A Pippin prototype

On Yahoo Auction, my main source for Pippin games (the Japanese tend to use Yahoo more than eBay), I came across a development Pippin.

This version arrived in a black box, with some subtle differences compared to the standard version. Like my version, it surely has a development ROM that allows booting from a hard drive. Among the visually notable differences, one can notice the absence of markings on the back – mine has them – with an empty area instead of the console’s name. On the front, as seen in the photos, the PowerPC and Atmark logos are simply stickers (as was the case with mine), whereas standard versions have logos engraved into the plastic. Additionally, though the photo is a bit small, a different modem from the final version can be observed. Lastly, the CDs and documentation appear standard. The console was offered at ¥25,000 (and sold for ¥46,000).

The black box, with the modem in the corner


It is indeed a prototype


Clearly visible that the logos on the sides are stickers.


A white area instead of the console’s name