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SEGA MODEL 1 HARDWARE
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| HARDWARE DESCRIPTION |
Main CPU : 32bits RISC NEC V60 uPD-70616 @ 16 MHz (2.5 MIPS)
Graphics Co-Processor : Fujitsu TGP MB86233 FPU 32bits 16M flops
Sound CPU : 68000 @ 12Mhz
Sound chip : 2 x Sega MultiPCM Custom 28 channel PCM chips @ 8 MHz, 1 for Music and 1 for Effects. Each can access up to 8meg sample rom *per chip*
Sound Timing Chip : YM3834 @ 8MHz (only used for its timers)
Co-Processor Abilities : Floating decimal point operation function, Axis rotation operation function, 3D matrix operation function
Geometry : 180,000 polygons/sec, 540,000 vectors/sec
Rendering : 1,200,000 pixels/sec
Video : Shading Flat Shading, Diffuse Reflection, Specula Reflection, 2 Layers of Background Scrolling, Alpha Channel
Video resolution : 496x384 in 65536 colors
Board Pictures : Board in metal case - AMP - Communication board - CPU board - I/O board - Sound board - Video board
Notes : Sega went to General Electric Aerospace (who made the first 3D simulators for NASA in the 1960s) in 1991-92 for assistance to develop a CG platform architecture for their new experimental 3D system, which later became known as Model 1. Virtua racer was the game being written to find out how viable hardware 3D games were, it was never designed to be released, but it was such a success internally they decided to actually release it.
Unfortunately, seeing as it was so expensive to manufacture it was never a stunning financial success for Sega, but it did cement their place in the history books as the world leader in 3D arcade technology, a title which they still hold to this day, and it led to possibly the most popular platform ever, Model 2.
Emulators : MAME (partial) - Modeler (partial)
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Tecwar / Netmerc
Sega / Virtuality - 1994 (Prototype) |
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| Notes : Jointly developed between Sega and Virtuality.
| This game was based on Model 1 hardware and the old Virtuality amiga system and used twin 2" screens on the inside of the headset for a 3D effect.
It was not recieved very well at the AOU show and apparently shelved...
| Notes (from Andy Reece) : I'm one of the 2 programmers that developed the game in Tokyo, In total there were 2 programmers and 2 artists from the UK, and we lived in Tokyo for a year while developing the game.
You're right that the game wasn't well received at the AOU show, partly because it wasn't actually that good compared to other games from Sega, and partly because people didn't 'get' it.
However, the game wasn't shelved and actually went into production. The game was supposed to be finished by AOU, but schedule slippages meant it ran on for another 6 months before being completed. During this time AM#3 (where we were based) had started using the Model 2 board for all of their games. Sega internal Model 1 games were all cancelled except for Sega Rally (which was originally a Model 1 game), that team was put on Model 2 and the game artwork was redone.
NetMerc (or TecWar as it was originally called until a conflict with William Shatner's Sci-Fi series came up) was kept alive due to its good first showing at the GiGa arcade in Ikebukuro (better than Daytona on its first trial weekend). Unfortunately the stocks of Model 1 boards, which were no longer being produced, were depleted with the release of Star Wars. Only 70 arcade units were made of NetMerc, as this was the remaining stock of Model 1 boards. As far as I know they were only released in Japan, except for one machine I played on years later in a Sega arcade in the basement of London's Hamleys toystore. I got all the way to the end of the game (10 minutes) with only a single credit, basically because I knew the game inside and out and knew how to cheat at one point.
The game was also entirely written in assembler and the manuals were only available in Japanese! It's a wonder we ever finished it... |
Virtua Formula
1992 |
Hardware Notes : Uses an additional Model 1 board to power the commentator screen, introducing your very own 3D announcer "Virt McPolygon" :)
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| Notes : Used either 4 of 8 full size Formula 1 cars, the attract mode could span accross the various screens, up to 8 screens wide.
| | Cabinets : Rear Shot - 8 Player setup (small picture) |
| Prequel :
Virtua Racing (1992)
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Wing War
1994 |
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| Flyers : Normal Flyer
| | Notes : Title screen is preliminary emulation, might not be accurate. This game was also available as R360 software. |
Wing War R360
1994 |
Additional Hardware : R360 cabinet.
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| Notes : This was limited release software for the R360 cabinet. |
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