======================================================================
= Master_System =
======================================================================
Introduction
======================================================================
The is an 8-bit home video game console manufactured and developed by
Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega
MarkIII, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles,
released in Japan in 1985. The Master System launched in North America
in 1986, followed by Europe in 1987 and Brazil and Korea in 1989. A
Japanese version was launched in 1987, with additions including a
built-in FM audio chip, a rapid-fire switch, and a dedicated port for
the 3D glasses. The Master SystemII, a cheaper model, was released in
1990 in North America, Australasia, and Europe.
The original Master System models use both cartridges and a credit
card-sized format, Sega Cards. Accessories include a light gun and 3D
glasses that work with specially designed games. The later Master
System II redesign removed the card slot, turning it into a strictly
cartridge-only system, and is incompatible with the 3D glasses.
As a third-generation console, the Master System was released in
competition with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Its library
is smaller and with fewer well-reviewed games than the NES, due in
part to Nintendo licensing policies requiring platform exclusivity.
Though the Master System had newer, improved hardware, it failed to
overturn Nintendo's market share advantage in Japan, North America,
and most of Western Europe. However, it attained greater success in
some markets, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, Brazil,
South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia.
The Master System is estimated to have sold between 10-13million units
worldwide. In addition, Tectoy has sold licensed Master System
variants in Brazil. Retrospective criticism has recognized its role in
the development of the Sega Genesis, and a number of well-received
games, particularly in PAL (including PAL-M) regions, but is critical
of its limited library in the NTSC regions, which were dominated by
the NES.
Mark III
==========
Sega released its first video game console, the SG-1000, in Japan on
July 15, 1983, the same day its competitor Nintendo launched the
Family Computer (Famicom). In 1984, parent company Gulf and Western
Industries divested its non-core businesses including Sega, and Sega
president Hayao Nakayama was installed as CEO. Nakayama and Sega
co-founder David Rosen later arranged a management buyout with
financial backing from CSK Corporation, and installed CSK CEO Isao
Okawa as chairman.
On July 31, 1984, Sega released the SG-1000 II, a revised version of
the SG-1000 with several hardware alterations, including detachable
controllers. Hoping to better compete with Nintendo, Sega released the
Mark III, another revision of the SG-1000, in Japan on October 20,
1985 at ¥15,000. The Mark III was engineered by the same team as the
SG-1000, including Hideki Sato and Masami Ishikawa, who had worked on
the SG-1000 II and later led development of the Mega Drive. According
to Sato, the console was redesigned because of the limitations of the
Texas Instruments TMS9918A graphics chip in the SG-1000, which did not
have the power for the kinds of games Sega wanted to make. The Mark
III's chip was designed in-house, based around the unit in Sega's
System 2 arcade system board.
Though its hardware was more powerful than the Famicom, the Mark III
was not successful on launch. Problems arose from Nintendo's licensing
practices with third-party developers, whereby Nintendo required that
games for the Famicom not be published on other consoles. Sega
developed its own games and obtained the rights to port games from
other developers, but they did not sell well.
North American release as Master System
=========================================
Though the SG-1000 had not been released in the United States, Sega
hoped that their console business would fare better in North America
than it had in Japan. To accomplish this, Sega of America was
established in 1986 to manage the company's consumer products in North
America. Rosen and Nakayama hired Bruce Lowry, Nintendo of America's
vice president of sales. Lowry was persuaded to change companies
because Sega would allow him to start his new office in San Francisco.
He chose the name "Sega of America" for his division because he had
worked for Nintendo of America and liked the combination of words.
Initially, Sega of America was tasked with repackaging the Mark III
for a Western release. Sega of America rebranded the Mark III as the
Master System, similar to Nintendo's reworking of the Famicom into the
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The name was chosen by Sega of
America employees throwing darts against a whiteboard of suggested
names. Plans to release a cheaper console, the Base System, also
influenced the decision. Okawa approved of the name after being told
it was a reference to the competitive nature of both the video game
industry and martial arts, in which only one competitor can be the
"Master". The console's futuristic final design was intended to appeal
to Western tastes. The North American packaging was white to
differentiate it from the black NES packaging, with a white grid
design inspired by Apple computer products.
