Editing CD-i (section)

==Reception and market performance==
Philips had invested heavily in the CD-i format and system, and it was often compared with the [[Commodore CDTV]] as a single combination of computer, CD, and television.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/DM-V1N04/page/n1 |title=Digital Media: Volume 1, Number 4, September 1991 |date=September 1991 |publisher=Seybold Publications}}</ref> The product was touted as a single machine for home entertainment connected to a standard TV and controlled by a regular remote control<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-05-fi-582-story.html| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211031/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-05-fi-582-story.html| url-status=live |archive-date=2021-10-31 |title=Audiovisual Device--The Next Wave in Home Electronics? : Technology: Dubbed CD-I, it combines the interaction of video games with the picture clarity of videotapes and the sound of a compact disc| website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 5, 1990}}{{cbignore}}</ref> – although the format was noted to have various non-entertainment business opportunities too, such as travel and tourism or the military. In 1990, [[Peugeot]] used CD-i for its [[point of sale]] application promoting its then-new [[Peugeot 605|605]] automobile, and it was also at the time used by fellow car manufacturer [[Renault]] for staff training programmes, and in Japan by the Ministry of Trade and Industry for an exhibition there. A Philips executive, Gaston Bastiaens, quoted in 1990 "CD-I will be 'the medium' for entertainment, education and information in the 90's.".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/ACE_Issue_33_1990-06_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n29|title=ACE - Issue 33 (1990-06)(Future Publishing)(GB)|date=June 1990}}</ref> Sony introduced its three portable CD-i players in June 1990, pitching them as "picture books with sound".<ref name="New Computer Express 086"/>

The ambitious CD-i format had initially created much interest after its 1986 announcement, both in the west and in Japan, buoyed by the success of the [[CD]]. However, after repeated delays (hardware was first intended to be ready and shipped by Christmas 1987) interest was slowly lost. [[Electronic Arts]] for instance was enthusiastic about CD-i and formed a division for the development of video game titles on the format, but it was eventually halted with the intention of resuming when CD-i players would reach the market. The company eventually never resumed CD-i software development when it was released.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/ACEIssue31Apr90/page/n19|title=ACE Issue 31 Apr 90}}</ref> The delay also gave more attention to the hyped [[Digital Video Interactive]] (DVI) in 1987, which demonstrated full screen, [[full motion video]] (FMV) using a compression chip on an [[IBM PC/AT]] computer.<ref name="filfre.net">{{Cite web|url=https://www.filfre.net/2016/09/a-slow-motion-revolution/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211031/https://www.filfre.net/2016/09/a-slow-motion-revolution/ |url-status=live |archive-date=2021-10-31 |title=» A Slow-Motion Revolution the Digital Antiquarian}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Amid the attention around its potential rival DVI,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cZXvAAAAMAAJ&pg=PR39 |title=U-M Computing News |year=1989 |access-date=October 16, 2019 |archive-date=May 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502201714/https://books.google.com/books?id=cZXvAAAAMAAJ&pg=PR39#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> Philips and Sony decided to find a way to add full screen FMV abilities to the CD-i standard, causing further delay.<ref name="filfre.net"/> Meanwhile, the [[Microsoft]]-backed CD-ROM standard was improving and solved certain video playback issues that were present on the CD-i – CD-ROM format products were already on the market by 1987.<ref name="dvorak.org"/> At the end, CD-ROM standard benefited from the CD-i and DVI mishaps,<ref name="filfre.net"/> and by the time CD-i players for consumers were released in 1991, CD-ROM had already become known and established.<ref name="dvorak.org"/> [[Ron Gilbert]] commented in early 1990 "The CD-I specifications look great, but where are the machines? If they'd come out four years ago, they'd have been hot, but now they're behind the times."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/ACEIssue31Apr90/page/n37 |title=ACE Issue 31 Apr 90}}</ref> Another reason that led to fading interest pre-launch was the fact CD-i players would not launch with FMV but instead receive it later through a purchasable add-on cartridge (it was originally expected to come built-in) – as well as the obsolete [[Motorola]] processor, [[OS-9]] software, and a launch price considered high.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://archive.org/stream/DM-V1N02/DM-V1N02_djvu.txt |title=Digital Media: Volume 1, Number 2, July 1991 |publisher =Seybold Publications |date=July 1991}}</ref>

