I meant to write about cloud gaming a long time ago. Actually all the way back to when OnLive first debuted. Back then, most people didn't think it was possible. Gamers who made a living managing networks would argue tirelessly on forums about how it wasn't physically possible. The latency would be too great, the image quality would suck ass, and it wouldn't be cost-effective. To their credit, they were partially right, except for the whole impossible thing.
So OnLive debuted, and it was actually shockingly new technology, enough so to make jaded technology buffs gape in awe. No, the latency wouldn't make twitch gaming very enjoyable, and the image quality might have served only slightly above current-gen consoles, with some compression artifacts that non-cloud gamers would never encounter. But it was working. You could in fact play games with all the electronic muscle hiding away behind miles of wiring. It was an extremely novel concept, and while it didn't take off with any great zeal, it was a step towards what some might say is the future.
Why is that though? Why does cloud gaming necessarily have to be the future?
Thing is, gaming is an expensive hobby. For most, it's all justified because in the end, the memories you have from those experiences, especially in modern times when 90% of your gaming can involve your friends on some level, is priceless. At their debut, a console can cost at least $400. Sometimes they require additional accessories, be it as simple as some cables, to more expensive stuff like memory cards, extra controllers, network accessories, headsets, etc. The games are just past the halfway point towards $100, with very little deviation. It used to be that the disc medium was a real savings compared to cartridges, but now it seems we've come full circle again.
Up to now, the cost was even more justified because each generation meant a huge ass leap. You could take screenshots of the best looking games for every milestone console, and see major epochs traversed in realism. Just transitioning from 2D to 3D meant a paradigm shift in not just how games looked, but how they played. For those who didn't even value graphics, the benefits were still obvious.
But today, we're sitting in an era of refined 3D. Not only do characters have articulated fingers, but you can count the stubble on their chins, and feel the goosebumps form on your skin as you take a very convincing dive into rippling, sparkling water. Shit isn't just easily discernible, it's a reasonable facsimile. It's sort of like the few generations leading up to the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. Eventually we got to where there wasn't a whole lot to add to the 2D experience, and right now we're at the same point, just in a different time period.
But short of a 3D to 4D transition to bring on a new era, we're stuck with bucket-loads of investment and weak returns towards continued 3D advancement. This isn't new to anybody though. Most gamers with a decent awareness of the going-ons of the industry know there isn't much to look forward to in graphics. Diminishing returns has been felt in the PC realm for a while now, and its console gamers' turn to feel it too.
We got a preview of that very recently with the leaked shots of an Unreal Engine 4 demo. Take those images and put them up against console games like The Witcher 2, Crysis 2, and Uncharted 3, and you'll have a hard time spotting the major advantages. Assuming you're reading this, you're probably fairly knowledgeable about such things and have an eye for such details. If you can't see many differences, how do you think Average Joe will fare?
That presents a major problem in trying to sell new consoles. Maybe the differences are more apparent in motion than in screenshots. Whether or not that's the case, a lot of the marketing for games and new hardware still stems from still pictures printed in magazines, posters, flyers, and games packaging itself. The fact that no generation before now has had ANY trouble showing off their merits via such means indicates that this next gen will probably have a huge uphill battle with consumers. I'll go as far as to say if you can't sell a new console based on screenshots, you can't sell the console period. Certainly not for $400 or more.
That article I linked to also indicates that Epic Games is actually lobbying to increase the power of the new consoles, just so they can even run that level of fidelity. What this means is that if Epic Games is unsuccessful, the differences will be even less apparent. What happens to gaming if consumers are underwhelmed and the next generation of consoles can't make sales projections?
Well, that's where cloud gaming comes in (duh). Developers will just find new avenues to pursue customers, and while that may not be good news for Microsoft or Sony, for gamers it seems like a pretty tantalizing notion. Take away the upfront cost for the new console, take away the limitations on performance that a console would impose, and provide a means for gaming that is largely indiscernible from how gaming was before, except with all the benefits of the next generation. OnLive was flawed in a lot of ways, and might have turned off a lot of people to cloud gaming, but slowly the technology is being improved and the issues are being ironed out.
