2010

This Picture is made by: Ole Nielsen  - ColecoVision.dk - 2006...

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The First SGM Super Game Module 1983.

"Super Game Module # 3."
Expands the memory capacity of your ColecoVision Game System
To let you play even more realistic arcade games !.

More than ever before. ColecoVision Expansion Module # 3 brings Home the arcade experience with computer-age precision!.
This Super Game Module plugs right into the expansions port on your ColecoVision console and plugs you into a world of finer-than-ever game detail!.

After you've hooked it up, just slip in a Super Game Wafer, and you're ready for the videogame expendence of a lifetime.
Super Game Wafers capture every last detail of arcade games...
The subtle nuances like "intermissions" and the special extras too.
You can even post your initials on the High-Scores on the screen...Just like in the real arcade games.

In fact, they'll even do some things that you won't even see in the arcades, such as let you try your hand at challenging new game variations.

Expansions Module # 3 includes not one but two bonus wafers...
A SUPER DONKEY KONG by Nintendo, and a SUPER GORF by Midway...
Both so-true-to-the-arcade that you'll have to play them to believe them!.

We'll also be following these up within the next few months with 7 additional vividly-detailed Super Game Wafers, plus many others to come.

Data: 30K RAM and 128K Microwafers.
Rumors say that it was possible to play your old carts as well as the Super Games.


Why Coleco not could release it.

Coleco Industries was in 1983 ready to build the next generation Game console, that should have been launched in 1987.
In 1983 had Coleco take the crown from Mattel and Atari, and they make a prototype of the new game console.
That should be the next generation of Coleco's console, and there was now over 29 game developers for ColecoVision.
Coleco's new module was now over 30 times stronger than Atari 2600.
It had 30k Ram and could load a game of 128 Kb. = 100 game screens.

Super means: a closer conversion of a coin-up, where you'll have all inter-mission, high scores and not least several levels.


The game should have used the Entrepo micro-wafer operating system from Exatron, later Entrepo Corporation.
The games would be launched in Super High Speed Wafer Tape Drive, that was a new concept to store games in.
Coleco's plan was new "Super versions" of their previous games for Colecovision.
A game could load in for around 10 seconds.

The very first former prototype SGM, was a disguise Colecovision in a new and stronger version.
It was not playable when it was prensented at Toy Fair in february in 1983.
It was however, its cousin, namely the very rare Sega SC-3000H, which was pedant to the SGM.

The SGM first launch plan for the Super Games was:
Super Donkey Kong, Super Donkey Kong Jr., Super Front Line, Super Gorf, Super Smurf, Super Zaxxon,
Super Time Pilot, Super Turbo, Super Subroc and Super Buck Rogers.


Coleco decided in a last moment to drop their Super Game Module, then Coleco's accounts were put forward, and then lost around $ 34 millions.
 

Entrepo or Exatron Wafer Tape-Cart...         
There was also troubles with the tapes for the SGM, they don't work proberly and they was sensitive for many things.

 

The CED System...                    After SGM's death, took ADAM over...

Therefore had Coleco Inc. already a whole new idea, they would build in RCA's CED System, known as a kind vinyl record, in a sealed box.
It was much more reliable, and known from RCA Video-disc.
RCA had build a version that could handle controllable random access.
That could have been a great venture for both RCA and Coleco Inc., and could have a State of The Art Videogame and a Videoplayer at once.
But just as Coleco was started with the development of SGM with a CED player had RCA discontinued their project, and in 1986 lose RCA estimated $600 million in the process.

But why did Coleco Industries not chose a floppy-disk system ?.
Because it was to much expensive at that time, -around $ 300,- for 5¼".

But why did Coleco Industries so in stead chose the much cheaper cassette system ?.
They believed that even the inexpensive system could be just as good, and then it was up to and competitive.
It reads in high speed, but was still to slow and prone to more errors, therefore was the Micro-drive an middle-range alternative.

A very old wafer...
A Wafer system from the 80's.
This device is not related to the SGM nor Coleco.


This text was printed on the backside of my original CBS ColecoVision box from 1983.

Because of RCA's huge loss on development of a new CED system called Dimensa was SGM completely dropped.
Coleco bet now fully getting the launch of ADAM computer on the market.

Can we blame ADAM for the big loss ?. -Coleco industries big movement on the homecomputer-market.

There was many problems with the introducing, and the competition was rough.
The introducing of ADAM was a wrong decision and in addition the ADAM was big, troubesome and awkward.
After Coleco dropped SGM, the game's Super Donkey Kong and Super Buck Rogers was released later for ADAM in their DDP Tape/Data recorder.

Nintendo decided in 1983 to release their own game console in Asia in their own name, and decided to stop all licensing.
In 1985 became the Nintendo console also introduced in Austalia, Europe and U.S.
The NES machine become, -in that time the new king of consoles.
Nintendo have the NES System on the market in a 10-year period, and sold more than 61.91 million copies.
There was no other on the market to take up the battle against Nintendo.

Coleco Inc. were simply forced to its knees, and was never able to rise again.

Last updated: Apr. 25. 2010.