website/content/museum/voltmace-database-games-computer.md

---
title: VOLTMACE Database Games-Computer
categories:
- Consoles
params:
  name: Database Games-Computer
  image: /media/museum/photos/voltmace_database-games-computer_1.jpg
  company: /companies/voltmace
  company_name: VOLTMACE
  tabs:
  - photos
  - hardware
  - software
  - emulators
  - links
  forum_thread: 1157
  photos:
  - title: VIDEOMASTER DATABASE MODEL
    subtitle: ''
    text: The Database was first marketed by Videomaster, subsidiary of Waddington.
    image: /media/museum/photos/videomaster_database_1.jpg
  - title: VIDEOMASTER DATABASE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      ... with Air Sea Battle cartridge inserted and plastic overlays placed on controllers

      Thanks to David Elvin for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/videomaster_database_2.jpg
  - title: BOX OPENED
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/voltmace_database_box_1.jpg
  - title: QUALITY TEST
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Here, in the Baldock factory, all consoles were tested one by one with a game. What is noteworthy is that the pinball game (available for the Interton VC-4000 for example) was never released for the Database.

      Thanks to David Elvin for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/voltmace_database_factory_1.jpg
  - title: LOOSE PARTS...
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      ...ready to be assembled in the Voltmace factory

      Thanks to David Elvin for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/voltmace_database_factory_2.jpg
  - title: EMPLOYEES RESTING
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      ...and drinking a cup of tea outside the Voltmace factory based in Baldock, UK.

      Thanks to David Elvin for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/voltmace_database_factory_3.jpg
  - title: ASSEMBLY LINE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      A technician is assembling the different parts of the Voltmace Database system together.

      Thanks to David Elvin for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/voltmace_database_factory_4.jpg
  - title: ASSEMBLY LINE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Women assembling the different parts of the motherboard.

      Thanks to David Elvin for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/voltmace_database_factory_5.jpg
  hardware:
  - title: VOLTMACE DELTA CONTROLLERS
    subtitle: for Acorn computers
    text: 'Voltmace modified its Database controllers to be sold for micro-computers, mainly Acorn systems : BBC and Electron (with Plus-1 interface). As the keypad was of no use anymore, it was reduced to only 3 fire buttons.'
    image: /media/museum/hardware/voltmace_joysticks.jpg
  screenshots:
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_1_box.jpg
  - title: CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_1_cart.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_8_box.jpg
  - title: CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_8_cart.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_10_box.jpg
  - title: CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_11_cart.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_12_box.jpg
  - title: CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_12_cart.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_14_box.jpg
  - title: CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_14_cart.jpg
  - title: CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_16_cart.jpg
  - title: CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/voltmace_database_soft_17_cart.jpg
  emulators:
  - title: WinArcadia
    url: http://amigan.1emu.net/releases/
    platform: Windows
    text: Arcadia 2001, Interton VC 4000, Elektor TVGC emulator!
  - title: AmiArcadia
    url: http://amigan.1emu.net/releases/
    platform: Amiga OS
    text: Arcadia 2001, Interton VC 4000, Elektor TVGC emulator!
  links:
  - title: 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System FAQ
    url: http://www.consoledatabase.com/faq/1292/1292faq.txt
    text: Very interesting info by Dale Hansen about this whole console family
  - title: Binary Dinosaurs
    url: http://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Museum/Pong/database.php
    text: This site has an interesting article about the Voltmace
  - title: Emerson Arcadia 2001 Central
    url: https://amigan.yatho.com/
    text: World's largest Interton site
  - title: INTERNAL LINK
    url: https://www.old-computers.com/magazine/view.asp?r=2&a=7
    text: We have made a page describing the VC 4000 and different compatible systems
  - title: Radofin 1292 FAQ
    url: http://www.digitpress.com/faq/1292faq.txt
    text: Excellent FAQ created by Dale Hansen
  - title: sig2650.wordpress.com
    url: https://sig2650.wordpress.com/
    text: Website dedicated to Signetics 2650 based systems, by former Voltmace developper Derek Andrews
  - title: VC4000.de
    url: http://www.vc4000.de
    text: Website dedicated to the Interton VC4000 (in German)
  related:
  - /museum/acetronic-mpu-1000-2000
  - /museum/cabel-universal-game-computer
  - /museum/interton-vc-4000
  - /museum/itmc-video-ordinateur-mpt-05
  - /museum/korting-tele-video-computer-tvc-4000
  - /museum/rowtron-television-computer-system
  - /museum/societe-occitane-d-electronique-oc-2000
  - /museum/t-r-q-talleres-radioelectricos-querol-h-21-video-computer
  oc_id: 1189
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230606202358/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1189
    date: '2023-06-06'
---

This obscure videogame system was made by Voltmace, a British company based in Baldock. Voltmace came into being in 1977 as a pure sales/marketing organisation - it offered sales facilities to companies who had a product to sell. They were contracted by one of the early pionneers in the video field to handle their product.

Shortly after this, Voltmace came into contact with Teleng who were putting out one of the first programmable machines and there ensued a short but profitable association during which Voltmace sold many of the British made game machines. But later Teleng's parent company decided to close down the factory in Essex and gradually run down video game production in the U.K.

Eventually, in 1980 Voltmace approached the Videomaster arm of the Waddington's company with a view to marketing their Database game machine - which was at the time being made in Hong Kong.

Their first season with the Database was quite successful and when, in early '81, the chance came to purchase the machine in its entirety, Voltmace jumped at the chance.

They could at last produce a British made video games machine in their Baldock factory and it was quickly arranged for all the tooling machinery to be shipped over from Hong Kong - by June '81 all the hardware needed was in Baldock and staff were recruited to start production.

One of the drawbacks of the Database machine when it was being made in Hong Kong was a certain reputation for unreliability. Voltmace tried to resolve that by strict quality-control and good after-sales service. But the Database couldn't resist long enough against competitors like [Atari](/museum/atari-vcs-2600/), [Intellivision](/museum/mattel-electronics-intellivision/) and [Colecovision](/museum/colecovision/), and the '83 videogame industry crash surely doomed the Voltmace adventure...

The other noteworthy Voltmace products were joysticks for popular micro-computers, mainly BBC systems. There were in fact Database controllers modified to be used with other systems.

In fact the Database is software compatible with the [Interton VC-4000](/museum/interton-vc-4000/) and "clones". This doesn't mean that it can use the Interton cartridges, as they won't fit, but the internal specs and software are the same. The CPU is the 2650A from Signetics and the Video Controller is the 2636 from Signetics as well.

About 40 cartridges has been released for the Interton VC-4000, but only 29 were available for the Database... It seems that a converter was available to play Interton cartridges on a Voltmace Database! Surprisingly, original games for the Database were programmed by Derek Andrews at the time : Leap-Frog, Crunch and a Defender clone (never released). See [Derek's interview](/magazine/interview-of-derek-andrews-programmer-of-leap-frog-and-munch-crunch-for-the-voltmace-database/) for more information.

Like with all the systems of the "Interton family", there are two controllers with 12 buttons keypad + 2 fire buttons + a joystick. Controllers were designed to use informative plastic layers delivered with each games, used to show the function of each key. The control panel is composed of an ON/OFF switch and 3 buttons (Reset program, Select Game, Start Game).

---

Thanks to **David Elvin** for most info

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this console ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>