NVIDIA just took on a direct role in pushing the idea. They've created the GeForce Grid, which takes the latest and greatest GPUs and optimizes them in ways that other companies wouldn't be able to do with off-the-shelf parts. They promise improved latency and image quality, closing the gap further between local console-based gaming, plus smarter use of resources. To be clear, they're working with Gaikai to make this happen, an already established OnLive competitor. They hope to deliver on promises that OnLive failed to, such as cloud gaming support built directly into TVs. NVIDIA has ties to display manufacturers that allowed them to get decent support for 3D Vision, so this might actually happen.
NVIDIA is probably pulling for this technology for multiple reasons. Obviously they probably see the writing on the wall just as plainly as anybody, and hope to curtail the issue of plateauing graphics by simply eliminating all performance limitations from developers. And whether or not the next generation of consoles is really doomed (I don't actually believe that, just so you know), NVIDIA isn't involved in any of them. Cloud gaming, should it ever take off, has the potential to be even more beneficial for them than PC gaming, as very few PC gamers actually buy top-of-the-line hardware, and even fewer games will make use of them. NVIDIA can continue their decent sales of midrange graphics cards, and hang onto the really gigantic, expensive GPUs for the HPC market, of which cloud gaming is a part of.
For consumers, this has loads of benefits too, if they can work out the kinks. I probably don't have to list the more obvious ones, but one big added benefit is an all-digital game library. Yeah, we have digital distribution now, and will probably have even more of it in the future, but this is even better. Every game is instant-on -- loaded in seconds, not minutes -- with no downloading. That goes for every device you own that supports it. It's like Steam, but on steroids secreted from the anuses of winged unicorns. And it will be on a constantly updated, state-of-the-art hardware platform. We already know from the world of television and movies that instant-on streaming is a highly successful concept, and undoubtedly the same should be true of gaming. It may be less exciting for collectors and hardware enthusiasts, but it has immeasurable potential for gaming.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Looking ahead at the WiiU
In my first rambling about the WiiU, I made the following statement:
So we're a couple months away from the next E3, and that is when the real selling is going to have to happen. Nintendo is going to have to pimp their next home console like it's the last home console they make. Why? Well, if they don't sell anybody on it now, what are they going to do? Drop the price on it four months later?
We're saddled with two burning questions that need answering when the big June convention takes place:
Reggie went on stage and told the E3 audience that many felt the hardcore folks weren't being catered to by Nintendo. This is something they wanted to change with the new system, so they created a system for "you", meaning the audience he was speaking to at the presentation consisting mostly of hardcore gamers. We're so confident this system will appeal to you, he said, that we're even putting it in the name. So, that in a nutshell is how they explained away the reason behind the U.
So we're a couple months away from the next E3, and that is when the real selling is going to have to happen. Nintendo is going to have to pimp their next home console like it's the last home console they make. Why? Well, if they don't sell anybody on it now, what are they going to do? Drop the price on it four months later?
We're saddled with two burning questions that need answering when the big June convention takes place:
- What does the WiiU offer hardcore gamers?
- What does the WiiU offer casual gamers?
Hardcore gamers haven't taken Nintendo seriously for a few generations now. It really started when third parties left in droves at the sight of another cartridge system in the midst of the CD era. All Nintendo systems have some great examples of games on them, but with the Nintendo 64 and GameCube, we were starting to see fewer of those greats produced by people besides Big N. Nintendo doesn't make games that appeal to all tastes, and they're certainly limited in how many they can produce each year. At this point though, they're getting used to having to carry their own hardware on their back, and when they tried deviating from this track during the 3DS launch, they received a firm leather strap across the cheeks and hastily jumped back in line.
Fortunately Nintendo games sell tens of millions of units fairly commonly these days, but tens of millions isn't a great number if you're talking about lifetime console sales. Depending solely on first-party games isn't a formula for long-term success, and while Wii and DS had plenty of third-party support, this was usually in the form of programs and really casual games. So it's pretty clear that if Nintendo wants to attract the sales of the folks playing Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed, they're going to need the developers that made them.
