ScreenToyz Screensavers: $10 Million Failure from 1994 An LGR Halloween Thing
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Date: 2025-11-01
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Comments and reviews: 20
LGR
A dev from Creative Insights, Roy Eltham, has chimed in on this! Quote:
_Paul White and Bill Cawthorne were the hardware guys I worked with on the PDS (Piano Discovery System) and ScreenToyz. The actual screen savers and animations were done by others and somewhat rushed and bad as you saw. __Some of them don't have any interaction, __ just initiation of them via the device. _
_The hardware inside all 3 devices is identical they just have different codes they send so you could plug in all 3 at the same time and it would work. It's literally just 2 pressure switches and 2 LEDs in there, so it's not much of a controller. _
_I believe they had hoped this would sell better to carry the company longer to get the PDS and its planned sequels/related products out. Also, the money was mostly spent on the PDS development. _
_I was working for a small dev house called Ybarra Productions (Shadows of Yserbius, Fates of Twinion, Alien Legacy, when we joined up with some hardware folks and some investment from Creative Labs to form Creative Insights. The hardware guys were the ones that had done the Miracle Piano stuff for the Nintendo. Our first and main project was the Piano Discovery System which was a spiritual successor to the Miracle Piano. The rest of us were game devs. _
_I honestly don't know why they decided to make ScreenToyz, but the company was intended to make mixed hardware software products, and it died shortly after ScreenToyz shipped and flopped. _
_I was one of the few game devs that crossed over to work on firmware and driver stuff for the hardware projects. I did the MCU firmware for the MIDI keyboard for the PDS, and firmware for the test fixture for the factory line where they tested the Piano boards as they were made. For ScreenToyz, I had to learn how to make a low level windows driver. 386 file on old school windows) that could intercept the keyboard port before the normal keyboard driver, because the device sent custom invalid keycodes, so that it would not collide with any valid keycodes. The normal keyboard driver would just ignore the invalid codes. _
_That driver could also send out special codes to control the LEDs in the devices, again those codes were ignored by the keyboard. It was all so long ago, I don't recall what the invalid codes actually were. _ -Roy Eltham
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A dev from Creative Insights, Roy Eltham, has chimed in on this! Quote:
_Paul White and Bill Cawthorne were the hardware guys I worked with on the PDS (Piano Discovery System) and ScreenToyz. The actual screen savers and animations were done by others and somewhat rushed and bad as you saw. __Some of them don't have any interaction, __ just initiation of them via the device. _
_The hardware inside all 3 devices is identical they just have different codes they send so you could plug in all 3 at the same time and it would work. It's literally just 2 pressure switches and 2 LEDs in there, so it's not much of a controller. _
_I believe they had hoped this would sell better to carry the company longer to get the PDS and its planned sequels/related products out. Also, the money was mostly spent on the PDS development. _
_I was working for a small dev house called Ybarra Productions (Shadows of Yserbius, Fates of Twinion, Alien Legacy, when we joined up with some hardware folks and some investment from Creative Labs to form Creative Insights. The hardware guys were the ones that had done the Miracle Piano stuff for the Nintendo. Our first and main project was the Piano Discovery System which was a spiritual successor to the Miracle Piano. The rest of us were game devs. _
_I honestly don't know why they decided to make ScreenToyz, but the company was intended to make mixed hardware software products, and it died shortly after ScreenToyz shipped and flopped. _
_I was one of the few game devs that crossed over to work on firmware and driver stuff for the hardware projects. I did the MCU firmware for the MIDI keyboard for the PDS, and firmware for the test fixture for the factory line where they tested the Piano boards as they were made. For ScreenToyz, I had to learn how to make a low level windows driver. 386 file on old school windows) that could intercept the keyboard port before the normal keyboard driver, because the device sent custom invalid keycodes, so that it would not collide with any valid keycodes. The normal keyboard driver would just ignore the invalid codes. _
_That driver could also send out special codes to control the LEDs in the devices, again those codes were ignored by the keyboard. It was all so long ago, I don't recall what the invalid codes actually were. _ -Roy Eltham
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bobpowers9862
This thing is exactly what happens, when the really talented people are brainstorming ideas, and then Pass off some of them to the interns, to work on. during their personal lunch breaks. Then, marketing takes that lame output, glosses it up and puts it on the market, without a single person with real talent, having a look to check back.
Wait. you put that into production What were you thinking!
It has your name on it!
We were just fooling around!
But it has your name on the project!
Because it came from my group! I never even saw this thing!
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This thing is exactly what happens, when the really talented people are brainstorming ideas, and then Pass off some of them to the interns, to work on. during their personal lunch breaks. Then, marketing takes that lame output, glosses it up and puts it on the market, without a single person with real talent, having a look to check back.
Wait. you put that into production What were you thinking!
It has your name on it!
We were just fooling around!
But it has your name on the project!
Because it came from my group! I never even saw this thing!
