Amiga CD32
Commodore announced the Amiga CD32 at the Science Museum in London on the 16th of July 1993. British media greeted the event with great fanfare despite the company's dire financial situation. The console was marketed as the first 32-bit games console available to European consumers. Sales figures from the Christmas period following launch showed the machine accounted for 38% of all CD-ROM drive sales in Britain. This performance exceeded that of the Sega Mega-CD during the same timeframe. Approximately 25,000 units were sold in Germany alone during its brief market presence. Commodore hoped this product would turn around their failing fortunes.
The system utilized a Motorola 68EC020 processor running at 14 MHz or 28 MHz depending on region. It shipped with only 2MB of RAM shared between the chipset and the CPU. This configuration created a bottleneck when the processor accessed memory similar to an Amiga 1200 without fast RAM. The Advanced Graphics Architecture chipset provided up to 256 colors on screen in indexed mode. A custom Akiko chip handled chunky to planar graphics conversion for the CD-ROM drive. Video output supported resolutions ranging from 320 by 200 pixels up to 1280 by 512i lines. Audio capabilities included four channels of 8-bit PCM sound.
The launch bundle included two games: Diggers from Millennium Interactive and Oscar from Flair Software. Later packs added Dangerous Streets, a one-on-one fighting game that drew derision from press reviewers. Amiga Power magazine rated Dangerous Streets just 3% and criticized the choice to showcase the machine with such a poor title. Computer Gaming World noted in January 1994 that the company had previously disguised the fact that the Amiga was a great gaming platform. Paragon Publishing released Amiga CD32 Gamer which lasted 21 issues until February 1996. Most titles were simply ports of existing Amiga computer software rather than new experiences designed specifically for the console.
Commodore filed for bankruptcy in April 1994 after only eight months on the market. A federal judge ordered an injunction preventing imports into the United States due to unpaid patent royalties. The company had built inventory at its Philippine manufacturing facility but could not sell the consoles there. These units remained stuck in the Philippines until debts owed to facility owners were settled. Commodore declared bankruptcy shortly afterward and never officially sold the system in America. Imported models crossed the border from Canada while mail-order stores brought units into domestic sale. The discontinuation occurred before wider distribution could reach American consumers in early 1994.
Paravision released the SX-1 pack which included a keyboard connector and IDE drive support. This device did not fit well with actual production units and required internal modification to function properly. Users reported the SX-1 could jar loose if handled without extreme care. The upgraded SX-32 expansion pack solved these mechanical problems by including a 68030 processor. Terrible Fire offered additional modules like the TF328, TF330, and TF360 adding up to 64MB of Fastmem. Commodore itself made no hardware available to turn the CD32 into an enhanced Amiga 1200. An external CD-ROM drive prototype called the CD1200 exists today at the Retro Computer Museum in Leicester.
London Transport Museum installed 109 units in 1993 for interactive exhibits at Covent Garden. These systems provided information animations pictures sound and text in multiple languages alongside a London Underground simulator. Italian company CD Express built arcade machines called CUBO CD32 using stock consoles hooked to external circuit boards. Nine original games exist within these arcade cabinets. Canadian vehicle registries used the system for driver license testing applications during the mid to late 1990s. StarGames slot machine manufacturer integrated stripped down motherboards into machines named Hawaiian Delight Leprechaun Luck and Mister Magic. Wall Street Institute deployed the console at learning centers from 1994 to 1997 for voice recognition software.
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Common questions
When did Commodore announce the Amiga CD32 console?
Commodore announced the Amiga CD32 at the Science Museum in London on the 16th of July 1993. The event received great fanfare from British media despite the company's dire financial situation.
What processor does the Amiga CD32 use and how much RAM does it have?
The system utilizes a Motorola 68EC020 processor running at 14 MHz or 28 MHz depending on region. It shipped with only 2MB of RAM shared between the chipset and the CPU.
Why was the Amiga CD32 discontinued so quickly after launch?
Commodore filed for bankruptcy in April 1994 after only eight months on the market. A federal judge ordered an injunction preventing imports into the United States due to unpaid patent royalties which halted sales efforts.
Which expansion packs were released to upgrade the Amiga CD32 hardware?
Paravision released the SX-1 pack which included a keyboard connector and IDE drive support while the upgraded SX-32 expansion pack solved mechanical problems by including a 68030 processor. Terrible Fire offered additional modules like the TF328, TF330, and TF360 adding up to 64MB of Fastmem.
How many units of the Amiga CD32 sold during its brief market presence in Germany?
Approximately 25,000 units were sold in Germany alone during its brief market presence. Sales figures from the Christmas period following launch showed the machine accounted for 38% of all CD-ROM drive sales in Britain.