Editing Panasonic M2

{{Short description|Video game console platform}}
{{Distinguish|text=[[Panasonic MII]], the videocassette format or the Japanese video game developer [[M2 (game developer)]]}}

{{Infobox CVG system
| title = Panasonic M2 (console)
| logo = 
| image = 
| caption = 
| manufacturer = 
| developer = [[The 3DO Company]], [[Panasonic|Panasonic Wondertainment]]
| type = [[Video game console]]
| generation = 
| lifespan = Cancelled
| media = [[CD-ROM]]/[[DVD|DVD-ROM]]
| CPU = Dual 66 MHz [[PowerPC 600#PowerPC 602|PowerPC 602]]
| onlineservice = 
| topgame = 
| predecessor = [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer]]
| successor = 
}}
'''Panasonic M2''', earlier known as '''3DO M2''', is a multimedia terminal and cancelled [[video game console]]. It was initially developed by [[The 3DO Company]] as a [[peripheral]] chip for the [[3DO]] hardware before turning into a standalone successor system. In January 1996, the technology was acquired by Matsushita ([[Panasonic]])<ref>{{cite magazine|title=M2 1/2 in 1998, Trip Speaks Out|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=79 |publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=February 1996|pages=16–18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nfg.2y.net/games/polystars/ |title=3DO M2 / Arcade Review: Konami's Polystars |access-date=2005-12-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060104121554/http://nfg.2y.net/games/polystars/ |archive-date=2006-01-04 }}</ref> who continued development as their own [[game console]] before cancelling it altogether in 1997. The M2 technology was then incorporated into commercial-oriented devices including a [[Konami]] arcade board and in [[Interactive kiosk|interactive kiosks]].<ref name="BusinessWire">{{cite web |date=2000-04-10 |title=Planetweb and Panasonic to Bring the Internet to the Interactive Kiosk Marketplace; Panasonic Internet-enabled M2 Interactive Kiosks to Preview at KioskCom 2000 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_April_10/ai_61396150 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113110857/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_April_10/ai_61396150/ |archive-date=2011-01-13 |access-date=2008-03-16 |publisher=Business Wire}}</ref>

==History==
As with the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, the M2 hardware was co-designed by [[Dave Needle]] and [[RJ Mical]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Don't Count Out 3DO's New M2|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=72|publisher=Sendai Publishing |date=July 1995|page=26}}</ref> First announced as a [[peripheral]] chip for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer with a custom [[PowerPC]] microprocessor,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=3DO Powers Up|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=74|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=November 1994|page=272}}</ref><ref name=EGM71>{{cite magazine |title=Exploring M2: A Closer Look at 3DO's Newest Technology |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=71 |publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=June 1995|pages=60–61}}</ref> the M2 eventually became a standalone console and was exhibited and demonstrated at the 1995 [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=E3: 3DO|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=7 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=July 1995|page=19}}</ref> For a time, the M2 was scheduled to be released both as a standalone unit and as an add-on chip.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Letters |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=15 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=March 1996|page=106}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Matsushita Grabs M2|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=88 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=January 1996|page=22}}</ref> In 1996, an M2 developer stated that he did not think an M2 add-on chip was possible because the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and M2 architectures were too vastly different from each other.<ref name=EGM87>{{cite magazine |title=More Power to M2 |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=87 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=October 1996|pages=20–22}}</ref>

=== Matsushita sale ===
Initially the plan was for the 3DO Company to license the console to multiple manufacturers, as it had done with the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, and both Matsushita ([[Panasonic]]) and [[GoldStar]] were signed on to produce M2 units.<ref name="NGe10">{{cite magazine |title=3DO's M2 Prepares for its Debut|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=10|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=October 1995|pages=14–15}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=3DO and its Partners Getting Ready for the 64-Bit Battle |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=73 |publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=August 1995|page=26}}</ref> However, 3DO later sold exclusive rights to the M2 to Panasonic<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Matsushita Buys 3DO M2 Technology|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=13 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=January 1996|pages=18–19}}</ref> for a sum of $100 million agreed in October 1995,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=admin |date=1996-05-29 |title=Nintendo pins future on cutting-edge system {{!}} The Journal Record |url=https://journalrecord.com/1996/05/nintendo-pins-future-on-cuttingedge-system/ |access-date=2024-08-20 |language=en-US}}</ref> and relinquished their involvement with the console over the next several months. Matsushita formed a new division in April 1996 named Panasonic Wondertainment Inc. headquartered in Tokyo to be their in-house software developer for the M2.<ref name=":0" /> Several of the M2's third-party developers expressed concern that Panasonic would be unable to give them the same high quality development support that they had been receiving from 3DO and said that in light of this they were reconsidering whether it would be worth the effort of learning how to develop for the M2.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Developers Worry About M2's Future |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=16|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=April 1996|page=18}}</ref> For several months Panasonic and [[Sega]] were discussing a partnership over the M2, but talks between the two companies broke down in the second quarter of 1996.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Divorce Absolute for Sega and M2|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=18|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=June 1996|page=19}}</ref> According to 3DO president [[Trip Hawkins]], "The deal was virtually done. It only fell apart at the last minute."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The World According to Trip |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=22 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=October 1996|page=165}}</ref>

