A Man Can Dream: Yet Another Indrema TL
- Thread starter KPyall
- Start date
1994-1997 Recap
1994-1997 Recap
Note: The next post will probably fast forward a few years to 1998-99, so here's what happened during 1994-1997 (some ideas from @Otakuninja2006 and @CrashBandicam):
- Stargate's Snark gets ported to Linux by Indrema.
- The PS1, Sega Saturn, and N64 released (same as OTL)
- Indrema's indie game compilations for Windows and Macintosh, known as "Treasures", get a following for their more-or-less high-quality games compared their competitors. Indrema releases the Linux version later in 1995 when Linux gaming was picking up steam. (which would later become their main focus)
- Toonami launches earlier in September 1997 to give CN more time.
- Nick and Disney are basically the same as OTL.
- In 1996, Turner merges with MGM and CBS.
- The initial MGM script of a Sonic the Hedgehog movie (Wonders of the World) gets rejected for being "too silly", and gets replaced with a fully-animated film about Sonic's origins to compete with Mario's movie.
- Super Mario Bros.: The Movie 2 releases in the summer of 1997, revolving around Yoshi, like the upcoming (as-of-writing) sequel to OTL's 2023 film. It's considered to be even better than the previous film due to Ninimation's bigger budget and grander scale, praised for its humor, animation, writing, and score, both by critics and fans.
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Cool.
I even have the launch schedule:
04:00PM: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
04:30PM: The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
05:00PM: Magic Knight Rayearth
05:30PM: Sailor Moon
Ok. Here would probably be the list of notable assets.
Turner Pictures (MGM, United Artists, New Line Cinema, Castle Rock)
MGM Television
Hanna Barbera (Cartoon Network Studios, Ghost Planet Industries, MGM Animation)
CBS
Turner Sports (CBS Sports merged into)
CNN (CNN International, CNN Headline News)
Turner Broadcasting System (TBS, TNT, The National Network, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Turner Family Channel, Turner EyeOnPeople)
When would this release?
That's good.
Should be enough.
1998-2000: The Birth of the L600
1998-2000: The Birth of the L600
(fast forward)
(fast forward)
In 1995 [4], Gildred had conceptualized a console that anyone could develop for. However, this didn’t come to fruition at the time as technology wasn’t sufficient. The idea later came back to him in mid-1998 during a game of Quake CTF, when technology was starting to shape up with the advent of DVDs, faster processors, and larger hard drives. Unlike most other game consoles at the time, it would use mainly off-the-shelf components shared with PCs. It would also have something almost unheard of for a console; a proper operating system. Indrema chose the free and open-source Linux kernel. They partnered up with Red Hat to use their Linux distro as the basis of the console’s OS. They called it… the Indrema L600. After the Quake game, Gildred started work on the project.
Meanwhile, Sony held a firm grasp in the gaming industry with the PlayStation, released in 1994 in Japan and 1995 internationally, was making a PlayStation 2. One of the PSX’s competitors, the Nintendo 64, despite having beloved titles like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, and Banjo-Kazooie, to name a few, couldn’t beat Sony. And they were already developing a PlayStation 2 by that point. Sega had the Saturn flop (at least in the West) after making some stupid decisions, but tried redemption with the Dreamcast. And for the next generation, two new competitors would be joining the console wars.
In early 1999, the rumor that Indrema was entering the console ring started spreading. People were skeptical if an American game console would succeed after the Jaguar, Atari’s ill-fated “64-bit” console. [2] Some were a little optimistic about the system. The plan was ambitious, even for the time; it could play DVDs, CDs, and MP3s, record TV, surf the web, and download the games, If Indrema weren’t able to get all the features in the system, they would probably put it in the L600’s successor if the console succeeded.
Microsoft had been developing their own console during that time period, envisioned as something similar to the L600. It wasn’t as ambitious as Indrema’s, and ran on a modified version of Windows instead of Linux. They called it the “DirectX Box”, which also would use off-the-shelf PC parts.
In January 2000, Indrema officially announced the L600 and the preliminary specs [3]:
| An plain-jane L600 prototype (mockup?), used on the Indrema website (source: Indrema Informer) |
| CPU | x86 CPU @ (either AMD or Intel) 600 MHz |
| Memory | 64 MB DDR |
| GPU | nVidia GPU (upgradable) |
| Storage | IDE hard drive (either 8, 30, 50 GB) |
| Audio | Analog stereo, optical audio |
| Video | S-Video in/out, composite in/out, component out |
| OS | DV Linux (Linux distro for the L600) |
| Connectivity | Ethernet, 6x USB ports (4x front, 2x back) |
Yes, it was as ambitious as it was rumored to be, and did we mention it had an upgradable GPU? You didn’t have to upgrade your console, you just had to upgrade your GPU and you were ready! Meanwhile, Stargate Entertainment had been bought out by Indrema, serving as the company’s first first-party developer as the company hadn’t really developed games before. Stargate was already working on their most ambitious game up to date, known as “Aeri (working title)”. Another game that they were working on was Astro Armadillo, basically an earlier Ratchet and Clank IN A SPACE WESTERN! During E3 2000, Indrema teased the L600 a.k.a the Indrema Entertainment System, including a demo of games such as Unreal Tournament, Quake, Aeri, and Astro. The console was expected to release somewhere in Spring 2001 [5].
