Thrhere's a common saying that history is written by the victors, and that's as true in video games as it is in other domains. One might easily believe that the NES was the only console available in the mid-to-late 1980s. If you were brought up in Nintendo's target markets of Japan and North America, this distinctive hardware essentially represented the dominant choice – the company had Mario after all, and its strong influence over game creators created a monopoly for major titles of the era. But in Europe, where home computers ruled the era, the Nintendo system was outperformed by a technologically superior rival.
Technical Superiority
The Sega Master System was initially introduced in Japan in the latter part of 1985 as the Sega Mark III. Based around the famed Z80 CPU (employed by personal computers such as the Spectrum, Amstrad and TRS-80) and a sophisticated visual processor engineered by Sega, it featured 8kb RAM, a 64-color range and the ability to generate 32 graphical objects at the same time – causing the competing console (based on the older 6502 processor) seem dated.
Evolution and Rebranding
At first it was marketed in Japan as a successor to the SG-1000 line, which were closer to affordable home computers than games consoles, with their peripheral keyboards and printers. As the competing system gained popularity in both North America and Japan, Sega had a rethink, eliminated certain computer functionalities and relaunched the Mark III in 1986 as the new Master System – an purpose-built entertainment system with a streamlined, slender, geometric design, contrasting the beige Betamax visage of the NES.
Graphics were significantly better to similar processor-based consoles as a consequence of Sega's visual technology.
Cutting-Edge Peripherals
It also came with a light gun, and manufacturers additionally offered a pair of 3D glasses for the console and a variety of appropriate software. “I must highlight the three-dimensional OutRun,” comments developer Chris White, who wrote a Master System emulator subsequently adopted by Sega on its online platform. “Admittedly, it caused discomfort and the sequential lens switching was capable of producing discomfort, but it's reflective of an era when Sega wasn't afraid to try wild experiments.”
European Distribution Approach
The company managed distribution of the console in America (at least initially), but sought regional partners to navigate the segmented continental market. For the UK and France (and later Spain), that role would go to the Mastertronic group. “Sega's partners had better marketing positioning in Europe,” notes industry veteran Nick Alexander, who was the company's lead executive at the time. “Stronger distribution networks were established than rival companies maintained. Industry periodical the trade journal had a recurring humor that the company viewed Europe as mysterious territory – the market puzzled them, they were nervous of it. Therefore, focus shifted to America.”
Young Audience Targeting
Alexander, overseeing Virgin Games since 1983, adopted their rebellious, youth-oriented strategy. “I aimed to conceptualize the gaming version of musical touring,” he explains. “Therefore, we purchased a red bus and traveled across Britain. Destinations contained educational institutions and retail complexes. Substantial media attention resulted. Nintendo had always marketed their games as family entertainment, but success was limited to specific regions was the German market. We focused on youth and understanding that capturing this demographic would mean their younger siblings would want a Master System too. This strategy defeated competitors.”
Arcade Heritage
Although Mario belonged to competitors, Sega had a valuable asset of its own: its arcade heritage. Developers worked to translate numerous successful arcade titles to the machine including classics like Space Harrier and Golden Axe, advertising their system in the Western markets as an arcade in your own living room. While not flawless conversions of the original titles, speed was increased and visually enhanced than any earlier home computer translations. To those of us who were teenage arcade addicts at the period, it felt wildly futuristic.
Creation Benefits
For creators in Europe, the Master System hardware was a dream. “Previous experience involved microcomputers and software was converted for other platforms,” notes developer Andrew Oliver, who with his brother Philip was creating the Dizzy series for Codemasters. “Attendance at the Consumer Electronics Show in Nevada and recall observing the Sega booth. The presence was substantial, and right alongside Nintendo – and their message was: ‘It's all about speed.’ Back in the day, computers really were all about what was graphically rich and speedy. Therefore, an agreement was secured, development equipment was acquired – familiar architecture simplified development, but visual capabilities resembled other systems. The code ran really fast and you had all the nice parallax scrolling and sprites. Programming was accessible.”
Developer Assistance
UK developers also found superior support from Sega. Mike Simpson was a coder at the English studio, eventually purchased. “We had set up a little internal development studio in the English city, only about 20 people, and various adaptations were created,” he explains. “Someone asked us to port the sophisticated title, a really high-end 16bit Amiga game, for the 8-bit console. The task seemed unachievable, so we had to have a go! Travel to Japan was arranged to master development techniques: Time was spent at Japanese offices learning from future architect [subsequently designing modern consoles]. Recollection includes crowded workspaces, and the meeting room chairs were all being used to sleep on!”
Lasting Legacy
Even when the Mega Drive arrived, the Master System's popularity in Europe (and later Brazil), ensured ongoing development with adapted Genesis titles such as the iconic hedgehog. Additional release Sonic Chaos, developed for both the Master System and portable gaming device (utilizing similar architecture as the original console), was {one of the highlights of the series|among the franchise's best|notable
