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NEC PC-FX - Fifth VideoGame Generation Recap - Adam Koralik
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- čas přidán 22. 12. 2019
- It's Adam Koralik here and today we're discussing the NEC PC-FX! This is a retro-active episode of my 5th generation recap videogame console series. I didn't originally own this console, but I do now!
I'm considering this part 6.15 as it wedges between episodes 6 and 6.3...and 6.5...and 7...Confusing, whatever, anyway, enjoy!
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"This console sucked HARD."
*jazz music stops*
"This console has a hentai game."
*sax music starts*
To be fair, the shitness of FMV was only fully apparent in hindsight, a lot of people and companies were really convinced it would take off much more than it ever did.
3DO and Sega CD are nodding positively at you.
I love that the games either come in a CD jewel case or a Disney VHS case. Nothing in between.
The Hudson Soft story is what Xbox did to Rare making them make Kinect games. 🤦♂️
I didn’t know Rare made them!
@@elephystry Yeah, Xbox made that entire division work on Kinect games.
At least they got to do Sea of Thieves, but I don't think we've heard of anything new coming from them since then.
12:50 That's like making Rare make Kinect Sports games. Wait.
Guess we'll have to make our own...
Linus Tech Tips be like: *Let's build a PC with a Ryzen processor using the NEC PC-FX shell … then hydro-dip it and add water cooling* :P
Probably a better use than a real pcfx lol
I once entertained the idea of building a SFF build in a PC-FX; there was a distinct lack of teardowns and specs to determine if it was going to work, so I forgot about it.
This was such a great console and I still play it to this day. It's not as diverse as the PC-98 or the PC-Engine, but damn it has some great stuff on it. The video capability was OUTSTANDING! If all you think is that it's a hentai machine, then you're completely misunderstanding things. That's like saying the PS4 is a FPS machine because of a few games. Check it out if you get the chance.
Not as diverse? It has like 80 games yo, and almost all are FMV titles. Unless you both like FMV games, and speak/read Japanese, then nearly every game is unplayable.
@@AdamKoralik 64 games and I have them all. RPGs, shooters, platformers, beat 'em ups, adventure, FMV games... They are fantastic. If you can't read Japanese, that's a shame, but the games are great. Give them a go, don't just write it off because it doesn't appeal to you. If it doesn't, that's not a problem, you can't like everything. However, it really does appeal to quite a few.
Adam, once you finish doing the retrospective series on consoles, you should do a retrospective talking about certain game developers and their history like Yu Suzuki, the games he created, your experience with his games etcetera.
Even if you can’t make them anytime soon, keep them in mind, your retrospective videos are my favorite.
Kind of like G4's Icons.
Hell yeah, great idea man!
I would definitely watch that :)
1:41 I would have gone with this NASCAR analogy "NEC PC-FX has just crashed & burned on the last turn of the final lap, meaning the PlayStation has won the Console Race!"
Mandated FMV games?! That is insane. Wow. No wonder I've never heard of this thing.
That hentai game also released on Windows, MS-DOS, and most importantly.. Saturn.
Somewhere Adam died a little inside after seeing this comment.
I’m really happy you are still covering systems. Your enthusiasm for these systems really show with your surprisingly expressive storytelling. Rock On Adam!
Never really saw a PC-FX, just pictures. NEC really dropped the ball on that one, makes Sega's mismanagement of the Saturn look genius in comparison. Kinda sad NEC, Sega, Atari, etc don't make consoles any more. Sony kind of won that generation by default, Nintendo was soooo secretive with the N64 and expensive and impractical cratridge format sunk the N64 which still turned out to be great, just wouldn't lead the market and Sony would.
True but I really wouldn't consider the Saturn much of a failure in Japan. I think Adam is right here though that if NEC released it when they were originally planning to in 1993, and then released their planned 3D card in 1995, the Saturn would have struggled even more. Heck, even the PlayStation and N64 likely wouldn't have done as well and I think it'd have been a pretty even market share between them all. But having 4 competitors long term is unlikely and somebody would have eventually given way. I still think it might have been NEC but it could have very well been Sega before the Dreamcast. With NEC providing the GPU for the Sega Dreamcast, a new NEC console would have likely ended up very similar to the Dreamcast anyway. It's funny and strange to think how much history would have changed had some different decisions been made.
