The Tiger Electronics company created in 1997 the one considered one of the strangest consoles that have seen the light. This model was specifically Game.com, a console that did not have a resounding success among consumers. Its sales were not those expected by the company, these did not exceed 300,000 units, which was a clear reason to stop manufacturing during the year 2000.
More than original features
To begin to gut this strange model, it should be noted that it is considered as the first console to incorporate a touch screen. Another of the great features that it provided to the consumer was that it had an internet connection through a modem, something unthinkable during those years. Although it did not have color graphics and these were projected in the typical black and white, Game.com tried to compete with giants like Game Boy.
This portable 8-bit device had a very limited power, but this was not considered an inconvenience to support games like ‘Duke Nukem 3D’, ‘Resident Evil 2’ or even ‘Mortal Kombat’. The cost of retailing the Game.com was around € 60, more than a strategic price that was chosen by the company to lower production costs and try to increase sales.
This strategy was not quite right, since the quality of the console was somewhat reduced so that the company could earn a small profit. The screen ended up being tiny, which made the visibility of the consumer very difficult during the course of the game. With regard to the use of materials for its manufacture, Game.com had some finishes that were not expected at all, since for example the buttons were not comfortable at all.
Excellent game catalog with mediocre finishes
One of the great problems of the Game.com model was that it had a catalog of famous titles, but that it was dirtied with its development for a projection on a tiny 8-bit screen. This was the case for example of ‘Resident Evil 2’, a title that used to be played in 32 and 64 bits and that tried to move to 8 bits, this caused a very slow course of the game, although the graphic finishes turned out to please consumers .
Other major failures occurred with versions such as ‘Duke Nuken 3D’, a title that was practically considered impossible to play, due to its difficulty in making the shots. Also the case of the title ‘Sonic Jam’ was sounded, since even a game with 2D finishes was for the consumer completely suicide mission. In addition, it should be noted that the Tiger company launched around 20 cartridges, which were the following:
- Batman & Robin
- Centipede
- Duke Nukem 3D
- Megamix Fighters
- Frogger
- Henry
- Indy 500
- Jeopardy!
- Lights Out
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park
- Monopoly
- Mortal Kombat Trilogy
- Quiz Wiz: Cyber Trivia
- Resident Evil 2
- Scrabble
- Sonic Jam
- Tiger Casino
- Wheel of Fortune
- Wheel of Fortune 2
- Williams Arcade Classics
Pro version attempt failed
So it was, the Tiger Electronics company was not enough with the failure of Game.com, so it launched an apparently improved version, the Game.com Pocket Pro. This version lowered to more than half the sale price to the public, this could be acquired for about € 25 at the exchange. This cost reduction also meant changes in the design of the model, which meant a reduction in its size and even the sacrifice of its internet connectivity. In addition, it went from needing four AA batteries to only two for its operation.Game.com Pocket Pro that was created to try to solve the failure of its predecessor, supposed with its launch a new blow of the company. The relentless struggle of the Tiger company and the desire to compete with the great colossi of the moment, led to the ruin of this attempt to combine the most innovative features of the time with a power that was not up to par
