📰 New article from Retro Handhelds
Game Over: VTech’s Decade of Failure
https://retrohandhelds.gg/game-over-vtechs-decade-of-failure/
If you think your current tech is frustrating, just remember that VTech once tried to sell the world a “hybrid” nightmare.
Before they became the kings of chirpy, alphabet-learning laptops, VTech had some serious delusions of grandeur in the 1980s. They didn’t just want to make toys; they wanted to crash the console market by creating machines that were simultaneously gaming consoles, home computers, and educational tools.
The problem? They ended up pleasing absolutely nobody.
First came the CreatiVision in 1982. It promised a dual life as a computer, but required a keyboard made of two awkward joysticks that felt like trying to type with chopsticks. It couldn’t compete with the Atari 2600, and parents didn’t want a flimsy toy masquerading as a PC.
Six years later, they tried again with the Socrates. This time, it was an “educational system” with a sluggish processor and a wireless keyboard that only worked if the lighting in your room was absolutely perfect. It had almost no games and even less charm.
The takeaway for hardware devs? Trying to solve two different problems at once usually just results in one crappy machine. VTech eventually learned their lesson, retreating to the much safer (and much more successful) world of durable toddler electronics.