Sega CD

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

Sega CD / Mega-CD

Top: Original Sega CD (bottom) attached to a Model 1

Genesis.
Bottom: Model 2 Sega CD (on right) attached to a
Model 2 Genesis.

Also known as Mega-CD (most regions outside

North America and Brazil)

Manufacturer Sega
 Type Video game console add-on

Generation Fourth generation

JP: December 12, 1991

Release date
NA: October 15, 1992
AU: March 1993
UK: April 2, 1993
EU: April 1993
BR: October 1993

Lifespan 1991–1996
Introductory JP¥49,800
price US$299
GB£270
Discontinued 1996
Units sold 2.24 million
Media CD-ROM, CD+G
CPU Motorola 68000 @ 12.5 MHz
Storage 64 kbit internal RAM
Sound Ricoh RF5C164
Best-selling Sonic CD, 1.5 million[1]
game
Related articles 32X
The Sega CD, released as the Mega-CD[a] in most regions outside North America and
Brazil, is a CD-ROM accessory for the Sega Genesis produced by Sega as part of
the fourth generation of video game consoles. It was released on December 12, 1991,
in Japan, October 15, 1992, in North America, and April 2, 1993, in Europe. The Sega
CD plays CD games and adds hardware functionality such as a faster CPU and graphic
enhancements such as sprite scaling and rotation. It can also play audio CDs
and CD+G discs.
Sega sought to match the capabilities of the competing PC Engine CD-ROM² System,
and added an additional CPU and custom graphics chip. They partnered with JVC to
design the Sega CD. Fearful of leaks, Sega refused to consult with Sega of America
until the project was complete; Sega of America assembled parts from dummy units to
 obtain a functioning unit. The Sega CD was redesigned several times by Sega and
licensed third-party developers.
The main benefit of CD technology at the time was greater storage; CDs offered more
than 320 times more space than Genesis cartridges. This benefit manifested as full-
motion video (FMV) games such as the controversial Night Trap, which became a focus
of the 1993 congressional hearings on issues of video game violence and ratings.
The Sega CD game library featured acclaimed games such as Sonic CD, Lunar: The
Silver Star, Lunar: Eternal Blue, Popful Mail, and Snatcher, but also many
Genesis ports and poorly received FMV games. The high price of the Sega CD was
also a contributing factor in its lack of success. 2.24 million Sega CD units were sold,
after which Sega discontinued it to focus on the Sega Saturn. Retrospective reception is
mixed, with praise for some games and functions, but criticism for its dearth of deep
games, high price, and lack of support from Sega. Sega's poor support for the Sega CD
has been criticized as the beginning of the devaluation of its brand.

Contents

 1History
o 1.1Background
o 1.2Development
o 1.3Launch
o 1.4Night Trap controversy
o 1.5Decline
 2Technical specifications
 3Models
 4Games
 5Reception and legacy
 6See also
 7Notes
 8References

