3DO M2 collector releases playable demo disc for free
Largest dump of M2 software ever released.
Back in December 2019, we reported on Anthony Bacon, a 3DO M2 enthusiast from Chicago who had unearthed a playable file for the original, cancelled D2 - the 3DO M2 game thought lost to history.
From that article:
"You'd be forgiven for not knowing about the 3DO M2. It was supposed to be the follow-up to the 3DO game console, but it was cancelled abruptly in 1997 under pressure from Nintendo's N64 and Sony's PlayStation. The 3DO M2 became little more than a footnote in video game history, but for some collectors it became a fascinating piece of hardware, their games considered gold dust. One such collector is Anthony Bacon, from Chicago."
Now, Bacon has gone one step further, releasing a 3DO M2 compilation demo disc that includes the D2 files and much more.
The free demo compilation is the largest dump of M2 software ever released. It contains a dozen different demos you can play and control on 3DO M2 hardware. Custom artwork for the case was created using patents Panasonic put out in the 90s, there's a slip for controls and, on the back, screenshots showing the various demos included on the disc.
While the audience for this demo disc will be small on account of the relative scarcity of 3DO M2 hardware, its release is a milestone for enthusiasts of the cancelled console curio.
Bacon says a few collectors offered him money for the files, but he turned them all down because he wanted to release the disc for free. "My end goal is to get these demos in as many hands as possible to enjoy," Bacon told Eurogamer.