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TwesomE
They wanted to make something for a quick buck i believe and thrown this to our faces as something to have fun i suppose! The only thing is worth here is the decor that they selling as something physical rather do supposedly actions you give with it, it is a good reminder for someone collecting some old stuff related to computers etc to have it on he's her shelve and that's that. And if someone asks what is this cool thingy to say aaah this is a trashy toy for a pc that failed to follow the market!
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They wanted to make something for a quick buck i believe and thrown this to our faces as something to have fun i suppose! The only thing is worth here is the decor that they selling as something physical rather do supposedly actions you give with it, it is a good reminder for someone collecting some old stuff related to computers etc to have it on he's her shelve and that's that. And if someone asks what is this cool thingy to say aaah this is a trashy toy for a pc that failed to follow the market!
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spartonberry
2: 36 I recognize that ad. That was Chips 'n Bits, wasn't it One of the older games by mail order companies that ran in magazines throughout the '90s and got a lot of questions from magazine readers, particularly as that company regularly took preorders for games that weren't yet released, and sometimes never released. Preordering for mail delivery certainly wasn't something '90s gamers were used to.
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2: 36 I recognize that ad. That was Chips 'n Bits, wasn't it One of the older games by mail order companies that ran in magazines throughout the '90s and got a lot of questions from magazine readers, particularly as that company regularly took preorders for games that weren't yet released, and sometimes never released. Preordering for mail delivery certainly wasn't something '90s gamers were used to.
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fallenshallrise
I can see it. Something like this could sell if they didn't try to come up with their own characters. Like if the piece of plastic with lights in it was Optimus Prime or Batman and it integrated with a screensaver / desktop backgrounds / taskbar program I could see this on someone's desk. Optimus lighting up and saying you've got mail could have been a big hit with someone.
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I can see it. Something like this could sell if they didn't try to come up with their own characters. Like if the piece of plastic with lights in it was Optimus Prime or Batman and it integrated with a screensaver / desktop backgrounds / taskbar program I could see this on someone's desk. Optimus lighting up and saying you've got mail could have been a big hit with someone.
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JSTNtheWZRD
Lot of weird inventions in the 90s, when the grocery stores started putting out new huge amounts of products we don't need. It was a time of prosperity in a capitalist country, prosperity in this country is not the kind of prosperity we need. Nothing wholesome about corporations being too visible with their products and stuff, the grim concrete cold internet world came next
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Lot of weird inventions in the 90s, when the grocery stores started putting out new huge amounts of products we don't need. It was a time of prosperity in a capitalist country, prosperity in this country is not the kind of prosperity we need. Nothing wholesome about corporations being too visible with their products and stuff, the grim concrete cold internet world came next
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lexluthermiester
BITD, I sold these while working for SoftwareEtc. At the $39. 99 price-point we launched them at, we only sold a few, to rich folks who liked the charm. The next year for halloween, we sold them at $13. 99 and we couldn't keep them in stock. They'd sell out everytime we got them in. These things were a money grab novelty in a money-grab world, little more.
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BITD, I sold these while working for SoftwareEtc. At the $39. 99 price-point we launched them at, we only sold a few, to rich folks who liked the charm. The next year for halloween, we sold them at $13. 99 and we couldn't keep them in stock. They'd sell out everytime we got them in. These things were a money grab novelty in a money-grab world, little more.
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miradrgn
ok but it does hurt so bad to see such a big chunky perfectly hand-sized lever manipulated exclusively via a dispassionate wimpy two-fingered grip at the very base or tip. you gotta grab that thang, you need to grasp it. i don't think you've gotten the full experience if you don't try at least one good full-fisted sincerely-felt pull the lever kronk! moment
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ok but it does hurt so bad to see such a big chunky perfectly hand-sized lever manipulated exclusively via a dispassionate wimpy two-fingered grip at the very base or tip. you gotta grab that thang, you need to grasp it. i don't think you've gotten the full experience if you don't try at least one good full-fisted sincerely-felt pull the lever kronk! moment
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slipknotboy555
4: 23
Started out working at Oberheim. Nice. Haha, I like how he words it so nonchalantly, having to explain what it is. For a general reader, that makes total sense, ofc, but for anyone who's into synths at all - it's a (huge) name that needs no introduction. :b Tom's a legend, and I'm glad he's still around and making things.
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4: 23
Started out working at Oberheim. Nice. Haha, I like how he words it so nonchalantly, having to explain what it is. For a general reader, that makes total sense, ofc, but for anyone who's into synths at all - it's a (huge) name that needs no introduction. :b Tom's a legend, and I'm glad he's still around and making things.
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keith_5584
At least 90s ewaste didnt need an app to be useful as ewaste. You could still make a terrifying Furby RC car out of them. Circuit bending terrifyingness here.