@@Bristecom PC FX though seemed to be an underpowered mess of interactive movies as games. NEC completely misread the market. They did a terrible job of promoting the Turbografx-16 in the US, despite having a lot of really good games and popularity in Japan.
@@hepwo91222 Yeah, I don't think there was any chance of salvaging the US market. And yeah, as Adam mentioned, the push for FMV-based games and delays really ruined its chances in Japan. But if it were released in '92 or '93 as planned with more non FMV-based games to start with, it would have likely done very well. It wouldn't have been outdated at that time as it would have likely been the first with a 32-bit RISC CPU and the first entirely CD based console with noticeably better graphics and sound than the previous consoles (check out Kishin Douji Zenki FX: Vajura Fight for example). And if they had promised a superior 3D graphics upgrade when the Saturn and PlayStation were announced, it might have been enough to get people to go for the PC-FX and wait for the 3D card or wait for a combined 3D unit. They had an in-house 3D graphics chip released in '95 known as the PC-FXGA but they weren't too happy with it but if they held out until '96, they would have used the PowerVR PCX1 (earlier version of the Dreamcast chip) and that would have blown the Nintendo 64 away! Plus, the ability to use it as a CD drive for NEC computers was a big selling point to many Japanese people back then as NEC was the most popular for computers and add-on CD drives were kind of expensive. It really could have been a big success had they played these cards right.
Saturn didn’t fail in Japan. At ALL.
SEGA didn't mismanage the Saturn, Sega of America dropped the ball hard on it because they never wanted to get on board with it in the first place as they were already upset at SEGA of Japan for keeping its development TOP SECRET in 1993 as SOA thought SEGA was going with the JUPITER build(System 32 with Model 1 3D), but SOA was the one who miscalculated and ultimately let to PSX's create after giving Sony ALL of Jupiter's Trade Secrets, Designs and blueprints in 1992 after Sony had conned them into being an OEM potential for Jupiter by ILLEGALLY manufacturing Sega CD SKUs. SEGA of Japan as it turned out that SOA learned in Early 1993, had SLAMMED the door in Sony's face in September 1991 after Hirzai and Kutaragi were thrown out off SOJ's Haneda Offices for making boisterous claims that couldn't be substantiated. Turns out, Sony was SPYING on SEGA desperate to get information on whatever Next Gen project SEGA was involved as Sony was planning to design their own console using STOLEN designs from Nintendo's Super Famicom CD. SOJ scrapped Jupiter(Phase 1) in '93 in favor of AURORA(A 64-bit Model 2 Based Powerhouse) and Jupiter Phase 2(System 32 with Model 2 3D)which became SATURN.
The PSX was a DUBIOUSLY designed Console at best that became a commercial success under Dubious Circumstances and Luck and a then Giant Corp with Deep Pockets.
As NEC's PCFX? Timing is why it FAILED. You see, in '92, Tetsujin was set for launch in The Holiday of 1993 NOT 1994. NEC's R&D team also miscalculated SEGA and Nintendo, they were convinced that Reality/Atlantis was 2D only endeavor(It was) and that SEGA was going all out with a System 32 build(MARS/Giga Drive), but didn't realize that SEGA was already moving to a basic 3D solution away from MARS by 1992. Nintendo didn't start the Ultra 64 design until Early 1994, Sony's PSX caught them off guard, so Reality was retooled as VR32. Not really, Nintendo talked about Ultra 64 openly throughout 1994, its prototype(N64's ultimate design) was unveiled in the November 1994 issue of Nintendo Power. Nintendo went with Cartridges in 1995 because of SONY.
PCFX's plans for a November 1993 rollout in Japan fell through because NEC decided to dissolve their overseas gaming divisions, they shifted all focus to their domestic markets still holding steady in PC Engine sales despite the fact that by 1992, Mega Drive had ALREADY caught up in sales to PC Engine and by '93 was already sitting comfortably behind Super Famicom. PC Engine ultimately put NEC in 3rd place in Japan.
The NEC PCFX Finally belatedly launched in Japan on November 23,1994 ONE day after Saturn. But by then, SATURN had taken all the thunder. SEGA had success with it selling 280,000 units in 24 hours and had marketed it as a 64 BIT Console. NEC did NOT equip PCFX with 3D hardware like SEGA had and Nintendo was doing so with Ultra 64, OR software like Sony and 3DO had.