The HDTV demo units (IOTL source: Indrema Informer)
[1], [5] The L600 and Indrema officially started in 1999 IOTL. In the same interview, Gildred stated that he expected the IES’ release to be in Spring 2001.
[2] Both TTL and OTL.
[3] Sourced from OTL Indrema’s website circa 2000.
[4] The L600 was conceived around that time IOTL.
2001: An Indrema Odyssey
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2000-2001: Goodbye L600, Hello Portal!
2000-2001: Goodbye L600, Hello Portal!
Behind the scenes, Indrema signed a deal with Nvidia to supply a GPU for the L600, while Intel would provide the CPU, based on the Pentium III Coppermine. [1] After the demo at E3, some companies now had hope for the L600. It wasn’t just indie developers any more. Big names such as Activision, EA, and Ubisoft announced that they would support the L600. It could be a proper console because many were thrown off by the GameCube, which didn’t have regular DVDs or any of the hit games that the PS2 and Xbox would have. They stopped temporarily halted Indrema’s game publishing business to focus their resources on Gildred’s brainchild.
During the development of the L600/IES, Indrema started working with the developers to port their games to Linux and make some changes to the hardware. Notably, the “GPU Slide Bay” had to go because developers didn’t like the fact they had to make their games work on every GPU the L600 could support. Indrema decided on a built-in Nvidia GPU (based on the GeForce 3-4) for the system. Unlike its competitors, Indrema allowed anyone to make games, as long as Indrema certified it. For people who didn’t have a powerful-enough PC, Indrema supplied a development kit that would have similar specs to the anticipated L600 to give developers a taste of what the power would be like when it released.
Indrema Entertainment System Development Kit
| CPU | 700 MHz Intel Pentium III “Coppermine” |
| Memory | 128 MB SDRAM |
| Media | DVD-ROM drive, CD-ROM drive, 3.5” floppy disk |
| GPU | nVidia GeForce2 GTS |
| Storage | 60 GB 3.5” IDE drive |
| Audio | Creative SoundBlaster Live |
| Video | VGA |
| OS | Red Hat Linux |
| Connectivity | Ethernet, USB 1.1 |
| Price | $1000-2000? |
This was essentially just a PC Indrema sold to developers big and small, although some people could make their own development kit for the IES if they wanted to. One could get the kit either online or by calling Indrema.
While the IES was in development, Indrema decided to redesign the console to make it more futuristic. Indrema wanted to make the system less bland-looking and more sleek and stylish, contrasting with the boxy designs of MS, Sony, and Nintendo.
The Portal's final design (IOTL source: Next Generation)
“Indrema Entertainment System” and “L600” weren’t good names for the system, they wanted something catchier, cooler, and memorable. They hired famed branding agency Interbrand to come up with the new name. After a bunch of scrapped names like “Fantasia”, “Dreamscape”, “LSeries”, and “NetPlay” [5] and focus group testing, Indrema chose “Portal” as the official name of the product. The media conglomerate Turner was interested in Indrema, wanting to join the gaming industry, investing $25 million in the company, funding both Stargate and Indrema. [2]
One year later, at E3, something magical was happening.
John Gildred walked on stage standing behind something big covered in cloth.
“Thank you for coming. If you don’t know me already, I’m John Gildred, founder and CEO of Indrema. Since the mid-1990s, I’ve wanted to make something that can change the gaming industry. We’ve been developing the Indrema L600, or the Indrema Entertainment System, since 1999, and we’d like to thank all the developers who joined the Indrema revolution. Today, we’re here to announce that the L600 has a new name, and a new look. Let me introduce you to… Indrema Portal.”
Gildred pulled off the cloth, revealing the Portal to the world. The startup played as the audience applauded.
Indrema revealed trailers of games planned at launch for the Portal [3]:
- Xsona - A refined version of Aeri. A normal 15-year-old boy, Joe Anderson, with his best friend Johnson and his girlfriend, Melinda, find themselves in the titular planet of Xsona as Lord Asmo captures Aria (formerly Aeri).