Although Philips had aggressively promoted their CD-i products in the U.S., by August 1993 ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' reported that "skepticism persists about its long-term prospects" compared to other platforms like [[IBM PC compatible]]s, [[Apple Macintosh]], and [[Sega Genesis]].<ref name="cgw199308">{{cite news | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=109 | title=Part II of CGW's Computer Game Developers Conference Coverage | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=August 1993 | access-date=July 12, 2014 | pages=38 | archive-date=July 14, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714154744/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=109 | url-status=live }}</ref> The magazine stated in January 1994 that despite Philips' new emphasis on games "CD-i is still not the answer for hardcore gamers", but the console "may yet surprise us all in the future". It recommended the CD-i with video cartridge for those needing to buy a new console as "The price is right and there is more software to support it", but [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer]] was probably better for those who could wait a few months.{{r|cgw199401}} The ''Electronic Entertainment'' August 1994 issue noted that the CD-i, along with the [[Atari Jaguar]], neither have an "effective, let alone innovative" game library to compete against the then newly released [[Sega CD]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/ElectronicEntertainment08Aug1994/page/n45|title=Electronic Entertainment 08 August 1994|date=August 1994}}</ref>

After being outsold in the market by cheaper multimedia PCs, in 1994 Philips attempted to emphasize CD-i as a game playing machine, but this did not help the situation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_15/page/n31 |title=NEXT Generation 15}}</ref> An early 1995 review of the system in ''[[GamePro]]'' stated that "inconsistent game quality puts the CD-i at a disadvantage against other high-powered game producers."<ref name="GPro70">{{cite magazine|title=Once and Future Kings: Video Game Hardware Outlook|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=70 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=May 1995|page=29}}</ref> A late 1995 review in ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' criticized both Philips's approach to marketing the CD-i and the hardware itself ("The unit excels at practically nothing except [[Full motion video|FMV]], and then only with the addition of a $200 digital video cartridge"). The magazine noted that while Philips had not yet officially discontinued the CD-i, it was dead for all intents and purposes, citing as evidence the fact that though Philips had a large booth at the 1995 [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]], there was no CD-i hardware or software on display. ''Next Generation'' scored the console one out of five stars.<ref name="NGen12">{{cite journal|title=Which Game System is the Best!?|journal=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=12|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=December 1995|page=77}}</ref> Another trouble for Philips in 1995 was the formation of [[DVD-Video]], which promised better quality video compared to [[Video CD]]'s (VCD) [[MPEG-1]] compression method – Philips had heavily promoted the CD-i's VCD playing capabilities.<ref>https://archive.org/details/EDGE.N017.1995.02/page/n11 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> Philips Media consolidated its CD-i activities from its Los Angeles office in March 1996.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_15/page/n19 |title=NEXT Generation 15}}</ref> It was reported in October 1996 that Philips was ready to "call it quits" in the American market.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_087_October_1996/page/n25 |title=GamePro Issue 087 October 1996}}</ref>

===Sales===
In October 1994, Philips claimed an [[installed base]] of one million units for the CD-i worldwide.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IqMaAAAAIBAJ&pg=6614,7897814&dq=philips+cd-i+1+million&hl=en | title=Which format will prevail? | work=[[The Milwaukee Journal]] | date=1994-09-22 | access-date=12 August 2019 | author=Elrich, David J. (''[[The New York Times]]'') | location=[[Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]] | pages=D6 | via=[[Google News Archive]] }}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 1996, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that total US sales amounted to 400,000 units.<ref name="Trachtenberg1996">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB835915768416880000| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211031/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB835915768416880000| url-status=live  | archive-date=2021-10-31 |date=June 28, 1996 |title=Philips Suffered a U.S. Flop With CD-Interactive Product |last=Trachtenberg |first=Jeffrey A. |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |publisher=Dow Jones & Company |url-access=subscription }}{{cbignore}}</ref> In the Netherlands, about 60,000 CD-i players were sold by the end of December 1994.<ref name="Billboard"/>

===Legacy===
[[File:Philips CD-i 450 Tietokonemuseo.JPG|thumb|The Philips CD-i 450 console at the Computer and Video Game Console Museum of [[Helsinki]] in 2012]]
Although extensively marketed by Philips, notably via [[infomercial]],<ref name="NGen12"/> consumer interest in CD-i titles remained low. By 1994, sales of CD-i systems had begun to slow, and in 1998 the product line was dropped. Plans for a second generation CD-i system were certainly present and [[Argonaut Software]] was even designated to design chip sets for the successor to the CD-i. However, company president [[Cor Boonstra]] saw no interest in the media area for Philips and so Philips sold everything, including the media subsidiary [[PolyGram|Polygram]].

