Console Wars

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
In what may be a surprise to most, this isn't really a thread about any wars between today's consoles, but rather those of yesteryear! I pre-ordered the book Console Wars awhile ago, and it came in this past week. The topic of the book is pretty much Nintendo vs. SEGA, which also includes some parts from Sony since they had dealings with Nintendo. I've been reading it a bit over the past few nights, and it's a rather interesting read. I've actually learned a few interesting factoids about gaming that I didn't know before such as where Mario's name came from and that Donkey Kong was originally a different game.

Anyone else pick this book up?
 

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
I read an excerpt of it on a gaming website and it was really interesting. I almost never read books but I really liked what was in the excerpt and definitely learned some things even reading just that. I may pick it up and give it to my brother after I'm done.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
12
0
Didn't realize Amazon had it for Kindle. Bloody Apple wants $17 for the eBook version. Might as well just buy the hardcover at that point.

I'm adding it to my summer reading list. I still remember the fierce console war. My elementary school class was deeply entrenched into camp Sega.
 

toughtrasher

Senior member
Mar 17, 2013
595
1
0
mysteryblock.com
Didn't read it nor plan on picking it up, but this did remind me of the small piece at the end of Game Informer's mag this month, about how Sega marketed the s*** out of "Genesis Does What Nintendon't".

Rivalries.
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
I read an excerpt of it on a gaming website and it was really interesting. I almost never read books but I really liked what was in the excerpt and definitely learned some things even reading just that. I may pick it up and give it to my brother after I'm done.

Honestly, I barely ever read, but it's strange... I keep going, "Hmm maybe I'll just read one more...!" Albeit, I think the guy really needs to find a new editor and/or proofreader. I've found a few grammatical errors and even a flat-out typo in the book already! Some people may also find it weird how the chapters differ in length quite a bit. There's one chapter that's only two pages long. That may make you think the book is short, but it's 550 pages with about a dozen pages in the middle with color photos.

I'm adding it to my summer reading list. I still remember the fierce console war. My elementary school class was deeply entrenched into camp Sega.

Oddly enough, in my childhood, I don't really remember anyone drawing any lines. We had a SNES and a Genesis, but to be fair, we did own far more SNES games. In fact, I felt kind of awkward in that thread on Genesis games because all I played were Sonic The Hedgehog (you'll learn in the book that the "the" should be capitalized in his name!) games.

Sega marketed the s*** out of "Genesis Does What Nintendon't".

One interesting tidbit from the book (and I'll put it in spoilers just in case people would rather read it in the book) is that
Sega of Japan was not a fan of that advertising campaign. Apparently, the respect-based society in Japan also leaks heavily into business, which is why that wasn't okay.
 

railven

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2010
6,604
561
126
Oddly enough, in my childhood, I don't really remember anyone drawing any lines. We had a SNES and a Genesis, but to be fair, we did own far more SNES games. In fact, I felt kind of awkward in that thread on Genesis games because all I played were Sonic The Hedgehog (you'll learn in the book that the "the" should be capitalized in his name!) games.

Growing up in my neck of the woods, you either had an SNES or a Sega, and of the two you never got along unless you found yourself at someone's house because then "cool, videogames!"

As a Sega owner, I will always lament having to playing Hyper Stone Heist while the SNES crowd got the much better Turtles in Times.

These scar, they'll never go away haha.
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
Oh, man... just read about how games ended up being released on Tuesdays!

Yeah, but the marketing worked so they continued doing it.

There's a reason for that, and if you read the book, you'll find out why.

How crazy would it be if Sega remained strong in the console industry and still produced consoles to this day?

Hmm... I'm not sure what would really happen. Do you think it would work if we split the market share up into four separate groups instead of three? Sure, there will always be the crazies (present company included) that buy multiple consoles, but most people don't without a good reason. For example, how many people bought a PS3 because it had Blu-ray? Although, it's hard to say that they wouldn't have bought it if it didn't have one, because the price likely would have been considerably lower if it had a normal DVD drive.
 

Sonikku

Lifer
Jun 23, 2005
15,745
4,563
136
Ah yes, the good old days. When half the kids in school wore red, the other blue. And each day at recess the two sides would meet on the fields to do battle. Mario battle standards held on the one hand, Sonic the Hedgehog flags and battle standards on the other. The battles were intense and the casualties were many and the war became so epic, it spilled out of the schools and into the buses and gas stations. It was everywhere. There was no escaping from it. It was a war for the hearts and minds of a an entire generation and it marked us all in it's own way forever.

At least, that's how I remember it.
 
Last edited:

toughtrasher

Senior member
Mar 17, 2013
595
1
0
mysteryblock.com
Ah yes, the good old days. When half the kids in school wore red, the other blue. And each day at recess the two sides would meet on the fields to do battle. Mario battle standards held on the one hand, Sonic the Hedgehog flags and battle standards on the other. The battles were intense and the casualties were many and the war became so epic, it spilled out of the schools and into the buses and gas stations. It was everywhere. There was no escaping from it. It was a war for the hearts and minds of a an entire generation and it marked us all in it's own way forever.

