Third generation of video game consoles: Difference between revisions
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The third generation would mark the move from single-screen or [[flip-screen]] graphics to [[scrolling]] graphics, which would prove to be nearly as pivotal as the leap to [[3D computer graphics|3D graphics]] many years later. While scrolling had been present in various [[arcade game]]s in the early 1980s, it was not introduced to consoles until the third generation, with the 1983 release of the NES, the first console to feature hardware scrolling. The emergence of [[scrolling game]]s opened up the possibility of vast worlds that made earlier single-screen games seem quaint. This gave [[Nintendo]]'s NES a major advantage over its competitor, the Sega [[SG-1000]], which was released on the same day but lacked hardware scrolling, much like earlier consoles such as the [[ColecoVision]] and computers such as the [[MSX]]. Despite the lack of hardware scrolling, Sega's [[SG-1000 Mark II]] was able to pull off some scrolling effects in 1984, including [[parallax scrolling]] in ''[[Super Dimension Century Orguss#Videogames|Orguss]]'' and [[ |
The third generation would mark the move from single-screen or [[flip-screen]] graphics to [[scrolling]] graphics, which would prove to be nearly as pivotal as the leap to [[3D computer graphics|3D graphics]] many years later. While scrolling had been present in various [[arcade game]]s in the early 1980s, it was not introduced to consoles until the third generation, with the 1983 release of the NES, the first console to feature hardware scrolling. The emergence of [[scrolling game]]s opened up the possibility of vast worlds that made earlier single-screen games seem quaint. This gave [[Nintendo]]'s NES a major advantage over its competitor, the Sega [[SG-1000]], which was released on the same day but lacked hardware scrolling, much like earlier consoles such as the [[ColecoVision]] and computers such as the [[MSX]]. Despite the lack of hardware scrolling, Sega's [[SG-1000 Mark II]] was able to pull off some scrolling effects in 1984, including [[parallax scrolling]] in ''[[Super Dimension Century Orguss#Videogames|Orguss]]'' and [[2.5D|sprite-scaling]] in ''[[Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom|Zoom 909]]''.<ref name=IGN-Sega>{{cite web|url=http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/974/974695p2.html|title=IGN Presents the History of SEGA: Coming Home|page=2|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2011-03-27}}</ref> In 1985, Sega's ''[[Master System]]'' incorporated hardware scrolling, alongside an increased colour pallette, greater memory, [[pseudo-3D]] effects, and [[List of stereoscopic video games|stereoscopic 3-D]], gaining a clear hardware advantage over the NES. However, the NES would still continue to dominate the important North American and Japanese markets, while the Master System would gain more dominance in the emerging European and South American markets.<ref>[http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/974/974695p3.html IGN Presents the History of SEGA: World War], [[IGN]]</ref> |
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In the later part of the third generation (argued by some as part of the 4th generation as the [[Turbografx-16]] was released in 1987 and the [[Sega Mega Drive]] was released in 1988), Nintendo also introduced the [[Game Boy]], which almost single-handedly solidified, and then proceeded to dominate, the previously scattered handheld market for 15 years. While the Game Boy product line has been incrementally updated every few years, until the [[Game Boy Micro]] and [[Nintendo DS]], and partially the [[Game Boy Color]], all Game Boy products were [[backward compatibility|backwards compatible]] with the original released in 1989. Since the Game Boy's release, Nintendo had always dominated the handheld market until present day. |
In the later part of the third generation (argued by some as part of the 4th generation as the [[Turbografx-16]] was released in 1987 and the [[Sega Mega Drive]] was released in 1988), Nintendo also introduced the [[Game Boy]], which almost single-handedly solidified, and then proceeded to dominate, the previously scattered handheld market for 15 years. While the Game Boy product line has been incrementally updated every few years, until the [[Game Boy Micro]] and [[Nintendo DS]], and partially the [[Game Boy Color]], all Game Boy products were [[backward compatibility|backwards compatible]] with the original released in 1989. Since the Game Boy's release, Nintendo had always dominated the handheld market until present day. |
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The third generation saw many of the first console role-playing video |
The third generation saw many of the first console [[role-playing video game]]s (RPGs). Editing and [[censorship]] of video games was often used in [[Localization|localizing]] Japanese games to North America. During this era, many of the most famous video game franchises of all time were founded. Some notable examples include ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'', ''[[Dragon Quest]]'', ''[[Metroid]]'', ''[[Mega Man]]'', ''[[Metal Gear]]'', ''[[Castlevania]]'', ''[[Phantasy Star]]'', ''[[Megami Tensei]]'', ''[[Ninja Gaiden]]'', and ''[[Bomberman]]''. |
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The third generation also saw the dawn of the children's [[educational console]] market. Although consoles such as the [[VideoSmarts]] and [[ComputerSmarts]] systems were stripped down to very primitive input systems designed for children, their use of [[ROM cartridge]]s would establish this as the standard for later such consoles. Due to their reduced capacities, these systems typically were not labeled by their "bits" and were not marketed in competition with traditional video game consoles. |