The Master System was first revealed in North America at the Summer
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Chicago in June 1986. It was later
launched in September 1986 at a price of $200 (200), initially sold in
a package with the "Power Base" console, a light gun, two controllers,
and a pack-in multicart with the games 'Hang-On' and 'Safari Hunt'.
Around the same time, Nintendo was exporting the Famicom to the US as
the Nintendo Entertainment System, and both Sega and Nintendo planned
to spend $15 million in late 1986 to market their respective consoles;
Sega hoped to sell 400,000 to 750,000 consoles in 1986. By the end of
1986, at least 125,000 Master System consoles had been sold, more than
the Atari 7800's 100,000 but less than Nintendo's 1.1 million. Other
sources indicate that more than 250,000 Master System consoles were
sold by Christmas 1986.
As in Japan, the Master System in North America had a limited game
library. Limited by Nintendo's licensing practices, Sega only had two
third-party American publishers, Activision and Parker Brothers.
Agreements with both of those companies came to an end in 1989. Sega
claimed that the Master System was the first console "where the
graphics on the box are actually matched by the graphics of the game",
and pushed the "arcade experience" in adverts. However, its marketing
department was run by only two people, giving Sega a disadvantage in
advertising. As one method of promoting the console, at the end of
1987 Sega partnered with astronaut Scott Carpenter to start the "Sega
Challenge", a traveling program set up in recreational centers where
kids were tested on non-verbal skills such as concentration and the
ability to learn new skills. 'Out Run' and 'Shooting Gallery' were two
games included in the challenge.
In 1987, amid struggling sales in the US, Sega sold the US
distribution rights for the Master System to toy company Tonka, which
had no experience with electronic entertainment systems. Sega had made
the deal in order to leverage Tonka's knowledge of the American toy
market, since Nintendo had marketed the NES as a toy to great success
in North America. The announcement was made shortly after the 1987
Summer CES. During this time, much of Sega of America's infrastructure
shifted from marketing and distribution to focus on customer service,
and Lowry departed the company. Tonka blocked localization of several
popular Japanese games, and during 1988 were less willing to purchase
EPROMs needed for game cartridge manufacture during a shortage. They
also became less willing to invest in video games after taking massive
loans in purchasing Kenner Toys in 1987, followed by poor holiday
season sales and financial losses.
On October 18, 1987, the Mark III was re-released as the Master System
in Japan for ¥16,800, but still sold poorly. Neither model posed a
serious challenge to Nintendo in Japan, and, according to Sato, Sega
was only able to attain 10% of the Japanese console market.
Europe, Brazil, and other markets
===================================
The Master System was launched in Europe in August 1987, distributed
by Mastertronic in the United Kingdom, Master Games in France, and
Ariolasoft in West Germany, the latter of whom had initially purchased
UK distribution rights. As Ariolasoft could not agree to a pricing
agreement with Sega, Mastertronic signed a deal in 1987 to take
control of UK distribution, and announced the deal at the 1987 Summer
CES. The company announced the release of 12 titles by autumn.
Mastertronic advertised the Master System as "an arcade in the home"
and launched it at £99 (). Advance orders from retailers were high,
but Sega proved unable to deliver inventory until Boxing Day on
December 26, causing many retailers to cancel their orders.
Mastertronic and Master Games entered financial crises and Ariolasoft
vowed never to work with Sega again. Mastertronic had already sold a
minority interest to the Virgin Group to enter the console business,
and sold the remainder to avoid bankruptcy. The newly rebranded Virgin
Mastertronic took over all European distribution in 1988.
Virgin Mastertronic focused marketing the Master System on ports of
Sega's arcade games and positioning it as a superior video game
alternative to the Commodore 64 and the ZX Spectrum computers. As a
result of this marketing, coupled with Nintendo's less effective early
approaches in Europe, the Master System began to attract European
developers. The Master System held a significant part of the video
game console market in Europe until the release of Sega's succeeding
console, the Mega Drive. In 1989, Virgin Mastertronic began offering
rentals of the Master System console and 20 games. The United Kingdom
also hosted a Sega video games national championship, with the winner
competing against Japanese and American champions on the British
television show 'Motormouth'. Players competed in a variety of games,
including 'Astro Warrior', platform games, and sports games. During
the late 1980s, the Master System was outselling the NES in the United
Kingdom.
