View-Master Interactive Vision
Encyclopedia
View-Master Interactive Vision was an interactive VHS
console game
system, introduced in 1988 by View-Master Ideal Group, Inc. The tagline
was that the console was "the Two-Way Television System that makes you a part of the show!" The titles included four Sesame Street
games, and two games featuring the Muppet Show characters, as well as a Disney game, Disney's Cartoon Arcade
.
The system came with a simple controller
which included a joystick
and three colorful buttons. As the video plays, the characters address the player directly, and ask the player to make a choice by pressing one of the buttons.
The video has a number of different soundtrack
s recorded, and the player's choices toggle back and forth between the soundtracks, giving the impression that the player has changed the course of the story. For example, in the game Muppets Studios Presents: You're the Director, Kermit the Frog
leads the player through the process of making a Muppet movie. At the end of the game, he asks if the player liked the movie they've created. If the player gives a positive response, then the Muppets sing a closing number called "Everything Was Wonderful!" If the player responds negatively, the closing number is "Everything Was Terrible!"
The optional parts of the soundtrack are designed to fit the movement of the Muppets' mouths, to create the illusion
that the video was recorded with only one soundtrack.
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
console game
Console game
A console game is a form of interactive multimedia used for entertainment. The game consists of manipulable images generated by a video game console, and displayed on a television or similar audio-video system. The game itself is usually controlled and manipulated using a handheld device connected...
system, introduced in 1988 by View-Master Ideal Group, Inc. The tagline
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
was that the console was "the Two-Way Television System that makes you a part of the show!" The titles included four Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
games, and two games featuring the Muppet Show characters, as well as a Disney game, Disney's Cartoon Arcade
Disney's Cartoon Arcade
Disney's Cartoon Arcade is a 1990 game by Cliff Johnson created by Walt Disney Home Video for use on the View-Master Interactive Vision system....
.
The system came with a simple controller
Game controller
A game controller is a device used with games or entertainment systems used to control a playable character or object, or otherwise provide input in a computer game. A controller is typically connected to a game console or computer by means of a wire, cord or nowadays, by means of wireless connection...
which included a joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
and three colorful buttons. As the video plays, the characters address the player directly, and ask the player to make a choice by pressing one of the buttons.
The video has a number of different soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s recorded, and the player's choices toggle back and forth between the soundtracks, giving the impression that the player has changed the course of the story. For example, in the game Muppets Studios Presents: You're the Director, Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
leads the player through the process of making a Muppet movie. At the end of the game, he asks if the player liked the movie they've created. If the player gives a positive response, then the Muppets sing a closing number called "Everything Was Wonderful!" If the player responds negatively, the closing number is "Everything Was Terrible!"
The optional parts of the soundtrack are designed to fit the movement of the Muppets' mouths, to create the illusion
Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
that the video was recorded with only one soundtrack.