  | |
 
| |
| Developer | Sega |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sega |
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | Fourth |
| Release date | |
| Lifespan |
|
| Introductory price | ¥21,000 (equivalent to ¥24,600 in 2019) US$189 (equivalent to $480 in 2024) £189.99 (equivalent to £550 in 2023) |
| Discontinued |
|
| Units sold |
|
| Media | ROM cartridge |
| CPU |
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| Memory | 64 KB RAM, 64 KB VRAM, 8 KB audio RAM |
| Display | |
| Sound | |
| Online services | |
| Best-selling game |
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| Backward compatibility | Master System[a] |
| Predecessor | Master System |
| Successor | Sega Saturn |
| Related | Sega CD 32X |
TheSega Genesis, known as theMega Drive[b] outside North America, is a16-bitfourth generationhome video game console developed and sold bySega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to theMaster System. Sega released it in 1988 in Japan as the Mega Drive, and in 1989 in North America as the Genesis. In 1990, it was distributed as the Mega Drive byVirgin Mastertronic in Europe,Ozisoft in Australasia, andTectoy in Brazil. In South Korea, it was distributed bySamsung Electronics as theSuper Gam*Boy and later theSuper Aladdin Boy.[c]
Designed by anR&D team supervised by Hideki Sato and Masami Ishikawa, the Genesis was adapted from Sega'sSystem 16 arcade board, centered on aMotorola 68000 processor as theCPU, aZilog Z80 as a sound controller, and a video system supporting hardwaresprites,tiles, and scrolling. It plays alibrary of more than 900 games onROM-based cartridges. Several add-ons were released, including a Power Base Converter to play Master System games. It was released in several different versions, some created by third parties. Sega created two network services to support the Genesis:Sega Meganet andSega Channel.
In Japan, the Mega Drive fared poorly against its two main competitors, Nintendo'sSuper Famicom andNEC'sPC Engine, but it achieved considerable success in North America, Brazil, and Europe. Contributing to its success was its library ofarcade gameports, the popularity of Sega'sSonic the Hedgehog series, several popular sports franchises, and aggressiveyouth marketing that positioned it as the cool console for adolescents. The 1991 North American release of theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System triggered a fierce battle for market share in the United States and Europe known as the "console war".[5][6] This drew attention to the video game industry, and the Genesis and several of its games attracted legal scrutiny on matters involvingreverse engineering andvideo game violence.Controversy surrounding violent games such asNight Trap andMortal Kombat led Sega to create theVideogame Rating Council, a predecessor to theEntertainment Software Rating Board.
30.75 million first-party Genesis units were sold worldwide. In addition, Tectoy sold an estimated 3 million licensed variants in Brazil, Majesco projected it would sell 1.5 million licensed variants of the system in the United States and smaller numbers were sold by Samsung in South Korea. By the mid-2010s, licensed third-party Genesis rereleases were still being sold byAtGames in North America and Europe. Many games have been re-released in compilations or on online services such as theNintendo Virtual Console,Xbox Live Arcade,PlayStation Network, andSteam. The Genesis was succeeded in 1994 by theSega Saturn.
In the early 1980s,Sega Enterprises, Inc. – then a subsidiary ofGulf+Western – was one of the top fivearcade game manufacturers active in the United States, as company revenues surpassed $200 million between July 1981 and June 1982.[7] A downturn in the arcade business starting in 1982 seriously hurt the company, leading Gulf+Western to sell its North American arcade manufacturing organization and the licensing rights for its arcade games toBally Manufacturing.[8][9] The company retained Sega's North American R&D operation, as well as its Japanese subsidiary, Sega Enterprises, Ltd. With its arcade business in decline, Sega Enterprises, Ltd. presidentHayao Nakayama advocated that the company leverage its hardware expertise to move into the home console market in Japan, which was in its infancy at the time.[10]
Nakayama received permission to proceed with this project, leading to the release of Sega's first home video game system, theSG-1000, in July 1983.[11] While it had sold 160,000 units in Japan, far exceeding Sega's expectations,[12][13] sales at stores were dominated byNintendo'sFamicom which had been released the same day. Sega estimated that the Famicom outsold the SG-1000 by a 10-to-1 margin.[11] The SG-1000 was replaced by theSega Mark III within two years.[14] In the meantime, Gulf+Western began to divest itself of its non-core businesses after the death of company founderCharles Bluhdorn,[15] so Nakayama and former Sega CEODavid Rosen arranged amanagement buyout of the Japanese subsidiary in 1984 with financial backing fromCSK Corporation, a prominent Japanese software company. Nakayama was then installed as CEO of Sega Enterprises, Ltd.[16]
In 1986, Sega redesigned the Mark III for release in North America as the Master System. This was followed by a European release the next year. Although the Master System was a success in Europe, and later in Brazil, it failed to ignite significant interest in the Japanese or North American markets, which, by the mid-to-late 1980s, were both dominated by Nintendo.[17][18][19] With Sega continuing to have difficulty penetrating the home market, Sega's console R&D team, led by Masami Ishikawa and supervised by Hideki Sato,[20] began work on a successor to the Master System almost immediately after that console launched.[21][22]
In 1987, Sega faced another threat to its console business when Japanese computer giantNEC released thePC Engine amid great publicity.[23] To remain competitive against the two more established consumer electronics companies, Ishikawa and his team decided they needed to incorporate a16-bit microprocessor into their new system to make an impact in the marketplace and once again turned to Sega's strengths in the arcade industry to adapt the successfulSega System 16 arcade board into architecture for a home console.[22][24] The decision to use aMotorola 68000 as the system's main CPU was made late in development, while aZilog Z80 was used as a secondary CPU to handle the sound due to fears that the load to the main CPU would be too great if it handled both the visuals and the audio.[22] The 68000 chip was expensive and would have driven the retail price of the console up greatly, but Sega was able to negotiate with a distributor for a tenth of its price on an up-front volume order with the promise of more orders pending the console's future success.[11]
The appearance of the Mega Drive was designed by a team led by Mitsushige Shiraiwa that drew inspiration fromaudiophile equipment and automobiles. Shiraiwa said this more mature look helped to target the Mega Drive to all ages, unlike the Famicom, which was aimed primarily at children.[25] According to Sato, the Japanese design for the Mega Drive was based on the appearance of an audio player, with "16-bit" embossed in a golden metallic veneer to create an impression of power.[13]
The console was announced in the June 1988 issue of the Japanese gaming magazineBeep! as the Mark V, but Sega management wanted a stronger name. After reviewing more than 300 proposals, the company settled on "Mega Drive". In North America, the name was changed to "Genesis".[24] Rosen said he insisted on the name as he disliked "Mega Drive" and wanted to represent "a new beginning" for Sega.[26] Sato said some design elements changed, such as the gold "16-bit" wording, in case it was mistaken for yellow. He believed the changes represented different Japanese and American cultural values.[13]
Sega released the Mega Drive in Japan on October 29, 1988,[1] though the launch was overshadowed by Nintendo's release ofSuper Mario Bros. 3 a week earlier. Positive coverage from magazinesFamitsu andBeep! helped to establish a following.[24] Within two days of release, the console's initial production run sold out.[27] However, Sega only managed to ship 400,000 units in the first year. In order to increase sales, Sega released various peripherals and games, including an online banking system andanswering machine called the Sega Mega Anser.[24] Nevertheless, the Mega Drive was unable to overtake the venerableFamicom[28] and remained a distant third in Japan behind Nintendo'sSuper Famicom and NEC's PC Engine throughout the 16-bit era.[29]