That coupled with its Steep price and underperforming hardware, the PCFX was a flop. And NEC knew it. They tried to save face with the Niche market. But to no avail.
Apparently, in 1996 and 1997, NEC and SEGA were in talks to bring PCFX's library ported over to SATURN. The talks ultimately fell though.
Regarding SEGA consoles, our business affiliate, MonKing Games have been working on a solution for FIVE years to bring them out of retirement. And we'll both soon be revealing DETAILS. Stay Tuned.
I'm really loving these retroactive additions 🤣
If I had a Time Machine, here's what I'd say to NEC in late 1994. "NEC... WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
Anyway this console is just a fail. Nuff said. What is not a fail is this video. Good job Adam.
Sega actually didn't make games for the pc engine, they only sold licensing rights to nec developers to reprogram games for the pc engine.
Glad you finally did this, I was waiting for it since you got the console. Btw, Return to Zork is an Activision pc game from the early 90s. Its more a point and click adventure rather than an fmv game.
Team Innocent is not FMV garbage, it’s a lot like resident evil you should give it a play! Also, check out vajura zenki, zeroigar (awesome shmup) and Ruruli Ra Rura and the Last Imperial Prince.
-thanks for the great content Adam, have a great holiday / new year !
I've always wanted to play Team Innocent ever since I saw pics of that game in Gamefan.
Exactly, Team Innocent is actually a very interesting game. I've played through it a handful of times and enjoyed it more than any other PC-FX game I've played. Referencing Resident Evil doesn't even do it justice as it released over a year earlier, rather it was influenced much more directly by Alone in the Dark (and possibly derivative Japanese games like Doctor Hauzer) albeit with a lighter tone and cute waifus in space.The narrative is very well done too, so the fact that there's a lot of dialogues and FMV cut-scenes didn't bother me, it's anime after all. Cheesy live action FMV is really a whole different genre from straight up anime FMV cut-scenes. The OST also has some fantastic tunes, especially in the opening and file select menus.The quality you expect from Hudson Soft really is there if you actually bother to give the game a chance, though it's not a 10/10 by any stretch. Can't say I've played anything like it to be honest, it doesn't really fit snugly into any category.
I spent about 15 minutes watching Team Innocent. Calling it "like Resident Evil" is a huge, huge insult to Resident Evil....
@@LordRayken First of all Team Innocent predates Resident Evil by over a year, so it's more of a predecessor if anything, though it's a very different game. There were not many other games like Alone in the Dark between its release and the release of Resident Evil, but an obscure Japanese game like the 3DO exclusive Doctor Hauzer was more or less derivative of it, while Team Innocent had much more of its own unique spin on the genre. This alone makes the game interesting. Also you should absolutely never pass judgement on any game based on video footage.
@@Mogura87 I usually reserve judgment... but not in this case
Happy holidays! next year is going to be a decade of me watching your content!!
Hard to believe we are back to another healthy generation of 3 leading console makers...Happy Holidays!
Kind of funny they eschewed polygons considering they later made pc graphics chip PowerVR that was used in the Dreamcast. If they'd waited a couple of years and made a console based on that chip it could have been interesting.
Not a full truth. NEC licensed PowerVR. PowerVR was made by VideoLogic. They work just how AMD and Nvidia do. They license their gpu design out for other manufactures to make them the hardware.
@@Clesarie
I didn’t even know that
You've been killing it with the uploads lately!
I hope you're around for years and years to come because your content is great. Also, CASIO MADE A GAME CONSOLE!?
Casio made two consoles
Adam, thanks for showing these obscure systems. Side note, the Japanese PC engine is a great looking machine.
I f*ckin' love this channel!
Happy Holidays/ Merry Christmas, Mr. Koralik- as well as everyone!
