The Strange (and Rare) Videogame Pics Page
HASBRO VR

The second Hasbro attempt to enter the console market (before they worked on the Toast project). It seems there are no pics of the system available but you could still find some info on the net.

The system was to be developed by Hasbro and different companies (3D Creations, KATrix, Millenium RUSH, AGE Inc., maybe others) and Mr. Christopher T. Gentile (actually President of Millenium RUSH) was the inventor and project manager of the project.

Mr. Gentile is well known in the videogame industry: in 1986 he co-founded a company called AGE (Abrams Gentile Entertainment, Inc.) that developed many different videogame-related technologies (Power Glove by Mattel above all). He also worked on the company patented holodisc hologram and supervised photo optics and holographic shoots with Polaroid and Hasbro for the "Visionaries" toy line.

Later Mr. Gentile was contracted by Hasbro to be Chief Technical Officier for the development of a system known as Home Virtual Reality System for which the company invested $40 millions.

That system then became "famous" with the name Hasbro VR.

At least one game was already in the work when Hasbro decided to no longer continue development of this platform due to increased competition in the home gaming market.

That game was called Nero Zero and it was a first person virtual reality game.

Between late 1994 and the beginning of 1995 there were reports of some sort of deal between Hasbro and an undisclosed Japanese company. That deal was to make and distribute the system on the Japanese market where Hasbro had no great chances to compete alone. This deal was never confirmed or denied by the US company.

I'll try to have more informations on this project in the next months. In particular I hope to have the possibility to interview Mr. Gentile about the system.

It seems it will be pretty difficult to have more informations on the systems: Hasbro still want the developers to mantain the old NDA they signed...


USEFUL LINKS

3D Creations (they have an outdated site with few info on Hasbro Vr)

Hasbro Home Page (obviously you'll not find anything about this project...)

KATrix (they also worked on the project)

Millenium RUSH (the company Mr. Gentile founded during Hasbro VR development)


These pages are © 1998-2001 of Fabrizio Pedrazzini
Images are © original sources - All trademarks © respective owners