Action Gamemaster
Encyclopedia
The Action Gamemaster was a vaporware
product that would have been produced by Active Enterprises
, a small manufacturer of unlicensed video games.
Active was marketing its first commercial release, the Action 52
multicart
, for both the NES and Sega Genesis, with plans to produce a version for the Super NES
. The company was also trying to sell its signature characters, the Cheetahmen, as a line of toys, a television cartoon, and a series of video games. Despite the fact that Action 52 was met with a negative reaction from most in the industry, Active was undaunted, and announced at the 1994 Consumer Electronics Show
(CES) its intentions to manufacture and produce the Action Gamemaster.
The Action Gamemaster, as planned, was to have been a portable game system in the sense of Nintendo's Game Boy
and the Atari Lynx, but with much greater aspirations. It would have featured compatibility with NES, Genesis and Super NES cartridge games, as well as CD-ROM
games, via adapters that would retail individually. This was in addition to games written exclusively for the Action Gamemaster. One such game, Cheetahmen III, was announced at the CES show, but neither it nor the Action Gamemaster were actually on display. Other features included a 3.2" color LCD screen, TV tuner, built-in battery charger, and a cigarette-lighter adapter for cars.
Existing concept art for the Action Gamemaster reveals a system shaped roughly like a flight yoke
, with a directional pad on the left side, an action-button diamond on the right, unidentified function keys on the large central area, and the LCD screen on a bevel facing the player. The Action Gamemaster would have been much larger than other handheld systems of its day. Weight and power-requirement statistics are not available at this time.
Despite the CES announcement, it appears little to no work was actually done on the Action Gamemaster by the time Active ceased its video game operations in 1994. It is generally believed that the system, had it been realized, would have proven far too bulky and expensive to be practical (a projected retail price of around $500 USD was being suggested at the time).
"Action Gamemaster" was also an alternate title for the Cheetahmen game on the NES version of Action 52 as well as the name of a human character who appeared in the opening cinematic for that game and on the cover of Action 52, but does not appear in the game itself.
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
product that would have been produced by Active Enterprises
Active Enterprises
Active Enterprises Ltd. is a defunct American video game developer headquartered in Miami, Florida that was active in the early 1990s. Their best known game, and the only title officially released by the company, was the infamous Action 52 multicart for the NES and Sega Genesis video game...
, a small manufacturer of unlicensed video games.
Active was marketing its first commercial release, the Action 52
Action 52
Action 52 is an unlicensed multicart consisting of 52 individual and original video games, released in September 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System and in May 1993 for the Sega Genesis consoles by Active Enterprises...
multicart
Multicart
In video game parlance, a multicart is a cartridge that contains more than one game. Typically, the separate games are available individually for purchase or were previously available individually . For this reason, collections, anthologies, and compilations are considered multicarts...
, for both the NES and Sega Genesis, with plans to produce a version for the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. The company was also trying to sell its signature characters, the Cheetahmen, as a line of toys, a television cartoon, and a series of video games. Despite the fact that Action 52 was met with a negative reaction from most in the industry, Active was undaunted, and announced at the 1994 Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
(CES) its intentions to manufacture and produce the Action Gamemaster.
The Action Gamemaster, as planned, was to have been a portable game system in the sense of Nintendo's Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
and the Atari Lynx, but with much greater aspirations. It would have featured compatibility with NES, Genesis and Super NES cartridge games, as well as CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
games, via adapters that would retail individually. This was in addition to games written exclusively for the Action Gamemaster. One such game, Cheetahmen III, was announced at the CES show, but neither it nor the Action Gamemaster were actually on display. Other features included a 3.2" color LCD screen, TV tuner, built-in battery charger, and a cigarette-lighter adapter for cars.
Existing concept art for the Action Gamemaster reveals a system shaped roughly like a flight yoke
Yoke (aircraft)
A yoke, alternatively known as control column, is a device used for piloting in most fixed-wing aircraft.- Principle :The aviator uses the yoke to control the attitude of the plane, usually in both pitch and roll. Rotating the control wheel controls the ailerons and the roll axis...
, with a directional pad on the left side, an action-button diamond on the right, unidentified function keys on the large central area, and the LCD screen on a bevel facing the player. The Action Gamemaster would have been much larger than other handheld systems of its day. Weight and power-requirement statistics are not available at this time.
Despite the CES announcement, it appears little to no work was actually done on the Action Gamemaster by the time Active ceased its video game operations in 1994. It is generally believed that the system, had it been realized, would have proven far too bulky and expensive to be practical (a projected retail price of around $500 USD was being suggested at the time).
"Action Gamemaster" was also an alternate title for the Cheetahmen game on the NES version of Action 52 as well as the name of a human character who appeared in the opening cinematic for that game and on the cover of Action 52, but does not appear in the game itself.