SEGA SG-1000 (SG1000)
The SG-1000 is a home video game console manufactured by Sega. This was Sega's first entry into the home video game hardware market. Developed in response to a downturn in arcade games that began in 1982, the SG-1000 was created on the advice of Hayao Nakayama, president of Sega's Japanese division, and was released on July 15, 1983, the same day that Nintendo released the family computer in Japan. It also received a limited release in Australia and New Zealand.
The SG-1000 was released in several forms, including the SC-3000 computer and the redesigned SG-1000 II released in 1984. The SG-1000 and SC-3000 support a library of 76 ROM cartridge games and 29 Sega My Card games. games.
The third iteration of the console, the Sega Mark III, was released in 1985. It provided an improved dedicated video display processor over previous iterations and provided the basis for the Master System in 1986, Sega's first internationally released console. All SG-1000 games are fully compatible with Mark III and Japanese Master System.
In the early 1980s, Sega Enterprises, Inc., then a subsidiary of Gulf and Western, was one of the top five arcade game makers in the United States as the company's revenue rose to $214 million. A downturn in the arcade business beginning in 1982 severely hurt the companies, forcing Gulf and Western to sell its North American arcade manufacturing organization and the licensing rights to its arcade games to Bally Manufacturing. The company retained Sega's North American research and development division as well as its Japanese subsidiary, Sega Enterprises, Ltd. As her arcade business declined, the president of Sega Enterprises, Ltd. Hayao Nakayama advocated for the company to use its hardware expertise to move to the home console. the Japanese market, which was in its infancy at the time. Nakayama received permission to continue. The first model developed was the SC-3000, a computer with a built-in keyboard, but when Sega learned of Nintendo's plans for a video game console, they began developing the SG-1000 along with the SC-3000. The "SG" in the console's name is an acronym for "Sega Game", and the console is also sometimes referred to as the "Mark I". To keep costs down and ensure sufficient durability, Sega decided to build the platform from popular off-the-shelf components. and the console is also sometimes referred to as "Mark I". To keep costs down and ensure sufficient durability, Sega decided to build the platform from popular off-the-shelf components. and the console is also sometimes referred to as "Mark I". To reduce costs and ensure sufficient durability,
The SG-1000 was first released in Japan on July 15, 1983, priced at 15,000 yen. It was released on the same day that Nintendo launched the Family Computer (Famicom) in Japan. It was released at the same time as the SC-3000, also known as the Sega Personal Computer SC-3000, as well as an upgraded SC-3000H. Although Sega itself only released the SG-1000 in Japan, rebranded versions were released in several other markets around the world. Released almost simultaneously with the Japanese version, the SG-1000 was released in Australia by John Sands Electronics and in New Zealand by Grandstand Leisure. The console was also released in Italy and Spain, but was not released in the larger US, UK or German video game markets. Despite this, an unauthorized cloning system known as Telegames Personal Arcade, was produced and made available in the US and Taiwan and can play SG-1000 and ColecoVision games. An additional release of the SG-1000 in Taiwan was made by Aaronix. The console was popular in Taiwan for a while before the market was taken over by cheaper Famicom clones.
Partly due to a more steady flow of SG-1000 releases (21 SG-1000 games by the end of 1983 compared to only 9 Famicom games), and partly due to Famicom device recalls caused by faulty circuitry, SG-1000 recorded on its account of 160,000 sales in 1983, far exceeding Sega's forecast of 50,000 units. Sega's former head of consumer hardware development, Hideki Sato, stated that since Sega did not predict the SG-1000 would sell as well, the company got carried away with game console development. Despite this, three launch games, all of which were ported from the Sega VIC dual-arcade board, had no title recognition in the Famicom launch games Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Popeye. Shortly after launch, Gulf and Western began to shed its non-core business following the death of company founder Charles Blahdorn, so Nakayama and former Sega CEO David Rosen negotiated a management buyout of the Japanese subsidiary in 1984 with financial backing from CSK Corporation, a well-known Japanese company. software company. Nakayama was then named CEO of the new Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
After the buyout, Sega released another console, the SG-1000 II, on July 31, 1984, priced at 15,000 yen. It is sometimes referred to as the "SG-1000 Mark II". The SG-1000 II replaces the wired joystick with two detachable joysticks. Satō disliked the original cartridges, saying they looked like "little black tombstones" when inserted into the console, and later commented that his proudest accomplishment from the SG-1000 era was replacing them with "more fun" pocket Sega My Cards. Sega also hired popular comedy duo the owarai Tunnels to provide celebrity endorsement for the console.
By 1984, the Famicom's success began to outpace that of the SG-1000. The Famicom had more advanced hardware allowing for smoother scrolling and more colorful sprites, and Nintendo expanded its game library by bringing in third-party developers while Sega was not eager to partner with the same companies they competed with in arcades. The SG-1000 also competed with game consoles from companies such as Tomy and Bandai. This led to the release of the Sega Mark III in Japan in 1985, which later became the Master System worldwide. The last cartridge released was Portrait of Loretta on February 18, 1987. In 2006, subscription gaming service GameTap added the SG-1000 emulator and several game titles.