OEM Bundle Catalog

Creative Labs

United States

Multmedia Bundles

Beginning in September 1994, Creative Labs began bundling CDs including Wing Commander II and later Wing Commander Academy with a variety of different multimedia upgrade kits. These kits typically included a CD-ROM drive and sound card plus a variety of extras like games, speakers and headphones. Because of the extremely competitive multimedia market in the mid-1990s and the rapid speed at which improved CD-ROM drives were being released, specific kits were upgraded and replaced quickly. Wing Commander kits ran from the 2x through the 4x period of CD-ROM drives with the final release coming in June 1995.

Three different OEM discs were available in the United States. The 1994 release (1213330145) included a large booklet of physical amnuals while the later versions included digital copies of the documentation.

CD-ROMs

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  1213330145
  Ultima VIII, Syndicate Plus, Strike Commander, Wing Commander II

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  1213330161
  Ultima VIII, Syndicate Plus, Strike Commander, Wing Commander II

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  1213330162
  Hong Kong Mahjong Pro, Ultima Underworld, Yeager's Air Combat, Savage Empire, Space Hulk, Wing Commander Academy, Seven Cities of Gold, Shadow Caster, Populous II, Ultima VII

Sound Blaster Edutainment CD 16

The Sound Blaster Edutainment was intended as a higher end alternative to the Discovery series of multimedia, bundling additional software alongside the same class of hardware. The line was introduced with the Edutainment CD 16 in September 1993 alongside the first 2x update of the Discovery CD 8 and Discovery CD 16 kits. Edutainment, a neologism, was intended to refer to the fact that it included both educational software (such as encyclopedias) and entertainment software (such as games) rather than the present-day definition. The Edutainment line was refreshed twice: a May 1994 update added a microphone and changed the bundled software and a September 1994 update changed the bundled software once again. The September 1994 configuration was also released with an external CD-ROM drive as the Edutainment EZ 16.

Sound Blaster Edutainment CD 16
Release Date:	September 1994
EA OEM CD	1213330145

Sound Blaster Edutainment EZ 16

Release Date: September 1994

Contents: 1213330145

Sound Blaster Discovery CD 16

Release Date: December 1994

Contents: 1213330145

Sound Blaster Multimedia Home 4x

Release Date: March 1995

Contents: 1213330161

Sound Blaster Discovery CD 4x

Release Date: April 1995

Contents: 1213330161

Sound Blaster Performance 4x

Release Date: June 1995

Contents: 1213330161

Sound Blaster Value CD 4x

Release Date: June 1995

Contents: 1213330162

Gateway 2000

Gateway 2000, later Gateway, Inc., was a South Dakota-based hardware company which offered customized personal computers from 1985 to 2007 when it was purchased by Acer. Gateway began offering a variety of OEM Origin titles in early 1995 as part of optional software bundles which could be purchased alongside a new PC. The Multimedia Software Flight Pack included Wing Commander Privateer and Armada and was advertised from February through November. A 10th Anniversary Software Bundle included Wing Commander III and was advertised from October 1995 through April 1996. In May 1998, Gateway sold a bespoke version of Wing Commander IV DVD as an optional bundle their Destination "big screen PC" systems.

Multimedia Software Flight Pack

Software: TFX: Tactical Fighter Experiment, Aces Over Europe, Comanche, Strike Commander, Privateer, Wing Commander Armada and Warplanes

Other: Quickshot Warrior 5 Plus joystick and 20-disk storage system

MSRP: $99

10th Anniversary Software Bundle

Software: BioForge, Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger, Magic Carpet II: The Netherworlds

Other: Gateway 2000 10th Anniversary t-shirt

MSRP: $49

Destination DVD Bundle

Software: Wing Commander IV DVD

MSRP: $99

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Media Vision

Media Vision was a California-based hardware company best known for the Pro AudioSpectrum line of sound cards which operated from 1990 to 1995. In addition to sound cards, Media Vision released a number of multimedia kits which bundled their sound card hardware with OEM CD-ROM drives and software. Media Vision bundled Wing Commander II and Ultima Underworld with the first releases of their Fusion line of entry level 1x CD-ROM kits which debuted in November 1992. The Fusion CD was an external SCSI kit which included the 8-bit Pro Audio Spectrum Plus sound card and the Fusion CD 16 was an internal kit which included a modified version of the 16-bit Pro Audio Spectrum 16 card which added Sony's proprietary CD-ROM connector. The Origin titles were replaced with CD-ROM versions of XF5700 Mantis Experimental Fighter and Sid Meier's Civilization in mid-1993 starting with the Fusion CD 16EX external kit and the Fusion Double CD-16 2x kits. Media Vision added copies of Battle Chess to the Fusion CD kits in late 1993 as they were selling off backstock.

Media Vision Fusion CD Multimedia Upgrade Kit

Drive: NEC CDR-25BJ 1x CD-ROM

Sound Card: Pro Audio Spectrum Plus

Speakers: Labtec CS-550

Software: Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Compton's Family Encyclopedia, Ultima Underworld, Wing Commander II (plus Battle Chess starting in late 1993)

MSRP: $499

Media Vision Fusion CD 16 Multimedia Upgrade Kit

Drive: Sony CDU-31A 1x CD-ROM

Sound Card: Pro Audio Spectrum 16

Speakers: Labtec CS-550

Software: Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Compton's Family Encyclopedia, Ultima Underworld, Wing Commander II

MSRP: $699

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