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SEGA MASTERS VIDEOGAME SYSTEM
By Ian Campbell (07/14/2002)
Taking a definite plus in the gaming industry this is a FAQ on The SEGA MASTERS SYSTEM. This console had available technology which SEGA has been familiar since who knows when. SEGA originally belonged to the military creating curtain Specific defense system onboard computer equipment. A lot of Sega's history is unknown before they became a videogame manufacture. SEGA found that the market which they have been practicing for years had gone to Nintendo. SEGA moved to Japan where it began publishing the well known Phantasy Star and Astmo's Kidd. Unfortunately SEGA could only dominate a small market unlike now, a massive company (today Sega is the 3rd largest publisher in gaming industry)
Question : When was SEGA created?
Answer : In 1983 when they began developing learning software for the Japanese market
Question : What made them want to enter the videogame market?
Answer : The same way Nintendo did. Both companies where new and had no history of domination. At the time, Nintendo owned 90% of the market, SEGA try to take the popularity away from them. But Sega also got money from businessmen who couldn't do business with Nintendo.
Question : Did SEGA have any advantages to win the public over Nintendo?
Answer : Yes, the Sega Masters system was technically a more advanced console with a 3.6 Mhz instead of a 3.1 MHz NES console. The Sega Masters Home Entertainment System twice as many Sprites (dots per inch) as the NES bring it up to 64.
Question : If they had an equal chance to go head to head with Nintendo why weren't they in first?
Answer : A number of reasons EVEN plagued Sega 15 years later with the Dreamcast. Sega was unlucky enough to not have enough developers. The developers didn't want to develop for a console which was more expensive as least popular. Sega didn't really gain much respect from the developers until 6 years later when Genesis came out. The developers had a contract with Nintendo (which was the lowest policy that Nintendo ever had) saying that if you develop for Nintendo you couldn't develop for anyone else. The government got in the way saying it was wrong because their contract disagreed with concitution.
Question : How many units did Sega sell in Japan?
Answer : 11,000.
Question : I don't think SEGA let Nintendo rip them to pieces, what did they do about it?
Answer: SEGA seemed to learned over the years (and still true today) to rely on themselves. This became exactly why Sega was more resourceful in Nintendo when something went wrong. Its almost like today. Sega as a company said that we will never beat Nintendo, not in a million years. But we are going to do something low. Something Atari already did and survived. We will develop for Nintendo. But in 1988 they had much less money to work with and had to work twice as hard to achive their goals. Sega also almost went bankrupt in 1987 when they came out with the second less expensive version of Master System called Mark II by the Japanese. Mark II to had a smaller cache and was as powerful as Mark I. The manufacture also managed to overclock the system in some games such as "Sonic the Hedgehog " that wouldn't work on the Mark I. Sonic the Hedgehog was absolute suprise it selling over a million copies on Sega Genesis. It could of been one reason why Sega didn't have a big market. At the time the console costed $210 yen. $180 US dollars. Sega did the right thing by including software with their mark II. The two games that could load within the system Alex Kidd and Miracle World. Alex Kidd was suppose to be a hit game, one of the greatest for the console at the time.
Question : What was the most popular game on Master System?
Answer : I personally haven't played the console. The RPG called Phantasy Star (1987) seemed to be the biggest hit. Yuji Naka, the same guy who created the first game help create the latest title on Dreamcast, Phantasty Star Online based on the Genesis classic Phantasy Star III. The first Phantasy Star was larger, had better sound and better on display graphics then Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda. In Japan there was a game called The Secret of Mana (1989) which sold as many games as Phantasy Star did.
Question : When did the Master System die out.
Answer: The Sega Masters system died out when the Sega's new generation console Genesis (1989) came on the market. The new console could double the spirits seen on the Masters. Masters though continued to be successful in Australia, Europe and Brazil. Brazil being it's largest market. In 1991 Sega managed to put Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2 and 3 on the Masters System before they stopped supporting it all together.
Interesting Facts
Developers contributing to Sega Masters
Unexpected Life Span
The Sega Masters continued to be a top selling console in Brazil selling over 2 million copies over the next 13 years after its first release.
If it works use it, if it doesn't use it anyway
SEGA had some "so and so" qualities about its Masters System. We do know that Sega made some failed attempts trying to get attention with its underpaid resource and development directly. First it was a very good idea to have a blaster type controller. The bad thing it only worked with one game. The good news it was there. Secondly Sega had the built in software which no one ever did again (they should but never will again.)
You can run Master games on Gamegear?!
In a faq I;ve heard that some games on the Master System can play on the Gamegear. Both carts are the same size. The Sega Genesis also works with the console and is able to work with some titles.
