Pioneer LaserActive
Encyclopedia
The Pioneer LaserActive was a short-lived Laserdisc
-based game console released by Pioneer
in 1993. In addition to LaserActive games, separately sold add-on modules (referred to as "PAC" by Pioneer) expanded the hardware to include compatibility with the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis and PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 game cartridges and HuCards and CDs. It ended up being a commercial failure.
on August 20, 1993 at a cost of ¥89,800 and in the United States
on September 13, 1993 at a cost of $970 US. NEC also released a cloned version of the system identified as the NEC PDE-LD1. Both systems supported the additional PAC modules interchangeably.
Enterprises released this module that allows users to play 8-inch and 12-inch LaserActive Mega LD discs, in addition to the hundreds of existing SEGA-CD and Genesis titles, as well as standard CD+G discs. It was the most popular add-on bought by the greater part of the LaserActive owners, costing roughly US$ 600. It comes with the usual Mega Drive/Genesis controller pad signed with a gold Pioneer LaserActive logo on it.
allowing the CLD-A100 to be controlled by custom programs authored on PC or Macintosh computers. This PAC came with a 33-button infrared remote control providing more functionality than the 24-button remote included with the CLD-A100. Also included on DOS and Mac floppy disks was the LaserActive Program Editor. The floppy disks included some sample programs created with the editor for use with the first five LaserDiscs in the Tenchi Muyo!
anime series.
and could be used with that system.
. An LD-ROM had a capacity of 540 MB (where digital audio would have normally been stored) with 60 minutes of analog audio and video.
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
-based game console released by Pioneer
Pioneer Corporation
is a multinational corporation that specializes in digital entertainment products, based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The company was founded in 1938 in Tokyo as a radio and speaker repair shop...
in 1993. In addition to LaserActive games, separately sold add-on modules (referred to as "PAC" by Pioneer) expanded the hardware to include compatibility with the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis and PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 game cartridges and HuCards and CDs. It ended up being a commercial failure.
Models
The Pioneer CLD-A100 system was released in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on August 20, 1993 at a cost of ¥89,800 and in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on September 13, 1993 at a cost of $970 US. NEC also released a cloned version of the system identified as the NEC PDE-LD1. Both systems supported the additional PAC modules interchangeably.
Modules
The plug-in modules listed below are formatted in American Model Number/Japanese Model NumberSega PAC (PAC-S10/PAC-S1)
Pioneer Electronics (USA) and SegaSega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
Enterprises released this module that allows users to play 8-inch and 12-inch LaserActive Mega LD discs, in addition to the hundreds of existing SEGA-CD and Genesis titles, as well as standard CD+G discs. It was the most popular add-on bought by the greater part of the LaserActive owners, costing roughly US$ 600. It comes with the usual Mega Drive/Genesis controller pad signed with a gold Pioneer LaserActive logo on it.
NEC PAC (PAC-N10/PAC-N1)
Pioneer Electronics (USA) and NEC Home Electronics released this module that allows users to play 8-inch and 12-inch LaserActive LD-ROM2 discs, as well as current TurboGrafx CD-ROM discs, game HuCards and CD+G discs. This PAC is today one of the most sought after accessories for the system, and the Laserdisc compatible games are equally rare. Note: the Japanese version of the PAC is unable to play American HuCard games, and the same is valid the other way around. The retail price was US$ 600. It comes with the usual PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 controller pad signed with a gold Pioneer LaserActive logo on it.Karaoke PAC (PAC-K10/PAC-K1)
This PAC allows the CLD-A100 to use all NTSC LaserKaraoke titles. The front panel has two microphone inputs with separated volume controls, as well as tone control. The retail price was US$ 350.Computer Interface PAC (PAC-PC1)
This PAC has a 25-pin serial portSerial port
In computing, a serial port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time...
allowing the CLD-A100 to be controlled by custom programs authored on PC or Macintosh computers. This PAC came with a 33-button infrared remote control providing more functionality than the 24-button remote included with the CLD-A100. Also included on DOS and Mac floppy disks was the LaserActive Program Editor. The floppy disks included some sample programs created with the editor for use with the first five LaserDiscs in the Tenchi Muyo!
Tenchi Muyo!
, is a Japanese anime, light novel, and manga series created by Masaki Kajishima and Hiroki Hayashi.The generally accepted translation of the title is No Need for Tenchi or Useless Tenchi, though at the time of its appearance it was also translated variably as No Heaven and Earth and This Way Up...
anime series.
LaserActive 3-D Goggles (GOL-1)
Used in conjunction with the various 3-D games that were released for the CLD-A100, the design was also compatible with the Sega Master SystemSega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
and could be used with that system.
3-D Goggles Adaptor (ADP-1)
Packaged and sold separately from the 3-D Goggles, it allowed the user to connect the goggles to the CLD-A100, and allowed for up to two users to view content simultaneously.Software
The standard LaserActive games were on Laserdisc encoded as a LD-ROMLD-ROM
A LD-ROM is a data storage format extension of the laserdisc. A LD-ROM could store sixty minutes of analog audio and video with 540 megabytes of digital data where the digital audio soundtrack would be....
