Author Topic: Outside the genesis, weren't SEGA consoles basically niche products?  (Read 4951 times)

Offline CrazyT

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You know thinking about it, SEGA genesis was a succes because it had very mainstream games compared to the other consoles. I feel like SEGA has always made kind of niche games overall.

Niche may have a negative tone to it, but I mean it in a positive way. SEGA made excellent games, but maybe the consoles could never succeed with the kind of games SEGA offered. And I think thats okay.

I remember the times when we would hope for a new SEGA console but then we reached acceptence. But now I realize a new SEGA console, even done the right way, may have done really bad today? I mean with the kind of games they were/are known for to make. Wouldn't a SEGA console be impossible to succeed?

Offline crackdude

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Re: Outside the genesis, weren't SEGA consoles basically niche products?
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2015, 12:22:33 pm »
I've been saying this for years.

Sega makes Arcade experiences. Arcade experiences as a main selling point is futile in a time arcades are done for.

People want AAA games.
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Offline Moody

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Re: Outside the genesis, weren't SEGA consoles basically niche products?
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2015, 03:23:30 pm »
I don't think they were really "niche" I just think they were victims of hardcore mismanagement in the case of the Saturn, and wrong-time-wrong-place in the case of the Dreamcast. The games Sega was making at those times I think definitely appealed to the general audiences they needed, but it just didn't click. In my opinion, what they really needed was more third-party support. The Saturn had that in Japan but not so much the west, and no one really wanted to bother with the Dreamcast. I think it's telling that the most notable games for both are pretty much never third-party games.

Offline Barry the Nomad

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Re: Outside the genesis, weren't SEGA consoles basically niche products?
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2015, 07:47:22 pm »
Master System dominated in South America. Like, I can't believe how popular it was down there.

Offline crackdude

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Re: Outside the genesis, weren't SEGA consoles basically niche products?
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2015, 08:01:36 pm »
Master System dominated in South America. Like, I can't believe how popular it was down there.
Still is infact...
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Offline segaismysavior

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Re: Outside the genesis, weren't SEGA consoles basically niche products?
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2015, 01:02:46 pm »
Sega makes Arcade experiences. Arcade experiences as a main selling point is futile in a time arcades are done for.

People want AAA games.

I miss when arcade ports were AAA games.

Then again, Call of Duty's success has a lot to do with being an "arcadey" take on military shooters. Classic SEGA games and modern AAA games have a major thing in common: spectacle.



Offline crackdude

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Re: Outside the genesis, weren't SEGA consoles basically niche products?
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2015, 01:39:57 pm »
Yeah.. I'm amazed that Sega was never able to make a successful online arcade shooter
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