The third generation also saw the dawn of the children's [[educational console]] market. Although consoles such as the [[VideoSmarts]] and [[ComputerSmarts]] systems were stripped down to very primitive input systems designed for children, their use of [[ROM cartridge]]s would establish this as the standard for later such consoles. Due to their reduced capacities, these systems typically were not labeled by their "bits" and were not marketed in competition with traditional video game consoles. |
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Revision as of 22:46, 27 March 2011
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2008) |
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| Part of a series on the |
| History of video games |
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In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began in 1983 with the Japanese release of the Family Computer (later known as the Nintendo Entertainment System in the rest of the world). This generation marked the move from single-screen or flip-screen graphics to scrolling graphics, which would prove to be nearly as pivotal as the leap to 3D graphics many years later.[1]
Although the previous generation of consoles had also used 8-bit processors, it was at the end of this generation that home consoles were first labeled by their "bits". This also came into fashion as 16-bit systems like the Mega Drive/Genesis were marketed to differentiate between the generations of consoles. In the United States, this generation in gaming was primarily dominated by the NES/Famicom. The end of the 3rd generation of video games comes as 8-bit consoles become obsolete in graphics and processing power compared to 16-bit consoles.
Overview
| This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2011) |
The Family Computer (commonly abbreviated the Famicom) became very popular in Japan during this era and ended up crowding out the other consoles in this generation. The Famicom's American counterpart, the Nintendo Entertainment System, dominated the gaming market in Japan and North America, thanks in part to its restrictive licensing agreements with developers. Although the NES dominated the market in Japan and North America, Sega's Master System made large inroads in Brazil, Oceania and Europe and the NES was never able to break its grip. The Atari 7800 also had a fairly successful life, and the Sharp X68000 began its niche run in Japan in 1987.
The third generation would mark the move from single-screen or flip-screen graphics to scrolling graphics, which would prove to be nearly as pivotal as the leap to 3D graphics many years later. While scrolling had been present in various arcade games in the early 1980s, it was not introduced to consoles until the third generation, with the 1983 release of the NES, the first console to feature hardware scrolling. The emergence of scrolling games opened up the possibility of vast worlds that made earlier single-screen games seem quaint. This gave Nintendo's NES a major advantage over its competitor, the Sega SG-1000, which was released on the same day but lacked hardware scrolling, much like earlier consoles such as the ColecoVision and computers such as the MSX. Despite the lack of hardware scrolling, Sega's SG-1000 Mark II was able to pull off some scrolling effects in 1984, including parallax scrolling in Orguss and sprite-scaling in Zoom 909.[1] In 1985, Sega's Master System incorporated hardware scrolling, alongside an increased colour pallette, greater memory, pseudo-3D effects, and stereoscopic 3-D, gaining a clear hardware advantage over the NES. However, the NES would still continue to dominate the important North American and Japanese markets, while the Master System would gain more dominance in the emerging European and South American markets.[2]
In the later part of the third generation (argued by some as part of the 4th generation as the Turbografx-16 was released in 1987 and the Sega Mega Drive was released in 1988), Nintendo also introduced the Game Boy, which almost single-handedly solidified, and then proceeded to dominate, the previously scattered handheld market for 15 years. While the Game Boy product line has been incrementally updated every few years, until the Game Boy Micro and Nintendo DS, and partially the Game Boy Color, all Game Boy products were backwards compatible with the original released in 1989. Since the Game Boy's release, Nintendo had always dominated the handheld market until present day.
The third generation saw many of the first console role-playing video games (RPGs). Editing and censorship of video games was often used in localizing Japanese games to North America. During this era, many of the most famous video game franchises of all time were founded. Some notable examples include Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Quest, Metroid, Mega Man, Metal Gear, Castlevania, Phantasy Star, Megami Tensei, Ninja Gaiden, and Bomberman.
The third generation also saw the dawn of the children's educational console market. Although consoles such as the VideoSmarts and ComputerSmarts systems were stripped down to very primitive input systems designed for children, their use of ROM cartridges would establish this as the standard for later such consoles. Due to their reduced capacities, these systems typically were not labeled by their "bits" and were not marketed in competition with traditional video game consoles.