At the time, Sega did not possess a North American sales and marketing organization and was distributing its Master System throughTonka. Dissatisfied with Tonka's performance, Sega looked for a new partner to market the Genesis in North America and offered the rights toAtari Corporation, which did not yet have a 16-bit system. David Rosen made the proposal to Atari CEOJack Tramiel and the president of Atari's Entertainment Electronics Division, Michael Katz. Tramiel declined to acquire the new console, deeming it too expensive, and instead opted to focus on theAtari ST. Sega decided to launch the console through its own Sega of America subsidiary. It officially launched in September 1989, though a handful of units reached retailer shelves in New York and Los Angeles in late August.[30][31]
The European version of the Mega Drive was released in September 1990,[32] at a price of£189.99,[33][34] i.e.$337 (equivalent to $755 in 2024). The release was handled byVirgin Mastertronic, which was later purchased by Sega in 1991 and became Sega of Europe.[35] Games likeSpace Harrier II,Ghouls 'n Ghosts,Golden Axe,[34]Super Thunder Blade, andThe Revenge of Shinobi were available in stores at launch. The console was also bundled withAltered Beast.[33] The Mega Drive and its first batch of games were shown at the 1990 European Computer Entertainment Show (ECES) inEarl's Court.[36] Between July and August 1990, Virgin initially placed their order for 20,000 Mega Drive units. However, the company increased the order by 10,000 units when advanced orders had exceeded expectations, and another 10,000 units was later added following the console's success at the ECES event. The projected number of units to be sold between September and December 1990 had eventually increased to 40,000 units in the United Kingdom alone.[37]
Other companies assisted in distributing the console to various countries worldwide.Ozisoft handled the Mega Drive's launch and marketing in Australia, as it had done before with the Master System.[38] In Brazil, the Mega Drive was released byTectoy in 1990,[39] only a year after the Brazilian release of the Master System. Tectoy produced games exclusively for the Brazilian market and brought theSega Meganet online service there in 1995.[40]Samsung handled sales and distribution inKorea, where it was named Super Gam*Boy and retained the Mega Drive logo alongside the Samsung name.[41] It was later renamed Super Aladdin Boy.[42] In India, Sega entered a distribution deal withShaw Wallace in April 1994[43] in order to circumvent an 80% import tariff, with each unit selling forINR₹18,000.[44][45]
In Russia, Sega officially licensed the console to local distributor Forrus in 1994,[46] replaced in 1996 by Bitman. That year, the video game console market generated between$200,000,000 (equivalent to $413,000,000 in 2024) and$250,000,000 (equivalent to $516,000,000 in 2024) in Russia, with Sega accounting for half of all console sales in the country. However, only about 15% of the sales were official Sega units distributed by Bitman, while the rest were unofficial counterfeit clones.[47][48]
For the North American market, former Atari Corporation Entertainment Electronics Division president and new Sega of America CEO Michael Katz instituted a two-part approach to build sales. The first part involved a marketing campaign to challenge Nintendo head-on and emphasize the more arcade-like experience available on the Genesis,[49] with slogans including "Genesis does what Nintendon't".[24] Since Nintendo owned the console rights to most arcade games of the time, the second part involved creating a library of recognizable games which used the names and likenesses of celebrities and athletes, such asPat Riley Basketball,Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf,James 'Buster' Douglas Knockout Boxing,Joe Montana Football,Tommy Lasorda Baseball,Mario Lemieux Hockey, andMichael Jackson's Moonwalker.[23][50] Nonetheless, Sega struggled to overcome Nintendo's presence in consumers' homes.[51] Tasked by Nakayama to sell one million units within the first year, Katz and Sega of America sold only 500,000.[24] At the WinterConsumer Electronics Show (Winter CES) in January 1990, the Sega Genesis demonstrated a strong line-up of games which received a positive reception for approaching arcade-quality graphics and gameplay as well as for providing non-arcade experiences such asPhantasy Star II.[52]
In mid-1990, Nakayama hiredTom Kalinske to replace Katz as CEO of Sega of America. Although Kalinske knew little about the video game market, he surrounded himself with industry-savvy advisors. A believer in therazor and blades model, he developed a four-point plan: cut the price of the console, create an American team to develop games targeted at the American market, expand the aggressive advertising campaigns, and replace the bundled gameAltered Beast with a new game,Sonic the Hedgehog.[51] The Japanese board of directors initially disapproved of the plan,[53] but all four points were approved by Nakayama, who told Kalinske, "I hired you to make the decisions for Europe and the Americas, so go ahead and do it."[24] Critics praisedSonic as one of the greatest games yet made, and Genesis sales increased as customers who had been waiting for the release of the international version of Nintendo's Super Famicom, theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), decided to purchase a Genesis instead.[51] The SNES debuted against an established competitor, while NEC'sTurboGrafx-16 failed to gain traction, and NEC soon pulled out of the market.[54] In large part due to the popularity ofSonic the Hedgehog, the Genesis outsold the SNES in the United States nearly two to one during the 1991 holiday season. Sega controlled 65% of the16-bitconsole market in January 1992, the first time Nintendo had not been the console leader since 1985.[55]
The Genesis outsold the SNES for four consecutive Christmas seasons[56] due to its two-year lead, lower price point, and larger game library compared to the SNES at its release.[57] Sega had ten games for every game on SNES, and while the SNES had an exclusive version ofFinal Fight, one of Sega's internal development teams createdStreets of Rage, which had bigger levels, tougher enemies, and a well-regarded soundtrack.[57]ASCII Entertainment reported in early 1993 that Genesis had 250 games versus 75 for the SNES, but limited shelf space meant that stores typically offered 100 Genesis and 50 SNES games. The NES was still the leader, with 300 games and 100 on shelves.[58]
Sega's advertising positioned the Genesis as the cooler console,[57] and coined the termblast processing, an obscure and unused graphics programming method, to suggest that its processing capabilities were far greater than those of the SNES.[59][60] ASony focus group found that teenage boys would not admit to owning an SNES rather than a Genesis.[61] With the Genesis often outselling the SNES at a ratio of 2:1,[62] Nintendo and Sega focused heavily onimpression management of the market, even going to the point of deception; Nintendo claimed it had sold more consoles in 1991 than it actually had, and forecasted it would sell 6 million consoles by the end of 1992, while its actual U.S. install base at the end of 1992 was only just more than 4 million units.[63] Due to these tactics, it was difficult to ascertain a clear leader in market share for several years at a time, with Nintendo's dollar share of the U.S. 16-bit market dipping down from 60% at the end of 1992 to 37% at the end of 1993,[64] Sega claiming 55% of all 16-bit hardware sales during 1994,[65] andDonkey Kong Country helping the SNES to outsell the Genesis from 1995 through 1997.[56][66][67][68][69] According to a 2004 study ofNPD sales data, the Genesis maintained its lead over the Super NES in the American 16-bit console market.[70] However, according to a 2014Wedbush Securities report based on revised NPD sales data, the SNES outsold the Sega Genesis in the U.S. market by1.5 million units.[71]
To compete with Nintendo, Sega was more open to new types of games, but still tightly controlled the approval process for third-party games and charged high prices for cartridge manufacturing.[72] The American publisherElectronic Arts (EA) sought a better deal, but met resistance from Sega.[73] They decided toreverse-engineer the Genesis, using aclean-room method similar to the methodPhoenix Technologies had used to reverse-engineer theIBM Personal ComputerBIOS around 1984.[74]
