Editing Satellaview (section)

==History==
Founded in early 1990, [[St.GIGA]] was a satellite radio subsidiary of the Japanese [[satellite television]] company [[WOWOW|WOWOW Inc.]], based in [[Akasaka, Tokyo]].<ref name="Nikkei">{{cite web |title=BSラジオ放送のセント・ギガ、民事再生法申請 |url=http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/sangyo/20010725CAHI052525.html |website=[[The Nikkei|Nikkei News Media]] |publisher=Nikkei, Inc. |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010726233007/http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/sangyo/20010725CAHI052525.html |archive-date=26 July 2001}}</ref> Credited as the world's first digital satellite radio station,<ref name="Billboard"/> it was maintained by Hiroshi Yokoi and best known for its "Tide of Sound" broadcasts, which were high-quality digital recordings of [[Biomusic|nature sounds]] accompanied by a spoken word narrator known as the "Voice".<ref name=toop>Toop, David & Réveillon, Arnaud. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=s1JNNhZGZFcC&pg=PA164 Ocean of Sound: ambient music, mondes imaginaires et voix de l'éther]''. Editions Kargo. Pp. 164-5. 2000. {{ISBN|2-84162-048-4}}</ref> The company was initially a success, and is recognized for its innovative concept and nonstandard methodology. It later began releasing albums featuring its own music as well as foreign music such as [[Hearts of Space]] and various compositions by [[Deep Forest]], and various pieces of merchandise such as program guides and "sound calendars".<ref>{{cite web |title=セント・ギガ ギャラリー |url=http://www.stgiga.jp/gallery/g-7.htm |publisher=[[St.GIGA]] |access-date=19 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722125133/http://www.stgiga.jp/gallery/g-7.htm |archive-date=22 July 2011}}</ref> By 1994, St.GIGA struggled financially due to the Japanese Recession reducing [[consumer spending]] on ambient music and satellite systems.<ref name="Billboard"/><ref name="Vice">{{cite web |last1=Kemps |first1=Heidi |title=Nintendo's Forgotten Console |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/satellaview-nintendos-forgotten-console/ |website=[[Vice Media|Vice]] |publisher=Vice Media |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920163242/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xywnpw/satellaview-nintendos-forgotten-console |archive-date=20 September 2019 |url-status=live |date=9 September 2015}}</ref> Nintendo purchased a 19.5% stake in St.GIGA in May, as a way to "rescue" the company and help to successfully restructure it.<ref name="Nikkei"/><ref name="Billboard">{{cite news |last1=McClure |first1=Steve |title=Japan's St. Giga to Broadcast Nintendo Games |date=23 July 1994 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAgEAAAAMBAJ&q=billboard+magazine+july+23%2C+1994&pg=PA78 |access-date=18 January 2020 |agency=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Billboard-Hollywood Media Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200118212356/https://books.google.com/books?id=YAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA78&dq=billboard+magazine+july+23,+1994%23v=onepage&q=billboard%20magazine%20july%2023%2C%201994&f=false |archive-date=18 January 2020 |pages=78–84}}</ref>

Satellaview development began shortly after the acquisition, reportedly in production alongside the [[Virtual Boy]] and [[Nintendo 64]].<ref name="NG"/> While Nintendo was producing the peripheral, St.GIGA revamped its broadcasting schedule to include a new programming block, the "Super Famicom Hour" providing gameplay tips and news for Nintendo's upcoming Super Famicom games.<ref name="Billboard"/> St.GIGA would provide the necessary satellite and broadcasting services, and host many of its older music and ''Tide of Sound'' broadcasts, and Nintendo and other third-party developers would create games and other content for the service.<ref name="Billboard"/> Nintendo stressed to video game publications that much of Satellaview's content, specifically St.GIGA broadcasts, were primarily for adults, with video games constituting only a small portion of airtime.<ref name="NG"/>

