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Why Didn't Xband Make the Jump?

Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 12:32 am
by Xranger60
As I've been re-reading some of the old Xband materials still available on the web, I've been wondering why opportunities for the network to grow were missed. Sure, in 1997, 16 bit gaming was already near its end. But what of the next-gen systems? The PlayStation and Nintendo 64 were just beginning to take off, and the horsepower was there in terms of both speed and graphics to get the job done.

I often wonder what the most critical factor was in the decision to completely shutter the Xband service in lieu of the next gaming generation. Was it the lack of capital to develop the service for use with next gen consoles? The complexity of developing for the Ps1, Saturn, and N64? Although console gaming was in its infancy, the potential was already there. In my opinion, the switch to mainstream newer consoles and the switch to a faster modem to reduce latency, all while working on the existing direct-dial structure, would have paid off handsomely for Catapult. What do you guys think?

On a side note, there were bits of news from Catapult at the time suggesting research into developing the service for use with the next-gen consoles, so it was certainly considered.

EDIT: the Xband wikipedia article states that it was new owner Mplayer that decided to end the service. The question still remains relevant though, as focusing on PC gaming didn't have to come to the exclusion of the consoles.
Catapult was working on PC and Saturn based versions of the platform, when they were acquired by Mpath Interactive, and the focus shifted to the online PC Gaming service, Mplayer.com
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Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 6:29 pm
by Warp2063
The Sega NetLink is actually based on the technologies developed by Catapult. It's basically a Saturn XBAND, just re-branded. If I remember right, while looking at the files on one of the NetLink games, it even said XBAND in there.

I seem to remember that MPlayer.com thing, too.

The N64's 64DD had a modem in it to connect to RANDnet, which allowed multiplayer gaming, demo playing, etc. I'm not aware of anything for the PlayStation. My guess - the fact that it was originally going to be a joint project between Sony and Nintendo for the SNES meant that Sony didn't want to take any more chances on their first home console - they just wanted to get a gaming machine out the door.

Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 11:07 pm
by Xranger60
Yeah Catapult did take care of the multiplayer components of the NetLink, and that was pretty cool to have a pseudo-Xband system inside. Actually, had Catapult decided to implement their full service network on the NetLink, we wouldn't have been able to still play now, so I'm kind of thankful for that. Just feel like the potential was missed here.

Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 9:05 pm
by rush6432
They did develop software for the pc.. i have a copy of it somewhere here with SSF2 for the pc. i havn't looked into the software much but it does exist. i think they pitched the idea for other consoles but no one really bought it. Not to mention by the time mplayer bought them up they already wante to pull the plug on anything xband related at the time.

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 4:26 pm
by JerryTerrifying
Maybe when they started working with Sega they signed some kind of exclusivity deal to only work with the Sega Saturn? That's kind of what I assumed.

Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:15 pm
by Xband411
Here's some information on the subject from a guy named Larry who actually worked at Mpath when they purchased Catapult:
I worked at Mpath (don't capitalize the p!) from early '96 to, oh, mid-2000. We bought Catapult in mid-late '96 IIRC. We actually continued running the XBand service for at least another year; not sure why, it might have been contractual obligations. I was there the day they shut XBand off.
As for why they even bought Catapult in the first place:
The reason why we bought Catapult was 'cause they were working on "XBand-PC", a theoretical competitor to Mpath's "Mplayer". But that was only a prototype, and we didn't spend any further time on it. Really we bought 'em because a) we got some great people out of it, and b) our super-genius CEO worked a deal where we got someone else (one of the VCs I think) to put up the money for it.
So it seems like Mpath just wanted Catapult's employees, and didn't care about the Xband itself at all.

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 12:47 am
by rush6432
Pretty much...