Does releasing a console a year before the competition actually help?

[Ryudo]

Dreamcast sold 10.6 million. NES was release in 1983 as Famicom.
360 was very successful. Atari 2600 was successful. DS outsold PSP. Genesis vs SNES was the most heated and close race in the history of consoles. Genesis vs SNES as as heated as WCW Nitro vs WWF Raw is War