The video game industry has come a very long way since its humble beginnings in the 1970s that featured Atari video games with crude graphics and sounds. By the time Nintendo entered the market with their successful launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985, it was becoming quite clear that video games were here to stay and not some passing fad. Over the next decade, Nintendo would, in large part, dominate the world of home video games. Some competitors would have more staying power than others. Sega proceeded to be a worthy opponent in the early 1990s with their beloved Sega Genesis system, while Sony became a prominent challenger to this very day with its Playstation line of video game systems in 1995. It was, however, during the formative years of 1985 through 1995 that the home video game industry found its way into the future by testing some new and interesting concepts. Unfortunately, most of these concepts would fail long term, but each one presents something interesting for the modern era vintage video game collector. Every now and then I like to explore the history and collectability of some of the video game industrys most notable failures. Much like in life, success can often create arrogance, whereas failure teaches us a valuable lesson. Almost every single successful company that is still in business today has some notable product failures in their history. Does anyone remember the massive failure of New Coke in 1985? Or how about the horrible reception that Crystal Pepsi received when it was first released in 1992? The video game industry is no different. When most people think of Nintendo, they think of a fun company who gave us such loveable characters like Mario, Donkey Kong, Kirby, and Pokemon. However, few can fathom that Nintendo has ever failed at anything, especially after the success of the original Nintendo Entertainment System. The company does have one notable failure that we must talk about simply due to the systems uniqueness and overall collectability. In order to discuss this failure, we must go back to the early 1990s. Back in the 1990s, the video game industry was quite different than today. In September of 1991, Nintendo launched its followup to its successful Nintendo Entertainment System that hit U.S. markets in 1985. The system, known simply as the Super Nintendo, was hidden behind a veil of secrecy and was quietly being worked on for several years due to Sega slowly gaining dominance in the North American home video game market with the release of the Sega Genesis. The Sega Genesis was a much more powerful system than the original Nintendo Entertainment System, and Nintendo had grown quite arrogant due to the fact that by 1989 they were estimated to control well over 90 percent of the home video game market. Unfortunately, Sega caught Nintendo off guard, and their newest game called Sonic the Hedgehog sent sales of their new console skyrocketing. Nintendo was determined to hold on to their video game dominance and the Super Nintendo was well received by both critics and fans. Much to the dismay of Nintendo, however, it was clear that Sega would be a much more worthy opponent than they previously encountered. This was due to Segas hip marketing campaign and edgier adult-oriented games. Sega was able to carve out a well-positioned place in the home video game market. This meant Nintendo would now have to share the home video game market with a competitor for the very first time. It was also around this time that the entire video game and home computer market were busy hyping new advancements in technology. Buzz words like multimedia, CD-ROM, and virtual reality were all new concepts that needed to be explored. As a result, Nintendo greenlit a new top secret project called VR32. VR32 was in development almost at the same time that Nintendo released the Super Nintendo. It was hailed as the first affordable standalone virtual reality system, and very little information about the system was released until close to 1995. The system featured a powerful 32-bit processor at its core and was a tabletop headset that players looked into with a unique looking controller attached. Due to the cost of true virtual reality at the time, Nintendo opted to go with a simple, cost-effective red and black graphics engine that displayed a 3D like effect when a user looked into the unit. This made the system quite affordable, and when released in North America on Aug. 14, 1995, and aptly named the Virtual Boy, it cost only $159.99 and came with a free game called Marios Dream Tennis. Nintendos thinking was that since the company had massive success with its black and white standalone portable video game system called the Game Boy that was released in 1989, players wouldnt care about the red and black graphics to be able to own the first true affordable 3D virtual reality-based system. Unfortunately, the company could not have been more wrong, and the system was only on the market for another year before being completely discontinued due to lack of sales. When all was said and done, the Virtual Boy only ever had 14 games released for it in North America. Worse yet was the fact that systems could be seen selling at most video game retailers of the time for $19.99, with games being discounted to $4.99 to $9.99 each. Today, the Virtual Boy is Nintendos biggest failure and one of the most unique systems to collect, assuming you know what you are buying and realize it is definitely an obscure item. Systems routinely sell used on eBay for around $300 to $500 depending on condition. Up that price considerably if the box is included and it is close to being in excellent or near-mint condition. Games can be had anywhere from $20 to $1,000 or more depending on the title and how hard it is to find. The Virtual Boy is well worth experiencing at least once if you are a Nintendo enthusiast, because I can assure you that after you play it once, you most likely will not go back to it again. In fact, I would advise you to set your expectations accordingly and have some aspirin on hand for the headache you will likely develop while playing. That said, the Virtual Boy is a great reminder that even companies like Nintendo make massive marketing mistakes from time to time. From an investment standpoint, the Virtual Boy is such a weird concept that it is worth owning, but just know that prices for this system and its games have already risen dramatically these past few years. Still, seeing a 3D version of Mario in red and black tone is worth paying the price of admission if you can find one for a good price. Happy hunting! Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.