This generation is often mislabeled as the "First Generation" as it saw the beginnings of the video game industry as we know it today (although the grouping of generations is largely arbitrary).
Nintendo versus Sega
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The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) / Family Computer (Famicom) sold by far the most units of any third generation console in North America and Japan. This was due to its earlier release, its strong lineup of first-party titles (such as Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid), and Nintendo's strict licensing rules that required NES titles to be exclusive to the console for two years after release. This put a damper on third party support for the other, less popular consoles. However, Sega's Master System was more popular in Europe, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand, markets that were first reached by Sega. Many more games for the Master System were released in Europe and Brazil than in North America, and the console had a very long shelf-life in Brazil and New Zealand. In Europe competition was tough since NES failed to build the monopoly that it had in the US and in Japan. The industry started to grow in places west of the Soviet Union, including Lithuania via new programmers trained in that area. By the end of the generation there was no clear winner in Europe. The Master System was finally discontinued in the late 1990s, while Nintendo of Japan continued to repair Famicom systems until October 31, 2007.[3][4][5]
Comparison
| Name | NES/Famicom | Casio PV-1000 | Epoch Cassette Vision | Sega Master System | Atari 7800 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Console | 
|
|
|
| |
| Launch prices | ¥14,800 US$199.99 CA$240 |
¥14,800 | ¥13,500 | ¥24,200 US$199.99 |
US$140.00 |
| Release date |
|
|
| ||
| Media | Cartridge and floppy disk (Japan only) | Cartridge | Cartridge | Cartridge and data card | Cartridge |
| Top-selling games | Super Mario Bros. (pack-in), 40.23 million (as of 1999)[6] Super Mario Bros. 3, 18 million (as of May 21, 2003)[7] |
N/A | N/A | Hang-On and Safari Hunt (Pack-In) | Pole Position II (pack-in) [citation needed] |
| Backward compatibility | None | None | None | Sega SG-1000 (Japanese system only) | Atari 2600 |
| Accessories (retail) | *N/A | *N/A | *Light Phaser | *XG-1 | |
| CPU | Ricoh 2A03 (based on
MOS Technology 6502 |
D780C-1 (Z80A) 3.579 MHz |
PD7801G 4 MHz |
NEC 780C (Zilog Z80 clone) 3.57 MHz (3.54 MHz PAL) |
Custom, 6502C (based on
MOS Technology 6502) |
| Memory | 2 KB main RAM 2 KB video RAM 256 bytes sprite RAM 28 bytes palette RAM |
2 KB + 1 KB (character generator) | 128 Bytes | 8 KB main RAM 16 KB video RAM |
4 KB main RAM |
| Video | 64 sprites (8 per scanline) 256x240 resolution 25 simultaneous colors 53 color palette |
8 colors 256x192 resolution |
16 colors 54x62 resolution |
128 colors (16 colors with 8 intensity levels each) | Unlimited sprites 320x200 resolution 25 simultaneous colors 256 color palette |
| Audio | Mono audio with:
|
Unknown | Mono audio with:
|
Mono audio with:
|
Mono audio with:
|
Worldwide sales standings
| Console | Units sold |
|---|---|
| Nintendo Entertainment System | 60 million (as of August 4, 2007)[9] |
| Sega Master System | 13 million (as of September 6, 2005)[10][11] |
Software
See also
References
- ^ a b "IGN Presents the History of SEGA: Coming Home". IGN. p. 2. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
- ^ IGN Presents the History of SEGA: World War, IGN
- ^ "Nintendo's classic Famicom faces end of road". AFP. 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
- ^ "初代「ファミコン」など公式修理サポート終了". ITmedia News (in Japanese). ITmedia. 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
- ^ RyanDG (2007-10-16). "Nintendo of Japan dropping Hardware support for the Famicom". Arcade Renaissance. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
- ^ "Best-Selling Video Games". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 2006-03-17. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "All Time Top 20 Best Selling Games". 2003-05-21. Archived from the original on 2006-02-21. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "-Sega Emulation Overview - another overview". retrocopy.com. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ^ "NES". Classic Systems. Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2007-08-04. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
- ^ Russell Carroll (2005-09-06). "Good Enough: Why graphics aren't number one". Game Tunnel. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
- ^ Sam Pettus (2007-01-21). "SegaBase Volume 2 - Master System and Game Gear". Eidolon's Inn. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
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