https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/05/jester-gets-new-physical-editions-for-nes-and-snes
@coolboymew Too bad they are just recreations. The source code to these games are rumored to still exist. There have even been attempts to emulate the Videoway hardware but it's pointless given that it relies on teletext data that is no longer available.
This shit is arguably more obscure than the Satellaview. It's fucking insane.
https://lostmediawiki.com/Videoway_(lost_Canadian_cable-box_games;_1990-2006)#Emulation_Attempts
@PurpCat @coolboymew There are a few Videoway boxes out there in the wild, but they are expensive and non-functional, unless you find a way to feed teletext data into it.
@coolboymew
If only someone was clever enough to have hacked their terminal to dump whatever was on their RAM back when the service was still in operation.
"Le fou du roi" seems to be the most interesting because Lost Media Wiki says that it was a Zelda/Pac-Man hybrid.
The closest thing I had to Videoway was GameLounge which was a DirectTV channel that provided games streamed to your satellite box, but they were the quality of Java feature phone games, and even then you still had to pay an extra fee to play the full game, except on certain "free weekends". Most of the stuff on there was Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network themed. Dish had something similar, but for Disney games.
It just pains me that there are absolutely zero preservation efforts for these games that were streamed via non-Internet means. I think they represent a unique and obscure part of gaming history. I NEVER hear anyone talk about it outside of the Satellaview and Sega Channel. Not even the Video Game History Foundation mentions them. I feel like if people are more vocal about it, then it would be more likely that these games will be leaked or even officially re-released in some form.
Unfortunately preservation efforts were not done before the shutdown, which did not help that it was pre-2010. Also apparently Videotron were very protective of their terminals and finding one in the wild today, even after the shut down, is actually not that easy to find
That's a shitload of cool fun games that were lost. I got to play them at least, just not at home, because we didn't have cable
The Videoway system was pretty cool, especially in the 90s when it was actually pretty advanced. You could get news, meteo, lottery info, etc. all from the teletext system. Also there were interactive shows
Otherwise the games were generally well made and oozed soul, compared to the absolute shit-tier game JAVA game services (seemed like it was provided by a 3rd party) I've played on a Bell terminal years after
It's disappointing they won't even release a mini console with the games or something