At least, that's how I remember it.

Ah the way you described it makes these PS4 vs XB1 internet fights laughably tame.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,024
5,905
126
aside from mario/sonic, the biggest "war" i can remember is mortal kombat on snes and genesis. the snes one had the graphics and sound, but the genesis one had the blood and that was such a huge deal. the control on genesis was also much better.

i had a snes and won a genesis at West Coast Video like a month before MK came out playing bubsy. i was so hyped that i could play mk at home with the blood haha.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
12
0
Oddly enough, in my childhood, I don't really remember anyone drawing any lines. We had a SNES and a Genesis, but to be fair, we did own far more SNES games. In fact, I felt kind of awkward in that thread on Genesis games because all I played were Sonic The Hedgehog (you'll learn in the book that the "the" should be capitalized in his name!) games.

Well, it wasn't ultra fanboyish. Everyone in my class who played games did so on a Genesis at the time. For one reason or another, not many had the SNES. Naturally I had a Genesis because of this. I did move into camp Nintendo in the latter half of the 90s when I had a Gameboy and an N64. Then became a staunch PC gamer for the early half of the 2000s. Now I've migrated to PlayStation, though I don't profess a great deal of devotion to the brand. Since I still game on PC, there's little reason to own an Xbox.
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
I had both the SNES and a genesis during that time. I did end up with more SNES games overall I think because I thought the games looked better.
 

railven

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2010
6,604
561
126
What do you mean by that? There are more kids playing video games today than back then I would think.

No kidding. Growing up, gaming was big for my circle, but it still felt like a small circle compared to say sports.

Nowadays, it feels like gaming is even bigger than sports (at least when I interact with my nephews.) Minecraft alone seems to have assimilated reality or something.
 

poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
318
126
What do you mean by that? There are more kids playing video games today than back then I would think.

Sure there are more kids playing, I won't argue that. What I was saying is that there were less options for kids entertainment back then.

You have Saturday morning cartoons, VHS tapes, maybe some cable channels with an after-school cartoon block, and the major consoles. That is a lot fewer options than the entire internet, youtube, thousands of channels with DVRs, Netflix, mobile devices, etc. plus the consoles.

So even though more people play now, the monopoly of childhood mindshare (especially for boys) was stronger for consoles back in the 90's.

You can see it in the shift in console demographics.
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
Sure there are more kids playing, I won't argue that. What I was saying is that there were less options for kids entertainment back then.

You have Saturday morning cartoons, VHS tapes, maybe some cable channels with an after-school cartoon block, and the major consoles. That is a lot fewer options than the entire internet, youtube, thousands of channels with DVRs, Netflix, mobile devices, etc. plus the consoles.

So even though more people play now, the monopoly of childhood mindshare (especially for boys) was stronger for consoles back in the 90's.

You can see it in the shift in console demographics.

Well, I happen to think more kids are choosing gaming over those options. Which is what contributes to the increase in gaming sales.
 

poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
318
126
Well, I happen to think more kids are choosing gaming over those options. Which is what contributes to the increase in gaming sales.

The actual data shows otherwise. Youths are rejecting major consoles as a primary source of entertainment across the board (unless you count using the consoles as a Netflix streamer).

The increase in console game sales is due to growth in international markets and the fact that unlike in the 90's people aren't dropping games as a "kid's thing" when they hit adulthood.

The Entertainment Software Association publishes a report every year on the state of gaming. Inbetween the 2011 and 2012 years they made a large change in their criteria: they went from evaluating the gaming industry from a traditional perspective (traditional consoles, PCs and handhelds) in 2011 to a more broader perspective (IE including mobile devices) in 2012.

The differences then between 2011 and 2012 reports clearly show the facts, and show that console gaming is on the decline with the younger generation:

In the 2011 report, only 18% of gamers were under the age of 18. When mobile devices got counted in the 2012 report the number jumped to 32%. In that stat alone it is clear that consoles no longer have the mindshare monopoly they had with children in the 90's. This 32% stayed stable through the 2013 report, so it was accurate. The numbers for the sexes didn't change too much either, so it wasn't females skewing the numbers.

To go further though:

In 2011, when only the traditional industry was counted, the average age of a gamer was 37 years old. In 2012 after the change the average age dropped to 30 years old. If console gaming still dominated youth mindshare that number should have RISEN, not dramatically dropped. That number stayed stable in 2013.

In 2011, the average age of the most frequent game purchaser (the best stat to measure hardcores) was 41 years old. In 2012, this number dropped to the age of 35. Again, if your statement was correct this age should have risen. But it didn't.

The data is clear- consoles matter less to under 18 youths than any time since the NES was launched.


The record sales for console games isn't because millennials are buying more than 90's kids did, it is because those 90's gamers never quit. In fact, those 90's gamers are still the core of the industry and not the millennials as you would expect.