So let's say the WiiU gets a large showing of these types of games, and Nintendo can finally count themselves among the big boys again. Will the hardcores buy it? Hardcores often love new hardware, and they won't be shy to something that offers legitimate technological and/or gameplay advantages. Although shit still needs to be finalized and rumors put to bed, the latest word is that in some ways, the new Nintendo system is less powerful than the current generation. That's a terrible prospect to say the least, but even assuming that claim is exaggerated, no one was really expecting much better than par anyway.
Without a horsepower advantage, you're going to need a hell of a gameplay advantage to convince the hardcores that spending $300 on a new console that plays the same games at the same quality is still worthwhile. The problem is, hardcores don't care for gimmicks. They don't like having to learn to perform the same actions in a way that's different from the methods they've mastered over the past couple decades. Waggling to make a character attack is not inherently more fun than simply timing a button press. Nintendo hopes that the tablet controller will feel like a hardcore gamer's controller with some added useful functionality.
How useful remains to be seen. Streaming games to the controller brings you back to a single screen again, and that feature has been explored pretty thoroughly already. The other useful feature is expanded information and easy access to special game functions. Removing your eyes from the action on the big screen to look down on your controller is like being caught with your pants down in a multi-player match, or a particularly action-packed single player moment, so that aspect might not appeal to some hardcores. Without rewriting the gameplay on a fundamental level, however, games ported to the WiiU from the PS3 and 360 will merely have their menu options, HUD elements, and/or special actions spliced out of the main screen and off of the easy-to-reach face buttons, potentially over-complicating gameplay and disrupting flow. Again, hardcores don't like being forced to do familiar actions in convoluted way. That doesn't scream "new" or "innovative" to them, it just seems pointless at best, and harmful at worst.
If the controller alone can't sell the expensive new console, hardcores will choose to pocket their money instead, and find another way to play Darksiders II. That money will come in handy when the real next-gen hits, offering much more meaningful advances over the status quo. If Nintendo's whole hardcore endeavor fails, who's going to buy the system?
Well, Nintendo fans will, naturally. For those following the storied game company since childhood, a new Mario game will be all the enticing necessary to justify a new platform. Fortunately for them, as well as all the other millions of Mario fans out there, his games almost never disappoint. Nintendo has done a remarkably good job maintaining quality in their flagship series, and one that will receive possibly the biggest upgrade will be The Legend of Zelda. The teaser video at the WiiU's announcement showed how much Zelda's art style can benefit from pixel shaders and high resolution assets, and that controller is bound to do some awesome things for the gameplay.
But what about casuals? They bought and loved the Wii, thanks to its inviting potency among folks from all perspectives, from soccer moms to grandparents. For non-gamers, the Wii was likely the last (and often the first) game console they'd ever need to buy. They couldn't care about graphical upgrades or extra wizbangery, so $300 is much too much for their gaming budgets. For many others, the Wii and even smartphone games were gateway drugs to the wider world of gaming. It's the reason why Mario Kart Wii sold almost 30 million despite the absence of cooking recipes and exercise regimes. It's in those folks that Nintendo will see the most potential sales, but only if the price is right. Look no further than the 3DS to see what kind of affect the MSRP plays on Nintendo's biggest market.
In my opinion, the hardcore market is already lost. They love their gaming in a very specific way, and it just doesn't seem like the WiiU delivers on that. The WiiU will have to sell to the same crowd that is currently buying the 3DS, and to do that they'll have to use the same tactic as with the Wii: selling at a cut-rate price to stay out of swinging range of the next-gen and even current-gen consoles. Don't forget, for many people out there, the PS3 and 360 are "good enough" in terms of graphics and features, with further gains likely representing minimal added value as real-time graphics starts to plateau. Those systems can also be had for redonkulously cheap, and will still be around well after their successors are introduced. Add to that, Kinect is helping the 360 make headway into the casual market where the Wii is falling off, and whatever freshness the WiiU brings to the table may already be trumped by controllerless gaming.
