A while back we were discussing the official launch dates of CD-i worldwide, as on the internet various dates are published which are not always the same. CD-i was first launched October 15, 1991 in USA. But in 1992, CD-i was introduced in Europe. CD-i member Steep Haywire recently shared some CD-i discs which had the following sticker on it:
It shows these discs (in particular we have Battle Ship and Time Life 35mm Photography) were part of a launch party by Philips, on June 24th, 1992, located in 'La Grande Arche' in Paris, France. La Grande Arche is a monument and building in the business district of La Défense and in the commune of Puteaux, to the west of Paris, France. It was back then brand new, it opened in 1989. Philips probably chose this location to launch CD-i because of the central positioning in Europe and the innovative and iconic design of La Grande Arche! Philips presented the Philips Partner Program of this event on a separate CD-i disc:
The first public talks about the development of CD-i started in 1986. The press wrote about a new standard that was being developed by Philips, Sony and Matsushita and it would become as big as the CD-Audio. In 1990, Philips started selling kits to developers to promote the upcoming CD-Interactive system. In 1991 CD-i launched first in the USA. The specific date that CD-i was first available to the public was October 15. In the first half of 1992, CD-i was also introduced in Europe and in the hometown of Philips, The Netherlands.
That always leaves some questions that I'm interested in: Why was CD-i released first in USA? Does it have to do something with the Magnavox brand, and the popularity of the Odyssey console? Or is it just something American Interactive Media (which would become Philips Interactive Media of America later on) pushed through? On the internet the launchdate of CD-i is not always the same. Our sources claim that CD-i was first launched in the USA on October 15, 1991. That means, next year, October 15, 2021, we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the CD-i system!
[Thanks, Steep Haywire]