Acquired Short: The Death of Sega
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Apr 18, 2023 Explore Sega's fascinating rise as a gaming powerhouse in the early '90s, when it dethroned Nintendo with the Genesis. Discover the chaotic launches of the Sega CD and 32X that led to internal strife, culminating in the Dreamcast's fierce competition against the PlayStation 2. Delve into Sega’s unexpected shift from hardware to a focus on game publishing, influenced by financial struggles and strategic missteps. This captivating narrative reveals how a giant fell and what it means for the gaming landscape today.
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Sega's Rise
- Sega, with the Genesis, captured 50% of the US video game market share, rivaling Nintendo.
- This was an unexpected success, as Sega started as an underdog.
CD-ROMs and Add-ons
- CD-ROMs were the future, offering more storage and lower production costs than cartridges.
- The industry mistakenly believed add-on peripherals were the way to adopt CDs.
Sega CD Flop
- Sega launched the Sega CD with the controversial game Night Trap, a full-motion video game.
- Despite initial interest, the Sega CD flopped, selling only 3 million units compared to the Genesis's 30 million.