More and more parallels between the Wii's launch and the WiiU emerge all the time. Going in the WiiU's favor is that it's not just a repackaged previous-gen console that Nintendo's already produced. Going against the WiiU is the fact that it's a repackaged previous-gen console that other companies produced, while trying to do many of the same things they've been doing for several years now. It all worked out fine for the Wii, but how many times does lightning strike twice?
Fortunately Nintendo games sell tens of millions of units fairly commonly these days, but tens of millions isn't a great number if you're talking about lifetime console sales. Depending solely on first-party games isn't a formula for long-term success, and while Wii and DS had plenty of third-party support, this was usually in the form of programs and really casual games. So it's pretty clear that if Nintendo wants to attract the sales of the folks playing Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed, they're going to need the developers that made them.
So let's say the WiiU gets a large showing of these types of games, and Nintendo can finally count themselves among the big boys again. Will the hardcores buy it? Hardcores often love new hardware, and they won't be shy to something that offers legitimate technological and/or gameplay advantages. Although shit still needs to be finalized and rumors put to bed, the latest word is that in some ways, the new Nintendo system is less powerful than the current generation. That's a terrible prospect to say the least, but even assuming that claim is exaggerated, no one was really expecting much better than par anyway.
Without a horsepower advantage, you're going to need a hell of a gameplay advantage to convince the hardcores that spending $300 on a new console that plays the same games at the same quality is still worthwhile. The problem is, hardcores don't care for gimmicks. They don't like having to learn to perform the same actions in a way that's different from the methods they've mastered over the past couple decades. Waggling to make a character attack is not inherently more fun than simply timing a button press. Nintendo hopes that the tablet controller will feel like a hardcore gamer's controller with some added useful functionality.
How useful remains to be seen. Streaming games to the controller brings you back to a single screen again, and that feature has been explored pretty thoroughly already. The other useful feature is expanded information and easy access to special game functions. Removing your eyes from the action on the big screen to look down on your controller is like being caught with your pants down in a multi-player match, or a particularly action-packed single player moment, so that aspect might not appeal to some hardcores. Without rewriting the gameplay on a fundamental level, however, games ported to the WiiU from the PS3 and 360 will merely have their menu options, HUD elements, and/or special actions spliced out of the main screen and off of the easy-to-reach face buttons, potentially over-complicating gameplay and disrupting flow. Again, hardcores don't like being forced to do familiar actions in convoluted way. That doesn't scream "new" or "innovative" to them, it just seems pointless at best, and harmful at worst.
If the controller alone can't sell the expensive new console, hardcores will choose to pocket their money instead, and find another way to play Darksiders II. That money will come in handy when the real next-gen hits, offering much more meaningful advances over the status quo. If Nintendo's whole hardcore endeavor fails, who's going to buy the system?
Well, Nintendo fans will, naturally. For those following the storied game company since childhood, a new Mario game will be all the enticing necessary to justify a new platform. Fortunately for them, as well as all the other millions of Mario fans out there, his games almost never disappoint. Nintendo has done a remarkably good job maintaining quality in their flagship series, and one that will receive possibly the biggest upgrade will be The Legend of Zelda. The teaser video at the WiiU's announcement showed how much Zelda's art style can benefit from pixel shaders and high resolution assets, and that controller is bound to do some awesome things for the gameplay.
But what about casuals? They bought and loved the Wii, thanks to its inviting potency among folks from all perspectives, from soccer moms to grandparents. For non-gamers, the Wii was likely the last (and often the first) game console they'd ever need to buy. They couldn't care about graphical upgrades or extra wizbangery, so $300 is much too much for their gaming budgets. For many others, the Wii and even smartphone games were gateway drugs to the wider world of gaming. It's the reason why Mario Kart Wii sold almost 30 million despite the absence of cooking recipes and exercise regimes. It's in those folks that Nintendo will see the most potential sales, but only if the price is right. Look no further than the 3DS to see what kind of affect the MSRP plays on Nintendo's biggest market.
