Post by The Laird on Jul 16, 2015 11:54:45 GMT
Do you remember when you first heard about the Jaguar and what was your initial reaction to it?
First time I heard about the Jaguar was from guys in the German game business and the German press at the end of 1992. There were rumours that Atari was going to release a very powerful 64-bit console. This got all of us in the game and demo scene very excited. I loved the idea of Atari getting back to its roots not only with a handheld like the Lynx but also with a stationary machine. I was very much into shoot ‘em ups and 3D was starting to become a big thing. I thought the machine would bring the Arcade into my home.
When did you first come into contact with it and what did you think of it?
Atari told us that they the Jaguar would be released in a test market in New York first. I talked to Michael Raasch (TEX) about getting one and so we went to New York to pick up 2 machines in the Toys "R" Us. Pretty crazy since we did not even know if there was a machine left for us when we arrived. We rushed back to our hotel and plugged one of the Jaguars into the TV. The picture quality was terrible... but we had fun. Even with Cybermorph.
Tell me about your involvement with the Jaguar, what games did you work on etc.?
I was never really that much involved in making the games but I was a beta tester for Iron Soldier 1 and 2 and I was supposed to work on a few projects. Unfortunately those games never saw the day of light because of the complicated situation of the Jaguar.
Can you tell me any interesting stories about your involvement with the machine?
I do remember getting invitations from Atari for the first press conference in Germany. I do remember winning the Kasumi Ninja contest against all those guys from the German gaming press. This was also the first time ever that the Rayman-franchise and Iron Soldier was shown to us. I was amazed how the Rayman-character was animated. And of course everybody was freaking out when they showed us the explosions in Iron Soldier.
Do you have a favourite game for the Jaguar and why that game?
I think I loved Tempest 2000 the most. The visuals and the music... oh boy. A perfect match! I also loved Alien vs. Predator. It is still a pretty amazing game.
In your opinion why do you think the Jaguar was a commercial failure?
The biggest problem was the lack of third party support and the poor quality of the in-house games. Back then I was praying that Atari would get EA on board. All those sports games would have been great on the Jaguar. I was also missing a racer like Daytona.
What do you think Atari could have done differently?
The lack of really good games was a huge problem for the Jaguar and Atari. You need to have those titles that sell a system. The Jaguar had clearly not enough of those franchises that were essential for success back then.
This interview was conducted by Kieren Hawken and is not to be shared elsewhere without strict permission.