History[edit]
Background[edit]
Released in 1988, the Genesis (known as the Mega Drive in most territories outside of
North America) was Sega's entry into the fourth generation of video game consoles.[2] In
the early 1990s, Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske helped make the Genesis a
success by cutting the price, developing games for the American market with a new
American team, continuing aggressive advertising campaigns, and selling Sonic the
Hedgehog with the Genesis as a pack-in game.[3]
By the early 1990s, compact discs (CDs) were making headway as a storage
medium for music and video games. NEC had been the first to use CD technology in a
video game console with their PC Engine CD-ROM² System add-on in October 1988 in
Japan (launched in North America as the TurboGrafx-CD the following year), which sold
80,000 units in six months.[4] That year, Nintendo announced a partnership with Sony to
develop its own CD-ROM peripheral for the SNES. Commodore International released
their CD-based CDTV multimedia system in early 1991, while the CD-
i from Philips arrived later that year.[5] According to Nick Thorpe of Retro Gamer, Sega
would have received criticism from investors and observers had it not developed a CD-
ROM game system.[6]
Development[edit]
Shortly after the release of the Genesis, Sega's Consumer Products Research and
Development Labs, led by manager Tomio Takami, were tasked with creating a CD-
ROM add-on. It was originally intended to equal the capabilities of the TurboGrafx-CD,
but with twice as much random-access memory (RAM).[7] In addition to relatively short
loading times, Takami's team planned to
implement hardware scaling and rotation similar to that of Sega's arcade games, which
required a dedicated digital signal processor.[7][8] A custom graphics chip would
implement these features, alongside an additional sound chip manufactured by Ricoh.
[6]
 According to Kalinske, Sega was ambitious about what CD-ROM technology would do
for video games, with its potential for "movie graphics", "rock and roll concert sound"
and 3D animation.[6]
Because the Genesis' Motorola 68000 CPU was too slow to handle the Sega CD's new
graphical capabilities, an additional 68000 CPU was incorporated. [7] This second CPU
has a clock speed of 12.5 MHz, faster than the 7.67 MHz CPU in the Genesis.
[6]
 Responding to rumors that NEC planned a memory upgrade to bring the TurboGrafx-
CD RAM from 0.5 Mbit to between 2 and 4 Mbit, Sega increased the Sega CD's
available RAM from 1 Mbit to 6 Mbit.[7] This proved to be a technical challenge, since the
Sega CD's RAM access speed was initially too slow to run programs effectively, and the
developers had to focus on increasing the speed. [8] The estimated cost of the device
rose to US$370, but market research convinced Sega executives that consumers would
be willing to pay more for a state-of-the-art machine. [7] Sega partnered with JVC, which
had been working with Warner New Media to develop a CD player under
the CD+G standard.[4][9]
Sega of America was not informed of the project details until mid-1991. Despite being
provided with preliminary technical documents earlier in the year, the American division
was not given a functioning unit to test.[10] According to former executive producer
Michael Latham, "When you work at a multinational company, there are things that go
well and there are things that don't. They didn't want to send us working Sega CD units.
They wanted to send us dummies and not send us the working CD units until the last
minute because they were concerned about what we would do with it and if it would leak
out. It was very frustrating."[5]
Latham and Sega of America vice president of licensing Shinobu Toyoda assembled a
functioning Sega CD by acquiring a ROM for the system and installing it in a dummy
unit.[5] The American staff were frustrated by the Sega CD's construction. Former senior
producer Scot Bayless said: "[It] was designed with a cheap, consumer-grade audio CD
drive, not a CD-ROM. Quite late in the run-up to launch, the quality assurance teams
started running into severe problems with many of the units—and when I say severe, I
mean units literally bursting into flames. We worked around the clock, trying to catch the
failure in-progress, and after about a week we finally realized what was happening." He
said the problems were caused by the need for games to use more time-seeking data
than the CD drive was designed to provide.[11]
Launch[edit]
As early as 1990, magazines were covering a CD-ROM expansion for the Genesis. [12]
[13]
 Sega announced the release of the Mega-CD in Japan for late 1991, and North
America (as the Sega CD) in 1992. It was unveiled to the public at the 1991 Tokyo Toy
Show,[14][15] to positive reception from critics,[14] and at the Consumer Electronic
Show in Chicago in mid-1991.[16] It was released in Japan on December 12, 1991,
initially retailing at JP¥49,800.[17] Though the Mega-CD sold quickly, the small install
base of the Mega Drive in Japan meant that sales declined rapidly. [18] Within its first
three months, the Mega-CD sold 200,000 units, but only sold an additional 200,000 over
the next three years.[6] Third-party game development suffered because Sega took a
long time to release software development kits.[14][19] Other factors affecting sales
included the high launch price of the Mega-CD in Japan and only two games available
at launch,[14] with only five published by Sega within the first year. [6]

A model 1 Sega CD without a Genesis attached. The steel joining plate was included to act
as RF shielding between the CD and console hardware.

