Today everyone knows Nintendo and its consoles. There was actually a strong competitor: the Sega Mega Drive. However, the company was unable to succeed in the long term. Why actually?
When it comes to console competition, many gamers think of the battle Playstation vs. Xbox or Sony vs. Microsoft. A few years ago there had been a bitter dispute over dominance in the games console market. At that time, Nintendo and Sega faced each other in the ring. Sega scored its first success in 1988 with the Mega Drive. The Japanese are thus ushering in the 16-bit era in the area of games consoles for home use. Nintendo didn’t follow suit until two years later. Why Sega still loses? Read the full story.
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On the way from 8 to 16 bits
At the end of the 1980s, the Amiga and the Atari ST had long since replaced the C64 in the living room. Only home computer nostalgics can enjoy the 8-bit blocky graphics of a C64. 16 bit is now the new gaming standard. However, there is not yet a pure games console with the new technical standard.
At this point, Nintendo dominated the game console market with its Entertainment System, or NES for short. The NES still uses 8 bits. The Japanese are already working on a modern successor. However, due to the top position, there is no hectic pace in the development department.
The Japanese opponent Sega is still considered a first-class manufacturer of video game machines. The processor technology built into it is suitable for developing a 16-bit console. That’s why Sega suddenly senses an opportunity to dethrone Nintendo. On October 29, 1988, Sega introduced its Mega Drive system, the first 16-bit game console. Did Sega win the console war against Nintendo? No, just one round.
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Bumpy start for the Sega Mega Drive
In Japan, initially no one is interested in Sega’s technical marvel. Gamers there prefer to play with Nintendo consoles, i.e. the NES and the also very popular Famicom. The flop at home is due, among other things, to the small number of games. Games like “Space Harrier II”, “Altered Beast” and “Super Thunder Blade” do not (yet) fully exploit the graphical possibilities of the Mega Drive.
However, the situation in other parts of the world is completely different. Of all places, and especially in the USA, Sega’s games console is becoming a hit. However, Sega is not allowed to use the name Mega Drive there. Another US company owns the naming rights. Therefore, Sega is using the name Genesis specifically for the US market.
Even if the modest response at home hurts, Sega markets its 16-bit games console all the more cleverly abroad. With pithy advertising slogans, the Japanese console manufacturer manages to challenge Nintendo for its place in the sun, at least in the USA and many European countries.
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From Sonic the Hedgehog to FIFA Soccer
An animal game hero contributes a lot to this. Sonic the Hedgehog quickly wins the hearts of gaming fans. The cool blue hedgehog actually manages to make Nintendo’s superhero Mario look like an ordinary craftsman.
In contrast to Nintendo, Sega is generous when granting licenses. This pleases the game manufacturers who are eagerly bringing games onto the market for the Sega Mega Drive. Therefore, the number of Mega Drive games is growing rapidly.
The third-party providers of Mega Drive games also include a company called EA Sports, one of countless game producers at the time. EA Sports develops games such as “NHL Hockey”, “John Madden Football”, “PGA Tour Golf” and “FIFA International Soccer” for the Sega Mega Drive.
The sports games initially excited the gamer scene in the USA. Later, EA Sports games enjoyed great success all over the world – to this day. In the end, both Sega and EA Sports benefit.
Mega Drive, SNES & Playstation
In total, almost 900 games are released for Sega’s Mega Drive. The console is sold over 30 million times. Actually a success story for Sega, but only for a limited period of time.
Of course, competitor Nintendo is not staying idle. The development of a 16-bit console is taking a long time. The baby was finally born at the end of 1990: with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES for short, the previous champion arrived in the 16-bit age.
Technically, there are some criticisms of the SNES, for example the slower main processor, whose clock frequency does not come close to that of the Mega Drive. The fans in Japan don’t care. Nintendo defends its leading position here with the SNES.
In other regions such as the USA or Europe, Sega and Nintendo are fighting head-to-head for the throne in the game console market. But just a few years later the duel developed into a three-way fight. At the end of 1994, Sony released its PlayStation and shook up the console market.
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Sega Mega Drive is quietly disappearing
Meanwhile, Sega is trying to defend its market position. But with further development – keyword Sega Saturn and Dreamcast – the Japanese console manufacturer is becoming more and more lost. The 16-bit pioneer will soon no longer be able to keep up with the rapid pace on a technical level. In order to bring the Mega Drive system up to date, Sega regularly offers additional modules. But the clunky additional devices are not well received by gamers.
In 1997, Sega gave up development of the Mega Drive and shortly thereafter exited the console business completely. What remains are the memories of games like “Disney’s Aladdin”, “Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master”, “Thunder Force”, “Gunstar Heroes” or “Streets of Rage” and of course the blue hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog, the mascot and long-time figurehead of the Sega Mega Drive.
How is Sega doing today?
Of course, Sega has not disappeared from the gaming business. After withdrawing from the console business, the company focused on software and arcade machines. The in-house titles also appeared promptly on other consoles, especially the PlayStation.
Despite some ups and downs along the way, Sega is still a force to be reckoned with in the gaming world today. They also recently celebrated success with the live-action film adaptation of “Sonic”. In 2019, the Sega Mega Drive Mini, a nostalgic new edition of the device, will also be released. And even if the Mega Drive was not able to establish itself in the long term, many people still know the name and look of the iconic games console.