The Master System was successful in Europe, becoming the best-selling
console in the region by 1990; by that time, however, the NES was
beginning to have a fast-growing user base in the UK. In 1990 alone,
Virgin Mastertronic sold 150,000 Master Systems in the United Kingdom,
greater than the 60,000 Mega Drives and Nintendo's 80,000 consoles
sold in the same period. In the whole of Europe that year, Sega sold a
combined 918,000 consoles, greater than Nintendo's 655,000.
The Master System was also successful in Brazil, where it launched in
September 1989 and was distributed by Tectoy, a Brazilian toy company
startup focused on electronic toys. Tectoy had reached out to Sega
about distributing their products and, despite Sega's hesitation given
their situation with Tonka in the US, was eventually given liberty to
manage Sega products in Brazil. Their success distributing Sega's
laser tag gun based on the anime 'Zillion' gave Sega the confidence to
allow Tectoy to distribute the Master System. By the end of 1990, the
installed base in Brazil was about 280,000 units. Tectoy introduced a
telephone service with game tips, created a Master System club, and
presented the program 'Master Tips' during commercial breaks of the
television show 'Sessão Aventura' on Rede Globo. Nintendo did not
arrive in Brazil until 1993, and were unable to officially compete, as
clones of the NES dominated the Brazilian market. Tectoy claimed 80%
of the Brazilian video game market.
In South Korea, the Sega Mark III was released by Samsung under the
name "Gam*Boy" in April 1989, followed by the Master System II, under
the name "Aladdin Boy", in 1992. By 1993, it had sold 720,000 units in
South Korea, outselling the NES (released in the region by Hyundai
Group as the "Comboy") and becoming the best-selling console in the
region until 1993. The Master System was also popular in New Zealand
and Australia; in the latter country, it was more successful than the
NES, with 250,000 units sold there during 1990 alone. By November
1994, 650,000 units had been sold in Australia.
Decline
=========
Although the Master System was a success in Europe, and later in
Brazil, it failed to ignite significant interest in the Japanese or
North American markets, which, by the mid-to-late 1980s, were both
dominated by Nintendo, who held 83 percent of the North American video
game market by 1988. With Sega continuing to have difficulty
penetrating the home market, Sega's console R&D team, led by
Ishikawa and supervised by Sato, began work on a successor to the
Master System almost immediately after the system's launch. Another
competitor in Japan arose in 1987, when Japanese computer giant NEC
released the PC Engine (later released in North America as the
TurboGrafx-16) amid great publicity.
Sega released its next console, the 16-bit Mega Drive, in Japan on
October 29, 1988. The final licensed release for the Master System in
Japan was 'Bomber Raid' in 1989. That same year, Sega was preparing to
release the new Mega Drive as the Sega Genesis in North America.
Displeased with Tonka's handling of the Master System, Sega reacquired
the marketing and distribution rights to the Master System for the
United States. In 1990, Sega released the remodeled Master System II,
designed as a lower-cost version without the Sega Card slot. Sega
promoted the new model, but it sold poorly. By early 1992, production
of the Master System had ceased in North America, having sold between
1.5 million and 2 million units, behind both Nintendo and Atari, which
controlled 80 percent and 12 percent of the market respectively. The
last licensed Master System release in North America was 'Sonic the
Hedgehog' (1991).
In Europe, where the Master System was the best-selling console up
until 1990, the NES caught up with and narrowly overtook the Master
System in Western Europe during the early 1990s; however, the Master
System maintained its lead in several markets such as the UK, Belgium,
and Spain. In 1993, the Master System's estimated active installed
user base in Europe was 6.25 million units, larger than that of the
Mega Drive's 5.73 million that year but less than the NES's 7.26
million. Combined with the Mega Drive, Sega represented the majority
of the European console market that year. The Master System II was
also successful and helped Sega to sustain their significant market
share. Releases in Europe continued into the 1990s, including 'Mercs',
'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' (both 1992), and 'Streets of Rage 2' (1994).