. An LD-ROM had a capacity of 540 MB (where digital audio would have normally been stored) with 60 minutes of analog audio and video.
| Name of Title | Region(s) | Required Modules | Release Date | Catalog Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-D Museum | U.S. | Sega, Goggles | 1994 | PEASU1012 |
| 3-D Museum | Japan | Sega, Goggles | 1994 | PEASJ1012 |
| 3D Virtual Australia | Japan | Sega, Goggles | PEASJ5042 | |
| Akuma no Shinban (The Demon's Judgment) | Japan | NEC | PEANJ5003 | |
| Angel Mate | Japan | NEC | PEANJ5002 | |
| Back To The Edo | Japan | Sega | PEASJ5021 | |
| Bi Ryojon Collection (Pretty Illusion - Minayo Watanabe) | Japan | NEC | 1994 | PEANJ5025 |
| Bi Ryojon Collection II (Pretty Illusion - Yuko Sakaki) | Japan | NEC | 1994 | PEANJ5028 |
| Don Quixote | U.S. | Sega | PEASU5022 | |
| Dora Dora Paradise | Japan | NEC | PEANJ5005 | |
| Dr. Paolo No Totteoki Video | Japan | Sega | PEASJ5030 | |
| Ghost Rush! | U.S. | Sega | PEASU1018 | |
| Goku | U.S. | Sega | PEASU1010 | |
| The Great Pyramid | U.S. | Sega | PEASU5002 | |
| The Great Pyramid | Japan | Sega | PEASJ5002 | |
| High Roller Battle | U.S. | Sega | 1993 | PEASU1002 |
| High Roller Battle | Japan | Sega | 1993 | PEASJ1002 |
| Hyperion | U.S. | Sega | 1994 | PEASU5019 |
| Hyperion | Japan | Sega | 1994 | PEASJ5019 |
| I Will: The Story of London | U.S. | Sega | 1993 | PEASU1001 |
| I Will: The Story of London | Japan | Sega | 1993 | PEASJ1001 |
| J.B. Harold - Blue Chicago Blues | U.S. | Sega | PEASU5036 | |
| J.B. Harold - Blue Chicago Blues | Japan | Sega | PEASJ5036 | |
| J.B. Harold - Blue Chicago Blues | Japan | NEC | PEANJ5017 | |
| J.B. Harold - Manhattan Requiem | U.S. | NEC | PEANU5004 | |
| J.B. Harold - Manhattan Requiem | Japan | Sega | PEASJ5004 | |
| Melon Brains | U.S. | Sega | PEASU1011 | |
| Melon Brains | Japan | Sega | PEASJ1011 | |
| MYST | U.S. | Sega | prototype | |
| Pyramid Patrol | U.S. | Sega | 1993 | PEASU5001 |
| Pyramid Patrol | Japan | Sega | 1993 | PEASJ5001 |
| Quiz Econosaurus | U.S. | NEC | PEANU5001 | |
| Quiz Econosaurus | Japan | NEC | PEANJ5001 | |
| Road Blaster | Japan | Sega | PEASJ1033 | |
| Road Prosecutor | U.S. | Sega | 1994 | PEASU1033 |
| Rocket Coaster | U.S. | Sega | 1993 | PEASU5013 |
| Space Berserker | U.S. | Sega | PEASU1003 | |
| Space Berserker | Japan | Sega | PEASJ1003 | |
| Steel Driver | unreleased | |||
| Time Gal Time Gal is an arcade video game developed and published by Taito, and was released in Japan in 1985. It is an adventure game which uses full motion video to display the on-screen action. The player must correctly choose the on-screen character's actions to progress the story.The game is set in a fictional... |
Japan | Sega | 1995 | PEASJ5039 |
| Triad Stone (aka Strahl Strahl Strahl is an interactive movie, in the style of Dragon's Lair but with anime-style graphics. It was originally released as Triad Stone on Sega's Mega-LD Module.-Gameplay:... ) |
U.S. | Sega | 1994 | PEASU5014 |
| Triad Stone (aka Strahl Strahl Strahl is an interactive movie, in the style of Dragon's Lair but with anime-style graphics. It was originally released as Triad Stone on Sega's Mega-LD Module.-Gameplay:... ) |
Japan | Sega | 1994 | PEASJ5014 |
| Vajra | Japan | NEC | 1993 | PEANJ1001 |
| Vajra | U.S. | NEC | 1993 | PEANU1001 |
| Vajra 2 | Japan | NEC, Goggles | 1994 | PEANJ1016 |
| Virtual Cameraman | Japan | Sega | 1993 | PEASJ5015 |
| Virtual Cameraman 2 | Japan | Sega, Goggles | 1994 | PEASJ5020 |
| Zapping TV Satsui | Japan | NEC | 1994 | PEANJ5023 |
High-end A/V (primary market)
(multi-purpose audio/video systems)- Commodore'sCommodore InternationalCommodore is the commonly used name for Commodore Business Machines , the U.S.-based home computer manufacturer and electronics manufacturer headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also housed Commodore's corporate parent company, Commodore International Limited...
CDTV - Philips'Philips Consumer ElectronicsPhilips Consumer Lifestyle is a part of Philips ; which is one of the largest electronics companies in the world. In 2005, its sales were € 30.4 billion and it employed 161,500 people in more than 60 countries. Other Philips divisions are: Philips Lighting, Philips Healthcare, Philips Domestic...
CD-iCD-iCD-i, or Compact Disc Interactive, is the name of an interactive multimedia CD player developed and marketed by Royal Philips Electronics N.V. CD-i also refers to the multimedia Compact Disc standard used by the CD-i console, also known as Green Book, which was developed by Philips and Sony... - The 3DO CompanyThe 3DO CompanyThe 3DO Company , also known as 3DO , was a video game company...
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Video gaming (secondary market)
- NECNEC, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
PC Engine with Super CD-ROM expansion - NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's SNESSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe 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... - Sega Mega DriveSega Mega DriveThe Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
with CD-ROM expansion - The 3DO CompanyThe 3DO CompanyThe 3DO Company , also known as 3DO , was a video game company...
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