The process began in 1989, led by Steve Hayes and Jim Nitchals.[75] They created a controlled room in EA headquarters nicknamed "Chernobyl", to which only one person was allowed access, Mike Schwartz. Schwartz reviewed Sega's copyrighted development manuals and tools, studied the Genesis hardware and games, and wrote original documentation that summarized his findings. The process took him about a month.[73] His work was reviewed by EA's lawyers before being disseminated to Hayes and Nitchals to verify its originality, and subsequently to the rest of the developers to let them build games.[74] After a few months, EA began developing for the Genesis in earnest.[73] The EA founder,Trip Hawkins, confronted Nakayama the day before the 1990Consumer Electronics Show (CES), informing him that EA had the ability to run its own licensing program if Sega refused to meet its demands. Sega relented, and the next day EA's upcoming Genesis games were showcased at CES.[73]
EA signed what Hawkins described as "a very unusual and much more enlightened license agreement" with Sega in June 1990: "Among other things, we had the right to make as many titles as we wanted. We could approve our own titles ... the royalty rates were a lot more reasonable. We also had more direct control over manufacturing."[75] After the deal was in place, EA chief creative officerBing Gordon learned that "we hadn't figured out all the workarounds" and "Sega still had the ability to lock us out ... It just would have been a public relations fiasco."[73] EA released its first Genesis games,Populous andBudokan: The Martial Spirit, within the month.[75] The first Genesis version of EA'sJohn Madden Football arrived before the end of 1990,[75] and became what Gordon called a "killer app".[73] Taking advantage of the licensing agreement, Gordon and EA's vice president of marketing services, Nancy Fong, created a visual identifier for EA's Genesis cartridges: a yellow tab molded into the casing.[73]
Sega held a company-wide contest to create a mascot character to compete with Nintendo'sMario series. The winning submission was a blue hedgehog with red shoes,Sonic, created byNaoto Ohshima,[76] spawningone of the best-selling video game franchises in history.[77][78] The gameplay ofSonic the Hedgehog originated with atech demo created byYuji Naka, who had developed a prototype platform game that involved a fast-moving character rolling in a ball through a long winding tube. This concept was developed with Ohshima's character design and levels conceived by designerHirokazu Yasuhara.[79]
Although Katz and Sega of America's marketing experts dislikedSonic, certain that it would not catch on with American children,[23][80] Kalinske's strategy to placeSonic the Hedgehog as the pack-in game paid off.[5][81]Sonic the Hedgehog greatly increased the popularity of the Genesis in North America,[60] and the bundle is credited with helping Sega gain 65% of the market share against Nintendo.[3] Similarly, in Europe, Sega captured a 65% share of the European console market,[82] where the Mega Drive maintained its lead over the SNES through 1994.[83]Sonic the Hedgehog 2 set records[84] for the fastest-selling game,[85] selling3.2 million copies worldwide within two weeks,[86] andSonic the Hedgehog 3 andSonic & Knuckles sold a combined4 million copies worldwide.[87]
After the release of the Genesis in 1989, video game publisherAccolade began exploring options to release some of theirPC games on the console. At the time, Sega had a licensing deal in place forthird-party developers that increased the costs to the developer. According to Accolade co-founderAlan Miller, "One pays them between $10 and $15 per cartridge on top of the real hardware manufacturing costs, so it about doubles the cost of goods to the independent publisher."[88] To get around licensing, Accolade chose to seek an alternative way to bring their games to the Genesis. It did so by purchasing one in order todecompile theexecutable code of three Genesis games. Such information was used to program their new Genesis cartridges in a way that would allow them to disable the security lockouts on the Genesis that prevented unlicensed games from being played.[89][90] This strategy was used successfully to bringIshido: The Way of Stones to the Genesis in 1990.[91] To do so, Accolade had copied Sega's copyrighted game code multiple times in order to reverse engineer the software of Sega's licensed Genesis games.[92][93]
As a result of piracy in some countries and unlicensed development issues, Sega incorporated a technical protection mechanism into a new edition of the Genesis released in 1990, referred to as the Genesis III. This new variation of the Genesis included a code known as the Trademark Security System (TMSS), which, when a game cartridge was inserted, would check for the presence of thestring "SEGA" at a particular point in the memory contained in the cartridge. If the string was present, the console would run the game, and would briefly display the message: "Produced by or under license from Sega Enterprises, Ltd."[89] This system had a twofold effect: it added extra protection against unlicensed developers and software piracy and forced the Sega trademark to display when the game was powered up, making a lawsuit for trademark infringement possible if unlicensed software were to be developed.[90][93] Accolade learned of this development at theWinter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1991, where Sega showed the new Genesis III and demonstrated it screening and rejecting anIshido game cartridge.[90] With more games planned for the following year, Accolade successfully identified the TMSS file. It later added this file to the gamesHardBall!,Star Control,Mike Ditka Power Football, andTurrican.[90]
In response to the creation of these unlicensed games, Sega filed suit against Accolade in theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of California, on charges of trademark infringement,unfair competition, and copyright infringement. In response, Accolade filed a counterclaim for falsifying the source of its games by displaying the Sega trademark when the game was powered up.[92][94] Although the district court initially ruled for Sega and issued an injunction preventing Accolade from continuing to reverse engineer the Genesis, Accolade appealed the verdict to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.[95]
As a result of the appeal, the Ninth Circuit overturned the district court's verdict and ruled that Accolade's decompilation of the Sega software constituted fair use.[96] The court's written opinion followed on October 20, 1992, and noted that the use of the software was non-exploitative, although commercial.[89][97] Further, the court found that the trademark infringement, being required by the TMSS for a Genesis game to run on the system, had been inadvertently triggered by a fair use act and was the fault of Sega for having caused false labeling.[89] Ultimately, Sega and Accolade settled the case on April 30, 1993. As a part of this settlement, Accolade became an official licensee of Sega, and later developed and releasedBarkley Shut Up and Jam! while under license.[98] The terms of the licensing, including whether or not any special arrangements or discounts were made to Accolade, were not released to the public.[99] The financial terms of the settlement were also not disclosed, although both companies agreed to pay their own legal costs.[100]
In 1993, the American media began to focus on the mature content of certain video games. Games such asNight Trap for theSega CD, anadd-on, received unprecedented scrutiny. Issues aboutNight Trap were brought up in theUnited Kingdom, with former Sega of Europe development director Mike Brogan noting that "Night Trap got Sega an awful lot of publicity ... it was also cited inUK Parliament for beingclassified as '15' due to its use of real actors."[101] This came at a time when Sega was capitalizing on its image as an edgy company with attitude, and this only reinforced that image.[28] By far the year's most controversial game wasMidway'sMortal Kombat, ported to the Genesis and SNES byAcclaim Entertainment. In response to public outcry over the game's graphic violence, Nintendo decided to replace the blood in the game with "sweat" and the arcade's gruesome "fatalities" with less violent finishing moves.[102] Sega took a different approach, instituting America's first video game ratings system, theVideogame Rating Council (VRC), for all its current systems. Ratings ranged from the family-friendly GA rating to the more mature rating of MA-13, and the adults-only rating of MA-17.[102] With the rating system in place, Sega released its version ofMortal Kombat, appearing to have removed all the blood and sweat effects and toning down the finishing moves even more than in the SNES version. However, all the arcade's blood and uncensored finishing moves could be enabled by entering a "Blood Code". This technicality allowed Sega to release the game with a relatively low MA-13 rating.[103] Meanwhile, the tamer SNES version shipped without a rating.[103]
