The Desperate Genesis Commercials

What crazy deals will Sega offer next!?

Sega has been around since the late 70’s and has always been just a tad off with their products. Sega coin-op machines overlooked for other popular manufacturer titles. Sega’s consoles has had to endure Nintendo’s products for ever so long and ultimately becoming a losing battle against the ever growing Sony franchise, hiding in the dark and more of a cult following. Not to say that the titles released by Sega were dreadful, but many of them were quicker to forget than Sega’s rival companies [i.e. Alex Kid (85) versus Super Mario (85)].

I had the best of both worlds, playing both sides of the field. Having a friend who owned every console known to an American during the 90’s was a great advantage. Playing hours and hours of video games on end was a ten year old kid’s dream and not buying the console and/or games was my parents dream. Though the time spent with these consoles only wet my appetite to actually purchase one of these machines…especially Sega Genesis.

Growing up as an Atari 2600 child, my expectations of home console video games weren’t too high. In fact anything that came out after 2600 was mind boggling. After the years had gone by I had come to own Socrates, Sega Master System, Nintendo Entertainment System, Gameboy, Game Gear, and Super Nintendo with an assortment of handhelds from Tiger and Game & Watch. Unaware at the time of how much these consoles have all begun with what has essentially becoming a lifestyle I had chosen to follow (this begins frightens me). I don’t want to sound like too much of a nerd or even compared to some Star Trek fan but video games are very much apart of my life. Captain’s Log: I ran off on a tangent.

I’ve never actually owned a Genesis console but thanks to Gens v2.11, programmed by Stephane Dallongeville, I now “own” an emulation of one. Comparing its games to Super Nintendo’s side to side, I’m glad I didn’t purchase an actual console. Granted Sega’s original titles kicked ass (i.e. Street of Rage and Sonic), but they weren’t enough to get mass appeal. Sega tried their best to gain consumers’ attention by advertising what Genesis “doe’s” and what Nintendo “don’t”.

Producing commercials to enlighten consumers, Sega reduced their prices and added free product when purchasing The Sega Genesis Console. Advertising strategy: KILL the competition. Sega proudly presented…“Genesis does”.

Oh yeah?! A free game, you say?! I can’t really grasp why a company such as Sega would be so grimy as to insult their competitor’s so harshly and so bluntly. For the most part, the games that Genesis “does” are the ones that they solely programmed themselves previously as an arcade cabinet or had been programmed by one of their sister/sub companies. Not so much of a loss since I rather have played the arcade versions instead.

So what if a free game was included, it would be kick ass if stereo speakers were included as well.

Sega: “Not to worry!”
Eep!: “Huh?!”

I felt horrible for Sega, but I wasn’t about to buy a system just because it included a pair of Fisher-Price speakers. This wasn’t the last of the price slashes and freebies. Sega offered tons more of coupons and gimmicks to get consumers to buy Genesis including Toys’R’us vouchers and blockbuster sponsorships, but for some reason they didn’t expect the American shopper to turn away from a Japanese product. Sega had sunk to their lowest point. Two Sonics FREE, with the purchase of The Sega Genesis Console.

With a spiffy commercial and a great deal like that, who wouldn’t buy a Genesis? I didn’t. Why? The new Legend of Zelda was going to be released on Super Nintendo. I needed to buy a new skateboard. I needed to throw pennies into the gutter. Who needed a Genesis? I didn’t… [Sniffle] I didn’t.

But wait! The deals weren’t over just yet. Sick of Sonic the Hedgehog one AND two? Not to fear, because a fairly new game is on the rise and it is said to be free, when you purchase “The Sega Genesis Fighting System!”

Young Bobby Angles has a problem; he didn’t have “The Sega Genesis Fighting System.” Oh dear, he was tortured by the school bullies everyday and needs to earn the respect of his peers. What shall he ever do? Not to fear Sega will slash their prices once again in effort to gain the less fortunate and provide young minds with the entertainment they were once deprived of.

Bobby gives in, yet saves $40, receives a free copy of Streets of Rage 2”…gets more moves, more control, and now he’s pretty much okay.”

What wasn’t Sega giving away? Their very soul…which was later sold to various console-hardware companies and returned back to their roots, software.

In closing, Sega had and still has by far the best software programmers ever. In retrospect, Sega was the underdog and was always just a cult following. Though isn’t it funny how Nintendo now relies on Sega’s software for its sales as well as other home console companies such as Sony and I believe Xbox. If only Sega had a better strategy for compiling a better home console and focused less on destroying its competition we might all be sitting in front of A Sega Exodus 2600 or something like that. So I leave you with this question. What if I had bought that Genesis, Saturn and/or Dreamcast? What if all the other children of the world had bought that Genesis, Saturn and/or Dreamcast? Would Sega-Hardware still be around to make another console? Would the Mario versus Sonic war still persist? We will never know. We will never know. Rest in peace Sega-Hardware…you had a rough life.