According to Omid Kordestani, a 3DO spokesperson, the M2 could generate 1 million polygons per second with the graphics features turned off and 700,000 polygons per second with the features turned on.<ref name=EGM71/> There were plans to make M2 models with built-in [[DVD player]]s, similar to the later [[PlayStation 2]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Milk the Clock |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=82 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=May 1996 |pages=16–17}}</ref> According to 3DO senior vice president of hardware engineering Toby Farrand, "M2 was designed knowing that we would make it a DVD capable player."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Will DVD Change the Face of Videogames? |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=18|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=June 1996|pages=41–42}}</ref>

A preview in ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' published well before the console's planned release gave it four out of five stars, claiming that the M2 was several times as powerful as any gaming console then on the market. They also praised the 3DO Company's strategies for securing third-party support for the system, and concluded that "M2 has crossed the line from being a collection of fanciful tech specs to hard silicon that people can work on and believe in."<ref name=NGen12>{{cite magazine |title=Which Game System is the Best!?|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=12|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=December 1995|pages=79–81}}</ref>

The M2 failed to appear at the 1996 Electronic Entertainment Expo; a Panasonic spokesperson at the show said they were still undecided on how they were going to use the M2 technology, and that it was no longer certain that they would be using it as a gaming platform.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Show Notes|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=95 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |date=August 1996|page=16}}</ref> By the end of 1996 a release date was not yet set for the console, and third-party developers were stating that in practice the M2 was not significantly more powerful than the [[Nintendo 64]].<ref name=NGen26/> ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' summarized the M2 situation at this time: "Some months, it seems the boat is still afloat: Rumors crop up of a public showing, new demos come out or a Matsushita official doles out some tantalizing hints. Other months, it seems the boat has capsized, with developers scrambling to get off the boat while they still can."<ref name=EGM90>{{cite magazine |title=M2 Jitters?|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=90|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=January 1997|page=21}}</ref>

{{quote box | width=30% | quote=The M2 was a very powerful 64-Bit design with a lot of RAM and a big disk drive. Perhaps like the 3DO, it was slightly ahead of its time because of the component costs, but this is the design direction where the industry is headed. | source=—3DO President Trip Hawkins, commenting on the cancellation of the M2<ref>{{cite magazine |title=License to Kill - M2 Axed: 3DO Reacts|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=99|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=October 1997|page=27}}</ref>}}

=== Cancellation of console ===
Matsushita cancelled the project in mid-1997, unwilling to compete against fellow Japanese electronics giant [[Sony]]'s [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] and [[Nintendo]]'s [[Nintendo 64]], both of which had recently had several top-selling games released for them.<ref name=Retro122>{{cite journal | last = Matthews | first= Will | date = December 2013 | title = Ahead of its Time: A 3DO Retrospective | journal = [[Retro Gamer]] | issue = 122 | page = 26 | publisher = [[Imagine Publishing]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Matsushita Kills the M2|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=108|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=September 1997|page=20}}</ref> Word of this leaked in late May, but it was not until July that the console's cancellation was made public, via an announcement by Matsushita president Yoichi Morishita.<ref>{{cite web|first=Micheal|last=Mullen|url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_07/03_mtwo/index.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990504114422/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_07/03_mtwo/index.html|title=M2, We Hardly Knew You|website=[[GameSpot]]|archivedate=May 4, 1999|date=July 3, 1997|accessdate=July 29, 2022}}</ref><ref name=NGen33>{{cite magazine |title=Matsushita: Finally Pulling the Plug |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=33 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=September 1997|pages=20–21 |url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_33/page/n21}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Where Was the M2? |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=98|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=September 1997|page=73}}</ref> The M2 was canceled so close to release, marketing had already taken place in the form of flyers, and several of its prospected launch titles had gameplay screens in circulation.