The Dutch half of Philips Media was sold to [[LBi|Softmachine]], which released ''The Lost Ride'' on the CD-i as the last product for the CD-i. The French side of the company, who had purchased German publishers Bomico Entertainment Software and Laguna Video Games the year prior,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ibusiness.de/aktuell/db/1150739203.html |title=Philips Media kauft Bomico und Laguna |access-date=April 28, 2024 |archive-date=April 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428184524/https://www.ibusiness.de/aktuell/db/1150739203.html |url-status=live }}</ref> was sold to French publisher [[Infogrames]] in June 1997 along with the entire CD-i library as well as German publishers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Philips+Media+Transferred+Multimedia+Assets+to+Infogrames.-a019082032 |title=Philips Media Transferred Multimedia Assets to Infogrames |date=3 February 1997 |author=Staff writer |website=Business Wire |location=San Jose, California |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204102128/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Philips+Media+Transferred+Multimedia+Assets+to+Infogrames.-a019082032 |archive-date=February 4, 2013 |url-status=live |via=[[TheFreeDictionary.com#TheFreeLibrary.com|The Free Library]] |df=mdy-all }}</ref> A CD-ROM add-on for the [[Super NES]], which was announced for development with [[Nintendo]] in 1991, was never made.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/the-weird-history-of-the-super-nes-cd-rom-nintendos-mo-1828860861| url-status=live |  archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211031/https://kotaku.com/the-weird-history-of-the-super-nes-cd-rom-nintendos-mo-1828860861| archive-date=2021-10-31|title=The Weird History of the Super NES CD-ROM, Nintendo's Most Notorious Vaporware| date=September 7, 2018 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> The last CD-i game was ''[[Solar Crusade]]'', made by Infogrames and released in 1999.

After its discontinuation, the CD-i was overwhelmingly panned by critics who blasted its graphics, games, and controls. [[Microsoft]] CEO [[Bill Gates]] admitted that initially he "was worried" about the CD-i due to Philips' heavy support for the device and its two-pronged attack on both the games console and PC markets, but that in retrospect, "It was a device that kind of basically got caught in the middle. It was a terrible game machine, and it was a terrible PC."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=What the Hell Does Bill Gates Know About Games, Anyway? |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=18|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=June 1996|page=10}}</ref> The CD-i's various controllers were ranked the fifth worst video game controller by [[IGN]] editor Craig Harris.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 10 Tuesday: Worst Game Controllers |url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/690/690449p1.html |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=August 7, 2009 |date=February 21, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070114141120/http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/690/690449p1.html |archive-date=January 14, 2007 }}</ref> ''[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]'' ranked it as fourth on their list of "The 10 Worst Video Game Systems of All Time".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/168348/worst-game-consoles.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107114228/https://www.pcworld.com/article/168348/worst-game-consoles.html| archive-date=2019-11-07|title=The 10 Worst Video Game Systems of All Time|date=July 14, 2009|website=Pcworld.com|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> Gamepro.com listed it as number four on their list of ''The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/111822/the-10-worst-selling-consoles-of-all-time/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607060313/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/111822/the-10-worst-selling-consoles-of-all-time/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 7, 2011|title=The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time, Feature Story from GamePro|date=June 7, 2011|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> In 2008, [[CNET]] listed the system on its list of the worst game console(s) ever.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9862852-1.html |title=The worst game console(s) ever |first=Will |last=Greenwald |date=February 1, 2008 |work=[[CNET]] |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204051054/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9862852-1.html |archive-date=February 4, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2007, [[GameTrailers]] ranked the Philips CD-i as the fourth worst console of all time in its Top 10 Worst Console lineup.<ref>(May 6, 2007). [http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/g08xm5/gt-countdown-top-ten-worst-consoles Top Ten Worst Consoles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219181045/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg8-Ymu2n5o |date=December 19, 2020 }}, [[GameTrailers]]. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref>

In later retrospective years, the CD-i has become (infamously) best known for its video games, particularly those from the Nintendo-licensed ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' series, considered by many to be of poor taste.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/guides/30-hardest-video-games-ever/zeldas-adventure/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211031/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/guides/30-hardest-video-games-ever/zeldas-adventure/| url-status=live| archive-date=2021-10-31|title=The hardest video games ever, from Sekiro to Spelunky|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=October 2, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Games that were most heavily criticized include ''[[Hotel Mario]]'', ''[[Link: The Faces of Evil]]'', ''[[Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon]]'', and ''[[Zelda's Adventure]]''. EGM's [[Seanbaby]] rated ''The Wand of Gamelon'' as one of the [[List of video games notable for negative reception|worst video games of all time]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.seanbaby.com/nes/egm06.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104213153/http://www.seanbaby.com/nes/egm06.htm|url-status=dead|title=Seanbaby.com - EGM's Crapstravaganza: The 20 Worst Games of All Time<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref> However, ''[[Burn:Cycle]]'' was positively received by critics and has often been held up as the standout title for the CD-i.<ref name="GPro70"/><ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,304777,00.html| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211031/https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,304777,00.html| url-status=dead | archive-date=2021-10-31 | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | title=News Review: Burn: Cycle | date=December 9, 1994}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |year=1995 |title=Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide }}</ref><ref name="NGen12"/>