On October 15, 1992, the Mega-CD was released in North America as the Sega CD,
with a retail price of US$299.[5] Advertising included one of Sega's slogans, "Welcome to
the Next Level". Though only 50,000 units were available at launch due to production
problems, the Sega CD sold over 200,000 units by the end of 1992 [18] and 300,000 by
July 1993.[20] As part of Sega's sales, Blockbuster LLC purchased Sega CD units for
rental in their stores.[21] Sega of America emphasized that the Sega CD's additional
storage space allowed for full-motion video (FMV) games,[19][22][23] with Digital
Pictures becoming an important partner.[5] After the initial competition between Sega and
Nintendo to develop a CD-based add-on, Nintendo canceled development of a CD add-
on for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System after having partnered with Sony and
then Philips to develop one.[5]
The Mega-CD was launched in Europe in April 1993, [6][14] starting with the United
Kingdom on April 2, 1993, at a price of GB£269.99. The European version was
packaged with Sol-Feace and Cobra Command in a two-disc set, along with
a compilation CD of five Mega Drive games.[24] Only 70,000 units were initially available
in the UK, but 60,000 units were sold by August 1993. [18] The Mega-CD was released in
Australia in March 1993.[25] Brazilian toy company Tectoy released the Sega CD in Brazil
in October 1993, retaining the North American name despite the use of the name Mega
Drive for the base console there.[26][27]
Sega released a second model, the Sega CD 2 (Mega-CD 2), on April 23, 1993, in
Japan.[28] It was released in North America several months later, bundled with one of the
bestselling Sega CD games, Sewer Shark.[19][29] Designed to bring down the
manufacturing costs of the Sega CD, the newer model is smaller and does not use a
motorized disc tray.[18] A limited number of games were developed that used the Sega
CD and another Genesis add-on, the 32X, released in November 1994.[30]
Night Trap controversy[edit]
See also: 1993 congressional hearings on video games
On December 9, 1993, the United States Congress began hearings on video game
violence and the marketing of violent video games to children. [31] The Sega CD
game Night Trap, an FMV adventure game by Digital Pictures, was at the center of
debate.[23] Night Trap had been brought to the attention of United States Senator Joe
Lieberman, who said: "It ends with this attack scene on this woman in lingerie, in her
bathroom. I know that the creator of the game said it was all meant to be a satire
of Dracula; but nonetheless, I thought it sent out the wrong message." Lieberman's
research concluded that the average video game player was between seven and twelve
years old and that video game publishers were marketing violence to children. [31]
In the United Kingdom, Night Trap was discussed in parliament.[11] Former Sega Europe
development director Mike Brogan noted that Night Trap brought Sega publicity, and
helped reinforce Sega's image as an "edgy company with attitude". [11] Despite the
increased sales, Sega recalled Night Trap and rereleased it with revisions in 1994.
[32]
 Following the congressional hearings, video game manufacturers came together in
1994 to establish a unified rating system, the Entertainment Software Rating Board.[31]
Decline[edit]
By the end of 1993, sales of the Sega CD had stalled in Japan and were slowing in
North America. In Europe, sales of Mega-CD games were outpaced by games for
the Amiga CD32.[6] Newer CD-based consoles such as the 3DO Interactive
Multiplayer rendered the Sega CD technically obsolete, reducing public interest. [18] In
late 1993, less than a year after the Sega CD had launched in North America and
Europe, the media reported that Sega was no longer accepting in-house development
proposals for the Mega-CD in Japan.[33] By 1994, 1.5 million units had been sold in the
United States and 415,000 in Western Europe. [34] Kalinske blamed the Sega CD's high
price for limiting its potential market; Sega attempted to add value in the US and the UK
by bundling more games, with some packages including up to five games. [6]
In early 1995, Sega shifted its focus to the Sega Saturn and discontinued advertising for
Genesis hardware, including the Sega CD. Sega discontinued the Sega CD in the first
quarter of 1996, saying that it needed to concentrate on fewer platforms and that the
Sega CD could not compete due to its high price and outdated single-speed drive.
[35]
 According to Thorpe, the Sega CD only reached a more popular price point in 1995,
by which time customers were willing to wait for newer consoles. [6] The lasts scheduled
Sega CD games, ports of Myst and Brain Dead 13,[36] were cancelled. 2.24 million Sega
CD units were sold worldwide.[6][37]

Technical specifications[edit]

The motherboard and CD laser assembly to a model 2 Sega CD.