The Genesis version ofMortal Kombat was well-received by gaming press, as well as fans, outselling the SNES version three- or four-to-one,[102][104][105] while Nintendo was criticized for censoring the SNES version.[103] Executive vice president of Nintendo of AmericaHoward Lincoln was quick to point out at the hearings thatNight Trap had no such rating, saying to SenatorJoe Lieberman:
Furthermore, I can't let you sit here and buy this nonsense that this SegaNight Trap game was somehow only meant for adults. The fact of the matter is this is a copy of the packaging. There was no rating on this game at all when the game was introduced. Small children bought this atToys "R" Us, and he knows that as well as I do. When they started getting heat about this game, then they adopted the rating system and put ratings on it.[102]
In response, Sega of America vice president Bill White showed a videotape of violent video games on the SNES and stressed the importance of rating video games. At the end of the hearing, Lieberman called for another hearing in February 1994 to check on progress toward a rating system for video game violence.[102]
As a result of thecongressional hearings,Night Trap started to generate more sales and released ports to thePC,Sega 32X, and3DO. According toDigital Pictures founder Tom Zito, "You know, I sold 50,000 units ofNight Trap a week after those hearings."[102] Although experiencing increased sales, Sega decided to recallNight Trap and re-release it with revisions in 1994 due to the congressional hearings.[106] After the close of these hearings, video game manufacturers came together to establish the rating system that Lieberman had called for. Initially, Sega proposed the universal adoption of its system, but after objections by Nintendo and others, Sega took a role in forming a new one. This became theEntertainment Software Rating Board, an independent organization that received praise from Lieberman.[102] With this new rating system in place for the 1994 holiday season, Nintendo decided its censorship policies were no longer needed, and the SNES port ofMortal Kombat II was released uncensored.[103]
Sega released two add-ons to increase the Genesis capabilities: a CD peripheral, theSega CD (Mega-CD outside North America and Brazil), and a 32-bit peripheral, theSega 32X.[81] Worldwide, Sega sold 2.24 million Sega CD units[107] and 800,000 32X units.[108]
Following the launch of the next-generation 32-bit SonyPlayStation andSega Saturn, sales of 16-bit hardware and software continued to account for 64% of the video game market in 1995.[109] Sega underestimated the continued popularity of the Genesis and did not have the inventory to meet demand.[109][110] Sega captured 43% of the dollar share of the U.S. video game market and claimed to have sold more than two million Genesis units in 1995, while Genesis software such asVectorman remained successful, but Kalinske estimated that "we could have sold another 300,000 Genesis systems in the November/December timeframe".[110] Nakayama's decision to focus on the Saturn, based on the systems' relative performance in Japan, has been cited as the major contributing factor in this miscalculation.[109] By contrast, Nintendo concentrated on the 16-bit home console market, as well as its successfulhandheld, theGame Boy, and took in 42% of the video game market dollar share without launching a 32-bit console.[109] Following tensions with Sega Enterprises, Ltd. over its focus on the Saturn, Kalinske, who oversaw the rise of the Genesis in 1991, lost interest in the business and resigned in mid-1996.[111]
Sega sold 30.75 million Genesis units worldwide.[112] However, some sources claim that the console sold 40 million units during its lengthly lifespan.[113][114][115][116] Of these, 3.58 million were sold in Japan,[107] and sales in Europe and the U.S. are roughly estimated at 8 million[117][118] and 18–18.5 million as of June 1997 (at which time Sega was no longer manufacturing the system) respectively.[119][71][120] In 1998, Sega licensed the Genesis toMajesco Entertainment to rerelease it in North America. Majesco began reselling millions of unsold cartridges at a budget price, together with 150,000 units of the second model of the Genesis.[119] It released the Genesis 3,[121] projecting to sell 1.5 million units of the console by the end of 1998.[119] As of 2012, Tectoy had sold an estimated 3 million Genesis units.[122][123]
The mainmicroprocessor is a 16/32-bitMotorola 68000CPU clocked at 7.6MHz.[124] An 8-bitZilog Z80 processor controls the sound hardware and providesbackward compatibility with the Master System. The Genesis has 64KB ofRAM, 64 KB ofvideo RAM and 8 KB of audio RAM.[125] It can display up to 61 colors[126] at once from apalette of 512. The games are inROM cartridge format and inserted in the top.[127]
The Genesis produces sound using aTexas Instruments SN76489programmable sound generator, integrated with theVideo Display Processor (VDP), and aYamaha YM2612FM synthesizer chip. The Z80 processor is primarily used to control both sound chips to produce stereo music and sound effects. Most revisions of the original Genesis contain a discrete YM2612 and a separate YM7101 VDP; in a later revision, the chips were integrated into a single customASIC (FC1004).[127]
The back of the Model 1 console provides anRF output port (designed for use with antenna and cable systems) and a specialized 8-pinDIN port, which both provide video and audio output. Both outputs producemonophonic sound; aheadphone jack on the front of the console producesstereo sound.[128] On the Model 2, the DIN port, RF output port, and headphone jack are replaced by a 9-pinmini-DIN port on the back forcomposite video,RGB and stereo sound, and the standard RF switch.[129] Earlier Model 1 consoles have a 9-pin extension port. Anedge connector on the bottom right of the console can be connected to a peripheral.[130]
The standard controller features a rounded shape, adirectional pad, three main buttons, and a start button. In 1993, Sega released a slightly smaller pad with three additional face buttons, similar to the design of buttons on arcade fighting games such asStreet Fighter II. Sega also released a wireless revision of the six-button controller, the Remote Arcade Pad.[131]
The system is backward compatible with the Master System. The first peripheral is the Power Base Converter (Mega Adaptor in Japan and Master System Converter in Europe), which allows Master System games to be played.[132] It is designed for the Model 1 revisions and will work with the Model 2 revisions, however the shell blocks the power and AC ports of the Model 2 revision, meaning that the converter must have its shell modified or by using a pass-through adaptor. A second model known as the Master System Converter II was released only in Europe for use with the Mega Drive II, which works with other region Genesis consoles and revisions but lacks the ability to use Master System cards. Both the original Power Base Converter and the Master System Converter II do not work with the Nomad or the Genesis 3.[131]
Other peripherals were released to add functionality. TheMenacer is a wireless infraredlight gun used with compatible games.[132] Other third parties created light gun peripherals, such asAmerican Laser Games andKonami. Released for art creation software, the Sega Mega Mouse features three buttons and is only compatible with a few games, such asEye of the Beholder. A foam-covered bat called theBatterUP and the TeeVGolf golf club were released for both the Genesis and SNES.[131]
In November 1993, Sega released the Sega Activator, an octagonal device that lies flat on the floor and was designed to translate the player's physical movements into game inputs.[131][133] It was first shown at the January 1993Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where it was demonstrated withStreets of Rage 2.[134] Several high-profile games, includingMortal Kombat andStreet Fighter II: Special Champion Edition, were adapted to support the peripheral. The device was a commercial failure, due mainly to its inaccuracy and its high price point.[131][135]IGN editor Craig Harris ranked the Sega Activator the third-worst video game controller ever made.[136]
