Game Wave Family Entertainment System
A DVD player and family game console with wireless remote controllers.
Evan-Amos · Public domain
The Game Wave Family Entertainment System, often called the Game Wave, is a device that combines a DVD player with a home video game console. It was made by ZAPiT Games and belongs to the seventh generation of video game consoles. The first prototype was built in October 2004. It launched in Canada in October 2005, then in the United States with a suggested retail price of $99. Early units included the game *4 Degrees: The Arc of Trivia, Vol. 1*, which was later swapped for *VeggieTales: Veg-Out! Family Tournament*. The system’s family-friendly games and a partnership with VeggieTales helped it gain some popularity among Christian households. Production ended in 2009, and a follow-up console was planned for that same year but never released.
The console connects to a controller caddy but can be detached from it. It came with RCA and S-Video cables, four wireless controllers that use infrared signals (modeled after typical DVD remote controls), and a case that holds up to six controllers. The case and console are designed to sit side by side on a shelf, forming a complete wave shape. Inside, the system uses a Mediamatics 8611 processor, 16 megabytes of SRAM, 2 megabytes of NOR flash memory, an Altera MAX II CPLD, and an Atmel serial EEPROM for saving data. To avoid paying royalties for the audio circuitry built into the Mediamatics chip, a dedicated two-channel audio DAC is used. Game software is typically written in the Lua scripting language. The system also works as a standard DVD player.
The controllers have four directional buttons for navigating menus and controlling DVD playback. Along the top are four alphabetical buttons labeled A, B, C, and D, mainly for selecting answers in trivia games. A numeric keypad sits at the bottom, along with Menu and Setup buttons. The controllers come in six colors: blue, yellow, green, red, purple, and orange. The first four are included with the console, while purple and orange were sold separately for $30 each. Each color uses a different infrared beat frequency, so the console can tell them apart for multiplayer games, supporting up to six players if the game allows it.
Because of the controller’s design and the system’s focus on family entertainment, no action-heavy game genres appear in the library of 13 titles.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- ZAPiT Games
- Generation
- Seventh
- Lifespan
- 2005–2009
- Discontinued
- 2009
- Cpu
- Mediamatics 8611
- Media
- DVD-ROM
- Online Services
- None
- Memory
- 16 megabytes
- Memory Type
- SRAM
- Storage
- 2 megabytes NOR flash storage, serial EEPROM
- Language
- Lua
- Release Date
- October 2005
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The first Game Wave prototype was made in October 2004. The system was first released in Canada in October 2005, and later in the United States at an MSRP of $99. It was initially packaged with the game 4 Degrees: The Arc of Trivia, Vol. 1, which was later changed to VeggieTales: Veg-Out! Family Tournament. Because of the use of family friendly games and a partnership with VeggieTales, the system found some success with Christian households. The system was discontinued in 2009, and a followup console had been planned for that year.
The Game Wave console could be disconnected from the controller caddy. It was packaged with both RCA and S-Video cables, along with four IR-based wireless controllers modeled after typical DVD remote controllers, and a case that holds up to six controllers. The case and console are designed to sit side-by-side on a shelf to form a complete wave shape. The primary processor is the Mediamatics 8611, coupled with 16 megabytes of SRAM and 2 megabytes of NOR flash memory storage. An Altera MAX II CPLD is also used, and an Atmel serial EEPROM is used for save data. The system uses a dedicated 2 channel audio DAC to avoid royalties for the one integrated in the Mediamatics processor. Game software is typically scripted in Lua. The system can operate as a typical DVD player.
The Game Wave controller has 4-directional navigational buttons, four alphabetical buttons labeled A, B, C, and D for selecting responses in trivia games, and a numeric keypad with Menu and Setup buttons. The controllers came in six colors: blue, yellow, green, red, purple, and orange. Blue, yellow, green, and red come packaged with the console, while purple and orange could be purchased separately for an MSRP of $30. Each controller color has a different IR beat frequency, allowing the console to differentiate up to six players for multiplayer gameplay.
Reader's Guide
The Game Wave Family Entertainment System occupies a niche within the seventh generation of video game consoles as a hybrid DVD player and family-oriented game machine. Its library of 13 games consists mainly of trivia and puzzle titles, with no heavily action-based genres due to the shape of the controller and marketing concerns for a 'Family Entertainment System.' Many Game Wave games are heavily inspired by other video games and TV shows. A 14th game, Quiz Konnect, was developed for the India market. The system's partnership with VeggieTales and its family-friendly focus led to some success with Christian households. The console was discontinued in 2009, with a planned followup console for that year that never materialized. Its significance lies in its attempt to merge DVD playback with casual, multiplayer trivia gaming using wireless remote controllers, a design that set it apart from more conventional consoles of the era.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Game Wave Family Entertainment System?
The Game Wave is a seventh-generation home entertainment device made by ZAPiT Games that merges a built-in DVD player with a video game console. It targets family audiences and includes wireless remote controllers as its primary input method.
When was the Game Wave first released and where did it debut?
ZAPiT Games built the first working prototype in October 2004, and the retail unit hit shelves in Canada in October 2005 before arriving in the United States shortly after.
What game was included in the box with the Game Wave at launch?
Early Canadian and US units shipped with 4 Degrees: The Arc of Trivia, Vol. 1, but ZAPiT later swapped that pack-in title for VeggieTales: Veg-Out! Family Tournament to better align with the console's family-friendly branding.
How much did the Game Wave cost in the United States?
The suggested retail price in the US was $99, which positioned it well below the price points of most other seventh-generation consoles on the market at the time.
What made the Game Wave stand out among seventh-generation consoles?
Its all-in-one design pairing a DVD player with gaming, combined with a dedicated partnership with VeggieTales and a lineup of family-oriented titles, set it apart from the more adult-focused competitors of its generation.
More in Video Game Consoles by Generation, Part 5 1-24
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