Home entertainment took a decidedly upward turn when the home game console wars heated up the market in the 1980s. The move away from arcade games was initially slow in coming, and the frequently less than adequately conceived and executed games that had flooded the market made it difficult for consumers to see the advantages of inviting expensive consoles into their living rooms. However, visionary game console designers were undeterred and before long they would take the bull by the horns and present themselves to a thoughtful but generally cautiously optimistic audience. On one side was the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), an eight-bit video game console that made its long-awaited debut in the United States in 1985. On the other side was the Sega Master System, another eight-bit console, which made its mark on the US video game market in 1986. Both game consoles were considered third-generation technology, and for home gamers who weren’t sure if ditching their Atari for the new technology really was the best decision, advertising and public relations departments they soon went into overdrive. .
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Manufactured by Nintendo, this game console already had two years of user input in its corner. Since the video game device was originally released in Japan in 1983, the manufacturers had a good idea of how to approach the US market. The actual console itself offered two controller ports and an expansion slot. Games were inserted via a front-loading ROM cartridge. It was compact, easy to connect and operate, and became a surprisingly complete alternative to arcade games and also to Atari, which had until now defined the understanding of video game consoles in the home.
Sega Master System
Designed by Sega, the Master System is a reconstruction of game consoles previously marketed in Japan. The goal was to modify the video output while also increasing random access memory to increase game speed and avoid crashes that used to plague older versions. The Sega Master System featured two forms of input: a game cartridge slot and a game card slot. Multiple controllers can be attached to play, including a light gun and 3-D glasses. The card slot did not see as much use as originally anticipated and thus soon became a somewhat neglected addition.
The NES’s marketing strategy established a successful reception in the United States.
As the rumor from Japan had been making waves in North America a long time ago, US gamers eagerly awaited the promised and widely publicized 1985 introduction of the NES at the Consumer Electronics Show. True to form, it was an instant hit, but instead of immediately flooding the US market with the new device, marketers developed a four-month marketing campaign that launched the first real Nintendo Entertainment System consoles in October, just before the Christmas shopping season started. free for black friday. Adding to the marketing genius of Nintendo’s PR department is the fact that they didn’t supply the consoles to the entire North American continent all at once, but instead did a partial release, further whetting the appetite of gamers who were still playing. they had to wait their turn. Before long, those with the consoles overpowered those who were still waiting, creating an insurmountable ruckus. A full US-wide release was eventually made in early 1986, at which point there was a high point in stores known to stock the consoles. At the same time, Nintendo released a collection of 18 games for the NES, among which the famous “Super Mario Brothers” stands out. This title was Nintendo’s best-selling game and, in just 13 years, more than 40 million Super Mario game packs were sold. Looking back to 1985, the year of its release, “Super Mario Brothers” sold around 10 million copies in just three months.
Sega Master System Marketing Bows To The Competition
It is unclear if the late release of the Sega Master System, compared to the NES, contributed to the somewhat messy marketing the game console received in America. To be sure, the NES-dominated market would be a tough nut to crack, but it still seems like Sega made only minimal effort to knock Nintendo off its hard-earned throne. Though perhaps not the main reason, another nail in the coffin for Sega early on was the near-simultaneous launch of the long-awaited and rumored Atari 7800 game console since its initial market testing. It’s doubtful that Atari has turned many potential NES buyers away from its overall goal, but there’s a good chance that it has been more successful with potential Sega consumers. The Master System was released in 1986, and due to the masterful public relations work of the NES, Nintendo already had close to 100% market share. It was problematic that Sega really had few unique features and popular games with which to make up for Nintendo’s popular video game console. By 1987 it became clear that Sega couldn’t win the popularity contest with Nintendo. The latter introduced “The Legend of Zelda”, a game so complex that it instantly became a favorite of players who started in “Super Mario Brothers”. Countering with “Phantasy Star,” a single-player RPG that’s considered groundbreaking in its own right, the release brought too little attention too late to the troubled console and its maker. In fact, Sega decided to get rid of its American Master System and in 1988 handed over the rights to Tonka. Even “Alex Kidd in Miracle World,” the game that was a last ditch effort to lure gamers away from Nintendo’s “Super Mario Brothers,” won over many consumers.
North American consumers prefer Nintendo
In the final equation, the Nintendo Entertainment System is said to have sold around 62 million game consoles, while the Sega Master System was only able to rack up around 13 million console sales. These figures are not surprising, considering that Sega ceded the US market to Nintendo from the beginning. Sega subsequently focused on the European and South American markets, where it fared much better, especially in those places that were neglected by Nintendo or had not yet been added to the NES’s marketing territory. Of course, even in those markets, Sega couldn’t outsell Nintendo, but it certainly did better. Nintendo continued to cultivate its American customer base by celebrating 1988 with the inaugural release of its “Nintendo Power” magazine, which is still in circulation today. The original number began to beat the drum of “Super Mario Brothers 2”, the next installment in the popular series of Mario games. When the game was released, not even Sega’s “Phantasy Star” could steal the spotlight.
back to the future in 1989
As the first installment of the console war between the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the Sega Master System comes to an end in 1989, both companies are itching for a rematch in the US market. Sure enough, in August 1989, Sega released their fourth generation 16-bit Sega Mega Drive, known under the name Sega Genesis in the United States, which is countered in August 1991 when Nintendo would release their Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also a fourth Video console of last generation of 16 bits.
Console Wars Part 2: Super Nintendo vs. Sega Genesis was on!