- Astro Armadillo - Plays like an earlier Ratchet & Clank, but you’re an armadillo saving a Space Western world from Dr. Kai Yote.
- Railpunchers (by @Otakuninja2006) A skateboarding/graffiti game in the vein of Jet Set Radio.
- Tux’s World Adventure! [2] - A Banjo-Kazooie-esque game where you play as Tux, the Linux mascot, as he travels across the world for fish to defeat Bill, the leopard seal.
- Shogo: Mobile Armor Division - FPS
- Soulride - ski game
- Tux Racer - racing game.
| CPU | Intel Pentium III “Coppermine” @ 800 MHz |
| Memory | 128 MB DDR RAM, unified |
| Media | DVD-ROM drive, CD-ROM drive, 3.5” floppy disk. |
| GPU | Custom Nvidia GeForce4-based GPU @ 275 MHz |
| Storage | 10 GB 3.5” IDE drive |
| Audio | Analog stereo, optical audio, Dolby Digital, DTS |
| Video | Composite, component, S-Video, VGA |
| OS | DV Linux (stripped down Red Hat Linux) |
| Connectivity | 100 Mbps Ethernet, USB 1.1 |
| Price | $299 |
No one expected Indrema to be this good. If Indrema succeeded, they could be a serious contender to Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, with an easier entry point than the others. No need to buy an expensive specialized development kit, you could just get your PC and develop games right away!
Because they didn’t want its competitors’ releases overshadowing the Portal, Indrema deliberately waited until Spring 2002 to get Portal in test markets in the US and Canada, and later that year in the rest of North America. All they needed was a company that could handle both distribution and production of the Portal, while Indrema handled the advertising.
Despite all of that, Indrema had to scale down the console’s multimedia capabilities. It was just too ambitious. Indrema removed the DVR functionality for something more akin to its competitors; built-in media playback and basic online functionality (mainly to connect to online services). [4]
The Portal, despite its comparisons to Xbox, was going to be promising. Who knew an underdog in the gaming industry could make a console that was actually good?
Indrema also let onlookers play Portal demo games on prototype hardware (on the said development kits, of course) after the presentation.
[1] This butterflies the Xbox’s Nvidia GPU, as GigaPixel (another manufacturer, bought by 3Dfx IOTL) does the GPU, as was originally planned IOTL. Bill Gates also doesn’t sign a contract with Intel, as AMD supplies the Xbox’s CPU, also planned for the console IOTL.
[2] TTL-exclusive. Bill is an obvious jab at Microsoft’s Bill Gates. His house even has windows that always crash. There’s also apples who try to bite Tux.
[3] Some games were intended to be released on the L600 IOTL.
[4] Based on @Neoteros’ suggestions in the first incarnation of this timeline.
[5] those were scrapped names mostly came up by me, @nuggiewuggie, and @captain-wacky IOTL
A dawn of a revolution/Who makes the Portal?
(edit: this was kind of my own graduation present)
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2001-2002 - Samsung + Indrema = Portal
2001-2002
Samsung + Indrema = Portal
After Samsung got a stake in Indrema, they announced that they would distribute the Portal worldwide and manufacture the console itself. Indrema believed a big company backing up their product would make customers more interested if a well-known brand name was attached, and Samsung would make the Portal a sleek system. Samsung also added a feature similar to the Xbox that used USB extension cables on the controllers that could unplug if the cable was yanked. This would be Samsung’s first true console since the failure of the Samsung Saturn. [1] (the Korean version of the Sega Saturn)
Meanwhile, starting that August, Indrema started advertising the Portal, including a commercial version of the Top 10 list the company did in 2000. Indrema positioned themselves as the “cool” brand, trying to be what Sega was in the 1990s, taking jabs at its competition, including:
“Think outside the BOX.” - A blatant jab at both the Microsoft Xbox and the boxy designs of its competition.
“Sorry, Mario, all that high adrenaline fun is on another console.” Obviously a jab at “Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!”. It’s said in the Top 10 commercial after the announcer states that Nintendo is “so fifth grade”.
Indrema also promoted its games, having Astro Armadillo as Portal’ flagship title (in the vein of Sonic, Crash, and Mario), as Xsona had been delayed to later in 2002 to get more time working on the game.
By December 2001, the pre-orders for the Portal started, with manufacturing expected to start January of next year. Nobody expected Indrema would probably succeed. Despite all the things cut from the Portal, if it found an audience, it could be a legitimate competitor to Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, as Sega had become a third party developer by that point. Indrema could start a revolution. It wasn’t just Linux geeks who wanted a Portal, some gamers wanted a Portal because it was the most powerful console there was, as Indrema was trying to one-up the Xbox in every way. It even had advantages, like a faster CPU, GPU, and also had a built-in DVD player. And most importantly, anyone could make a game for the Portal, as long as the company certified it. (e.g. the Official Nintendo Seal of Quality). Even big name companies such as the aforementioned EA, Activision, id Software, Gathering of Developers, Epic Games, Interplay, and Infogrames [2] wanted to get in on the action, too.