The Sega CD can only be used in conjunction with a Genesis system, attaching through
an expansion slot on the side of the main console. [38] It requires its own power supply.
[39]
 A core feature of the Sega CD is the increase in data storage by its games being CD-
ROMs; whereas ROM cartridges of the day typically contained 8 to 16 megabits of data,
a CD-ROM disc can hold more than 640 megabytes of data, more than 320 times the
storage of a Genesis cartridge. This increase in storage allows the Sega CD to play
FMV games.[5] In addition to playing its own library of games in CD-ROM format, the
Sega CD can also play compact discs and karaoke CD+G discs, and can be used in
conjunction with the 32X to play 32-bit games that use both add-ons. The second
model, also known as the Sega CD 2, includes a steel joining plate to be screwed into
the bottom of the Genesis and an extension spacer to work with the original Genesis
model.[39]
The main CPU of the Sega CD is a 12.5MHz 16-bit Motorola 68000 processor,[14]
[40]
 which runs 5 MHz faster than the Genesis processor.[19] It contains 1 Mbit
of boot ROM, allocated for the CD game BIOS, CD player software, and compatibility
with CD+G discs. 6 Mbit of RAM are allocated to data for programs, pictures, and
sounds; 512 Kbit to PCM waveform memory; 128 Kbit to CD-ROM data cache memory;
and an additional 64 Kbit are allocated as the backup memory. [39][41] Additional backup
memory in the form of a 1 Mbit Backup RAM Cartridge was also available as a separate
purchase, released near the end of the system's life. [42][43] The graphics chip is a
custom ASIC,[41] and can perform similarly to the SNES's Mode 7, but with the ability to
handle more objects at the same time.[6] Audio is supplied through the Ricoh RF5C164,
and two RCA pin jacks allow the Sega CD to output stereophonic sound separate from
the Genesis. Combining stereo sound from a Genesis to either version of the Sega CD
requires a cable between the Genesis's headphone jack and an input jack on the back
of the CD unit. This is not required for the second model of the Genesis. [6][39] Sega
released an additional accessory to be used with the Sega CD for karaoke, including a
microphone input and various sound controls.[44]

Models[edit]
See also: Sega Genesis §  Variations

Genesis and
Genesis and Sega
Sega CD Genesis
CD (original
(second CDX
models)
models)

Victor
Victor Wondermega Pioneer
Wondermega
RG-M1 LaserActive
RG-M2

Several models of the Sega CD were released. The original model used a front-loading
motorized disc tray and sat underneath the Genesis. The second model was redesigned
to sit next to the Genesis and featured a top-loading disc tray. [19] Sega also released the
Genesis CDX (Multi-Mega in Europe), a combined Genesis and Sega CD, with
additional functionality as a portable CD player.[6][45]
Three additional system models were created by other electronics companies. Working
with Sega, JVC released the Wondermega, a combination of the Genesis and Sega CD
with high-quality audio, on April 1, 1992, in Japan. The Wondermega was redesigned by
JVC and released as the X'Eye in North America in September 1994. Its high price kept
it out of the hands of average consumers. [6][46] Another console,
the LaserActive by Pioneer Corporation, can play Genesis and Sega CD games if
equipped with the Mega-LD attachment developed by Sega. [6][47] The LaserActive was
positioned to compete with the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, but the combined system
and Mega-LD pack retailed at too expensive a price for most consumers.
[47]
 Aiwa released the CSD-GM1, a combination Genesis and Sega CD unit built into
a boombox.[2] The CSD-GM1 was released in Japan in 1994.[6]
Games[edit]

Sonic CD's special stage uses the Sega CD's enhanced graphical capabilities

See also: List of Sega CD games

The Sega CD supports a library of more than 200 games created by Sega and third-
party publishers. Six Sega CD games were also released in versions that used both the
Sega CD and 32X add-ons.[30]
Well regarded Sega CD games include Sonic CD, Lunar: The Silver Star, Lunar:
Eternal Blue, Popful Mail, and Snatcher, as well as the controversial Night Trap.[22][23][48][49]
[50]
 Although Sega created Streets of Rage for the Genesis to compete against the SNES
port of the arcade hit Final Fight, the Sega CD received an enhanced version of Final
Fight that has been praised for its greater faithfulness to the arcade original. [51][52] Eternal
Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side was noted for its impressive use of the Sega
CD hardware as well as its violent content. [53][54] In particular, Sonic CD garnered acclaim
for its graphics and time travel gameplay, which improved upon the
traditional Sonic formula.[23][55][56][57][58][59] The Sega CD also received enhanced ports of
Genesis games including Batman Returns and Ecco the Dolphin.[14]
The Sega CD library includes several FMV games. FMV quality was substandard on the
Sega CD due to poor video compression software and limited color palette, [22] and the
concept never caught on with the public.[19] According to Digital Pictures founder Tom
Zito, the Sega CD's limited color palette created "a horrible grainy look". [5] Likewise,
most Genesis ports for the Sega CD featured additional FMV sequences, extra levels,
and enhanced audio, but were otherwise identical to their Genesis release. [19] The video
quality in these sequences has been criticized as comparable to an old VHS tape.[22]
Given a large number of FMV games and Genesis ports, the Sega CD's game library
has been criticized for its lack of depth.[22] Kalinske felt this was a valid criticism, and that
while it was useful for releasing collections of games, "just doing cartridge games on a
CD-ROM was not a step forward". According to Thorpe, the Sega CD's games did not
display enough advancement to justify the console price for most consumers. He felt
that FMV games, targeted toward more casual players, were not enough to satisfy
hardcore players.[6]

Reception and legacy[edit]

A model 2 Sega CD with a model 2 Genesis and a 32X attached. Each device requires its
own power supply.

