LodgeNet Entertainment System

I have heard bits and pieces about this for a long time, but I finally have some concrete information about it. If anyone has more information, please let me know.

Some out there many have heard of the MegaJet, Sega's Genesis/Mega Drive unit that was built into airplaces and allowed passengers to play Genesis games by paying a small fee. Well, Nintendo came up with a somewhat similar idea, this time for hotel rooms, the "LodgeNet Entertainment System." Here's how it works: in each hotel room would be a TV set, which functioned like a normal TV, except in addition to the free TV channels the hotel offered, there would be a menu button on the TV's remote controls which brought up the LodgeNet menu. With this menu, one can order movies, or SNES games! Ironically, when I got to see this system for the first time a few weeks ago, the SNES games were removed, and I could have only ordered movies. From one account I read, they still had the SNES games available in an Atlantic City hotel just a few months ago, so I assume at some locations you can still find the games on the system.

The TV set is made by Philips, which shouldn't be a huge surprise, since Nintendo and Philips were partners at one time on several projects, including the Super NES CD-ROM. Attached to the TV set was a single slightly modified SNES controller. The controller attaches in the back alongside the usual coax in plug. Unlike normal SNES controllers, it does not attach with the usual SNES style plug, but rather with a telephone jack style plug and connector. Perhaps this was done to discourage people from stealing the controller, or perhaps it was for some technical reason, I don't know. The cord was twisted and curly, like the cord usually found between telephones and their handsets, to save space and keep things neater.

It has all the usual SNES buttons and usual layout, except for the start button being above the select button, there was no turbo fire functionality etc. But, in addition to controlling a game, it can also be used to change TV channels, bring up the menu, etc., just like on the remote control. There were also a few extra buttons for controlling the TV and the LodgeNet menu system. The controller has the usual philips head screws, and not security screws. I wanted to open the controller up and see what was inside and how it varied, if any, from a standard SNES controller, but I didn't have time. Also of note, is what it says on the back of the controller itself; its says that if the controller is detached from the TV set a $29.95 service charge will be added to the hotel bill. I found that rather odd, since instead of saying if the controller was missing you would pay for it, it says if you "detach" it from the TV you have to pay for it. Is that some sort of bad sematical choice, and they mean if you steal the controller you have to pay for it, or that if you literally unplug the controller from the TV, even if you plug it back in, you have to pay for it? Or perhaps by removing the controller, somehow you can play free games without paying for the service?

I am not sure about the cost of the service, but from what I can remember, it was about $5, I don't know if that is per game, per hour, or for one's entire stay at the hotel. If it is like any other hotel service, I am sure it was/is exhorbinantly expensive, especially considering most SNES games today can be had for $3-10.

How the service itself works is still a bit of a mystery to me. There is no external unit, everything except the controller is found inside the TV set. I assume the games are delivered over a cable modem type network, transferred to a SNES built-in the TV set from a server with all the games on it, and downloaded into a to flash RAM pseudo-cartridge. But, they could also, somehow, actually played/processed on a remote server-type machine and displayed on the TV. I am not sure, if anyone knows please let me know.

I read one games available on the system include Dr. Mario and Tetris. I am not sure about other games, but I am sure there were more. I would guess that none of the games used either a battery save, or any special enhancement chips, such as the Super FX, C3 or DSP chips. I would also tend to doubt any of the games they would have would be deeply involved, since people wouldn't have enough time during their stay to complete a deep and intense game, such as an RPG. Again, I could be completely wrong about all of these, so if you know, please let me know.