[1] Same as OTL.
[2] All were rumored to develop for the L600 IOTL.
Next time on AMCD: It's time for the moment you've been waiting for...
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2002: The Dawn of the Indrema Revolution
2002
A massive $20 million dollar ad campaign was started, created by TBWA/Chiat/Day, creators of the Taco Bell Chihuahua ads, as commercials were made, print ads were made in both magazines and newspapers, and a massive billboard in Times Square was created. It was promoted online and in stores (Toys “R” Us, Sears, Target, Wal-Mart [both USA and Canada] and everywhere where games were sold.) Turner provided the money for the campaign, and included some unconventional advertising, making fun of Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and Sega. They even promoted in the streets of big cities, targeting toward mainly the 18-49 and college demographic, with a separate one for younger people ranging from 7 to 17 year olds that would be promoted on many media targeted towards kids, like Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and both Nick Magazine and Disney Adventures.
The E3 2002 Incident
One of the most infamous promotions was a promotion outside E3 2002 (which Indrema didn’t properly attend E3 due to them spending most of their budget on the launch party), where a bunch of people burst into the Los Angeles Convention Center uninvited with megaphones making fun of the competitors and telling people to buy their console instead, which resulted in security being called and carrying them away. It made a massive splash in the game press, further spreading awareness of the console. Indrema was banned from going to E3, which would last for almost a year. The incident was mocked on a South Park episode, as well as Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons (in the episode “Virtual Bart” where Bart goes to an E3 equivalent in Springfield) The incident was recorded and later used in a commercial.
Test Market Launch Reception
i went to my local best buy in cambridge today to try out the Portal, its being advertised everywhere and i managed to find a store that stocked it (it’s basically impossible to find one around plymouth), honestly it’s not that bad, the game that came with it was pretty cool, something about being three teens trapped in a weird world, gives me spyro vibes (i think it was called xzona or something like that). I tried a spongebob dvd on it and the dvd functionality is very good, better than those shit dvd players you can buy for like $20 dollars at kmart. definitely worth buying - Kooliosaur, 21 year old, forum post, 2002
I’m glad Indrema made it at all. Got one from San Francisco and I saw that Samsung made it, and I must say they did a good job. It might be big and heavy, it’s still a good console all around. Kinda liked Xsona. It was pretty decent for a new system. - BillGuy23, 29 year old, forum reply, 2002
My uncle surprised me with a Portal he got from Target as a birthday present, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. For one, I tried out the pack-in that came with it (XSona), and it’s a pretty good game. Odd comparison, but it reminded me of super mario 2 (i loved that game when i was a kid) because you can play as different characters, but now you’re able to swap them on the fly. The DVD functionality works well, the only disadvantage is that you can hear a fan-like noise when you’re playing a DVD. honestly my uncle is cool for getting me that - Astrocool16566, 15 year old (forum reply, 2002)
Hi, indie Portal developer here. Got the console at a K-Mart in Chicago to test our game (let’s just say it’s a launch title, can’t wait!), and it works just as well as my PC did, if not even better. I have a copy of the dev kit on my computer, and developing stuff on this is pretty easy. It’s like making a game for the PC (it’s just a watered down, yet still powerful PC in a console case). Indrema probably made the best platform for both indie devs and big companies, hands down. - SerpentGames, game development studio (reply, 2002)
The test market launch received mainly positive reviews, praising the powerful specs, the star-studded launch lineup, and multimedia functionality, but was criticized for its size [1], weight, and noise produced from the onboard fan. Indrema had used mostly off-the-shelf PC parts to build the system (similar to what Microsoft did with the Xbox), so that played a factor in its size, weight, and noise. Some of the earlier units were infamous for their malfunctioning slot loading drives, which was fixed early on. Those other problems would be later addressed in a future console, but that’s a story for later…
Following the positive success of the test market launch, plans were set in place for its nationwide launch in May. Indrema partnered with Blockbuster with a promotion that let Indrema fans rent a Portal before it got released nationwide. A massive deal was made with AOL for them to provide the internet service for the console, which also came with an internet browser developed by Opera Software. [2]
[1] The Portal's dimensions ITTL is 14.25 in x 10 in x 2.95 in (W x L x H)
[2] The OTL L600 would’ve had a Mozilla (Netscape Navigator, not Firefox)-based browser.
[3] unrelated to the OTL SNES game of the same name
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