the myth of the sega cd

[sheath]

((@ the part I removed == I'd no idea some of those games went so far back. Interesting, and in a way typical...))

Am I the only person amazed (rhetorically) the 16 bit console wars weren't a whole lot fiercer? Even before Sega had the chance to be aggressive with the CD Nintendo should've been cutthroat with the SNES: they had the leverage to put out a $300 machine that could toast the MD, and there's no reason they shouldn't have, releasing the SNES as it was is symptomatic of the commercial timidity they've become known for over the years (the gimmicks they're accused being an oblique way of fighting rather than a brave one). Such a system would've escalated the wars, and Sega would've had to counter with a more powerful SCD, aggressive pricing, who knows...
In the end it might well have been worse for gaming: a high amount of hardware turnover, little system mastery from developers, uncertain consumers, etc.

If Nintendo had pulled all the stops with the SNES nobody ever would have broken their console market dominance. I don't think anything slowed SNES sales in 1991 more than the higher price during the NES' heyday and the Genesis second mass market year. But if anything was worse for sales potential it was all of the magazines reporting slowdown in virtually all of the early SNES games.

[bultje112]

the reason snes hardware sales sucked, was sonic. simple as that. sonic was all the rage and it wouldn't have mattered what hardware, or how mario would've looked. sonic was out before snes and he was all the talk.

[Moirai]

Does anyone else think that Genesis hardware sales are underestimated? I consistently see much more Genesis consoles and games out in the wild than I do SNES related stuff.

[sheath]

That's because, for whatever reason, the Genesis while just as plentiful is far less desirable these days.

[zetastrike]

The problem with the Sega CD was that SOA supported it with too much of one thing, while SOJ supported it with nothing

[TVC 15]

Sega could have really hit a home run had they have been more aggressive with the Sega/Mega CD, they could have slowly started moving the bulk of there Genesis/Megadrive projects over to the Sega CD. Maybe cut the price of the machine down along with a duo model, eat into hardware margins a little.

Emphasise in adverts the lower cost of CD's and compare them to contemporary SNES Cart prices. Improve developer tools, CD mastering equipment was quite expensive at the Mega/Sega CD's initial release, subsidise or offer incentives.

Of course this is just another alternative thats been discussed before, but one thats not so far from reality, I really could see Sega moving its big budget projects over had the Mega/SegaCD improved its market share, Sonic 3 & knuckles begged for a CD medium, budget compilations, bigger RPG's, games competitive with Nintendo's SFX efforts with the added grunt of the Sega CD hardware.

It would have been a really great opportunity to try new distribution methods, with the CD's cheaper production cost etc. Work out margins, etc, better cd facilities etc.

Something Sega didn't capitalise on with the Saturn actually, Sony had the upper hand with distribution when the PSX and Saturn duked it out, whereas Sega where using very similar methods to how they sold cartridges, with Sony developers could order CD's literally a week in advance of production for the market, with Sega you had to buy in bulk a good few months in advance. But thats perhaps down to Sony's competitive advantage being a bigger player in other markets.

Maybe actually the Mega CD was Sega's biggest lost opportunity? Hindsights a bugger.

[Drakon]

The only reasoning I have is that nintendo was pumping out great games, third party companies were pumping out great games on nintendo hardware as well. Sega just didn't have as many great games to compete with nintendo at the time.

[bultje112]

Does anyone else think that Genesis hardware sales are underestimated? I consistently see much more Genesis consoles and games out in the wild than I do SNES related stuff.

the official 28.5 million is utter bullshit indeed. far more have sold globally.

[zetastrike]

The only reasoning I have is that nintendo was pumping out great games, third party companies were pumping out great games on nintendo hardware as well. Sega just didn't have as many great games to compete with nintendo at the time.

That's just not true at all....

[sheath]

If "great games" means mainstream games with loads of brand recognition it is very true that Nintendo always had those on Sega.

[Black_Tiger]

The only reasoning I have is that nintendo was pumping out great games, third party companies were pumping out great games on nintendo hardware as well. Sega just didn't have as many great games to compete with nintendo at the time.

You seriously need to start playing a greater variety of games for non-Nintendo consoles. Unless you're the type of commenter who sees Nintendo as the standard to (hopelessly) measure games by. In which case, it won't make a difference.

[bultje112]

The only reasoning I have is that nintendo was pumping out great games, third party companies were pumping out great games on nintendo hardware as well. Sega just didn't have as many great games to compete with nintendo at the time.

troll attempt

[StarMist]

The only reasoning I have is that nintendo was pumping out great games, third party companies were pumping out great games on nintendo hardware as well. Sega just didn't have as many great games to compete with nintendo at the time.

That's just not true at all....

If "great games" means mainstream games with loads of brand recognition it is very true that Nintendo always had those on Sega.

You seriously need to start playing a greater variety of games for non-Nintendo consoles. Unless you're the type of commenter who sees Nintendo as the standard to (hopelessly) measure games by. In which case, it won't make a difference.

Oh Drakon, Drakon, hasn't that Advantages of SNES Hardware vs Genesis Hardware thread taught you anything? Nobody's allowed to state the SNES was better than or as good as the Genesis at anything outside of colour range, to do so is to become an instant pariah.

[Drakon]

Haha I knew the risks when I posted. I prefer the snes library, but there's definitely some great gems on the genesis.

Oh Drakon, Drakon, hasn't that Advantages of SNES Hardware vs Genesis Hardware thread taught you anything? Nobody's allowed to state the SNES was better than or as good as the Genesis at anything outside of colour range, to do so is to become an instant pariah.

Uhm no trolling is telling someone he / she is wrong. Is there anything hard about politely saying you disagree? I'm not trying to start a war just voting my opinion, if you don't like it then no worries.

troll attempt

[retrospiel]

"it was a huge mistake to release this add on"

I disagree: It was not a mistake to release the Sega CD. It however was a huge mistake to release it the way they released it.

"it only had fmv games"

Well that's how they marketed it in the US and Europe.

Huge mistake.

people claim that sega cd games were hated back in the day. well from living back then, owning and having owned many magazines this is another historic lie. many fmv games got actually good review scores and had lots of buzz around it.

who cares what your friends or some mags say? People made Sega successful because Sega released quality software, and now they turn around and try to sell you b-movies that no one wanted way back in the 80s ? - on a console that clearly wasn't meant to be a FMV player no less.

then there is the myth that sega cd was a failure commercially.

I agree that this is debatable. In Japan it seems it was pretty "successful" (all things considered) while in the US it sold waaaaaaaaaaaaaay below expectancy (of what SOA expected).

In Europe it practically didn't exist.

SOA lost a huge amount of money trying to establish the SCD in the US and there is no way in hell that they got back even 1/10th of that money.

sega were happy with it's figures until the senate hearings in late 1993 (this is covered well in history of videogames book). those hurt sega cd more than anything and the media backlash of mortal kombat and night trap.

This is ridiculous. The senate hearings had no effect on SCD at all. SCD failed because no one gave a flying fuck about FMV. And much less about FMV in 16 colors, at 20fps and in a tiny 110x55 window.