Near the time of its release, the Sega CD was awarded Best New Peripheral of 1992
by Electronic Gaming Monthly. Four separate reviews scored the add-on 8, 9, 8, and 8
out of 10; reviewers cited its upgrades to the Genesis as well as its high-quality and
expanding library of games.[60] In 1995, four Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewers
scored it 5 out of 10, citing its limited game library and substandard video quality.
[61]
 GamePro cited the same problems, noting that many games were simple ports of
cartridge games with minimal enhancements; GamePro concluded that the Sega CD
was merely "a big memory device with CD sound" rather than a meaningful upgrade.
They gave it a "thumbs sideways" and recommended that Genesis fans buy an SNES
before considering a Sega CD.[62] In a special Game Machine Cross Review in May
1995, Famicom Tsūshin scored the Japanese Mega-CD 2 17 out of 40. [63]
Retrospective reception of the Sega CD is mixed, praising certain games but criticizing
its value for money and limited upgrades over Genesis. [22][23][64] According
to GamePro, the Sega CD is the seventh-lowest-selling console; reviewer Blake Snow
wrote: "The problem was threefold: the device was expensive at $299, it arrived late in
the 16-bit life cycle, and it didn't do much (if anything) to enhance the gameplay
experience." However, Snow felt that the Sega CD had the greatest Sonic game
in Sonic CD.[64] IGN's Levi Buchanan criticized Sega's implementation of CD technology,
arguing that it offered no new gameplay concepts. [22] Jeremy Parish of USgamer wrote
that Sega was not the only company of the period to "muddy its waters" with a CD add-
on, and highlighted some "gems" for the system, but that "the benefits offered by the
Sega CD had to be balanced against the fact that the add-on more than doubled the
price (and complexity) of the [Genesis]."[65] In a separate article for 1Up.com, Parish
praised the Sega CD's expansion of value to the Genesis. [66] Writing for Retro Gamer,
Damien McFerran cited various reasons for the Sega CD's limited sales, including its
price, lack of significant enhancement to the Genesis, and that fact that it was not a
standalone console.[18] Retro Gamer writer Aaron Birch, defended the Sega CD as
"ahead of its time" and said that game developers had failed to meet the potential of CD
technology.[14]
Sega's poor support for the Sega CD has been criticized as the first step in the
devaluation of the Sega brand. Writing for IGN, Buchanan said the Sega CD, released
without a strong library of games, "looked like a strange, desperate move—something
designed to nab some ink but without any real, thought-out strategy. Genesis owners
that invested in the add-on were sorely disappointed, which undoubtedly helped sour
the non-diehards on the brand."[22] In GamePro, Snow wrote that the Sega CD was the
first of several poorly supported Sega systems which damaged the value of the brand
and ultimately led to Sega's exit from the hardware market. [64] Thorpe wrote that, while it
was possible for Sega to have brushed off the Sega CD's failure, the failure of the Sega
CD and the 32X together damaged faith in Sega's support for its platforms. [6]
Former Sega of America senior producer Scot Bayless attributes the unsuccessful
market to a lack of direction from Sega with the add-on. According to Bayless, "It was a
fundamental paradigm shift with almost no thought given to consequences. I honestly
don't think anyone at Sega asked the most important question: 'Why?' There's a rule I
developed during my time as an engineer in the military aviation business: never fall in
love with your tech. I think that's where the Mega-CD went off the rails. The whole
company fell in love with the idea without ever really asking how it would affect the
games you made."[18] Sega of America producer Michael Latham said he "loved" the
Sega CD, and that it had been damaged by an abundance of "Hollywood interactive
film games" instead of using it to make "just plain great video games". [67] Former Sega
Europe president Nick Alexander said: "The Mega CD was interesting but probably
misconceived and was seen very much as the interim product it was." [68] Kalinske said
that the Sega CD had been an important learning experience for Sega for programming
for discs, and that it was not a mistake but not "as dramatically different as it needed to
be".[6]