The Video Game Critic

So I was just perusing my June 95 issue ("The Truth about the Sega Saturn") of Game Players magazine and a few things caught my eye.

First was a two page article called "M2: The Next 3DO". I remember the 1990's, and there was very little interest in the 3DO at all, so it always annoyed me how all the magazines would hype up the M2 to no end. This was supposed to be 3DO's successor, available as an "expansion kit" for current owners. Such a dumb idea. Considering how badly the 3DO failed, why would people throw good money after bad? Especially at a time when Sony and Sega were releasing true next-gen systems. It should come as no shock that the M2 never even materialized.

The other article that had my eyes rolling was "Sega Saturn: Here and Now". This one featured a ridiculous pyramid-shaped chart depicting Sega's marketing strategy. They were planning to court several different types of gamers at the same time with their Saturn, Neptune, 32X, and Genesis platforms. Once again you'd think Sega might have learned a lesson from the Sega CD and 32X, but apparently they decided to double-down on their multi-console strategy.

Thoughts?

VideoGameCritic wrote:The other article that had my eyes rolling was "Sega Saturn: Here and Now". This one featured a ridiculous pyramid-shaped chart depicting Sega's marketing strategy.

I literally snorted in my drink as I read that.

VideoGameCritic wrote:They were planning to court several different types of gamers at the same time with their Saturn, Neptune, 32X, and Genesis platforms.

And then that instantly turned into feeling depressed.

Wow. Courting multiple types of gamers with several consoles, all whilst Sony were arguably appealing to several with just one - or at least ended up doing so, even if it was an older demographic initially.

All I can think is that their experience with the Master System maybe put this idea in their heads. I've been reading Sega Pro (UK) from 90-92 and the Master System is still going strong here, with new releases - some exclusives. Brazil was a very strong market too. The price point definitely helped keep some people - willingly - on the Master System for a long time, despite it being a generation behind.

The PS1's competition was maybe the weakest in video game history. The Saturn was a disaster. It couldn't even do 3d. The best it could do was 2.5d games like the original Doom and Wolfenstein 3d. We're talking that bad. I know there was popular 2d shmup's and fighters in Japan. But I'm talking about the US market. I totally succumbed to peer pressure by not getting the $199 deal for a Saturn and VF 2, VC2, and Daytona. I mean, the fact that it was $199 you could just tell they wanted to get rid of it. And what was the future going to be like as a new Saturn owner whenever that deal was. I guess it might have been late 1996. So you'd get a system with no future. On top of that was the outrageously bad reputation the Saturn and Sega had. I bet the PS1 was outselling it 30 to 1 at that point. The PS1's competition, and people can in retrospect talk about how great the N64 is, but the PS1's competition was maybe 3-5 N64 games and the Saturn. That was it. Might as well erase the Saturn. It was basically 3 N64 games was the PS1's competition

I actually received this issue in the mail from ebay this week. I'll be interested to take a look.

All this talk about Game Players in the forums inspired me to buy a couple issues, and now it's expanded to me having like 25 issues spanning different points from the early 90s to late 90s (when it became Ultra Game Players). I don't really collect magazines, but I've always had one issue of Game Players (Feb. 95) and it was one of my favorite mags to flip through. VGC's discussion of the set he just bought inspired me to buy 2 more. I liked those 2, so I bought a set of 12. But the seller accidentally sent me 8 extra and let me keep them, so now I have a bunch to read through.

Anyway, the Game Players issues from the mid 90s (like 94-96) are definitely the best to read now. Crazy features, good sense of humor, entertaining to read, lots of photos, etc. They are a bit disorganized and "all over the place", but it's still fun. And it was a high point for gaming, with the 16 and 32 bit era colliding and so many active systems at one time. When the magazine transitioned to Ultra Game Players around 97-98 it really went downhill. The magazine tried to appeal to an older audience, so the articles and format became much dryer. I think that was the downfall of many magazines from that era.

M2 never came out as a home consumer product but the technology - that ended up being a stand-alone unit instead of 3DO's 32-X - was used in several arcade games and other esoteric devices. It definitely wouldn't have kicked N64 or PS1 to the curb but it's a leg up from 3DO, if nothing else.

M2 Konami arcade games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vISs4UlgHDU&t=2m34s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAD4MErZzE0t=3m10s

D2 M2 version demo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7_SUsLv4nM

There were so many what ifs that generation. There should have been a system that did great 2d and good primitive 3d. It was all about being fast at the expense of graphics.
Once you get past 1996, that’s when I didn’t like Magazines like Gamepro nearly as much. Although there was a huge drop off in quality by probably even late ‘95.

jon wrote:The PS1's competition was maybe the weakest in video game history. The Saturn was a disaster. It couldn't even do 3d. The best it could do was 2.5d games like the original Doom and Wolfenstein 3d. We're talking that bad. I know there was popular 2d shmup's and fighters in Japan. But I'm talking about the US market. I totally succumbed to peer pressure by not getting the $199 deal for a Saturn and VF 2, VC2, and Daytona. I mean, the fact that it was $199 you could just tell they wanted to get rid of it. And what was the future going to be like as a new Saturn owner whenever that deal was. I guess it might have been late 1996. So you'd get a system with no future. On top of that was the outrageously bad reputation the Saturn and Sega had. I bet the PS1 was outselling it 30 to 1 at that point. The PS1's competition, and people can in retrospect talk about how great the N64 is, but the PS1's competition was maybe 3-5 N64 games and the Saturn. That was it. Might as well erase the Saturn. It was basically 3 N64 games was the PS1's competition

Sorry you sound like you never played a N64 or Saturn the Saturn was literally just as capable at 3D as the PS1 with the right developers however it was dead long before N64 or PS1 so we never got to see its true power with 3D. Look at Powerslave and Quake tell me they don't rival any PS1 shooters of the time.

jon wrote:The Saturn was a disaster.

It did well in Japan. Total sales there were higher than the Mega Drive and N64.

The Saturn could only do 3d in narrow closed environments like Crash Bandicoot for example. And even then they needed to use sprites for enemies. There are no examples of the Saturn having a game with a wide open world like say Twisted Metal or Goldeneye. They couldn’t even do a 3d Sonic game. I looked at the demo for it. It looks ridiculous.

Correct me if I'm wrong because I haven't played it, but I would imagine Panzer Dragoon Saga and other RPGs on the system to have pretty large environments.