Editing CD-i (section)

===Legacy===
[[File:Philips CD-i 450 Tietokonemuseo.JPG|thumb|The Philips CD-i 450 console at the Computer and Video Game Console Museum of [[Helsinki]] in 2012]]
Although extensively marketed by Philips, notably via [[infomercial]],<ref name="NGen12"/> consumer interest in CD-i titles remained low. By 1994, sales of CD-i systems had begun to slow, and in 1998 the product line was dropped. Plans for a second generation CD-i system were certainly present and [[Argonaut Software]] was even designated to design chip sets for the successor to the CD-i. However, company president [[Cor Boonstra]] saw no interest in the media area for Philips and so Philips sold everything, including the media subsidiary [[PolyGram|Polygram]].

The Dutch half of Philips Media was sold to [[LBi|Softmachine]], which released ''The Lost Ride'' on the CD-i as the last product for the CD-i. The French side of the company, who had purchased German publishers Bomico Entertainment Software and Laguna Video Games the year prior,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ibusiness.de/aktuell/db/1150739203.html |title=Philips Media kauft Bomico und Laguna |access-date=April 28, 2024 |archive-date=April 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428184524/https://www.ibusiness.de/aktuell/db/1150739203.html |url-status=live }}</ref> was sold to French publisher [[Infogrames]] in June 1997 along with the entire CD-i library as well as German publishers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Philips+Media+Transferred+Multimedia+Assets+to+Infogrames.-a019082032 |title=Philips Media Transferred Multimedia Assets to Infogrames |date=3 February 1997 |author=Staff writer |website=Business Wire |location=San Jose, California |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204102128/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Philips+Media+Transferred+Multimedia+Assets+to+Infogrames.-a019082032 |archive-date=February 4, 2013 |url-status=live |via=[[TheFreeDictionary.com#TheFreeLibrary.com|The Free Library]] |df=mdy-all }}</ref> A CD-ROM add-on for the [[Super NES]], which was announced for development with [[Nintendo]] in 1991, was never made.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/the-weird-history-of-the-super-nes-cd-rom-nintendos-mo-1828860861| url-status=live |  archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211031/https://kotaku.com/the-weird-history-of-the-super-nes-cd-rom-nintendos-mo-1828860861| archive-date=2021-10-31|title=The Weird History of the Super NES CD-ROM, Nintendo's Most Notorious Vaporware| date=September 7, 2018 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> The last CD-i game was ''[[Solar Crusade]]'', made by Infogrames and released in 1999.

After its discontinuation, the CD-i was overwhelmingly panned by critics who blasted its graphics, games, and controls. [[Microsoft]] CEO [[Bill Gates]] admitted that initially he "was worried" about the CD-i due to Philips' heavy support for the device and its two-pronged attack on both the games console and PC markets, but that in retrospect, "It was a device that kind of basically got caught in the middle. It was a terrible game machine, and it was a terrible PC."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=What the Hell Does Bill Gates Know About Games, Anyway? |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=18|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=June 1996|page=10}}</ref> The CD-i's various controllers were ranked the fifth worst video game controller by [[IGN]] editor Craig Harris.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 10 Tuesday: Worst Game Controllers |url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/690/690449p1.html |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=August 7, 2009 |date=February 21, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070114141120/http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/690/690449p1.html |archive-date=January 14, 2007 }}</ref> ''[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]'' ranked it as fourth on their list of "The 10 Worst Video Game Systems of All Time".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/168348/worst-game-consoles.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107114228/https://www.pcworld.com/article/168348/worst-game-consoles.html| archive-date=2019-11-07|title=The 10 Worst Video Game Systems of All Time|date=July 14, 2009|website=Pcworld.com|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> Gamepro.com listed it as number four on their list of ''The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/111822/the-10-worst-selling-consoles-of-all-time/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607060313/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/111822/the-10-worst-selling-consoles-of-all-time/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 7, 2011|title=The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time, Feature Story from GamePro|date=June 7, 2011|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> In 2008, [[CNET]] listed the system on its list of the worst game console(s) ever.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9862852-1.html |title=The worst game console(s) ever |first=Will |last=Greenwald |date=February 1, 2008 |work=[[CNET]] |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204051054/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9862852-1.html |archive-date=February 4, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2007, [[GameTrailers]] ranked the Philips CD-i as the fourth worst console of all time in its Top 10 Worst Console lineup.<ref>(May 6, 2007). [http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/g08xm5/gt-countdown-top-ten-worst-consoles Top Ten Worst Consoles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219181045/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg8-Ymu2n5o |date=December 19, 2020 }}, [[GameTrailers]]. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref>

In later retrospective years, the CD-i has become (infamously) best known for its video games, particularly those from the Nintendo-licensed ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' series, considered by many to be of poor taste.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/guides/30-hardest-video-games-ever/zeldas-adventure/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211031/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/guides/30-hardest-video-games-ever/zeldas-adventure/| url-status=live| archive-date=2021-10-31|title=The hardest video games ever, from Sekiro to Spelunky|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=October 2, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Games that were most heavily criticized include ''[[Hotel Mario]]'', ''[[Link: The Faces of Evil]]'', ''[[Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon]]'', and ''[[Zelda's Adventure]]''. EGM's [[Seanbaby]] rated ''The Wand of Gamelon'' as one of the [[List of video games notable for negative reception|worst video games of all time]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.seanbaby.com/nes/egm06.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104213153/http://www.seanbaby.com/nes/egm06.htm|url-status=dead|title=Seanbaby.com - EGM's Crapstravaganza: The 20 Worst Games of All Time<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref> However, ''[[Burn:Cycle]]'' was positively received by critics and has often been held up as the standout title for the CD-i.<ref name="GPro70"/><ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,304777,00.html| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211031/https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,304777,00.html| url-status=dead | archive-date=2021-10-31 | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | title=News Review: Burn: Cycle | date=December 9, 1994}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |year=1995 |title=Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide }}</ref><ref name="NGen12"/>