I have a powerbank that needs an app to provide power (to set the voltage) to the thing you need the app for. What is the oroborus of software development hell is that
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At least 90s ewaste didnt need an app to be useful as ewaste. You could still make a terrifying Furby RC car out of them. Circuit bending terrifyingness here.
I have a powerbank that needs an app to provide power (to set the voltage) to the thing you need the app for. What is the oroborus of software development hell is that
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Dallen9
I think you've found one of the first tech snake oil products. Worst part was it's really well made snake oil.
I think I've seen the Latrina one cause it's a bride of Frankenstein spoof screen saver thing and I knew someone in the medical care industry that loved collecting those aftermarket animated screen saver things.
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I think you've found one of the first tech snake oil products. Worst part was it's really well made snake oil.
I think I've seen the Latrina one cause it's a bride of Frankenstein spoof screen saver thing and I knew someone in the medical care industry that loved collecting those aftermarket animated screen saver things.
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wulfbak
They expected people to pay $50 in 1994 money for this Wow.
Who would want this big plastic gimmick taking up desk space It actually wouldn't be bad as just a screensaver. Just sell a disk that people can install a screensaver and be done with it. Save the landfills from a few more pieces of e-waste.
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They expected people to pay $50 in 1994 money for this Wow.
Who would want this big plastic gimmick taking up desk space It actually wouldn't be bad as just a screensaver. Just sell a disk that people can install a screensaver and be done with it. Save the landfills from a few more pieces of e-waste.
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vamp2250
Actually this is such a good idea to find super old obscure games like this and archive them, I feel like even off brand games are worth archiving, ty for ur service! Its also a pretty cool concept I genuinely cant imagine what demographic wouldve wanted it, maybe a college student idk
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Actually this is such a good idea to find super old obscure games like this and archive them, I feel like even off brand games are worth archiving, ty for ur service! Its also a pretty cool concept I genuinely cant imagine what demographic wouldve wanted it, maybe a college student idk
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nemisizz
I had that wallpaper as background, remember making flame animations and adding them as an overlay on the desktop, and it just tanked the performance lol.
For some reason i remembered as a Westwood wallpaper, i guess time takes it toll on the memory lol, nice throwback though
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I had that wallpaper as background, remember making flame animations and adding them as an overlay on the desktop, and it just tanked the performance lol.
For some reason i remembered as a Westwood wallpaper, i guess time takes it toll on the memory lol, nice throwback though
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n0m4. 69
I mean, I'd use it if I had one. Add it to my desk of ridiculous nonsense. I'm surprised people don't make things like this more often these days, like I'd buy this for $10 online as some goofy tat. Actually. Does anyone know if I can get something similar these days
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I mean, I'd use it if I had one. Add it to my desk of ridiculous nonsense. I'm surprised people don't make things like this more often these days, like I'd buy this for $10 online as some goofy tat. Actually. Does anyone know if I can get something similar these days
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pixelsafoison
After this many years, I now firmly believe that you live in a massive warehouse with a tiny section walled off for habitation.
I know that the price of land in the US is really cheap when compared to europe but holy s mate. Where do you store all of this!
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After this many years, I now firmly believe that you live in a massive warehouse with a tiny section walled off for habitation.
I know that the price of land in the US is really cheap when compared to europe but holy s mate. Where do you store all of this!
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leewm. gaudry3770
Im guessing each different controller outputs different keystrokes. Which is why the CD can contain all 3 programs, but only play the one for that controller. If you knew the keystrokes, you could play the other controller items from the keyboard.
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Im guessing each different controller outputs different keystrokes. Which is why the CD can contain all 3 programs, but only play the one for that controller. If you knew the keystrokes, you could play the other controller items from the keyboard.
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RoseWaltz
at one of my jobs we weren't allowed to have screen savers the 'destroyed' the screen, things like having it drip away, get eaten by explosions, etc, since it left private customer data on the screen
i do miss cheesy screensavers, they were fun!
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at one of my jobs we weren't allowed to have screen savers the 'destroyed' the screen, things like having it drip away, get eaten by explosions, etc, since it left private customer data on the screen
i do miss cheesy screensavers, they were fun!
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lazygamereviews
Just wanted to say again how happy I am you're recovering from the losses and bad times, and continuing to make the content you want to. This is the first Halloween thing I watched after getting off work and I can't think of a better start.
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Just wanted to say again how happy I am you're recovering from the losses and bad times, and continuing to make the content you want to. This is the first Halloween thing I watched after getting off work and I can't think of a better start.
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IamRobotMonkey
Ah yes. AfterDark. Memories of deleting that to free up space then asking Dad why the PC wouldn't load/work. If you know, you know. Fortunately Dad came to the rescue and I was gaming again, via a stern talking to, within an hour.
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Ah yes. AfterDark. Memories of deleting that to free up space then asking Dad why the PC wouldn't load/work. If you know, you know. Fortunately Dad came to the rescue and I was gaming again, via a stern talking to, within an hour.
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