In October 1997 Matsushita announced that they were marketing the M2 hardware as an industrial system capable of custom multimedia applications for simulations.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=M2's Second Life |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=102 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=January 1998|page=22}}</ref>

=== Use in other hardware ===
Development kits and prototypes of the machine became very valuable pieces among collectors. M2's technology was integrated in the multimedia players FZ-21S and FZ-35S, both released in 1998.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} Both products were aimed at professionals working in medicine, architecture, and sales, not home users. The M2 also became a short-lived arcade board by [[Konami]]. The agreement to develop the board was made well in advance of the M2 console's planned release date, with the understanding that games using the arcade board would be ported to the home console, similar to the relationship between the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] and [[Namco System 11]].<ref>{{cite magazine |date=1 March 1996 |title=Overseas Readers Column - Konami To Develop Coin-Op Videos Using 64-bit "M2" |magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]] |publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]] |page=30 |issue=513 |lang=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Webb |first=Marcus |date=May 1996 |title=Konami, Matsushita Plan 64-Bit Home and Arcade Sister Systems |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |page=26 |issue=17}}</ref> Because games ran straight from the [[CD-ROM]] drive, it suffered from long load times and a high failure rate, so only five games were developed for it.

In the late 1990s and from 2000 on, the system was also sold in the [[interactive kiosk]] market. In 2000, PlanetWeb, Inc. began offering software to allow the M2 to be used as an Internet appliance.<ref name="BusinessWire" /> All of the software released for the M2 kiosks was developed with the "CDMotion for M2/M2X" software, which was a point and click "codeless" SDK for M2. None of the applications utilized the Macintosh based SDK in conjunction with Macintosh Programmers Workbench.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} The M2 technology was later used in [[automated teller machine]]s, and in [[Japan]] in [[coffee vending machine]]s.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}}

==Technical specifications==
These refer to the cancelled video game console.
*[[Central processing unit]] – Dual 66&nbsp;MHz [[PowerPC 600#PowerPC 602|PowerPC 602]]<ref name=EGM71/><ref name=NGen30/>
**Implements the [[32-bit computing|32-bit]] [[PowerPC]] [[Reduced instruction set computer|RISC]] instruction set architecture
**[[PowerPC]] CPU designed for [[consumer electronics]] applications
**1.2 [[watt]]s power usage each
**32-bit [[Processor register|general purpose register]]s and [[Arithmetic logic unit|ALU]]
**33&nbsp;MHz 64-bit multiplexed address and data bus
**4 [[KiB]] data and instruction [[CPU cache|caches]] (Level 1). No Level 2 cache
**1 integer unit, 1 [[floating point unit]], no branch processing unit, 1 load/store unit
**[[SPECint]]92 rating of 40 each, approximately 70 [[Instructions per second|MIPS]] each.
**1 million [[transistor]]s manufactured on a 0.50 [[micrometre]] [[CMOS]] process
*Custom [[Application-specific integrated circuit|ASIC]]s cohabiting on the motherboard<ref name=NGen6>{{cite magazine|title=M2 |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=6|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=June 1995|pages=36–40}}</ref>
**BDA:
***Memory control, system control, and video/graphic control<ref name=NGen26>{{cite magazine|title=World Exclusive: M2 Specs Revealed|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=26|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=February 1997|pages=16–17}}</ref>
***Full triangle renderer including setup engine, [[MPEG-1]] decoder hardware, DSP for audio and various kinds of [[direct memory access|DMA]] control and port access<ref name="NGen26"/>
***Random access of [[frame buffer]] and [[Z-buffering|z-buffer]] (actually [[w-buffer]]) possible at the same time<ref name=NGen26/>
**CDE:
***Power bus connected to BDA and the two CPUs<ref name=NGen26/>
***"bio-bus" used as a low-speed bus for peripheral hardware<ref name=NGen26/>
*Renderer capabilities:
**1 million un-textured [[triangle]]s/s geometry rate<ref name=NGen6/>
**100 million [[pixel]]s/s fill rate<ref name="GPro82">{{cite magazine|title=3DO's M2 Technology|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=82|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=July 1995|page=16}}</ref>
**reportedly 700,000 textured polygons/second without gouraud shading or additional effects
**reportedly 500,000 textured polygons/second with gouraud shading, lighting and effects<ref name=NGen26/>
**shading: [[flat shading]] and [[gouraud shading]]
**[[texture mapping]]
**decal, modulation blending, tiling (16k/128k texture buffer built-in)<ref name=NGen26/>
**hardware [[Z-buffering|z-buffer]] ([[16-bit computing|16-bit]]) (actually a block floating point with multiple (4) range [[w-buffer]])
**object-based [[full-scene anti-aliasing]]
**[[alpha channel]] ([[4-bit computing|4-bit]] or 7-bit)<ref name=NGen26/>
**256x224 to 640x480 resolution at [[24-bit color]]<ref name="EGM71"/>
*Sound hardware – 16-bit 32-channel [[digital signal processor|DSP]] at 66&nbsp;MHz (within BDA chip)<ref name="NGen12"/>
*Media – Quad-speed [[CD-ROM]] drive (600 [[kilobyte|KB]]/s)<ref name="EGM87"/>
*[[Random-access memory|RAM]] – Unified memory subsystem with 8 [[Mebibyte|MiB]]
**[[64-bit computing|64-bit]] bus resulting in peak 528 MB/s bandwidth<ref name="GPro82"/>
**Average access 400 MB/s<ref name=NGen30>{{cite magazine |title=Matsushita M2: Hit or Myth? |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=30|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=June 1997|pages=62–63 |url=https://archive.org/stream/NextGeneration30Jun1997/Next_Generation_30_Jun_1997#page/n63}}</ref>
*[[Full Motion Video]] – [[MPEG-1]]<ref name="EGM71"/>
*Writable Storage – [[Memory card]]s from 128 KiB to 32 MiB
*Expansion Capabilities – 1 [[PC card|PCMCIA]] port (potentially used for [[modem]]s, [[Ethernet NIC]]s, etc.)<ref name=NGen26/>

