Bandai launched Playdia in Japan on 23 September 1994 as a multimedia system aimed mainly at children. It used CD-ROM and an infrared wireless controller, and its catalogue relied heavily on anime licences and popular Bandai characters. Many titles combined prerecorded video with simple choices and minigames, so its approach was closer to interactive CD entertainment than to the consoles focused on 3D graphics that appeared that same year. Playdia remained exclusive to the Japanese market.