There's a common saying that history is written by the victors, and that's equally applicable to gaming as it is in other domains. Today, it's easy to assume that the Nintendo's classic console was the sole gaming system in the latter half of the 80s. If you were brought up in Nintendo's target markets of North America and Japan, this chunky contraption essentially became the dominant choice – Mario was their flagship character, and its tight grip on external studios established dominance for key releases from that period. In European markets, where microcomputers were king, the NES was beaten by a more advanced competitor.
Technical Superiority
The Sega Master System was initially introduced in Japan in the latter part of 1985 as the Sega Mark III. Utilizing the renowned Z80 processor (employed by personal computers such as the TRS-80, Spectrum and Amstrad) and a advanced graphics chip created by Sega, it boasted 8kb of RAM, a palette of 64 colors and the power to display 32 sprites on screen at one time – rendering the Nintendo system (using the antiquated 6502 CPU) appear obsolete.
Transformation and Marketing
Initially, it was positioned in its home market as a successor to the SG-1000 line, which were closer to affordable home computers than dedicated game systems, with their optional keyboards and printers. But as the NES exploded in both North America and Japan, Sega had a rethink, stripped away computer-like capabilities and relaunched the Mark III in that year as the Sega Master System – an unapologetic games machine with a sleek, slimline, angular look, differing from the beige VCR-like aesthetic of the NES.
Graphics were significantly better to other Z80 based systems as a consequence of Sega's visual technology.
Advanced Add-ons
It also came with a light weapon, and manufacturers additionally offered a set of three-dimensional viewers for the platform and a selection of supported titles. “I want to emphasize the 3D version of OutRun,” comments programmer Chris White, who created emulation software eventually utilized by the company on its digital service. “Admittedly, it caused discomfort and the rapid lens alternation was capable of producing discomfort, but it's indicative of a time when the company embraced innovation.”
European Distribution Approach
The company managed distribution of the platform in the United States (in the beginning), but looked to local companies to navigate the segmented continental market. Across British and French territories (subsequently Spain), that role would go to the Virgin-associated company. “Collaborators enjoyed stronger brand positioning in Europe,” notes industry veteran Nick Alexander, who was Virgin Mastertronic's managing director at the era. “They also had better retail and distribution relationships than the competition possessed. The video game industry magazine Computer Trade Weekly had a continuous gag that the company viewed Europe as mysterious territory – they didn't understand it, apprehension prevailed. So they put their effort into the US.”
Young Audience Targeting
Alexander, overseeing the gaming division since that period, adopted their rebellious, youth-oriented strategy. “I aimed to conceptualize the interactive entertainment parallel to concert tours,” he elaborates. “Therefore, we purchased a red bus and drove it around the country. We took it to school playgrounds and shopping centres. Substantial media attention resulted. Rivals consistently advertised their games as family entertainment, but the only market in Europe where that worked was Germany. Our target was adolescents and we knew if we got them would mean brothers and sisters would request a Sega console as well. This approach secured European dominance.”
Arcade Legacy
And while Nintendo had Mario, the company owned significant intellectual property: their coin-operated history. The company set out to bring numerous successful arcade titles to the machine including classics like Space Harrier and Golden Axe, advertising their system in the overseas territories as an personal entertainment venue. Although hardly perfect ports of the original titles, speed was increased and graphically improved than any earlier home computer translations. To those of us who were teenage arcade addicts at the period, it seemed incredibly advanced.
Creation Benefits
For European developers, the Master System hardware was a dream. “Previous experience involved microcomputers and software was converted for other platforms,” says developer Andrew Oliver, who collaborating with family was developing the iconic franchise for Codemasters. “Attendance at the Consumer Electronics Show in the entertainment capital and recall observing the Sega booth. It was massive, and right alongside Nintendo – and their message was: ‘It's all about speed.’ During that period, systems were judged by what was graphically rich and speedy. So Codemasters cut a licensing deal, we got the dev kits – existing knowledge accelerated creation, but graphical power paralleled advanced computers. Execution was rapid and advanced graphical techniques were available and graphical objects. Programming was accessible.”
Technical Backing
European creators learned Sega to be more helpful than Nintendo. Programmer Mike Simpson at the British publisher Personal Software Services, later owned by Mirrorsoft. “Compact development group was formed in Coventry, only about 20 people, and we were doing a variety of ports,” he notes. “A request was made to adapt the advanced game, a really high-end 16bit Amiga game, for the 8-bit console. It looked impossible, so effort was invested! Visiting headquarters occurred to learn how to program it: Time was spent at Japanese offices receiving instruction from industry veteran [later lead architect of the PlayStation 4 and 5]. Memory contains organized development areas, and the meeting room chairs were all being used to sleep on!”
Continuing Influence
Following the Genesis launch, the console's European success (eventually in South America), guaranteed continued software with adapted Genesis titles such as Sonic the Hedgehog. The spin-off title Sonic Chaos, created for multiple platforms and Sega's Game Gear handheld (sharing technical foundations as the 8-bit system), was {one of the highlights of the series|among the franchise's best|notable