-eep!

Comments

Digging up an old article here.... but i have to agree. In my opinion, Sega was ahead of their time... plain and simple. People just were not ready for the innovative things Sega had to offer. Simple.

Sega has always been and always will be, the leader in their innovativeness. They did the right thing to stay alive and in business by making games for other consoles and merging with a company called Sammy. I think they took a big gamble with their systems. The Genesis ruled, with their aggressive marketing and a cute little hedgehog. Sega has had a history of creating true arcade graphics. They came with the first in everything: The first LD-arcade game; Astron Belt. The first 3-D title; Sub Roc 3-D. The first home console; SG-1000. The first 16-bit console; Mega Drive/Genesis. The first 32-bit console; Saturn.
The first holographic game; Time Traveller. The first 128-bit console and sadly their last one; the Dreamcast. The first online gaming service; SegaNet.

For Those who wanna know, I own the following Sega systems:
Master System, Genesis, Game Gear, 32X, Sega CD, Saturn & Dreamcast. Whaddaya all think of my console collection?

I also own the following non-Sega systems.
NES, SNES, Game Boy Advance, N64, Atari 2600 and PS2.

There was a company called Tengen who slapped Nintendo with a suit for monopolistic acts, so they ported the Sega titles to the Nintendo NES. Now Sega officially makes games for Nintendo. I gots me Chu-Chu Rocket for my Game Boy Advance, I also gots me some Sega titles for my PS2. I own their classic franchise titles for my PS2, Outrun 2006, Shinobi and Virtua Fighter 4, as well as Sonic Mega Collection Plus.

I will always remember Sega for their bold efforts. So I got all Sega systems in my collection.

To Mumra

This is very good thin you wrote for the comment. Why dont you put it up as an article so people can see and discuss this.

to me genesis rules

No matter how poor the sales of Nintendo games might be compared to Sony & Microsoft, as long as Nintendo is making a profit, they'll be making consoles alongside the other 2. And the DS is beating the hell out of PSP.

I was a Genesis fan, but does anyone remember BLAST PROCESSING... that was true BS. Sega said they were the only ones who can make Sonic move very fast.

And Sega's "Genesis does what Nintendon't" was aimed at the regular NES.

http://www.segaarcade.com/

roninbuddha's right. e3 announced rumors of sega releasing another home console? since selling over 50 titles to x-box, sega might feel they still have fans... of course.

eh. love all around.

Easy there, eep!, you're gonna give yourself skin failure. I'm just a gamer with fond memories of receiving that little black box of goodness for christmas and felt like I needed to defend it. Truce???

The strategies behind Sega were rather beneath other forms of advertising but became a rather unspoken trend with genesis and game gear for quite some time. Yes, grated the genesis has had a two- three year advantage, but it still had huge competition when Super Nintendo was released in 1990 Japan, and 1991 US. Nintendo only having a few games on its new platform Sega boasted on what they do and what Nintendon’t. What was it they did? Genesis exclusively licensed games is what they DID (which I had mentioned in the article). Okay. Hmm. That sounds like Sega gave a low blow. Granted, this is great advertising…for a presidential election but not for console sales. Sonic the hedgehog 2 came out in 1992. Sales came out for it in late 1993.what was out? Zelda, Mario World, Pilot Wings, Mario All Stars, STREET FIGHTER 2! The Special edition Street fighter 2 came out for the genesis; not to shabby yet not enough. The true stand out for genesis was the sports AND The Original Mortal Kombat. People bought the system JUST for it’s rendition of mortal kombat and hoaxed SNES for the sweat colour. Yes, Sega hung on for a bit longer, but their advertising and business strategies in America were horrible. Can’t you just admit that? I never mentioned SNES vs. Genesis. It was always Nintendo. Though, when I had mentioned them side to side, SNES & Genesis, it was based on their rendition of third party programmers (I.E. SNES’ mortal kombat had great graphics no blood. Sega’s had okay graphics with blood and NBA Jam…SNES Graphics Great & Sega’s Bland). I could have gone on and on about how Sega released the mosquito commercial, stating Nintendo is a blood sucking company and charges more for their games…the same games one could play on their system, Genesis. I loved both consoles, I did. Sega was just frantic about its rival while SNES only worried about its image. Why? They knew they would last and had proper strategies. Don’t egg me on about the Sony and Nintendo CD conversation which lead to Sega CD to release an anxious commercial such as the “Still Don’t have a Sega CD” Campaign. “You still don’t have a Sega CD? What? Are you waiting for Nintendo to make one?” Let’s not get into that, since you know the facts. Hell, you’re correct. I’m making this all up. Well, no I haven’t, but you can pretend I have as you so clearly disenchant yourself with. SO, in closing…welcome to the next level and eat me. Eat me good! ~SEX PARTY!

