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There's a well-known adage that history is written by the victors, and that's equally applicable to gaming as it is in other domains. One might easily believe that the Nintendo Entertainment System was the exclusive platform in the latter half of the 80s. For those raised in Nintendo's primary regions of Japan and North America, this bulky device essentially represented the only game in town – they possessed the iconic Mario, and its strong influence over game creators created a monopoly for key releases from that period. In European markets, where microcomputers were king, the console was surpassed by a technologically superior rival.

Advanced Architecture

The Sega's 8-bit console was originally released in Japan in the autumn of 1985 as the Mark III. Utilizing the famed Z80 CPU (used in personal computers such as the Amstrad, Spectrum and TRS-80) and a powerful Sega-designed video display processor, it featured 8kb of RAM, a 64-color range and the power to display 32 graphical objects at once – causing the competing console (built around the outdated 6502 chip) seem dated.

Development and Relaunch

Originally, it was sold domestically as a evolution of Sega's earlier systems, which were more similar to budget computers than dedicated game systems, with their peripheral keyboards and printers. As the competing system gained popularity in both the United States and Japan, the company reconsidered its strategy, removed some computing features and reintroduced the system in that year as the Master System – an dedicated gaming platform with a sleek, slimline, angular look, differing from the beige VCR-like aesthetic of the NES.

The games are visually superior to competing Z80 platforms as a consequence of Sega's visual technology.

Advanced Add-ons

The system included a light weapon, and manufacturers additionally offered a pair of 3D glasses for the system and a range of compatible games. “I am going to call out the stereoscopic racing game,” comments developer Chris White, who created emulation software subsequently adopted by Sega on its PlaySega website. “Admittedly, it caused discomfort and the alternate flickering of the lenses was sufficient to cause visual distress, but it's reflective of an era when Sega wasn't afraid to try wild experiments.”

Continental Marketing Tactics

Sega oversaw the distribution of the console in America (in the beginning), but sought regional partners to navigate the segmented continental market. In Britain and France (subsequently Spain), this responsibility fell to Virgin Mastertronic. “Collaborators enjoyed stronger brand positioning in Europe,” explains industry veteran Nick Alexander, who was the company's lead executive at the period. “Stronger distribution networks were established than the competition possessed. The video game industry magazine the trade journal had a recurring humor that the company viewed Europe as mysterious territory – the market puzzled them, caution dominated their approach. Therefore, focus shifted to America.”

Youth-Focused Marketing

Alexander, overseeing Virgin Games since the early 80s, adopted their rebellious, youth-oriented strategy. “I aimed to conceptualize the video game equivalent of a band going on tour,” he clarifies. “We acquired a two-level bus and traveled across Britain. We took it to school playgrounds and commercial districts. Widespread publicity was generated. Rivals consistently advertised their titles as all-ages experiences, but success was limited to specific regions was German territories. We focused on youth and understanding that capturing this demographic would mean brothers and sisters would request a Sega console as well. This strategy defeated competitors.”

Coin-Op Roots

Although Mario belonged to competitors, Sega possessed its own advantages: their coin-operated history. Teams endeavored to port many of its hugely popular coin-op hits to the machine including titles such as OutRun and After Burner, promoting their platform in the west as an arcade in your own living room. Despite imperfect adaptations of the original titles, speed was increased and visually enhanced than earlier microcomputer versions. For young gaming enthusiasts at the time, it felt wildly futuristic.

Developer Experience

Among continental programmers, the console architecture was ideal. “Background included home computer development and software was converted for other platforms,” explains developer Andrew Oliver, who alongside his sibling was making the Dizzy games for Codemasters. “Attendance at the Consumer Electronics Show in the entertainment capital and I remember seeing the Sega stand. It was massive, and adjacent to rival companies – and the marketing emphasized: ‘Velocity is everything.’ During that period, technology was evaluated based on what was graphically rich and speedy. So Codemasters cut a licensing deal, programming tools were obtained – existing knowledge accelerated creation, but visual capabilities resembled other systems. Performance was exceptional and you had all the nice parallax scrolling and sprites. Development was straightforward.”

Technical Backing

British programmers discovered Sega to be more helpful than Nintendo. Programmer Mike Simpson at the English studio, eventually purchased. “We had set up a little internal development studio in the Midlands location, approximately twenty staff, and multiple conversions were undertaken,” he says. “Someone asked us to port Xenon 2, a technically demanding Amiga title, to the Sega platform. The task seemed unachievable, so effort was invested! Visiting headquarters occurred to learn how to program it: Time was spent at Japanese offices receiving instruction from industry veteran [eventually creating contemporary systems]. I remember rows and rows of tightly packed desks, and improvised sleeping arrangements existed!”

Enduring Impact

After successor systems debuted, the Master System's popularity in Europe (subsequently in Brazil), ensured ongoing development with simplified versions of Mega Drive games such as Sonic the Hedgehog. The spin-off title Sonic Chaos, created for multiple platforms and portable gaming device (which was based on the same hardware as the original console), was {one of the highlights of the series|among the franchise's best|notable