Console Wars Part I - The NES Vs The Sega Master System
Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 2:24 amNintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Made by Nintendo, this game console had already two years of user input in its corner. Since the video game device was originally released in Japan in 1983, manufacturers had a good idea of how to approach the American market. The actual console itself offered two controller ports and one expansion slot. Games were inserted via a front loading ROM cartridge. It was compact, easy to hook up and operate, and it made for a surprisingly well rounded alternative to arcade games and also to Atari, which had thus far defined the understanding of at-home video game consoles.
Sega Master System
Crafted by Sega, the Master System is a rebuild from previously marketed game consoles in Japan. The goal was to tweak the video output while at the same time increasing the random access memory to amplify game speed and prevent freeze ups that used to plague older versions. The Sega Master System featured two forms of input: a game cartridge slot and a game card slot. Several controllers could be connected for game play, including a light gun and 3-D glasses. The card slot did not see as much use as was originally anticipated, and it therefore soon became a somewhat neglected addition.
NES Marketing Strategy Set Up Successful American Reception
As the buzz from Japan had long since been making waves in North America, U.S. gamers eagerly awaited the long promised and extensively hyped 1985 introduction of the NES at the Consumer Electronics Show. True to form, it was an instant hit, but rather than immediately flooding the American market with the new gadget, marketers built up a four months marketing campaign that released the first actual Nintendo Entertainment System consoles in October, just before the holiday shopping season kicked off for Black Friday. Adding to the marketing genius of Nintendo's PR department is the fact that they did not supply the consoles to the entire North American continent all at once, but instead did a partial release, thereby further whetting the appetite of gamers who still had to wait their turns. Before long, those who had the consoles lorded it over those who were still waiting, creating a buzz that was second to none. A complete release to the entire United States was finally made in early 1986, and at that point there was a fever pitch in stores known to stock the consoles. At the same time, Nintendo released a collection of 18 games for the NES, most notably the famed "Super Mario Brothers." This title constituted the best selling game for Nintendo, and within a short 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 about 10 million copies in a short three months.
Made by Nintendo, this game console had already two years of user input in its corner. Since the video game device was originally released in Japan in 1983, manufacturers had a good idea of how to approach the American market. The actual console itself offered two controller ports and one expansion slot. Games were inserted via a front loading ROM cartridge. It was compact, easy to hook up and operate, and it made for a surprisingly well rounded alternative to arcade games and also to Atari, which had thus far defined the understanding of at-home video game consoles.
Sega Master System
Crafted by Sega, the Master System is a rebuild from previously marketed game consoles in Japan. The goal was to tweak the video output while at the same time increasing the random access memory to amplify game speed and prevent freeze ups that used to plague older versions. The Sega Master System featured two forms of input: a game cartridge slot and a game card slot. Several controllers could be connected for game play, including a light gun and 3-D glasses. The card slot did not see as much use as was originally anticipated, and it therefore soon became a somewhat neglected addition.
NES Marketing Strategy Set Up Successful American Reception
As the buzz from Japan had long since been making waves in North America, U.S. gamers eagerly awaited the long promised and extensively hyped 1985 introduction of the NES at the Consumer Electronics Show. True to form, it was an instant hit, but rather than immediately flooding the American market with the new gadget, marketers built up a four months marketing campaign that released the first actual Nintendo Entertainment System consoles in October, just before the holiday shopping season kicked off for Black Friday. Adding to the marketing genius of Nintendo's PR department is the fact that they did not supply the consoles to the entire North American continent all at once, but instead did a partial release, thereby further whetting the appetite of gamers who still had to wait their turns. Before long, those who had the consoles lorded it over those who were still waiting, creating a buzz that was second to none. A complete release to the entire United States was finally made in early 1986, and at that point there was a fever pitch in stores known to stock the consoles. At the same time, Nintendo released a collection of 18 games for the NES, most notably the famed "Super Mario Brothers." This title constituted the best selling game for Nintendo, and within a short 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 about 10 million copies in a short three months.