The Master System has had continued success in Brazil, where dedicated
"plug and play" consoles emulating the original hardware continue to
be sold by Tectoy, including portable versions. These systems include
the Master System Compact and the Master System III, and Tectoy has
also received requests to remake the original Master System. In 2012,
UOL reported that Tectoy re-releases of the Master System and Mega
Drive combined sold around 150,000 units per year in Brazil. By 2016,
Tectoy said they had sold 8 million units of Master System branded
systems in Brazil.
Technical specifications
======================================================================
The Master System's main CPU is an 8-bit Zilog Z80A rated for 4 MHz,
but runs at 3.58 MHz. It has 8 KB of ROM, 8 KB of RAM and 16 KB of
video RAM (VRAM). Video is provided through an RF switch (though Model
1s with an AV port can also output composite and even RGB video) and
displays at a resolution of 256 × 192 pixels and up to 32 colors at
one time from a total palette of 64 colors; the Video Display
Processor (VDP) graphics chip was designed by Sega for the Mark III.
The Master System measures 365 x, while the Mark III measures 318 x.
Both consoles use two slots for game input: one for Mega Cartridges
and one for Sega Cards, along with an expansion slot and two
controller ports. Sound is provided by the Texas Instruments SN76489
PSG built into the VDP, which can provide three square wave channels
and one noise channel. The Japanese version also integrates the Yamaha
YM2413 FM chip, an optional feature on the Mark III. With few
exceptions, Master System hardware is identical to the hardware in the
Mark III. Games for the console are playable on the Sega Genesis using
the Power Base Converter accessory, and on the Game Gear using the
Master Gear Converter. Compared to the base NES, the Master System has
four times as much system memory, eight times as much video memory,
and a higher CPU clock rate.
Sega produced several iterations of the Master System. The Master
System II, released in 1990, removed a number of components to reduce
cost: the Sega Card slot, reset button, power light, expansion port,
and startup music and logo. In most regions, the Master System II's
A/V port was omitted, leaving only RF output available; this was
reversed in France, where the local version of the Master System II
had only A/V video output available and omitted the RF hardware. In
Brazil, Tectoy released several licensed variations; the Master System
Super Compact functions wirelessly with an RF transmitter, and the
Master System Girl, molded in bright pink plastic, was targeted at
girls. The Master System 3 Collection, released in 2006, contains 120
built-in games. Handheld versions of the Master System were released
under several brands, such as Coleco in 2006.
Accessories
=============
|alt=Two Master system controllers alt=A Master System Light Phaser
alt=A pair of Sega 3D glasses
width="90" | width="90" | width="90" |
A number of cross-compatible accessories were created for the Mark III
and Master System. The controller consists of a rectangle with a D-pad
and two buttons. Sega also introduced additional Mark III controllers,
such as a paddle controller. A combination steering wheel and flight
stick, the Handle Controller, was released in 1989. The Sega Control
Stick is an arcade-style joystick with the buttons on the opposite
side as the standard controller. Unreleased in Europe, the Sega Sports
Pad utilizes a trackball and is compatible with three games. Sega also
created an expansion for its controller, the Rapid Fire Unit, that
allows for auto-fire by holding down one of two buttons. This unit
connects between the console and the controller. A light gun
peripheral, the Light Phaser, was based on the weapon of the same name
from the Japanese anime 'Zillion'. It is compatible with 13 games and
released exclusively in the West.
A pair of 3D glasses, the SegaScope 3-D, were created for games such
as 'Space Harrier 3-D', although Mark III users need an additional
converter to use them. The SegaScope 3-D works via an active shutter
3D system, creating a stereoscopic effect. The glasses need to be
connected to the Sega Card slot, and thus do not function with the
Master System II due to lack of the card slot. A total of eight games,
including 'Zaxxon 3-D' and 'OutRun 3-D', are compatible with the
glasses.
