These systems just didn’t have what it takes to succeed
1 Nintendo Virtual Boy
In terms of games consoles, Nintendo has undoubtedly had some huge hits in its time, but the Virtual Boy was not one of them. You might think the Wii U has sold badly, but it’s been a rip-roaring success compared to this foray into 3D gaming. Not only was the Virtual Boy cumbersome, needing to be supported by a stand rather than worn, the graphics were entirely red and black and generally looked rubbish. Also, it gave people headaches – which, it turns out, people don’t really like when they’re playing a Mario game.
2 Nokia Ngage
When you look at how much money Candy Crush Saga makes, it’s clear that the mobile gaming sector is a lucrative one. To its credit, Nokia saw this coming. It realised that portable consoles like the Game Boy were hugely profitable, and with people already carrying mobile phones around with them, it figured the Ngage, a device that combined gaming and communication features, would surely be a hit. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Even though Nokia released what was essentially a very affordable smartphone, which was unusual at the time, the awkward gaming controls and strange placement of the ear piece on the side meant it wasn’t much use as a phone or as a games system.
3 Sega Mega CD
When the original PlayStation was launched in the UK, it was the first time many people had played a games console that used CDs. But it wasn’t the first, and among those that came before, there was the Mega CD, an add-on for the Mega Drive, which was released in 1991 in Japan, hitting our shores two years later. It did actually have some decent games for it, but it was too expensive for what it was, and those things, combined with a generally poor games library, meant it was destined for an early grave.
4 Atari Jaguar
Where did it all go wrong for Atari? When it bought out the Jaguar in 1993, its Lynx portable console had already failed, so it was pinning its hopes on this new 64-bit system being well received. Clearly one part it was concerned with was the controller design, but rather than worrying about how many buttons to include and where to place them, it just decided to have ALL THE BUTTONS IN THE WORLD, placed in a grid formation at the bottom of the pad. But that wasn’t the only problem. It was also said to be difficult to code for, thanks to its multiple processors, and its games were mostly rubbish. A CD add-on arrived in 1995, but it was too late, and the system was discontinued a year later.
5 Ouya
There are loads of other consoles we could include here, like the Philips CD-i, the Neo Geo or the 3DO, but let’s consider something more recent. The Ouya, as you probably know, is an Android-based console, which was funded by a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign. Its low price and open nature made it attractive to gamers, but ultimately, it was disappointing, with bugs aplenty and controllers that frequently lagged and disconnected. As of now, most retailers no longer stock the Ouya, and in April of this year, it was said to be looking to find a buyer for the company. Then in June, it was reported that peripheral maker Razer had acquired it, but at time of writing there had been no official announcement.