[[File:Satellaview.jpg|thumb|A standalone Satellaview device]]
Nintendo officially announced Satellaview on December 21, 1994, at a retail price of {{JP¥|14,000}}, or {{US$|150|1994|round=-1}}.<ref name="GPro">{{cite news |author1=Special K |title=Japan News Network |url=https://archive.org/details/GamefanVolume3Issue03March1995/page/n113?q=satellaview |access-date=18 January 2020 |agency=[[GameFan]] |issue=3 |publisher=[[International Data Group]] |date=1 March 1995 |volume=3 |pages=114–115}}</ref> Several third-party developers, such as [[Capcom]], [[Taito]], [[Konami]], [[SETA Corporation|Seta]], and [[Square (video game company)|Squaresoft]], then announced plans to produce Satellaview games.<ref name="GPro"/> The peripheral was designed by [[Nintendo Research & Development 2]], the same team that had designed the Super Famicom.<ref name="Masayuki Uemura in Slovakia">{{Cite magazine|last=Mago|first=Zdenko|date=April 5, 2018|title=The "Father" Of the Nintendo Entertainment SystemIn Slovakia for The First Time - Interview With Masayuki Uemura|url=https://actaludologica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/05-UEMURA-MAGO-%E2%80%93-AL-1-2018.pdf|magazine=Acta Ludogica|volume=1|pages=52–54|quote=Due to the growing demand for development, he was in charge of the management of the Research & Development 2 Division in which they worked on the development of several hardware devices such as games for colour televisions, Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom), Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super Nintendo Entertainment System or BS-X Satellaview.}}</ref> Though Nintendo was in a slump due to falling Super Famicom game sales and the Virtual Boy's failure, its management remained confident in Satellaview's success and would help calm any consumer concerns; company president [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]] expected to sell roughly 2 million Satellaview units each year.<ref name="Billboard"/><ref name="NG">{{cite magazine |title=Nintendo aims high with "Satellaview" |url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-005/page/n19?q=satellaview |access-date=18 January 2020 |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=5 |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |date=May 1995 |pages=18–19}}</ref> Pre-orders were available beginning February 25, 1995.<ref name="Billboard"/> Broadcasting services for Satellaview launched on April 1, and the peripheral was released on April 23.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Virtual Boy: Nintendo names the day |url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_08/page/n19 |access-date=18 January 2020 |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=8 |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |date=August 1995 |page=18}}</ref> It was only sold via mail order, instead of being released into stores.<ref name="NG"/> 

Satellaview was never released outside Japan, which some publications cited as being due to expensive costs of digital satellite broadcasting, and due to a supposed lack of appeal to American consumers.<ref name="RGamer"/> When the service first launched, St.GIGA had a number of issues regarding broadcasting video games and video game-related services through the Satellaview service, such as legal issues with other companies and technical restraints of the time.<ref>{{cite news |title=ファミ通エクスプレス 任天堂が衛星放送事業に参入 ゲームライフの未来が変わる |agency=[[Famitsu]] |issue=8 |publisher=[[ASCII Corporation]] |date=26 February 1993 |volume=9 |page=9}}</ref> In June 1996, Nintendo announced a potential partnership with [[Microsoft]] to release a similar service for [[Windows]], which would combine St.GIGA's broadcasting services with dial-up Internet; this was never launched.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Hiroe |title=衛星データ放送と パソコン・インターネットを統合 |url=https://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/article/960626/stgiga.htm |website=PC Watch |publisher=Impress Group |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160515225402/http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/article/960626/stgiga.htm |archive-date=15 May 2016 |date=26 June 1996}}</ref> By March 1997, St.GIGA reported that Satellaview had 116,378 active users.<ref name="StGIGA history">{{cite web| url=http://stgiga.jp/history.htm| title=セント・ギガの歴史 |publisher = [[St.GIGA]] | access-date=20 February 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311194148/http://stgiga.jp/history.htm| archive-date=11 March 2010}}</ref>

By mid 1998, Nintendo's relationship with St.GIGA began to deteriorate. St.GIGA refused a debt-management plan created by Nintendo to reduce the firm's capital, though having ¥8.8 billion in debt, and had also failed to apply for a government digital satellite broadcasting license by a deadline.<ref name="CNN">{{cite web |title=Nintendo Drops Satellite Plan, Video-Game Company Halts Plan To Deliver Games Directly To Homes |url=http://belarus.8m.com/1/cnn060001.html |website=[[CNN]] |publisher=[[WarnerMedia]] |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182437/http://belarus.8m.com/1/cnn060001.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 March 2016 |date=21 August 1998}}</ref> This led to Nintendo halting all production of new games and content for the peripheral beginning March 1999, and to cancel content and services via a new BS-4 satellite.<ref name="Nikkei"/><ref name="CNN"/> St.GIGA continued to supply content for Satellaview, broadcasting reruns of older content and making the service only for video games.<ref name="Vice"/> Satellaview was fully discontinued on June 30, 2000, due to a severe lack of outside support and a dwindling player base, dropping by nearly 60% from its peak in 1997 to about 46,000 active subscribers.<ref name="Nikkei"/> One year later, St.GIGA declared bankruptcy and merged with Japanese media company WireBee, Inc.<ref>{{cite web |title=St.GIGA，民事再生手続きが終了，ディジタルBS放送専業で再出発 |url=http://nnm.nikkeibp.co.jp/nnm/2002/06/NNM20020610_193.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020619232027/http://nnm.nikkeibp.co.jp/nnm/2002/06/NNM20020610_193.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 June 2002 |website=[[The Nikkei|Nikkei News Media]] |publisher=Nikkei, Inc. |access-date=18 January 2020 |date=10 June 2002}}</ref>