HeartBeat Catalyst
From Sega Retro
HeartBeat Catalyst | ||||||||||
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Made for: Sega Mega Drive | ||||||||||
Manufacturer: HeartBeat Corporation | ||||||||||
Type: Miscellaneous | ||||||||||
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The HeartBeat Catalyst is a third-party Sega Mega Drive exercise peripheral with included body-mounted fitness sensors which reads heart rate, motion, and skin salinity levels for in-game feedback. Developed by American video game hardware developer HeartBeat Corporation and primarily sold alongside the Personal Trainer, it was released exclusively in the United States in November 1993. Notable for having a production run of only 1,000 units, and sold with the exclusive pack-in game Outback Joey, both are considered some of the rarest pieces of Mega Drive history in existence.[2]
Contents
Hardware
The HeartBeat Catalyst is a body-mounted fitness sensor hardware peripheral which reads players' heart rate, motion, and skin salinity levels for in-game feedback, and is compatible with any Mega Drive system. Contrary to popular belief, it does not require the Personal Trainer to function, with the Catalyst even being sold separately for those who already owned a Mega Drive.[3][4] The most notable game developed to utilize this hardware, Outback Joey, uses this feedback to control the running speed of its player character, and encourages maintaining a consistent heart rate through exercise.
The Catalyst is operated by plugging its specialized adapter (called the "microprocessor"[5]) into the Mega Drive's first controller port, and then gently clipping the fitness sensors to the player's earlobes for heartrate detection. A warning card included with the system cautions against plugging two adapters into a system Mega Drive, as doing so could potentially damage the system.[5]
List of games
- Outback Joey (1993)
- NHLPA Hockey (1994)
- Outworld 2375 AD (1994)
- PGA Tour Golf II (1995)
History
The Catalyst was released exclusively in the United States in late 1993, with its fitness sensing capabilities only being utilized in four total games. Although ambitious, HeartBeat Corporation's plans to find a profitable niche in the video game market ultimately failed, and the company fell into liquidation only a couple years after its release.
Prerelease
The peripheral, alongside its dedicated software Outback Joey, appeared at Winter CES 1994[6][7] and was used to demonstrate how the specialized fitness sensors could be utilized with a traditional video game. Additionally, the company claimed that an upcoming special version of Earthworm Jim which utilized the HeartBeat Catalyst was in development, but ultimately was never released.
Release
The HeartBeat Catalyst was released on November 24, 1993, and was available for purchase for $299.95{{magref|maniac|1994-03|8} in a bundle which included the Personal Trainer.[1] For buyers who already owned a Sega Mega Drive, the Catalyst hardware was available for purchase separately for $199.95 (still including Outback Joey.)[1] Confusingly, both the Catalyst and Personal Trainer were sold under the combined "Personal Trainer" branding, with little distinction between the fitness-themed Mega Drive and the actual sensor peripheral.
Failure
Sales of the Catalyst were poor, and HeartBeat encountered significant difficulties in marketing and selling the unique device, resulting in a significant price drop of $100[1] by April 1995. Less than one year after its release, the company cancelled production of any remaining hardware and software projects while it tried to locate other sources of funding, and transferred the entirety of its tangible assets to a newly-formed sister corporation.[1] The new affiliated company did not produce or develop any content (appearing only to exist to sell as much remaining HeartBeat products as they could), and was later officially dissolved on September 8, 1997.[1]
Magazine articles
- Main article: HeartBeat Catalyst/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
- Main article: HeartBeat Catalyst/Promotional material.
Photo gallery
Personal Trainer, controllers, cables, and Catalyst
A letter from HeartBeat Corporation concerning shipment of replacement parts.
A letter included with early copies of the system regarding an upcoming Outback Joey software revision.
A 1994 purchase receipt from exercise machine manufacturer NordicTrack.
External links
- HeartBeat Catalyst at The Video Game Kraken
- Technology adds new thrills to boring exercise equipment article by Bob Condor at The Chicago Tribune
- THE GOODS: Technowatch: Gone! Last of the Excuses article by Lynn Simross at The Los Angeles Times
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 http://videogamekraken.com/heartbeat-personal-trainer-catalyst (Wayback Machine: 2021-04-14 05:43)
- ↑ https://www.sega-16.com/2004/08/genesis-accessory-peripheral-guide/
- ↑ https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-24-ls-7959-story.html (Wayback Machine: 2021-10-04 06:35)
- ↑ https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-02-24-9402240306-story.html
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 File:HeartBeatPersonalTrainer US warningcard.png
- ↑ GamePro, "April 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 92
- ↑ Mega, "March 1994" (UK; 1994-02-17), page 12
HeartBeat Catalyst | |
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Topics | Magazine articles | Promotional material | Personal Trainer | HeartBeat Corporation |
Games | NHLPA Hockey | Outback Joey | Outworld 2375 AD | PGA Tour Golf II |