Sega To Enter Home Video Game Market
At this year’s Summer CES (Consumer Electronics Show), which took place from June 1 through June 4, Sega announced that it would be releasing a home console and games into the U.S. gaming market this fall. It will be called the Sega Master System and feature superior graphics and immersive music and sound effects for the player to enjoy. The games will be released on Sega Cards (which can hold 256K of memory and resemble a credit card) as well as high capacity Mega Cartridges (which can hold 1048K). The Cards should retail for about $25, while the Carts should be about $30.
The system is set to retail at $150 and will include a Power Base console, a precision Light Phaser light-gun, two control pads, and a Mega Cartridge that will contain two games (Hang-On and Safari Hunt). The system is fairly impressive spec-wise, with the ability to display 64 colors on-screen at the same time with 256 x 192 resolution. The controllers resemble Nintendo’s except a tiny joystick can be placed in the middle of the pad for more arcade-like game play.
Sega says that about 25 games should be made available at retailers when the Master System launches this fall. The games that were shown at CES include: All-Star Wrestling, World GP, Action Fighter, Fantasy Zone, Marksman Shooting, Trap Shooting, Space Ace, Black Belt, Ghost House, My Hero, Teddy Boy, Transbot, Choplifter, and F-16 Fighting Falcon, Hang-On, and Safari Hunt.
In addition, plenty of accessories are in development, including a track ball and a disk drive. Clearly Sega sees that the home market is ready for the taking, similar to Nintendo. Both companies come from arcade roots and have had hits on their hands. Now, the real question is, can the market support two new rivals, and if not, who will be victorious? This holiday season just got a lot more interesting!
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
Have you seen Hang-On and Space Harrier in the arcades? Those games are fantastic, and Hang-On will be one of the launch titles for the Master System! According to Ed Semrad “the home version of Hang-On is sensational” and “the graphic detail and smooth scrolling is the best yet”.
If Sega can bring the sense of speed and the thrill of action of their arcade games to the home console then Nintendo just got a serious contender.
I agree that Sega brings a lot of name recognition with it, especially from the arcade scene. I really enjoy Space Harrier and am happy to see that it will be coming to the home console market. I also think that if Sega can execute well with marketing and distribution, it could give Nintendo a run for its money. Nothing is set in stone yet, and the Master System definitely has a leg up on the NES in the technology department.