Nintendo vs. Sega: The Console War: Part One

[Sullla]

I remember those days very well indeed. What's amusing is how a lot of the younger folks seem to think that just because there was no Internet in the early 1990s, the console arguments were somehow less fierce. If anything, things were more real since you had to insult the other guy in person, to his face! Heh. We had so many grade-school Genesis vs. SNES arguments, it wasn't even funny.

The article does a good job of showing how the Genesis only managed to get a foothold in the American marketplace due to Nintendo's extreme arrogance, and the system's enormous 18-month launch edge over the SNES. (Let this be a lesson to all when comparing "align launch" sales between the 360 and PS3 - launching early makes a big difference!)

What's interesting is that the Genesis only managed to become a success in the US when Sega of America blew off the corporate heads in Japan and went their own way with advertising/marketing. That worked out wonderfully in 1990-92, but it eventually proved disastrous, because by 1995 Sega of America and Sega of Japan literally were not talking with one another, and pursuing different business strategies. (SoJ pushing all resources to Saturn, while SoA was focusing on the 32X. Now that's a recipe for disaster!)

I'm looking forward to the next in this series. There's a lot of ignorance about these years for those who grew up in the 5th or 6th generations, so it's worth a read from pretty much anyone.