Did the SNES really win?

[zyrobs]

my dads harder than your dad

That sounds really pedophilic.

[Guntz]

What's sad is most people these days think the SNES won by a landslide when in reality, Genesis and SNES were very close. The only part where Genesis failed was when Sega pulled the plug on almost everything in 1995. The Genesis died off while the SNES glided right into 1996 with great software support.

[Iron Lizard]

Sega doing all they could to destroy their reputation after the Genesis didn't help either. Had they continued to be successful many people's opinions who were to young at the time to remember might be different.

[brainerdrainer]

This winning thing doesn't work for me. They both win. I've been a nintendo kid all my life but damn I love my new genesis and all the games. I can't pick a win. I want it all.

[Drakon]

Yes the snes won. But second place isn't that bad!

[NostalgicMachine]

^I'm inclined to agree, although I don't think in the typical Sega/Nintendo dichotomy that most still seem to be caught up in.

Buy games, play games, enjoy games! *Points to signature*

[Hidden_Darkness]

I could care less which system won. what I do know is I enjoyed both during the 90s and still continue to enjoy both the genesis and snes, I was more of a sega kid but that didn't stop me from enjoying snes.

though I remember hearing those playground arguements at school about snes vs genesis but I never got involved in them.

[TrekkiesUnite118]

What's sad is most people these days think the SNES won by a landslide when in reality, Genesis and SNES were very close. The only part where Genesis failed was when Sega pulled the plug on almost everything in 1995. The Genesis died off while the SNES glided right into 1996 with great software support.

And even with that the SNES only won in worldwide sales thanks to Japan. The Genesis beat it in the US and Europe, which I'd honestly say is a bit more significant. I don't think most of us have a problem with saying the SNES won in total worldwide sales, because that's an undeniable fact as far as we know. The problem is people saying the SNES won by a Landslide as Guntz said when that's not really the case at all. Not to mention there's that horribly wrong 29 Million sold number still floating around for total Genesis sales.

[Sonic Dude]

Who cares really, both had a great library of games which help both consoles succeed, it not like today were pretty much all games are released in all consoles, back then if you really wanted a sonic or golden axe you had to get a genesis, if you wanted to play Mario or the Castlevania game you had to get the SNES,This generation is so lucky to have more choices when it comes to Multi platform games, we had less of that back then, which I think gave these two console it's own identity, there librarys are so much different from each other. I don't think 25 years from now the ps3 or the Xbox 360 will be remember for the games since they most of them are Multi platform. I mean hack the first XBOX is remembered for Halo game only lol.

[TrekkiesUnite118]

I think more of us are concerned about the history aspect of it, rather than who actually won.

[sheath]

If that were true then the fact that the Genesis was ahead of the SNES in the States, but behind it worldwide, when it was canceled in 1995 would be the definitive answer.

[Saturn Fan]

A better question is, who cares who won? Play the games.

Sorry but, everytime i hear comments like these i can't help but hear DENIAL on the part of fans.

Even though i love old-school Sega i won't lie to myself.

no.
According to wiki :

A Sony focus group found that teenage boys would not admit to owning a Super NES rather than a Genesis.[57] Neither console could maintain a definitive lead in market share for several years, with Nintendo's share of the 16-bit machine business dipping down from 60% at the end of 1992 to 37% at the end of 1993,[58] Sega accounting for 55% of all 16-bit hardware sales during 1994,[59] and Donkey Kong Country paving the way for the Super NES to win a handful of the waning years of the 16-bit generation.[1][60][61] According to a 2004 study of NPD sales data, THE SEGA GENESIS WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN ITS LEAD OVER THE SUPER NES IN THE AMERICAN 16-BIT CONSOLE MARKET.

In Europe the Mega Drive maintained support until 1998,[31] where it managed to sell 8 million units,[7] outselling all other consoles up through that time.[31] The Mega Drive also saw success in Brazil, where it held 75% of the market share.[31]

Good to know IF its true.

Again, i just consider them a tie. Neither had a significant advantage over the other. The Sega Vs Nintendo battle would not see a winner in the 16-bit era.

[Zebbe]

To decide who won, first you need winning conditions. What are they? Worldwide market share? Number of consoles sold? Gross revenue? Or perhaps something else.

[The Coop]

Sorry but, everytime i hear comments like these i can't help but hear DENIAL on the part of fans.

Even though i love old-school Sega i won't lie to myself.

If you're hearing denial, then you need to clean out your ears.

I don't give two shits who won. I never did, or will. The only thing I care about are the games that came out of that era. Sonic, Demon's Crest, Alisia Dragoon, R-Type III, Thunder Force IV, Actraiser... those are the important things. Not how many systems were sold, or what region went to who, but the games. As such, hopping onto an online forum and getting into an argument over debatable and questionable figures from roughly two decades ago is utterly pointless to me. The systems are dead, and the fanboy wars that hung around them should have died too. Yet here it is, 2013, and people are still bickering about it as if it matters in any real or genuine way anymore.

The Genesis won. Who cares? The SNES won. Who cares? We got a lot of great games from the competition between the two systems, and that's where my attention gets directed.


Edit: Keep in mind, I'm not saying "LOK THIZ THRED!" or anything. If this is what you guys want to scuffle verbally over, have at. But I thought video games were about playing them and having fun while doing so. Not arguing over territories, units sold and all that. I'm sure it would be nice to put a definitive lid on the subject, but considering we'll likely never get 100% reliable sales figures from around the world, that's not going to happen anytime soon. What we can say for sure, is that Sega and Nintendo went head to head, and gamers got the spoils of that war. That's a better end result to focus on, than who sold what where (IMHO of course).

[Armoured Priest]

If you're hearing denial, then you need to clean out your ears.

I don't give two shits who won. I never did, or will. The only thing I care about are the games that came out of that era. Sonic, Demon's Crest, Alisia Dragoon, R-Type III, Thunder Force IV, Actraiser... those are the important things. Not how many systems were sold, or what region went to who, but the games. As such, hopping onto an online forum and getting into an argument over debatable and questionable figures from roughly two decades ago is utterly pointless to me. The systems are dead, and the fanboy wars that hung around them should have died too. Yet here it is, 2013, and people are still bickering about it as if it matters in any real or genuine way anymore.

The Genesis won. Who cares? The SNES won. Who cares? We got a lot of great games from the competition between the two systems, and that's where my attention gets directed.


Edit: Keep in mind, I'm not saying "LOK THIZ THRED!" or anything. If this is what you guys want to scuffle verbally over, have at. But I thought video games were about playing them and having fun while doing so. Not arguing over territories, units sold and all that. I'm sure it would be nice to put a definitive lid on the subject, but considering we'll likely never get 100% reliable sales figures from around the world, that's not going to happen anytime soon. What we can say for sure, is that Sega and Nintendo went head to head, and gamers got the spoils of that war. That's a better end result to focus on, than who sold what where (IMHO of course).

I'm with you, Coop, for the most part. I had both systems and enjoyed (and still enjoy) many games from both systems...though, I'll admit a preference for my Genny.

That having been said, i still see merit in the argument in that there is a still a measure of general perception that A) the SNES "won", B) the SNES "won" by a lot, and C) because the SNES "won" there isn't anything worthwhile on the Genesis that the SNES doesn't do better.

For me the argument is more a function of trying to get people to try some of the more comparitively obscure Genesis titles. Everyone knows Sonic, but what about Alisa Dragoon? That is an amazing game, and when people actually give it a try, people are into retro gaming are usually impressed (at least in my experience). Getting people who aren't already Genesis fans to try AD, though, is like pulling teeth.