Both EA and Sega releasedmultitaps to allow more than two players to play at once. Initially, EA's version, the 4 Way Play, and Sega's adapter, the Team Player, only supported each publisher's games. In response to complaints, Sega said a new Team Player, which would work with all Genesis multitap games, would be released.[137] Later games were created to work on both the 4 Way Play and Team Player.[131]Codemasters also developed theJ-Cart system, providing two extra ports on the cartridge itself, although the technology came late in the console's life and is only featured on a few games.[138] Sega planned to release asteering wheel peripheral in 1994, and the Genesis version ofVirtua Racing was advertised as "steering wheel compatible", but the peripheral was cancelled.[139]
In its first foray intoonline gaming, Sega createdSega Meganet, which debuted in Japan on November 3, 1990. Operating through a cartridge and a peripheral called the "MegaModem", this allowed Mega Drive players to play a total of seventeen games online. A North American version, dubbed "Tele-Genesis", was announced at the WinterConsumer Electronics Show (Winter CES) in January 1990 but never released,[140][52] though a version was operated in Brazil starting in 1995.[40] Another phone-based system, the Mega Anser, turned the Japanese Mega Drive into an online banking terminal.[24]
In 1994, Sega started theSega Channel, a game distribution system usingcable television servicesTime Warner Cable andTCI. Using a special peripheral, Genesis players could download a game from a library of fifty each month and demos for upcoming releases. Games were downloaded to internal memory and deleted when the console was powered off. The Sega Channel reached 250,000 subscribers at its peak and ran until July 31, 1998, well past the release of the Sega Saturn.[140]
In an effort to compete with Sega, third-party developer Catapult Entertainment created theXBAND, a peripheral which allowed Genesis players to engage in online competitive gaming. Using telephone services to share data, XBAND was initially offered in five U.S. cities in November 1994. The following year, the service was extended to the SNES, and Catapult teamed up withBlockbuster Video to market the service, but as interest in the service waned, it was discontinued in April 1997.[141]
The Genesis library was initially modest, but eventually grew to contain games to appeal to all types of players. The initial pack-in game wasAltered Beast, which was replaced withSonic the Hedgehog in 1991.[24] Top sellers includedSonic the Hedgehog,Sonic the Hedgehog 2 andDisney's Aladdin.[142] Sega Enterprises focused on developingaction games, while Sega of America was tasked with developingsports games. A large part of the appeal of the Genesis library was thearcade-based experience of its games, as well as more difficult entries such asEcco the Dolphin, and sports games such asJoe Montana Football.[24] Compared to its competition, Sega advertised to an older audience by hosting more mature games, including the uncensored version ofMortal Kombat.[24]
The arcade hitStreet Fighter II byCapcom was initially released on the SNES. As the Genesis continued to grow in popularity, Capcom released a Genesis version,Street Fighter II: Champion Edition,[143] which sold more than a million copies.[144] One of the biggest third-party companies to support the Genesis early on was Electronic Arts.Trip Hawkins, founder and then president of EA, believed the faster drawing speed of the Genesis made it more suitable for sport games than the SNES, and credits EA's success on the Genesis for helping catapult the EA Sports brand.[145] Another third-party blockbuster for the system was the port ofMortal Kombat. Although the arcade game was released on the SNES and Genesis simultaneously, the two ports were not identical. The SNES version looked closer to the arcade game, but the Genesis version allowed players to bypass censorship, helping make it more popular.[146] In 1997, Sega of America claimed the Genesis had a softwareattach rate of 16 games sold per console, double that of the SNES.[147]
The Super NES supports the inclusion ofenhancement chips inside each cartridge to produce more advanced graphics; for example, the launch gamePilotwings (1990) contains adigital signal processor. Later, theSuper FX chip was designed to offload complex rendering tasks from the main CPU. It was first used inStar Fox (1993) for real-time 3D polygons, andSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995) demonstrates rotation, scaling, and stretching of individual sprites and manipulates large areas of the screen.[148]
Sega had produced such effects on its arcade platforms, and adapted some to the home console by developing the Sega Virtua Processor (SVP). Based on adigital signal processor core bySamsung Electronics, this chip enables the Genesis to render polygons in real time and provides an "Axis Transformation" unit that handles scaling and rotation.Virtua Racing (1994) is the only game released with this chip and the only Genesis cartridge with any enhancement chip, running at a significantly higher and more stable frame rate than filled polygon games on the SNES.[148] The chip drastically increased the cost of the cartridge, and atUS$100 (equivalent to $220 in 2024),Virtua Racing is the most expensive Genesis cartridge ever produced. Two other games,Virtua Fighter andDaytona USA, were planned for the SVP chip, but were instead moved into the Saturn's launch line-up.[148] Sega planned to sell the SVP chip as a separate upgrade module for the Genesis,[149][150] but it was canceled, in order to focus its efforts on the more powerful 32X add-on.[148]
In addition to accessories such as the Power Base Converter, the Genesis supports two add-ons that each support their own game libraries. The first is the Sega CD (known as the Mega-CD in all regions except for North America), acompact disc-based peripheral that can play its library of games inCD-ROM format.[151] The second is the Sega 32X, a32-bit peripheral which uses ROM cartridges and serves as a pass-through for Genesis games.[152] Sega produced a custompower strip to fit the peripherals' largeAC adapters.[153] Both add-ons were officially discontinued in 1996.[67][151][152]
By 1991, compact discs had gained in popularity as adata storage device for music and software. PCs and video game companies had started to make use of this technology. NEC had been the first to include CD technology in a game console with the release of theTurboGrafx-CD add-on, and Nintendo was making plans to developits own CD peripheral as well. Seeing the opportunity to gain an advantage over its rivals, Sega partnered withJVC to develop a CD-ROM add-on for the Genesis.[6][154][155] Sega launched the Mega-CD in Japan[6] on December 1, 1991, initially retailing atJP¥49,800.[156] The CD add-on was launched in North America on October 15, 1992, as the Sega CD, with a retail price ofUS$299;[6] it was released in Europe as the Mega-CD in 1993.[156] In addition to greatly expanding the potential size of its games, this add-on unit upgraded the graphics and sound capabilities by adding a second, more powerful processor, more system memory, and hardware-basedscaling androtation similar to that found in Sega's arcade games.[6][157] It provided battery-backed storage RAM to allow games to save high scores, configuration data, and game progress.[154]
Shortly after its launch in North America, Sega began shipping the Sega CD with the pack-in gameSewer Shark, afull motion video (FMV) game developed byDigital Pictures, a company that became an important partner for Sega.[6] Touting the benefits of the CD's comparatively vast storage space, Sega and its third-party developers produceda number of games for the add-on that include digital video in their gameplay or as bonus content, as well as re-releasing several cartridge-based games with high-fidelity audio tracks.[151][154] In 1993, Sega released the Sega CD 2, a smaller and lighter version of the add-on designed for the Genesis II, at a reduced price compared to the original.[151] A limited number of games were later developed that use both the Sega CD and theSega 32X add-ons.[158]