I work at McDonald’s. The computers that run the whole “system” are made by NEC
extra knowledge..........NEC only got the PC Engine right because Hudson was the one that designed the console/chips on it. NEC just made the hardware. When the PCFX came out NEC didn't want to spend the money at that time to make a graphics chips for it so they decided to go the FMV route and told Hudson to make FMV anime games since anime had exploded in the 90s . The expansion port in the back was supposed to hold the graphics chip that would be release later but this was cancelled. The graphics chip was eventually completed and sold for the NEC PC98 and it is called the PCFX-GA. No games got ever made for the PCFX-GA in a traditional sense. No companies actually made games using the chip but Japanese that bought the graphics chip for their PC-98s did make demo/homebrew games on it. you can see some of them on youtube. The chip did come with a demo called Same Game FX that showed what the hardware was capable off but that was about it. NEC abandoned console making and decided to just make cpu and other parts for game companies , NEC produced the CPU for the N64 and NEC teamed up with Imagination Technologies to produce the GPU in the Dreamcast.
Also, nec sold graphics chips to computers and its powervr to sega for the dreamcast. I wish pcfx-ga was successful and pc games were release/compatible with board.
Thank you for existing! You are awesome!!!
Man, I have to admit, as much as they bungled this system up in terms of what the market was gearing towards, I still wish we'd gotten this one over here. There's something endearing about this system.
fun never ends on your channel! love it. Thank you sir!!!
Another review I have been looking forward to! Thanks Adam.
Always like the format for the videos, feels like i'm attending mass at my local church where father Adams preaches the gospel of the old testament of classic video games
An interesting thing about this I found out from LGR is that like the 3DO, this console had an expansion board for PCs which lets you run PC-FX games on it.
On cons, not playable on a computer monitor.
God damn Adam! I’m trying to keep up with these! It’s hard to do an annual marathon of all of these!
I disagree,the Google Stadia is the most disappointing console.
STADIA IS NOT A CONSOLE
steam is the worst console! oh wait it's not a console...you sure know what u are saying dude XD
@John Huffington boy you ain’t lying, talk about buyers remorse. Slap full of mobile games.
ouya...
stadia is amazing and here in europe work flawlessly
adam, i love the series and your excellent take on the industry
PC Engine started declining in 1992. Mega Drive had CAUGHT up to it in Japan.
wow. I knew this console was a flop, but.. DAMN
This makes the concept of the 32X coming out between the Sega CD & the Saturn seem like brilliance compared to the decision making behind this thing LOL
I was so tempted to buy this. Thanks for the heads up!!
Best way to kick off a Monday here :)
Woah, You're Fifth Gen Collection is growning
Man, my friend has one of these and the games are great! It's just a shame there are so few of them. Langrisser II, Imperial Prince, Team Innocent, Zenki, Angelique... I just wish I had the machine to spend the time to play them properly. Plus, because of the tech they used, the games look AMAZING! It's like a hugely beefed up SNES. At the time, I see that it had little appeal with no 3D, but these days, the games look fantastic!
Notmies such
NEC bow out of the console market, a few years later, they make the GPU for the Dreamcast!
These are very interesting videos Adam thank you for them.
Another banger of an episode mate. 👍
How did get xbox series x so early
same pull park as sega cd
Merry xmas mr.adam and everybody else !
Man i looked high and low for this mythical game store called "Japan". My quest for useless obsolete cool shit continues
Lmao
Big Adam in the house. Happy xmas from the big papa style group.
As you mentioned, the original prototype of the PC-FX was shown off in 1992. It was shown in Japan and in the U.S. at CES (Summer CES in Chicago). Back then, it was called *Iron Man* aka Project *Tetsujin* - This version of the hardware had some flat-shaded polygon capabilities. There was a specific chip for this 3D, called Aurora (the HuC6273). The Aurora chip never made it into the final PC-FX console in December1994. NEC would now was now push mostly full screen HQ FMV games, some decent 2D sprite and BG abilities. NEC ditched the 3D hardware, but it never totally died. NEC later released the PC-FXGA (Game Accelerator) card which had something like the 3D polygon capabilities originally intended for Iron Man / Tetsujin. In fact, the PC-FXGA contained the HuC6273 Aurora GPU/chip.
Sad the pcfx ga board failed as well.
Adam ever heard of the NEC SUPERGRAFX? It's the NEC equivalent of the New Nintendo 3DS, even to the extent of having a pathetic 5 games exclusive to the hardware! 1 of those games was Makaimura A.K.A. Ghosts & Goblins/Ghouls & Ghosts, & even THAT was later ported to the SNES & Genesis!