The Mark III has an optional RF transmitter accessory, allowing
wireless play that broadcasts the game being played on a UHF
television signal.
Game Gear
===========
Developed under the name "Project Mercury" and designed based on the
Master System's hardware, the Game Gear is a handheld game console. It
was first released in Japan on October 6, 1990, in North America and
Europe in 1991, and in Australia and New Zealand in 1992. Originally
retailing at JP¥19,800 in Japan, $149.99 in North America, and £99.99
in the United Kingdom, the Game Gear was designed to compete with the
Game Boy, which Nintendo had released in 1989. There are similarities
between the Game Gear and the Master System hardware; Master System
games are playable on Game Gear using the Master Gear Converter
accessory. A large part of the Game Gear's game library consists of
Master System ports. Because of hardware similarities, including the
landscape screen orientation, Master System games are easily portable
to the handheld. In particular, many Master System ports of Game Gear
games were done by Tectoy for the Brazilian market, as the Master
System was more popular than the Game Gear in the region.
Game library
======================================================================
Master System games came in two formats: ROM cartridges held up to 4
Mbit (512 KB) of code and data, while Sega Cards held up to 256 Kbit
(32 KB). Cartridges were marketed by their storage size: One Mega (1
Mbit), Two Mega (2 Mbit), and Four Mega (4 Mbit). Cards, cheaper to
manufacture than the cartridges, included 'Spy vs. Spy' and 'Super
Tennis', but were eventually dropped due to their small memory size.
The size of the release library varies based on region; North America
received just over 100 games, with Japan receiving less. Europe, by
contrast, received over 300 licensed games, including 8-bit ports of
Genesis games and PAL-exclusive releases. The first Mark III-specific
cartridge was 'Fantasy Zone', released on June 15, 1986, and 'Bomber
Raid' was the final release on February 4, 1989, a few months after
the launch of the Mega Drive. The final North American release was
'Sonic the Hedgehog' in October 1991. Games for PAL regions continued
to be released until the mid-1990s.
The Sega Mark III and the Japanese Master System are
backwards-compatible with SC-3000/SG-1000 cartridges, and can play
Sega Card games without the Card Catcher peripheral. However,
educational and programming cartridges for the SC-3000 require the
SK-1100 keyboard peripheral, which is compatible with the Mark III.
Mark III-specific games were initially available in card format
(labelled My Card Mark III to distinguish themselves from games
designed for the SC-3000/SG-1000), starting with 'Teddy Boy Blues' and
'Hang-On', both released on October 20, 1985.
Of the games released for the Master System, 'Phantasy Star' is
considered a benchmark role-playing game (RPG), and became a
successful franchise. Sega's flagship character at the time, Alex
Kidd, was featured in games including 'Alex Kidd in Miracle World'.
'Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap' was influential for its blend of
platform gameplay with RPG elements. Different Master System consoles
included built-in games, including 'Snail Maze,' 'Hang-On'/'Safari
Hunt', 'Alex Kidd in Miracle World' and 'Sonic the Hedgehog'.
Battery-backup save game support was included in eight cartridges,
including 'Penguin Land', 'Phantasy Star', 'Ys', and 'Miracle
Warriors'.
The more extensive PAL region library includes 8-bit entries in
Genesis franchises such as 'Streets of Rage', a number of additional
'Sonic the Hedgehog' games, and dozens of PAL exclusives such as 'The
Lucky Dime Caper Starring Donald Duck', 'Asterix', 'Ninja Gaiden',
'Master of Darkness', and 'Power Strike II'. 'Retro Gamer''s Damien
McFerran praised the "superb" PAL library of "interesting ports and
excellent exclusives", which was richer than the North American
library and provided a "drip-feed of quality titles".
After the Master System was discontinued in other markets, additional
games were released in Brazil by Tectoy, including ports of 'Street
Fighter II: Champion Edition' and 'Dynamite Headdy'. Tectoy created
Portuguese translations of games exclusive to the region. Some of
these would tie in to popular Brazilian entertainment franchises; for
example, 'Teddy Boy' became 'Geraldinho', certain 'Wonder Boy' titles
became 'Monica's Gang' games, and 'Ghost House' became 'Chapolim vs.