The Mega-CD sold only 100,000 units during its first year in Japan, falling well below expectations. Although many consumers blamed its high launch price, it also suffered from a tiny software library; only two games were available at launch. This was due in part to the long delay before Sega made its software development kit available to third-party developers.[156] Sales were higher in North America and Europe, although the novelty of FMV and CD-enhanced games quickly wore off, as many later games were met with lukewarm or negative reviews. In 1995, Sega announced a shift in focus to its new console, the Saturn, and discontinued advertising for Genesis hardware. The Sega CD sold 2.24 million units worldwide.[107]
With the release of the Saturn scheduled for 1995, Sega began developing a stopgap to bridge the gap between the Genesis and Saturn and serve as a less expensive entry into the32-bit era.[159] At theWinter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1994, Sega of Americaresearch and development head Joe Miller took a phone call from Nakayama, in which Nakayama stressed the importance of a quick response to theAtari Jaguar. One idea came from a concept from Sega Enterprises, referred to by former Sega of America producer Michael Latham as "Genesis 2",[160] which was a new standalone console.[161] The concept was initially planned as a new version of the Genesis, with an upgraded color palette and a lower cost than the Saturn, and limited3D capabilities thanks to integration of ideas from the development of the Sega Virtua Processor chip. Miller suggested an alternative strategy, citing concerns with releasing a new console with no previous design specifications within six to nine months.[162] At the suggestion from Miller and his team, Sega designed the 32X as a peripheral for the existing Genesis, expanding its power with two 32-bitSuperH-2 processors.[160] The SH-2 had been developed in 1993 as a joint venture between Sega and Japanese electronics companyHitachi.[163] At the end of the Consumer Electronics show, with the basic design of the 32X in place, Sega Enterprises invited Sega of America to assist in development of the new add-on.[162]
Although the new unit was a stronger console than originally proposed, it was not compatible with Saturn games.[160] Before the 32X could be launched, the release date of the Saturn was announced for November 1994 in Japan, coinciding with the 32X's target launch date in North America. Sega of America now was faced with trying to market the 32X with the Saturn's Japan release occurring simultaneously. Their answer was to call the 32X a "transitional device" between the Genesis and the Saturn.[161] This was justified by Sega's statement that both platforms would run at the same time and that the 32X would be aimed at players who could not afford the more expensive Saturn.[152]
The 32X was released in November 1994, in time for the holiday season. Demand among retailers was high, and Sega could not keep up orders for the system.[160] More than 1,000,000 orders had been placed for 32X units, but Sega had only managed to ship 600,000 units by January 1995.[152] Launching at about the same price as a Genesis console, the price of the 32X was less than half of what the Saturn's price would be at launch.[159] Though positioning the console as an inexpensive entry into 32-bit gaming, Sega had a difficult time convincing third-party developers to create games for the new system. After an early run on the peripheral, news soon spread to the public of the upcoming release of the Sega Saturn, which would not support the 32X's games. The Saturn was released on May 11, 1995,[164] four months earlier than its originally intended release date of September 2, 1995.[165] The Saturn, in turn, caused developers to further shy away from the console and created doubt aboutthe library for the 32X, even with Sega's assurances that there would be a large number of games developed for the system. In early 1996, Sega conceded that it had promised too much out of the 32X and decided to stop producing the system in order to focus on the Saturn.[152] Prices for the 32X dropped to$99 and cleared out of stores at$19.95.[160]
More than a dozen licensed variations of the Genesis/Mega Drive have been released.[166] In addition to models made by Sega, alternate models were made by other companies, such asMajesco Entertainment, AtGames,JVC,Pioneer Corporation,Amstrad, andAiwa. A number ofbootleg clones were created during its lifespan.[24]
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Genesis Nomad | TeraDrive |
In 1993, Sega introduced a smaller, lighter version of the console,[127] known as theMega Drive II in Japan, Europe, and Australia[d] and sold asGenesis (without the Sega prefix) in North America. This version omits the headphone jack, replaces the A/V-Out connector with a smaller version that supports stereo sound, and provides a simpler, less expensivemainboard that requires less power.[130]
Sega released a combined, semi-portable Genesis/Sega CD unit, the Genesis CDX (marketed as the Multi-Mega in Europe). This unit retailed atUS$399.95;[167] this was roughlyUS$100 more than the individual Genesis and Sega CD units put together, as the Sega CD had been reduced toUS$229 half a year before.[168] The CDX was bundled withSonic CD,Sega Classics Arcade Collection, and the Sega CD version ofEcco the Dolphin.[169] The CDX features a smallLCD screen that, when the unit is used to play audio CDs, displays the current track being played.[170] With this feature and the system's lightweight build (weighing two pounds), Sega marketed it in part as aportable CD player.[167]
Late in the 16-bit era, Sega released ahandheld version of the Genesis, theGenesis Nomad. Its design was based on the Mega Jet, a Mega Drive portable unit featured on airplane flights in Japan. As the only successor to theGame Gear, the Nomad operates on 6AA batteries, displaying its graphics on a 3.25-inch (8.25-mm) LCD screen. The Nomad supports the entire Genesis library (save forone game that requires the use of the reset button, which the Nomad lacks), but cannot be used with the Sega 32X, the Sega CD, or the Power Base Converter.[171]
Exclusive to the Japanese market was theTeraDrive, a Mega Drive combined with anIBM PC compatible computer. Sega also produced threearcade system boards based on the Mega Drive: the System C-2, theMegaTech, and the MegaPlay, which support approximately 80 games combined.[24]
 |  |  |
Wondermega (JVC model) | Wondermega 2 | Amstrad Mega PC |
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Genesis 3 | Firecore | LaserActive |
Working with Sega Enterprises, JVC released theWondermega on April 1, 1992, in Japan. The system was later redesigned by JVC and released as the X'Eye in North America in September 1994. Designed by JVC to be a Genesis and Sega CD combination with high quality audio, the Wondermega's high price ($500 at launch[172]) kept it out of the hands of average consumers.[173] The same was true of thePioneer LaserActive, which requires an add-on known as the Mega-LD pack, developed by Sega, in order to play Genesis and Sega CD games. Although the LaserActive was lined up to compete with the3DO Interactive Multiplayer, the combined price of the system and the Mega-LD pack made it a prohibitively expensive option for Sega players.[174] Aiwa released the CSD-GM1, a combination Genesis/Sega CD unit built into aboombox. Several companies added the Mega Drive to personal computers, mimicking the design of Sega's TeraDrive; these include theMSX models AX-330 and AX-990, distributed inKuwait andYemen, and theAmstrad Mega PC, distributed in Europe and Australia.[24]
After the Genesis was discontinued, Majesco Entertainment released the Genesis 3 as a budget version in 1998.[175] This version is even smaller in comparison to earlier models, but it can only play standard cartridges as it omitted support for the Sega CD and the 32X.[176][177] A similar thing happened in Portugal, where Ecofilmes, Sega's distributor in the country, obtained a license to sell the Mega Game II. This version was more akin to the second first-party model, being noteworthy the inclusion of six-button controllers and a switch to alternate between different game regions, enabling this version to play all games without the need for any device or modification to bypass region locking.[178]
A number of Genesis and Mega Driveemulators have been produced, including GenEM, KGen, Genecyst, VGen,[179] Gens,[180] and Kega Fusion. TheGameTap subscription gaming service included a Genesis emulator and had several dozen licensed Genesis games in its catalog.[181] The Console Classix subscription gaming service includes an emulator and has several hundred Genesis games in its catalog.[182]
