames.com/history/31/the-first-e3-this-is-how-gamepro-covered-e3-in-1995

 

Quote

"The 3DO booth featured 54 game stations, but everybody wanted to know about the 64-bit M2 upgrade that 3DO announced prior to the show. Panasonic only announced "support" for the technology. Goldstar anted up some cool-looking mock-ups of an M2 and a 3DO portable. LG also announced ten of its own software titles slated for '95. The M2 beats all the next-generation hardware on paper, but whether or not it shows in '95 is still anybody's guess."

Sounds like it was just a mockup.  I've watched Trip's E3 presentation but it was mostly devoted to M2 and he never mentioned a portable.

[Leeroy ST]

59 minutes ago, Greg2600 said:

http://www.defunctgames.com/history/31/the-first-e3-this-is-how-gamepro-covered-e3-in-1995

 

Sounds like it was just a mockup.  I've watched Trip's E3 presentation but it was mostly devoted to M2 and he never mentioned a portable.

Possibly, though I'm still not sure why they would avoid talking about it entirely and none of the press took pictures.

[Greg2600]

3 hours ago, Leeroy ST said:

Possibly, though I'm still not sure why they would avoid talking about it entirely and none of the press took pictures.

Any number of reasons.  3DO may have asked them not to.  A non-working mockup isn't much to show off, and back then the 1995 E3 was a madhouse, featuring five major console makers (3DO, Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Sony) and most of the major publishers (Acclaim, Activision, Capcom, Crystal Dynamics, EA, LucasArts, Microsoft, SNK, Williams).  The major story was Sony's infamous 299 mic drop moment, but as I said, with every company pushing new systems (3DO had the M2), something like a nonworking portable was not going to get much notice. 

 

Best idea would be to find out who worked on R&D projects like that at 3DO at the time.