Dracula: Um Duelo Assutador', based on the Mexican TV series 'El
Chapulín Colorado'. Tectoy also ported games to the Master System,
including various games from the Genesis and Game Gear. Aside from
porting, the company developed 'Férias Frustradas do Pica-Pau' after
finding out that Woody Woodpecker (named Pica-Pau in Portuguese) was
the most popular cartoon on Brazilian television, along with at least
twenty additional exclusives. These titles were developed in-house by
Tectoy in Brazil.
Due in part to Nintendo's licensing practices, which stipulated that
third-party NES developers could not release games on other platforms,
few third-party developers released games for the Master System.
According to Sato, Sega was focused on porting its arcade games
instead of building relationships with third parties. According to
Sega designer Mark Cerny, most of Sega's early Master System games
were developed within a strict three-month deadline, which affected
their quality. 'Computer Gaming World' compared new Sega games to
"drops of water in the desert". Games for the Master System took
advantage of more advanced hardware compared to the NES; 'Alex Kidd in
Miracle World', for example, showcases "blistering colors and more
detailed sprites" than NES games. The Master System version of
'R-Type' was praised for its visuals, comparable to those of the
TurboGrafx-16 port.
In 2005, Sega reached a deal with the company AtGames to release
emulated Master System software in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.
Several Master System games were released for download on Nintendo's
Wii Virtual Console, beginning with 'Hokuto no Ken' in 2008 in Japan
and 'Wonder Boy' in North America. Master System games were also
released via the GameTap online service.
Reception and legacy
======================================================================
Due to the continued release of new variants in Brazil, the Master
System is considered by many video gaming publications to be the
longest lived gaming console in video games history, a title it took
from the Atari 2600. Sales of the Master System have been estimated
between 10 million and 13 million units, not including later Brazil
sales. It saw much more continued success in Europe and Brazil than it
did in Japan and North America. In 1989, the Master System was listed
in the top 20 products of NPD Group's Toy Retail Sales Tracking
Service. However, the 'Electronic Gaming Monthly' 1992 Buyer's Guide
indicated a souring interest in the console. Four reviewers scored it
5, 4, 5, and 5 out of a possible 10 points each, focusing on the
better value of the Genesis and lack of quality games for the Master
System. In 1993, reviewers scored it 2, 2, 3, and 3 out of 10, noting
its abandonment by Sega in North America and lack of new releases. By
contrast, over 34 million NES units were sold in North America alone,
outselling the Master System's life time units globally nearly three
times over. According to Bill Pearse of 'Playthings', the NES gained
an advantage through better software and more recognizable characters.
Sega closed the gap with Nintendo in the next generation with the
release of the Genesis, which sold 30.75 million consoles compared
with the 49 million Super Nintendo Entertainment System consoles.
Retrospective feedback of the Master System praises its support toward
development of the Sega Genesis, but has been critical of its small
game library. Writing for 'AllGame', Dave Beuscher noted that the
Master System "was doomed by the lack of third-party software support
and all but disappeared from the American market by 1992." 'Retro
Gamer' writer Adam Buchanan praised the larger PAL library as a
"superb library of interesting ports and excellent exclusives". Damien
McFerran, also of 'Retro Gamer,' recognized its importance to the
success of the Genesis, stating, "Without this criminally undervalued
machine, Sega would not have enjoyed the considerable success it had
with the Mega Drive. The Master System allowed Sega to experiment with
arcade conversions, original IP and even create a mascot in the form
of the lovable monkey-boy Alex Kidd." In 2009, the Master System was
named the 20th best console of all time by 'IGN', behind the Atari
7800 (17th) and the NES (1st). 'IGN' cited the Master System's small
and uneven NTSC library as the major problems: "Months could go by
between major releases and that made a dud on the Master System feel
even more painful."
License
=========
All content on Gopherpedia comes from Wikipedia, and is licensed under CC-BY-SA
License URL:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_System
