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The Rise and Eventual Fall of SEGA

Joined
May 10, 2012
I'm kind of glad SEGA fell out of the hardware market, i dont think i can afford 4 consoles every generation.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2010
Location
CA
Growing up I hated the Genesis/Mega Drive since I was a huge SNES fan. It was really the original Console War. But it sucked to see them get out of the hardware market and fall to where they are today. At least they are still making games though and Sonic is relevant and continues to be an iconic video game character.

The only Sega system I ever owned was the Master System. But I didn't know anyone else that owned the system or even knew of its existence, since everyone just had the NES.

I read somewhere that the biggest problem that led to Sega's failure was too many systems. At one point they were supporting around 10 systems so they couldn't focus all their resources on making one better than the competition. Some of their systems were popular in some regions but not elsewhere. In Brazil the Master System is still the most popular system TODAY believe it or not and games are still being made for it.

Anyway, I do hope Sega makes a comeback and becomes more important in the gaming industry, maybe even get back into the hardware market though that's highly unlikely.
 

dazzsheil

All Hail Shadow
Really? Nintendo hardware and software always sold more than its SEGA counterpart.


NES-61.91 million units sold
SNES-49.10 million units sold
N64-32.93 million units sold
Gamecube- 21.74 million units sold

Master System-10-13 million units sold
Mega Drive/Genesis-39 million units sold
Saturn-9.5 million units sold
Dreamcast-10.6 million units sold

Source: List of best-selling game consoles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I also agree with others that SEGA's systems were ahead of their times. Heck, it seems that Nintendo took inspiration for the screen on the Wii U controller from SEGA's Dreamcast!

What I meant was at one stage the Mega Drive had sold more units of hard/software than thew SNES, Probably because of the 2 year head start it had.
 
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Location
I forget sometimes
I think that if Sega had marketed the Saturn differently (having a lower price tag and NOT releasing it immediately after E3) gaming as we know it today would be vastly different. Sega would still be making consoles and Microsoft may not even be in the console wars.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2010
Location
CA
Just finished sonic 4 episode 2 and liked it, what's so bad with SEGA

Nothings wrong with them, they still make good games. But business-wise they are struggling and seem to be doing worse every year. Back in the 80s and 90s they were as big as Nintendo and their number 1 rival. Now they are in danger of going out of business.
 
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Well, I don't have much to add. However, I posted my thoughts on the fall of Sega in another thread a while back. It mostly revolves around the failure of the Dreamcast in particular, though, but it pretty much sums up my thoughts on the issue.


The failure of the Sega Dreamcast can be attributed to numerous things, and the above quotes appear to sum things up. Sega Dreamcast failed due to lack of healthy competition at the time. It was also released at an inopportune time period, when the release of sixth generation consoles was a looming threat, especially the then impending launch of the PS2. Consumers not only found the Sony system's built-in DVD player more appealing, but they also wanted more from Sony due to the success of the PlayStation. I'd also factor in the somewhat disappointment of the Sega Saturn. The whole debacle with said console embittered many of Sega's fanbase - many became skeptical, which in turn slowed Dreamcast sales considerably.

Another problem was its gaming library. It was an amazing line-up - one of the best in terms of the amount of good games released in such a short period of time. However, from a business perspective, this was not a good move, apparently; pacing is everything when it comes to releasing new titles. If only Sega had been aware that releasing such a large assortment of games all at once would lead to a drought in the long term. The Playstation 2's library was much stronger and its pacing was well-executed, which further boosted its sales over the Dreamcast. Sega is also believed to have failed to employ an effective marketing strategy to draw in consumers; the PlayStation 2's advertising at the time is believed to be far superior.

Consumers anticipated the new consoles, and all attention was directed to the impending release of the Gamecube and Xbox. The announcement of said consoles contributed to the Dreamcast's short life - a mere two years. Considering the life expectancy of the previous console gen - six years or so - this was devastating. The competition was growing ever fiercer and Sega had lost its momentum rather quickly. The company's revenue suffered a substantial blow due to this; most arguably the largest contribution to the failure of the console. Sega was apparently distraught over this realization and announced that it would end the console's life early and leave the console market for good.

Despite all this, the Sega Dreamcast has gained cult status among fans, and is still given credit for having introduced to gaming internet browsing, online play, and in-game voice chat, etc. It also released a great assortment of games, many of which are a rarity to this very day (though some are now available for download on PSN and such). Many of said games also appear to be popular with homebrew developers. It was a console far ahead of its time, and it serves as a testament to the fact that this can be both a boon and a curse.
 
Joined
May 14, 2012
Location
California
Sega was definitely awesome and Sonic is still an awesome series. But, it does suck that we wont be hearing them say Sega anymore on a video game like they did back when it was big. I loved my Sega genesis. I just loved hearing that "SEGA" haha
 

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