I own one.
Spec wise very nice for its time but games were few and very expensive (1941 and Daimakaumura which I own are quite good)
3ds has good games like sega 3d classics which you can't experience the same way anywhere else.
So it’s basically NEC’s answer to the Sega CD, but as a full console instead of an add on
December 23rd 1994?
Ah I see what you did.
Yet another great video
Im gonna buy one of these very soon. Ive found a good handful of english translated games, and alot of the games on the console look like stuff i would enjoy.
Pretty excited about this one 🔥❤️
cool video tech talk adam
Completely agree! The PC FX was the greatest disappointing of that generation: almost incredible how was possible this prove of incompetence came from NEC and Hudson! Just incredible.
That said, it's true FMV games was the focus of this console but there was a small number of decent/good 2D games for that system: one of them you own and show: Team Innocent. It's an adventure with 2D sprites in a 3D (pre-renderized) environment. Like Resident Evil. With the plus of, if I remember correctly, some "shower scenes" 😉
You have a Casio loopy ? Can’t wait for that video. Awesome series!
the amount of effort you've gone into filling holes in the generational libraries is rather astounding man. thank you.
Also, seen the ETA Priem video on the dreamcast GDemu device? I know it's something youv'e already looked at (because you're the first place i saw it on) but still, thoughts on 'oh hey this is getting more coverage'?
I'm glad more people are developing an interest in the Dreamcast.
@@AdamKoralik Now if only SEGA ports everything to PC, those interested people may actually be able to play those games.
@@mopeybloke meh, the Dreamcast at least sold enough units they're still readily available for an affordable price. Though you can get 1080p or so with redream on a pretty old pc at this point.
That NEC full screen caught me off guard lmaooo
This video was some pure NEC roasting. They definitely screwed up.
Also you didn't mention this in the video, but NEC is a very similar company to Sony. They make tons of the same electronics and are a similar financial size. They could've became the PlayStation of the 5th gen if they got things right, they had the momentum. Imagine if there was a NEC console that was a worldwide success. But of course, they screwed up.
Imagine if they had done this console right...I mean, the PC-Engine CD/Turbo-CD had some really awesome games....I can imagine if they released a Ys sequel with some really high quality FMV cut-scenes here and there...FMV games killed the SegaCD as well, if NEC had just waited it out or just paid attention to the SegaCD market, they would have scrapped that FMV crap QUICK!!
wow its been 5 years since the evil Santa unboxing video, I now own a cdi also haha
Great Stuff!
What I've been waiting! So missguided yet there's something about those sprite based cutscene that I love. If only paired with the right amount of actual gameplay... I'm a total sucker for that early 5gen stuff.
8:30 *Cough* Vampire Mike of SEGACDUniverse *Cough*
I would like to check some of these consoles. I have never heard of these. They look very interesting
RE CAP RE CAP RE CAP!!!
REEEE CAAAAP REEEE CAAAAP!
you da man Adam!
I collected a lot of NEC consoles in the early 2000s and this one was always a myth. Never saw it. Knew nothing about it. Just that the Turbo Duo ruled and this was a 5th gen console like Saturn and PSX. Glad to learn about it.
Turbo Express was my favorite. Every one was rocking GBA and I had that thing in my backpack
Adam: "Especially at that point in time when everything was just-"
Ad: "DORITOS GOES 3D!"
Timestamp?
@@jamesf8783 A cool 4:44
The brawler and the shmup are actually amazing. Makes you wonder about the possibilities...
Sometimes I just wish I could see the true potential of a failed console. What if they ported cps1 games over to the PCFX? Could it be arcade perfect?
In any other industry, this level of incompetence and sheer stupidity would be criminal.
All I really remember about this system was seeing ads and previews for some of the import games in the likes of Diehard GameFan back in the 90s... if memory serves 'battle heat' was like a fighting game but all done in anime FMVs? sounded like a neat concept anyway but probably didn't pan out in the actual execution. only other one I saw anything on was zenki fx which I think was like a beat-em-up?! but yeah this coulda been so much more!
Can't wait for the Soulja Boy console retrospective in a few years.
Never happening.
@@AdamKoralik booo
I would love to see some good home brew for it.