In my opinion, the hardcore market is already lost. They love their gaming in a very specific way, and it just doesn't seem like the WiiU delivers on that. The WiiU will have to sell to the same crowd that is currently buying the 3DS, and to do that they'll have to use the same tactic as with the Wii: selling at a cut-rate price to stay out of swinging range of the next-gen and even current-gen consoles. Don't forget, for many people out there, the PS3 and 360 are "good enough" in terms of graphics and features, with further gains likely representing minimal added value as real-time graphics starts to plateau. Those systems can also be had for redonkulously cheap, and will still be around well after their successors are introduced. Add to that, Kinect is helping the 360 make headway into the casual market where the Wii is falling off, and whatever freshness the WiiU brings to the table may already be trumped by controllerless gaming.
More and more parallels between the Wii's launch and the WiiU emerge all the time. Going in the WiiU's favor is that it's not just a repackaged previous-gen console that Nintendo's already produced. Going against the WiiU is the fact that it's a repackaged previous-gen console that other companies produced, while trying to do many of the same things they've been doing for several years now. It all worked out fine for the Wii, but how many times does lightning strike twice?
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Sega is the Most Fun to Collect For
Title says it all. But here's a thousand more words just to say it more elaborately. Everything from Sega is way more fun as a retro gamer to collect for than any other game company. It's true, and if you don't already agree, or if you do and you just need to hear someone else corroborate your opinion, then here's why:
What do retro game collectors like to collect? Whatever's plentiful, pretty much. The more obscure or notable, the better. What did Sega produce all of its life? Tons of shit. Consoles, add-ons, accessories, games... Just a buttload of everything they could think of, all of it interesting in some way.
Sega embraced the cutting edge. This started with the arcades, particularly in the late 80s with games like Hang-On and Out Run, which not only used state-of-the-art sprite-scaling hardware but featured super-sized cabinet systems with ridable vehicles that moved and interacted with the game. Later when it came to 3D, they scaled multi-million dollar aerospace simulator parts down to consumer-level arcade systems, and eventually the Sega Saturn. They were among the first fully-featured 3D consumer graphics in the industry. Unquestionably Sega was always on the cusp of innovation.
When it came to the console market, this meant they were always trying to one-up their competition. The first Sega console to make it outside of Japan, the Sega Master System, featured a number of add-ons, including one that allowed for 3D active-shudder technology on CRT-based TVs, something only just now being reintroduced. In Japan, the Master System was suped-up with the 3D feature built in, and easily upgraded sound that allowed for sophisticated MIDI sequences more akin to the Genesis than its 8-bit brethren. All model one Sega Master systems regardless of region had access to a secondary game media in the form of ROM cards. These were very similar in appearance to TurboGraphix-16's HuCards that would appear a few years later.
The Genesis is of course the most infamous for add-ons and accessories. Most variants of the system are fully back-compatible with Sega Master System games, but in an odd decision, the cartridge slot won't fit them. You had to buy the Power Base Converter, which didn't work on model two Genesis systems; or the UK-exclusive Master System Converter II, which did work on the model two, but couldn't play Sega Cards, only cartridges.
Then there were the two most famous add-ons for the system, which this time pushed its capabilities forward. The Sega CD add-on wasn't the first time a game console could use CDs, but it was close to it. Despite adding a second processor and more memory, games were only slightly enhanced from vanilla Genesis games, with the only real innovation being some very limited FMV playback. It was considered during its development to expand the on-screen color capability of the system, but it was decided the additional cost (an estimated $50) would impair its success (see FAQ). Had this been included, it might have rendered the 32x add-on completely pointless.
The 32x was pretty much pointless anyway, with only 30-something games released for it and a lifespan of basically one year. It used some of the hardware that would later be put in the Saturn, but with extremely limited memory. It was intended to transition customers to the new platform and keep the Genesis going. Instead customers just ignored it and waited for the next generation, in many cases skipping over Sega entirely once news circulated of the PlayStation and Nintendo 64.
Then there were all the different hardware revisions. In NA, the Master System saw two major revisions, which in addition to the converters on the Genesis and Game Gear gives collectors four options for playing Master System cartridges.