In the 90's, all the 20 somethings at that time (who grew up during the arcade boom) looked down on gaming as a kids activity. For those young 90's gamers, the entire industry grew up with them and they are still the core that keeps it all running.

That fact is clear to see in the industry itself- it is why the top franchises are mature themes like COD and GTA instead of the cartoon-esc Mario and Sonic.

Here is the data so you can look yourself:

http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2011.pdf

http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/esa_ef_2012.pdf
 
Last edited:

indy2878

Member
Apr 9, 2013
130
0
0
I honestly was a HUGE Sega fan myself actually. It was all about the video arcades for me because the HUman-->computing interface were not gamepads in the arcades but replicas of say a revolver for Virtua Cop, Steering wheel, with pedals and shifter for Sega Super GT and Daytona USA, etc....

I'm HIGHLY surprised to prefer game pads as an adult though. Gamepads are more economical and don't take up as much space. I suppose I should try a new gaming genre instead of the usual COD fps, tps games.... Like Gran Turismo 6 or Forza with a Logitech steering wheel, shifter and pedals sounds enticing!
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
I finished the book a few days ago, and yeesh...
it isn't much of a surprise if you understand parts of Japanese culture, but holy hubris, Batman! Sega of Japan pretty much screwed over Sega of America over what appeared to be jealousy and anger over SoA acting out from this twisted dom/sub mindset where the American company shouldn't go against the Japanese parent.

Oddly enough, Nintendo
was just about as bad with this as they (Yamauchi and his trusted four game masters (one of them being Miyamoto)) believed that only the Japanese could make great games. I forget who it was, but he was able to convince Yamauchi to reduce their number of "terrible commercials" by one that year and give him the money to make a game. What was that game? Donkey Kong Country -- the second best selling SNES game.

Sony,
they were just as bad too! They pretty much wanted nothing to do with the PlayStation and outright refused to have their name on the packaging. However, when the console did well, they FIRED EVERYONE INVOLVED! What a nice thank you!

It's pretty crazy to read about all the stuff that went on behind the scenes when I was just a young whippersnapper. It's even more crazy when you see how it was usually just one action that really helped to push the whole industry in a certain direction. Imagine how it would be if some of the events didn't occur. Would we even have the same consoles as today?
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
Hmm... I'm not sure what would really happen. Do you think it would work if we split the market share up into four separate groups instead of three? Sure, there will always be the crazies (present company included) that buy multiple consoles, but most people don't without a good reason.

I think you're mistaken there. Many people do buy multiple consoles from a given generation, just not necessarily when the console launches. It wasn't uncommon to find an OG Xbox next to a PS2, nor uncommon to find a 360, PS3, and Wii in the same household, near the end of their respective life cycles.

Granted, that might not make much difference in the console's overall success if people are waiting until the second or third hardware sku to purchase one.
 
sale-70-410-exam    | Exam-200-125-pdf    | we-sale-70-410-exam    | hot-sale-70-410-exam    | Latest-exam-700-603-Dumps    | Dumps-98-363-exams-date    | Certs-200-125-date    | Dumps-300-075-exams-date    | hot-sale-book-C8010-726-book    | Hot-Sale-200-310-Exam    | Exam-Description-200-310-dumps?    | hot-sale-book-200-125-book    | Latest-Updated-300-209-Exam    | Dumps-210-260-exams-date    | Download-200-125-Exam-PDF    | Exam-Description-300-101-dumps    | Certs-300-101-date    | Hot-Sale-300-075-Exam    | Latest-exam-200-125-Dumps    | Exam-Description-200-125-dumps    | Latest-Updated-300-075-Exam    | hot-sale-book-210-260-book    | Dumps-200-901-exams-date    | Certs-200-901-date    | Latest-exam-1Z0-062-Dumps    | Hot-Sale-1Z0-062-Exam    | Certs-CSSLP-date    | 100%-Pass-70-383-Exams    | Latest-JN0-360-real-exam-questions    | 100%-Pass-4A0-100-Real-Exam-Questions    | Dumps-300-135-exams-date    | Passed-200-105-Tech-Exams    | Latest-Updated-200-310-Exam    | Download-300-070-Exam-PDF    | Hot-Sale-JN0-360-Exam    | 100%-Pass-JN0-360-Exams    | 100%-Pass-JN0-360-Real-Exam-Questions    | Dumps-JN0-360-exams-date    | Exam-Description-1Z0-876-dumps    | Latest-exam-1Z0-876-Dumps    | Dumps-HPE0-Y53-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-HPE0-Y53-Exam    | 100%-Pass-HPE0-Y53-Real-Exam-Questions    | Pass-4A0-100-Exam    | Latest-4A0-100-Questions    | Dumps-98-365-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-98-365-Exam    | 100%-Pass-VCS-254-Exams    | 2017-Latest-VCS-273-Exam    | Dumps-200-355-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-300-320-Exam    | Pass-300-101-Exam    | 100%-Pass-300-115-Exams    |
http://www.portvapes.co.uk/    | http://www.portvapes.co.uk/    |