Hey! I played it as my Uncle always bought those odd consoles back in the day and I remember playing a shit mega fuck ton of Bonk, Air Bonk, Pinball, Dungeon Crawlers, and most of all Bomber Man! Love it still and i still play it.
Do you mean the PC Engine?
Adam Koralik ye or the Turbografx-16 as he had a feeling the family would love it and we sure did
Adam Koralik then my Dad got the Neo Geo AES which was even better and then the Saturn. We had a lot of the good and very short life span consoles at the time.
Thank God it didn't beat Sega... Else we wouldn't have gotten Dreamcast. Best console ever
I remember seeing these in the back of EGM and wishing I could import one. Looked like a powerful system and that 6 button controller was sick. Too bad it didn’t have the library the PC Engine had.
Very similar to the Atari 7800 with the machine being complete and released in NYC and LA. Yet Jack Tremmel didn’t want to pay the console developer. So instead of going first they waited till 86’ and NES ate it’s lunch,
Very interesting video. Love your content.
Will you make more videos on unreleased consoles and console variants?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on them.
Would like to.
@@AdamKoralik oh mate you have to!
Your videos on each console generation are really detailed.
Would be great to give these unreleased consoles the same treatment.
Looks like a UPS you would find in a server room
@Adam are you going to do a video on the PC Engine Supergrafx? For some reason I thought you had, but I can’t seem to find a video.
Nah, I don't have one.
I had only heard of the PC-FX by name when it was relevant but didn’t know it was a next gen console until years later. Young me just kind of lumped it as another version of PC-Engine. Did not even know it was related to TG-16. But like you said, it wasn’t a big deal here in the states. I didn’t know a single person with one.
Not so sure about it beating the Saturn if they had better games. They had a good following, yes. But the name should have sold more consoles alone, at least at first. Sega tried to make a clean break from all prior hardware, and reinvent themselves for the Japanese market, and it worked, edging out even Sony for nearly 4 years before Bernie Stolar screwed it all up for Sega’s worldwide market (did great for Dreamcast, but left the west with virtually no income for Sega between e3 97 to DC launch 99). The Japanese division trying to rule the US market was a mistake all too well documented, but it worked on their home turf. Maybe it would have hurt Saturn a bit, but I’m not so sure it would have been enough to deter the Dreamcast.
I like the idea of a modular console...
It seems to me that not having at least some simple 3D capabilities was incredibly short sighted, even for '92 standards. I mean it should've at least been powerful enough to handle something like Star Fox or Virtua Racing's Genesis port without the extra chips present in those cartridges.
Will there be a FM towns marty video?. It would be great to get your take on it
Don't own one. :/
Also a point you are missing is that the Sega Saturn was selling better than the N64, so it would be impossible for the system to outsell the Saturn but not the N64.
Nec also made the supergrafx that have only five games and 2 bi compatible games.
Return to zork is actually a classic tbh.
I still watch your retrospective series all the time.
Amateur Teikyou CD-ROM (Japan) (NEC PC-FXGA)
There's some 3D polygon stuff on this disc, including a very basic, Toshinden-like fighting game demo.
No idea if it works on a native PC-FX. It was designed for the PC_FXGA .. the PC-FX on a board for DOS and the PC-98.
The same disc includes this as well: czcams.com/video/KSweaD7PWqw/video.html
It's the original prototype of the Xbox Series X!
Hey Adam, in all your trips to Japan, would you say the PC-FX is possible to find without too much difficulty?
I've seen it many times, yeah. I wouldn't call it common, but definitely not rare.
Hentai was a mistake... well actually it's one of the finest thing invented by mankind but for the purpose of this console, hentai really was a huge mistrake.
Sad story. Always wanted a PC Engine and the FX looked cool
It's weird to think that of all the fifth generation consoles, all 11 if we count the Loopy and Playdia, the 3DO came in 4th. I know it isn't your favorite system but I think it is worthy of that spot.
In fact, looking at the numbers, it's down right disrespectful that the FM Towns Marty finished 8th, considering it actually has a decent library. Hell, the PC-FX is fifth.
Have you played that one PC-FX game that’s been fan translated?
I have not.
NEC SuperGrafx: "Am I joke to you?"
NEC: "Yes."
PC-FX died so the Saturn could LIVE