==Accessories==
The M2 console [[gamepad]] was to have six buttons positioned by the right thumb and two shoulder buttons, much like the standard [[Sega Saturn]] gamepad, and a [[D-pad]] surrounded by a rotating analog wheel.<ref name=NGen26/>

==Games==
In late 1995 four M2 games in development had been shown to the public: ''[[ClayFighter III]]'', ''[[Descent (video game)|Descent]]'', ''Ironblood'' (later released for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] as ''[[Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft]]''), and an untitled racing game by Studio 3DO (presumably ''[[IMSA World Championship Racing|IMSA Racing]]'').<ref name=NGen12/> A fifth game, ''[[D2 (video game)|D2]]'' (a sequel to ''[[D (video game)|D]]''), was previewed early the following year.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=D2 |magazine=[[GamePro]] |issue=92 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=May 1996|page=42}}</ref> Studio 3DO also claimed to be working on a version of ''[[BattleSport]]'' for M2.<ref name=EGM90/> Other confirmed M2 projects include ''[[Return Fire 2]]'';<ref name=NGe10/> ''Power Crystal'', an RPG by British developer Perceptions;<ref>{{cite magazine|title=NG Alphas: Power Crystal |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=29|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=May 1997 |pages=72–75|url=https://archive.org/stream/NEXT_Generation_29#page/n72}}</ref> a rail shooter developed by [[Genki (company)|Genki]];<ref>{{cite magazine |title=In the Studio |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=28 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=April 1997|pages=19}}</ref> and ''NFLPA Superstars'', a 6v6 [[Street football (American)|backyard football]] game by Condor (later renamed [[Blizzard North]]), whose budget of nearly $1m helped the company financially during the development of ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]''.<ref>{{cite AV media |first=David |last=Brevik |author-link=David Brevik |date=11 May 2016 |title=[[Game Developers Conference]] |contribution=Diablo: A Classic Game Postmortem |medium=conference talk |contribution-url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=VscdPA6sUkc |access-date=6 January 2019 |via=YouTube |minutes=30 |archive-date=16 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116150617/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VscdPA6sUkc |url-status=live }}</ref> A game based on the film ''[[Escape from L.A.]]'' was announced in 1996,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Celebrity Sightings |magazine=[[GamePro]] |issue=92 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |date=May 1996|page=21}}</ref> but may not have entered development.

