Dates and moments on which there was a change in console wars...

[jalsonmi]

Gnizmo said:

MaximusOptimus said:

 

FF7 was on three disks so let's assume it is around 2 gigs of data. No matter what your compression technology was at the time 2 gigs was not fitting on a 64 cartridge. I think that is why FF7 went to PS1 and perhaps some money was offered but not massive.

So you think they made the game and then tried to figure out which system to put it on? The idea that it was bought away is actually a believable concept. The thought that they made the game and then tried to figure out where to put it is ludicrous at best. I would personally attribute the fact that FF7 went to the PS1 more to the fact that Nintendo spend 10 years pissing all over third parties more than anything else, but I could believe it was bought. The notion that it was because they couldn't fit the game they hadn't made yet on any medium is absurd.

It was both. Nintendo and Square had a well publicized divorce (no I don't have a link but I remember announcements by Square talking about the reasons why they took FF off of Nintendo--including both relationship and cartridge. Then Square chose Sony over Sega because Sony showered them in money. I agre with Kasz, this was common knowledge at the time, well publicized and out in the open. It's not really something that has to be debated.

OT: You may not want bad decision moments, but they're some of the most fascinating moments in the wars:

1.  As Thekitchensink said, Atari releases ET after five weeks of development time. 4 million copies are produced and shipped, game sucks, tons of copies unsold, helping lead to the Great Video Game Crash

2. Atari releases their port of Pac-Man, a truly terrible port that destroys consumer confidence. In addition, they produce 12 million units despite only 10 million 2600s in circulation. The game sells 7 million copies, leaving Atari to have to cover the cost of 5 million unsold copies. Helps spur the Great Video Game Crash

3. Atari, out of anger that Nintendo game the rights to Donkey Kong to Coleco, backs out of US distribution deal for the Famicom. Not sure what to do, Nintendo decides to release the console themselves in the US, revitalizing gaming in the US.

4. Nintendo releases Mortal Kombat on the SNES in a severely censored version. Fans are outraged. Appearing at the same time is Sega's release of MK complete with blood effects and fatalities. Despite being the graphically inferior version (12 colors as opposed to 16), Mortal Kombat on the Genesis sells incredibly well and helps Genesis compete with the SNES for much longer than it would otherwise (just as important a moment as the release of Sonic, IMO).

5. Nintendo announces the maker of their SNES CD add-on will be Philips, much to the surprise of their other development partner for the add-on, Sony. Left holding the bag and with a deeply in-development CD-ROM based console, Sony decides to continue development on it and release it themselves.

It might not have shifted the console wars, but very important:

1. Nintendo releases Super Mario 64, the first true, well done 3D world in a console game (as opposed to the corridor based world of Doom). The 2D to 3D revolution begins in earnest.