The Genesis was particularly ridiculous. It saw three major revisions in NA (four if you count the officially licensed Firecore clone console), plus the CDX model which also played Sega CD games. Then there was the portable Nomad, and the JVC X'Eye, a licensed third-party Genesis console with the Sega CD hardware implemented. On top of that there was the Pioneer Laseractive System with modules called PACs that allowed for videogames, one of which played Genesis games (with CD games playable on the main system's disc tray). So for the most hardcore collectors out there, you could have up to eight official ways of playing Genesis cartridges. (UPDATE: I've just been informed that the makers of the Firecore console also made an officially licensed handheld called the Retrogen, making it the ninth Genesis cartridge player.) This is of course excluding unofficial retro consoles that use emulation hardware.
All these add-ons and revisions often cost consumers hundreds of dollars, but today almost all of them can be had fairly inexpensively. Few other companies provide so much hardware and sub-libraries of games, and tons of obscure stuff for totally accessible prices is a total win for collectors.
Then there's the Sega Saturn, an under-appreciated console that can be had for a really low price these days. It has several diamonds in the rough within its library, though granted many were available on the PlayStation or PC. The Dreamcast got a little more love from consumers, but it can be had for just as cheaply, and its game library is even better.
It's ironic that the thing that ultimately killed Sega, pouring tons of R&D and production/marketing money into an ill-fated train of excessive hardware introductions is the thing that makes them the most fun and interesting for collectors. There's possibly more demand for their defunct products now, when they're cheap, than there ever was when they were new. They're fun to talk about, they're fun to show people, and they're fun to research and buy.
My favorite is the Sega CDX, an extremely compact Genesis variant intended to be part home console, part portable Discman wannabe. It's hard to imagine how they thought there'd be demand for such a thing, especially coupled with its $400 asking price, but now it's a hot ticket item for collectors. It fits in almost any space, works with virtually everything made for the Genesis, and is an incredibly slick piece of hardware even by today's standards. Clone systems can barely compete with its convenience. It's a little on the pricier side than most Sega hardware, but at $150-170, it's a respectable deal, and a damn fine addition to a retro enthusiast's shelf.
Best part of it all is finding and appreciating all the stuff you never knew existed from Sega. The Sega CD actually has a number of great titles hidden amongst the FMV-ridden trash. Even the 32x has great ports of After Burner and Space Harrier, not to mention original titles like Knuckles Kaotix, Kolibri, and Tempo. Discovering these games and enjoying them helps you appreciate all the things Sega had to offer, without the stigma that consumers had during the 90s. In terms of diversity, value, and potential fun, no other game company comes close. It just took almost twenty years for people to see it.
What do retro game collectors like to collect? Whatever's plentiful, pretty much. The more obscure or notable, the better. What did Sega produce all of its life? Tons of shit. Consoles, add-ons, accessories, games... Just a buttload of everything they could think of, all of it interesting in some way.
Sega embraced the cutting edge. This started with the arcades, particularly in the late 80s with games like Hang-On and Out Run, which not only used state-of-the-art sprite-scaling hardware but featured super-sized cabinet systems with ridable vehicles that moved and interacted with the game. Later when it came to 3D, they scaled multi-million dollar aerospace simulator parts down to consumer-level arcade systems, and eventually the Sega Saturn. They were among the first fully-featured 3D consumer graphics in the industry. Unquestionably Sega was always on the cusp of innovation.
When it came to the console market, this meant they were always trying to one-up their competition. The first Sega console to make it outside of Japan, the Sega Master System, featured a number of add-ons, including one that allowed for 3D active-shudder technology on CRT-based TVs, something only just now being reintroduced. In Japan, the Master System was suped-up with the 3D feature built in, and easily upgraded sound that allowed for sophisticated MIDI sequences more akin to the Genesis than its 8-bit brethren. All model one Sega Master systems regardless of region had access to a secondary game media in the form of ROM cards. These were very similar in appearance to TurboGraphix-16's HuCards that would appear a few years later.