Compilations of Genesis games have been released for other consoles. These includeSonic Mega Collection andSonic Gems Collection forPS2,Xbox, andGameCube;Sega Genesis Collection for PS2 andPSP; andSonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (known as theSega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection in PAL territories) forPlayStation 3 andXbox 360.[183][184]
During his keynote speech at the 2006Game Developers Conference, Nintendo presidentSatoru Iwata announced that Sega would make a number of Genesis/Mega Drive games available to download on theWii'sVirtual Console.[185] There are select Genesis games available on the Xbox 360 throughXbox Live Arcade, such asSonic the Hedgehog andSonic 2,[186] as well as games available via thePlayStation Network[187] andSteam.[188]
Companies such asRadica Games have also released various compilations of Genesis and Mega Drive games in "plug-and-play" packages resembling the system's controller.[189]
On May 22, 2006, North American companySuper Fighter Team releasedBeggar Prince, a game translated from a 1996Chinese original.[190] It was released worldwide and was the first commercial Genesis game release in North America since 1998.[191] Super Fighter Team would later go on to release two more games for the system,Legend of Wukong andStar Odyssey.[191] In December 2010, WaterMelon, an American company, releasedPier Solar and the Great Architects, the first commercialrole-playing video game specifically developed for the console since 1996,[192] and was the biggest 16-bit game ever produced for the console at the time at 64Mb (roughly 8 Megabytes).[193]Pier Solar is the only cartridge-based game which can optionally use the Sega CD to play an enhanced soundtrack and sound effects disc.[194] In 2013, independent programmer Future Driver, inspired by the Disney filmWreck-It Ralph, developedFix-It Felix Jr. for the Genesis.[195] In 2017, American company Mega Cat Games releasedCoffee Crisis, aBeat 'em up, for the Sega Genesis.[196]
On December 5, 2007, Tectoy released a portable version of the Genesis/Mega Drive with twenty built-in games.[197] Another version called "Mega Drive Guitar Idol" comes with two six-button joypads and aguitar controller with fivefret buttons. TheGuitar Idol game contains a mix of Brazilian and international songs. The console has 87 built-in games, including some from Electronic Arts based on themobile phone versions.[198] In 2016, Tectoy announced that they had developed a new Genesis console that not only looks almost identical to the original model of the Genesis, but also has a traditional cartridge slot andSD card reader, which was released in June 2017.[199]
In 2009, Chinese company AtGames produced a Genesis/Mega Drive-compatible console, the Firecore.[200] It features a top-loading cartridge slot and includes two controllers similar to the six-button controller for the original Genesis. The console has 15 games built-in and is region-free, allowing cartridge games to run regardless of their region.[201] AtGames also produced a handheld version of the console preloaded with 20 games.[200][202] Both machines have been released in Europe by distributing companyBlaze Europe.[201]
In 2018, Sega announced adedicated console, theGenesis/Mega Drive Mini.[203] The console includes 40 games, includingGunstar Heroes andCastlevania: Bloodlines, with different games for different regions and a save-anywhere function.Streets of Rage composerYuzo Koshiro provided the menu music. The console was released worldwide on September 19, 2019.[204]
Crowdfunded Sega Genesis games have been released in recent years, withTanglewood, a puzzle platformer being released on August 14, 2018, andXeno Crisis released on October 28, 2019. Both games were created by indie-game developers using actual Sega development hardware to ensure compatibility with the Genesis.[205] On December 16, 2020,Paprium, WaterMelon's follow up game toPier Solar, was released after nearly a decade in development.[206]
At the time of its release, the Genesis received positive reviews. Andy Storer ofNew Computer Express praised the console's responsive controls and graphics, and said the Genesis was "straight out of the future".[207] Similarly,Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) in a 1989 preview of the console spoke highly of the system's hardware but questioned Sega's ability to support the console given their difficulties with the Master System.[208]New Computer Express called the Genesis "the [console] to have" in 1990, rating it 5 out of 5 stars while predicting the console would lead the market.[209] In the same year,EGM complimented how well the Genesis' games took advantage of the console's hardware, but expressed concern about the slow pace of new releases of games, with four reviewers scoring the console 9, 8, 8, and 10 out of 10.[210]
Reviewing the Genesis in 1995,Game Players noted that its rivalry with theSuper NES was skewed by genre, with the Genesis having superiorsports games and the Super NES superiorRPGs. Commenting that the Genesis hardware was aging and the new software drying up, they recommended consumers buy a next-generation system or aGenesis Nomad instead, but also advised those who already owned a Genesis to not sell it.[211] In a 1997 year-end review, a team of fiveEGM editors gave the Genesis scores of 4.5, 5.0, 4.0, 4.5, and 7.5 – for all five editors, the lowest score they gave to any of the five consoles reviewed in the issue. While their chief criticisms were the lack of upcoming game releases and dated hardware, they also concurred that the Genesis was clearly inferior to the Super NES in terms of graphics capabilities, sound chip, and games library. John Ricciardi, in particular, considered the Genesis overrated, saying he had consistently found more enjoyment in both the Super NES andTurboGrafx-16, while Dan Hsu and Crispin Boyer recommended it based on its selection of classic titles and the high value-for-money of the sixpack-in games Sega was offering at the time.[212]
The Genesis has often ranked among the best video game consoles. In 2009,IGN named it the fifth best video game console, citing its edge in sports games and better home version ofMortal Kombat, and lauding "what some consider to be the greatest controller ever created: the six button".[213] In 2007,GameTrailers named the Genesis as the sixth best console of all time in their list of top ten consoles that "left their mark on the history of gaming", noting its great games and solid controller, and writing of the "glory days" ofSonic the Hedgehog.[214] In January 2008, technology columnist Don Reisinger proclaimed that the Genesis "created the industry's best console war to date", citingSonic the Hedgehog, superior sports games, and backward compatibility with the Sega Master System.[215] In 2008, GamingExcellence ranked it sixth of the 10 best consoles, declaring, "one can truly see the Genesis for the gaming milestone it was."[216] At the same time,GameDaily rated it ninth of ten for its memorable games.[217]
In 2014, USgamer's Jeremy Parish wrote, "If theAtari generation introduced video games as a short-lived '70s fad ... and theNES generation established it into an enduring obsession for the young, Sega's Genesis began pushing the medium toward something resembling its contemporary form", expounding that the system served as "the key incubator for modern sports franchises", made "consoles truly international" by providing Western third-parties previously put at a disadvantage by Nintendo's restrictive licensing policies with a more profitable alternative, created "an online subscription service" that foreshadowed "PlayStation Plus more than 15 years early" with the Sega Channel, and "played a key role in ensuring the vitality and future of the games industry by breaking Nintendo's near-monopolistic hold on the U.S. and awakening the U.K. to the merits of television gaming".[218]
For his part, Kalinske highlighted Sega's role in developing games for an older demographic and pioneering "the concept of the 'street date'" with the simultaneous North American and European release ofSonic the Hedgehog 2.[219][220] John Sczepaniak ofRetro Gamer noted, "It was a system where the allure was born not only of the hardware and games, but the magazines, playground arguments, climate, and politics of the time."[24] Sega of America's marketing campaign for the Genesis was widely emulated, influencing marketing in the subsequent generation of consoles.[221]
The original Megadrive game sold over 14 million copies.