In 1996, a ''[[List of Top Gun video games|Top Gun]]'' game was in development by [[Spectrum Holobyte]] but was never released.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Edge_UK_024/page/n5|title=Cutting Edge - 3DO buoyant as M2 picks up speed|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|issue=23|publisher=[[Future plc|Future Publishing]]|date=September 1995|pages=6–7}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/3DO_Magazine_Issue_10_1996-05_Paragon_Publishing_GB/page/n33|title=Preview - Coming Soon - M2|magazine=[[Paragon Publishing|3DO Magazine]]|issue=10|publisher=[[Paragon Publishing]]|date=May 1996|page=34}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/3DO_Magazine_Issue_12_1996-07_Paragon_Publishing_GB/page/n3|title=News - E3 '96: 3DO? - M2 Dream List|magazine=[[Paragon Publishing|3DO Magazine]]|issue=12|publisher=[[Paragon Publishing]]|date=July 1996|page=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/3DO_Magazine_Issue_12_1996-07_Paragon_Publishing_GB/page/n33|title=Preview - Coming Soon - M2|magazine=[[Paragon Publishing|3DO Magazine]]|issue=12|publisher=[[Paragon Publishing]]|date=July 1996|page=34}}</ref>

[[Capcom]] and [[Konami]] were both later confirmed to be licensed M2 developers.<ref>{{cite magazine  |title=M2: Matsushita Breaks its Silence |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=22 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=October 1996|pages=16–19}}</ref>

''[[Ultra Game Players]]'' magazine reported in its July 1997 issue that, according to a former 3DO employee, nearly 80 games were in development for the M2.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Topics: Wiretap - Something's Up M2's Sleeve|magazine=[[Ultra Game Players]]|issue=99|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=July 1997|page=20}}</ref>

In 2008, the now-defunct website [[Games That Weren't 3DO/M2]] released a 2d shooter that was originally part of ''IMSA Racing'' as a hidden mini game but was made bootable to work as a stand-alone game on any 3DO M2 hardware.

In 2010 the only completed M2 game, ''IMSA Racing'', was made available to the public.<ref name="Retro122"/>

In 2017, two fully playable builds of [[Ironblood]] were released by a German collector and are available for download to this day.<ref>[http://retro-net.de/downloads.html retro-net.de]</ref>

In January 2020, a compilation demo disc was released by the YouTube channel “Video Game Esoterica”.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yin-Poole |first1=Wesley |title=3DO M2 collector releases playable demo disc for free |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-02-01-3do-m2-enthusiast-releases-demo-disc-for-free |access-date=5 February 2021 |work=Eurogamer |date=1 February 2020 |language=en |archive-date=21 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321080206/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-02-01-3do-m2-enthusiast-releases-demo-disc-for-free |url-status=live }}</ref> The disc contains twelve diverse demos from the development period of M2 and includes the only known playable files of the M2 version of D2.

===Konami arcade games based on M2===
* ''[[Tobe! Polystars]]''<ref name=NGen33/> (1997)
* ''Total Vice''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/jugemu-magazine-1997-10-October-600dpi-ozidual/Jugemu%201997%2010%20%28J%20OCR%29/page/193/mode/1up | title=Jugemu Magazine (じゅげむ) 1997 10 October (600dpi) | date=October 1997 }}</ref> (1997)
* ''[[Battle Tryst]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Evil Night]]'' / ''Hell Night'' (1998)
* ''Heat of Eleven '98'' / ''The World Soccer Championship'' (1998)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite web |title=Konami Arcade based on M2 |url=http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=575 |website=System 16}}
*{{Cite magazine |date=June 1997 |title=M2: Hit or Myth? |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |page=63}}
*{{Cite web |last=Noonburg |first=Derek |date=February 27, 1997 |title=PowerPC FAQ |url=http://www.microprocessor.sscc.ru/powerpc-faq/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060702233630/http://www.microprocessor.sscc.ru/powerpc-faq/ |archive-date=2006-07-02 |website=PowerPC FAQ}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19981111184536/http://www.m2system.com/ Official website of the M2 (1998)]
*[http://gtw3do.retro-net.de Games That Weren't 3DO/M2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327235015/http://gtw3do.retro-net.de/ |date=2010-03-27 }} – A website about unreleased 3DO M2 games
*[https://youtube.com/watch?v=kAu6-RQioCk Video Game Esoterica M2 Demi Disc Release]

{{Panasonic}}

[[Category:3DO Interactive Multiplayer]]
[[Category:CD-ROM-based consoles]]
[[Category:DVD-ROM-based consoles]]
[[Category:Panasonic consoles|M2]]
[[Category:PowerPC-based video game consoles]]
[[Category:Sixth-generation video game consoles]]
[[Category:Vaporware game consoles]]
[[Category:Home video game consoles]]