Description

The Brandt JO7400 is a 3rth generation Home Gaming Console introduced by Brandt in 1983. It is a special, tailor made, version of the Philips Videopac G7400.

The name JOPAC stands for Jeux Ordinateur or literally translated ‘Game Computer.’

Short history

Unlike other Videopac clones from Schneider, Siera & Radiola, Brandt totally redesigned their own version of the console. This is probably because Brandt, other than the forementioned companies, wasn’t a subsidiary of Philips and wanted the console to have its own signature. Brandt was in fact part of Thomson; just like Philips, a large European electronics company. The only thing it took from the regular Videopac are the internals and the space theme.

In fact, Philips and Thomson entered into an agreement that would benefit both companies. On the one hand, Brandt was allowed to produce its own version of the Videopac and on the other hand, Thomson/Brandt would produce specific French software and games that were based on the Videopac standard and thereby would run on all variants of Videopac consoles. This software was not only to run on the JOPAC consoles but also on the newly introduced Thomson microcomputers TO7 and MO5. This would help Philips extend its footprint on the French software marked.

Games

The Brandt/Thomson games and software weren’t available under any of the other labels, and included even a semi three-dimensional game ‘Moto Crash+’, and third-party plus variants like Imagics Demon Attack+. The Jopac games are fully compatible with the Philips G7400 and even produced a range that were compatible with the G7000. But never released under the Philips Badge.

Known games for the Jopac (but also work on the Vidopac 7400):

-Acrobats
-Armada
-Baby Foot
–Basket Bowling +
–Billard +
-Catapult +
–Chez Maxime;
–Cosmos +
-Demon Attack +
-Exojet +
-Flipper +
–Golf
–Grand Prix +
-Laser
-Le Trésor Englouti +
-Legion
-Magibrick
-Mith & Math
-Monster
-Motor Crash + (only worked on +models)
-Restaurant (non-french version of Chez Maxime)
-Satellite +
-Stadium
-Syracuse
–Syracuse +
-Western +

Rarity

The Brandt JO7400 is very rare. Much rarer than the regular Videopac G7400 and even than the G7401. But not as rare as the similar Continental Edison, also known as the SABA machine, called the JO1450.

References

-http://www.silicium.org/oldskool/console/philips/jopac.htm.
-http://www.videopac.org/jopac/.