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help) (Translation by Shmuplations.Archived 2020-08-14 at theWayback Machine).[Sega co-founder David Rosen] was also responsible for renaming the machine for the American market. It has been suggested that this was the result of a trademark dispute, but Rosen is adamant he simply didn't like the term 'Mega Drive'. 'I came up with the name "Genesis" because I felt this would be a new beginning for Sega,' he explains. 'At first, the Japanese management didn't care for the word, but I insisted on it.'
Launch of official Mega Drive in UK: Sept 1990
The late November release of Donkey Kong Country stood in stark contrast to the gloom and doom faced by the rest of the video game industry. After three holiday seasons of coming in second to Sega, Nintendo had the biggest game of the year. Sega still outperformed Nintendo in overall holiday sales, but the 500,000 copies of Donkey Kong Country that Nintendo sent out in its initial shipment were mostly sold in preorder, and the rest sold out in less than one week. It (Donkey Kong Country) established the Super NES as the better 16-bit console and paved the way for Nintendo to win the waning years of the 16-bit generation.
During the run-up to the Western launch of Mega-CD ... [Former Sega of America technical director Scot Bayless] mentioned the fact that you could just 'blast data into the DACs'. [The PR guys] loved the word 'blast' and the next thing I knew 'Blast Processing' was born."
Granted, the Mega Drive wasn't met with quite the same levels of enthusiasm in Japan, but in the US and Europe the Mega Drive often outsold the SNES at a ratio of 2:1.
His first priority is fixing the disaster in the U.S. market, where Nintendo's share of the 16-bit machine business plummeted from 60% at the end of 1992 to 37% a year later, according to Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Sega said its products accounted for 55% of all 16-bit hardware sales for 1994
While a new generation of home game systems got all the hype in '95, the older 16-bit machines still jumped off the shelves. – Nintendo SNES 2.7 million – Sega Genesis 2.1 million – Sega Saturn[*] 300,000 – Sony PlayStation[**] 550,000 – 3DO 250,000 – 64-bit Atari Jaguar 150,000
Sega hit its projections on the mark, selling 1.1 million hardware units and 3 million Sega Genesis games. While the company recently announced it will dispose of all remaining 16-bit peripheral inventory, specifically the Genesis 32X and Sega CD products, it will continue to sell Genesis hardware and software in the coming years.
1.4 million (Super NES) units sold during 1996
To date, the combined series has sold over 80 million units.cf."Annual Report 2014"(PDF). Sega Sammy Holdings. April 2014. pp. 32–33.Archived(PDF) from the original on September 24, 2015. RetrievedNovember 9, 2015. cf.North, Dale (June 8, 2015)."Sonic thrives on mobile: 100MDash downloads, 14M monthly players".VentureBeat.Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. RetrievedNovember 17, 2015.
Sega confirmed today that its mobile runnerSonic Dash has zoomed past the 100 million downloads mark.cf."Annual Report 2015"(PDF). Sega Sammy Holdings. April 2015. p. 29.Archived(PDF) from the original on November 17, 2015. RetrievedNovember 17, 2015.
Mark Cerny: I heard, I kid you not, that the characters were "unsalvageable," that this was a "disaster," and that "procedures would be put in place to make sure that this sort of thing would never happen again." These "procedures" included a proposed "top ten list of dos and don'ts" to follow when making products for the American market. Additionally, I was told that the marketing group would be contacting a known character designer (I won't reveal the name, but it made me cringe at the time) to make a character that showedexactly what the American market needed. Needless to say, this character designer would have been totally inappropriate for the Japanese market. Not that great for the American market either, I suspect.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 breaks all records for sales of video/computer games
Through March 1992, "Sonic" sales had climbed to2.8 million packages, a record high for Sega software. "Sonic 2," introduced in November 1992, proceeded to outperform its predecessor. The initial release of3.2 million packages sold out only two weeks after hitting the stores
Finally with regards to the launch of the 32X Shinobu Toyoda of Sega of America recalls, 'We had an inventory problem. Behind the scenes, Nakayama wanted us to sell a million units in the US in the first year. Kalinske and I said we could only sell 600,000. We shook hands on a compromise—800,000. At the end of the year, we had managed to shift 600,000 as estimated, so ended up with 200,000 units in our warehouse, which we had to sell to retailers at a steep discount to get rid of the inventory.'
Estimated dollar share for Sega-branded interactive entertainment hardware and software in 1995 was 43 percent, compared with Nintendo at 42 percent, Sony at 13 percent and The 3DO Co. at 2 percent. Sega estimates the North American videogame market will total more than $3.9 billion for 1995.
... all [figures] fromCESAwhite paper.
8 million potential Saturn upgraders!
Base instalada: 5 milhões de Master System; 3 milhões de Mega Drive
It's about a hundred bucks more than buying the systems separately, and what you really end up paying for is the sleek, new design and the CDs.
The Sega Genesis is not dead. Thanks to indie studios like Mega Cat Studios, fans can still collect and play new games for the system.
ItsWelcome to the Next Level campaign for Genesis established it as the system to own ... singlehandedly revolutionizing the way videogames were marketed. It's almost impossible today to even find a videogame ad that doesn't owe something to Sega's shock-tactics marketing innovations.
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