It's interesting to look at the perspective from the other side of the pond; that of Sega as a desperate underhand ad-kid.

Over here they were steam rollering all in their way. Christ, Kids were queuing up to play Sonic at gaming shops and nearly everyone owned a MegaDrive. When I think gaming nostalgia, I think of the MegaDrive alongside the Amiga. Of course I was also a 2600 kid in my early youth!

That said, I never owned a Mega Drive, preferring to play on everyone elses. I did get a SNES at about 15, but it was still the minority product (even if the hardware was slightly superior! And it had SF 2 and Mario Kart....)

Sega didn't really start their decline over here until the Mega CD and then the 32X came out... and even after that, a lot of people went and bought the Saturn, choosing to stick their noses up at the N64.

Interestingly enough, the Playstation was developed from what was the abandoned technology for a SNES CD ROM.... remember the port on the underside of the console?

J

The BOLD statement was actually in your previous comment, "how desperate they became near the end of it all". I don't recall saying I was the master of facts, but i do like the title, thanks. I'll ease my bitching banter, if only because of the thumbnail of Robert Smith you got there, I'm a Cure fan myself. That is Robert Smith, right? I can't enlarge the pic.

funny you say, "'Sorta remember, but not really...'", since you sorta remembered me saying "The End" in BOLD quotes. how could you quote something i havent written in the article? thats rather odd. uh. BOLD statement by a newbie. besides i could get into the cheap shots game gear gave gameboy...but youre the master of "'facts'", as you put it.

eep!, I DID read the article and I stand by my comments. The ads you referenced were nowhere near "The End", as you so boldly put it. The Nintendon't ad was a shot at the original NES, not the SNES. Back when the big three was the Genesis, NES, and Turbo Graphx 16, the game covers say it all, that ad was circa 1990. The Sonic 2 package came out in 91 and is what gave Sega the lead over Nintendo in the maket share. The "Fighting System" came out not to long after that as an alternative to those who didn't want Sonic. Sega's desparation came with the SegaCD, 32X, and Saturn, systems they couldn't give away. Those ads and deals weren't out of desparation, it's what called good marketing, and it worked, not mention alot of those old sega commercials are some of the most memorable ads of all time. I enjoy articles that present "facts" not stuff that you "Sorta remember, but not really...". Maybe that wasn't the case with you, but the article sure sounds that way.

ccann702, if you can write better go for it. the article was about the commercials and how desperate they became near the eand of it all. pehaps you should have read IT instead of the comments; would have made much more sense.

I remeber when I got a SNES for christmas all those years ago and me and my sis were obsessed with Super Mario Bros. We'd play on it every waking moment and getting my hands on Link to the Past only made matters worse.
My mum eventually got curious about our obsession and asked to have ago. We refused. We threw our NES at her and told her to leave. Within a week she bought a Genesis for herself!
Although I hate to admit it, for the 6 months until my hamster and cat destroyed that Sega I let Mario and Zelda rot while my eye's bled watching Sonic go 'whooosh'. The Genesis had some great games, Alex Kidd probably being my favourite one.

A tense rock-paper-scissor battle inside a volcano. Now THAT kicks ass.

I think I was the only kid in my neighborhood and in my group of friends that owned ONLY a Sega Genesis. I feel though I have a good knowledge of both consoles though since I played SNES at all my friends' houses. As mentioned above, I give Sega props for keeping up with SNES in America, especially since NES did so well. Sega had a very large spectrum of games, and the Sonic series will forever be a classic. The sports games were also great on Sega. Remember them playing NHL '93 for Sega on Swingers. That is a sweet game. I also had Sega Channel for the short time it was available, and that was an awesome creation because I got to play some non-mainstream games that were actually quite fun. Ultimately I think I'm a little biased since I owned a Sega. But I would still say that neither system was that much better than the other.

i definitely loved/love Genesis more than NES, no doubt

I never owned a SNES, but i know that it has many great games. but i always loved Genesis and still do. from the design of the system, to many of the games for it. it made me more of a fan of gaming than the NES originally did (not going negative on NES as it's one of my faves as well.) it was the one system out of the 2 to have blood still added in MK, which was also a plus.