The Genesis is of course the most infamous for add-ons and accessories. Most variants of the system are fully back-compatible with Sega Master System games, but in an odd decision, the cartridge slot won't fit them. You had to buy the Power Base Converter, which didn't work on model two Genesis systems; or the UK-exclusive Master System Converter II, which did work on the model two, but couldn't play Sega Cards, only cartridges.
Then there were the two most famous add-ons for the system, which this time pushed its capabilities forward. The Sega CD add-on wasn't the first time a game console could use CDs, but it was close to it. Despite adding a second processor and more memory, games were only slightly enhanced from vanilla Genesis games, with the only real innovation being some very limited FMV playback. It was considered during its development to expand the on-screen color capability of the system, but it was decided the additional cost (an estimated $50) would impair its success (see FAQ). Had this been included, it might have rendered the 32x add-on completely pointless.
The 32x was pretty much pointless anyway, with only 30-something games released for it and a lifespan of basically one year. It used some of the hardware that would later be put in the Saturn, but with extremely limited memory. It was intended to transition customers to the new platform and keep the Genesis going. Instead customers just ignored it and waited for the next generation, in many cases skipping over Sega entirely once news circulated of the PlayStation and Nintendo 64.
Then there were all the different hardware revisions. In NA, the Master System saw two major revisions, which in addition to the converters on the Genesis and Game Gear gives collectors four options for playing Master System cartridges.
The Genesis was particularly ridiculous. It saw three major revisions in NA (four if you count the officially licensed Firecore clone console), plus the CDX model which also played Sega CD games. Then there was the portable Nomad, and the JVC X'Eye, a licensed third-party Genesis console with the Sega CD hardware implemented. On top of that there was the Pioneer Laseractive System with modules called PACs that allowed for videogames, one of which played Genesis games (with CD games playable on the main system's disc tray). So for the most hardcore collectors out there, you could have up to eight official ways of playing Genesis cartridges. (UPDATE: I've just been informed that the makers of the Firecore console also made an officially licensed handheld called the Retrogen, making it the ninth Genesis cartridge player.) This is of course excluding unofficial retro consoles that use emulation hardware.
All these add-ons and revisions often cost consumers hundreds of dollars, but today almost all of them can be had fairly inexpensively. Few other companies provide so much hardware and sub-libraries of games, and tons of obscure stuff for totally accessible prices is a total win for collectors.
Then there's the Sega Saturn, an under-appreciated console that can be had for a really low price these days. It has several diamonds in the rough within its library, though granted many were available on the PlayStation or PC. The Dreamcast got a little more love from consumers, but it can be had for just as cheaply, and its game library is even better.
It's ironic that the thing that ultimately killed Sega, pouring tons of R&D and production/marketing money into an ill-fated train of excessive hardware introductions is the thing that makes them the most fun and interesting for collectors. There's possibly more demand for their defunct products now, when they're cheap, than there ever was when they were new. They're fun to talk about, they're fun to show people, and they're fun to research and buy.
My favorite is the Sega CDX, an extremely compact Genesis variant intended to be part home console, part portable Discman wannabe. It's hard to imagine how they thought there'd be demand for such a thing, especially coupled with its $400 asking price, but now it's a hot ticket item for collectors. It fits in almost any space, works with virtually everything made for the Genesis, and is an incredibly slick piece of hardware even by today's standards. Clone systems can barely compete with its convenience. It's a little on the pricier side than most Sega hardware, but at $150-170, it's a respectable deal, and a damn fine addition to a retro enthusiast's shelf.
Best part of it all is finding and appreciating all the stuff you never knew existed from Sega. The Sega CD actually has a number of great titles hidden amongst the FMV-ridden trash. Even the 32x has great ports of After Burner and Space Harrier, not to mention original titles like Knuckles Kaotix, Kolibri, and Tempo. Discovering these games and enjoying them helps you appreciate all the things Sega had to offer, without the stigma that consumers had during the 90s. In terms of diversity, value, and potential fun, no other game company comes close. It just took almost twenty years for people to see it.
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