Taking a definite plus in the gaming industry this is a FAQ on The SEGA MASTERS SYSTEM. This console had available technology which SEGA has been familiar since who knows when. SEGA originally belonged to the military creating curtain Specific defense system onboard computer equipment. A lot of Sega's history is unknown before they became a videogame manufacture. SEGA found that the market which they have been practicing for years had gone to Nintendo. SEGA moved to Japan where it began publishing the well known Phantasy Star and Astmo's Kidd. Unfortunately SEGA could only dominate a small market unlike now, a massive company (today Sega is the 3rd largest publisher in gaming industry)
Question : When was SEGA created?
Answer : In 1983 when they began developing learning software for the Japanese market
Question : What made them want to enter the videogame market?
Answer : The same way Nintendo did. Both companies where new and had no history of domination. At the time, Nintendo owned 90% of the market, SEGA try to take the popularity away from them. But Sega also got money from businessmen who couldn't do business with Nintendo.
Question : Did SEGA have any advantages to win the public over Nintendo?
Answer : Yes, the Sega Masters system was technically a more advanced console with a 3.6 Mhz instead of a 3.1 MHz NES console. The Sega Masters Home Entertainment System twice as many Sprites (dots per inch) as the NES bring it up to 64.
Question : If they had an equal chance to go head to head with Nintendo why weren't they in first?
Answer : A number of reasons EVEN plagued Sega 15 years later with the Dreamcast. Sega was unlucky enough to not have enough developers. The developers didn't want to develop for a console which was more expensive as least popular. Sega didn't really gain much respect from the developers until 6 years later when Genesis came out. The developers had a contract with Nintendo (which was the lowest policy that Nintendo ever had) saying that if you develop for Nintendo you couldn't develop for anyone else. The government got in the way saying it was wrong because their contract disagreed with concitution.
Question : How many units did Sega sell in Japan?
Answer : 11,000.
Question : I don't think SEGA let Nintendo rip them to pieces, what did they do about it?
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Answer: SEGA seemed to learned over the years (and still true today) to rely on themselves. This became exactly why Sega was more resourceful in Nintendo when something went wrong. Its almost like today. Sega as a company said that we will never beat Nintendo, not in a million years. But we are going to do something low. Something Atari already did and survived. We will develop for Nintendo. But in 1988 they had much less money to work with and had to work twice as hard to achive their goals. Sega also almost went bankrupt in 1987 when they came out with the second less expensive version of Master System called Mark II by the Japanese. Mark II to had a smaller cache and was as powerful as Mark I. The manufacture also managed to overclock the system in some games such as "Sonic the Hedgehog " that wouldn't work on the Mark I. Sonic the Hedgehog was absolute suprise it selling over a million copies on Sega Genesis. It could of been one reason why Sega didn't have a big market. At the time the console costed $210 yen. $180 US dollars. Sega did the right thing by including software with their mark II. The two games that could load within the system Alex Kidd and Miracle World. Alex Kidd was suppose to be a hit game, one of the greatest for the console at the time.
Question : What was the most popular game on Master System?
Answer : I personally haven't played the console. The RPG called Phantasy Star (1987) seemed to be the biggest hit. Yuji Naka, the same guy who created the first game help create the latest title on Dreamcast, Phantasty Star Online based on the Genesis classic Phantasy Star III. The first Phantasy Star was larger, had better sound and better on display graphics then Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda. In Japan there was a game called The Secret of Mana (1989) which sold as many games as Phantasy Star did.
Question : When did the Master System die out.
Answer: The Sega Masters system died out when the Sega's new generation console Genesis (1989) came on the market. The new console could double the spirits seen on the Masters. Masters though continued to be successful in Australia, Europe and Brazil. Brazil being it's largest market. In 1991 Sega managed to put Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2 and 3 on the Masters System before they stopped supporting it all together.
Interesting Facts
Developers contributing to Sega Masters
|
SEGA Entertainment the main
powerhorse of the console created 2/3s of all the games plus 1/2 of the conversions |
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Tech Toy - a developer
who made Street Fighter 2 for Sega Masters. |
Acclaim |
| Activsion |
United States
Gold |
| Tengen
developer from the Atari 2600 |
Codemasters |
| Image Works
(Sony) |
Absolute |
Unexpected Life Span
The Sega Masters continued to be a top selling console in Brazil selling over 2 million copies over the next 13 years after its first release.
If it works use it, if it doesn't use it anyway
SEGA had some "so and so" qualities about its Masters System. We do know that Sega made some failed attempts trying to get attention with its underpaid resource and development directly. First it was a very good idea to have a blaster type controller. The bad thing it only worked with one game. The good news it was there. Secondly Sega had the built in software which no one ever did again (they should but never will again.)
You can run Master games on Gamegear?!
In a faq I;ve heard that some games on the Master System can play on the Gamegear. Both carts are the same size. The Sega Genesis also works with the console and is able to work with some titles.