I think it's ridiculous to compare the Genesis to the Gamcube. The Genesis came out first and held it's ground when more powerful competition came out. SNES,Jaguar, 3DO, two of those died slow deaths and the only true competitor would eventually gain a lead but not by much. The Gamcube came out in third place and basically stayed there. Nintendo won't die though, they make the best handhelds in the world and is beating the everloving crap out of the PSP in sales. I owned both 16 bit systems, and while I loved em both, there was something about the genesis that made me love it just a little bit more. I think Sega went to bat for it's customers, especially in securing Capcom to do a version of Street Fighter 2. That was memorable, not mention that despite the systems limitations, Sega made some of the most beautiful games ever, not only in graphics but in gameplay i.e. Any Disney game ever released, Vectorman, Comix Zone, Virua Racing, The Sonic series etc...

First and foremost, whether you were a fan of the Genesis or not, it should be given credit for how it performed and what it did. Even though the Genesis debuted years before the SNES, Nintendo was on a hotstreak which made it even more difficult to compete with it. Still, it played with the big dawg pretty well.

From owning both systems, I can say they did their required job very well but Nintendo was just too hot to beat. Genesis was no slouch and offered many quality games (besides sports titles). Golden Axe, Altered Beast, Ghostbusters, Dick Tracy and Sword of Vermillion are just a few. Still. it was very hard to compete with the mega franchises such as Zelda, Mario and Metroid. One point that I need to take exception about is the fact that the Genesis offered a free title with purchase. This was no different than the SNES which offered SMW. You do what it takes to sell your product. They tried and some will say it worked while others say it failed.

To me, it seems as if Nintendo is suffering the same fate with the GC as Sega did with the Genesis. The GC is a great system but has one heck of a time competing with its competitors. The early 90's has come back and hit Nintendo.

I'd like to start by saying that I could have pulled a more well written article out of my ass. The Sega Genesis was an elite system. It got the jump on Nintendo and gained alot of ground on the 16 bit platform before SNES arrived. They held half of the market share with Nintendo throughout early years, and when Sonic 2 was released their share jumped to 65%. It had the best sports games hands down and more often then not had better arcade conversions (Mortal Kombat, Samurai Showdown, etc). The whole free game thing was a trend with every console at the time, and Sega was the first company to sell a console as a "Core" system with no game, which remains the trend today. Sega has permanent blotches on it's record because of the Sega CD and the 32X and so on. The Genesis was Sega's Greatest success and I'm sure it has place in many gamers hearts.

Despite their desperate advertising, the Sega Dreamcast didn't stick around long until PS2, GameCube, and Xbox took over, and I'm pretty sure that Sega isn't planning on making a new 256-bit game system after all that desperate competition.

sega offered more deal than ANY other hardaware company. why? third party programmers chose Nintendo over all the other home console systems. I agree that the sports games for genesis were amazing…but if you were a gamer you would know EA sport games put a lot of money into Panasonic 3do and ended up with shit. The strategy behind sega in the 90’s is much like Nintendo’s today; inevitability tragic.

All I know is that my house had a Sega Genesis.

You know, the funny thing I noticed is that this article mentions something about Genesis trying to beat Nintendo by offering a free game. Now, I may be remembering things wrong, but didn't a "free" (cost of game was probably part of the sticker price) game with all the systems. The first time I noticed that games weren't coming with the systems was Game Boy Color. My NES came with Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt. My Genesis came with Sonic the Hedgehog. And I seem to remember the original Game Boy being offered with Tetris.

Genesis came out in 1989.

SNES came out in 1991.

A near 3 year difference in technology can really make a difference, I mean look at today. It seems like I had just bought my x-box last year and now I own x-box 360.

Comparing SNES as a superior game system to the Genesis is like saying the X-Box is better than the original Playstation system.

(*copies) I agree, Doctor Strange.

actually, sega master system/mark III, sold more copys in New York than any other state. the popularity of nes was much more widespread than sega was. granted, sega is/was for an adult audience, but the market was for the kids. nowadays, nintendo is doing rather poorly. why? retro gamers own x-box and sony products whereas nintendo is only targeting youngsters. ~burp~

Oops! I meant, 'THE' Legend of Zelda! Sorry!

That was very nicely written! Additionally, the facts about the Sega Genesis are very true and accurate! I remember the days when Sega would try and put down the SNES in order to get more sales, but failed miserably! Why? Because the SNES had such classics as, "A Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past", "Super Metroid", and "Chrono Trigger" (arguably THE best RPG of all time!), whereas the Genesis had retarded titles like, "Altered Beast"! There's no doubt that Nintendo has always been better!