Super FX vs Genesis Addons

[SEgamer]

Getting back to the topic...

 

As far as combining the 2 factors you mentioned, I guess when it comes to "horsepower"/cost would be the super FX, solely on the fact that you had to buy the 32x along with the games. (yes, my avatar is the Super FX logo, but I still love the 32x as well as the obscurity of the Sega CD add-on) I'm assuming you also mean the cost they were for the consumer and not the cost for the companies, the latter case I wouldn't know.

 

As far as the graphics go, the 32x surpasses the super fx by a decent margin (by comparing doom on each system, and shadow squadron vs. starfox, I haven't played many other titles that are similar on both systems). But unfortunately, the Genesis was still limited in the sound area. I wish they could've improved the sound quality with the 32x.

 

Another thing would be your parents trying to figure out a game to buy you for Christmas, and they pick out the 32x. One problem, they don't know that you need the add-on to play the game! Hopefully they kept the receipt (this actually did happen to my cousin when he got a 32x game back in the day, yet only had a genesis)

[desiv]

people buy video game consoles to play video games

games drive hardware sales

it really is that simple

Very few things are "that simple."

 

I do agree that people buy consoles to play games. And I agree that games drive hardware sales.

But both of those statements are plural.

 

Games, not game.

Yes, Wii Sports was nice, but without Wii Fit, where does the Wii rate?

Still, without Wii Sports, might there have been a Wii "action pack" or something similar?

And without Wii Fit, would Jillian Michaels (sp?) have been the killer workout app???

 

Not sure..

I admit that without good games, the system will flop...

But with a good system with great games, I'm not sure how much "the killer app" is that specific app, or just a great app that shows off the system, of which there are several for most systems..

 

I'm not sure that a system has a "killer app", but rather "killer apps" of which there will be a best seller. But without that game, I think most of those systems still do pretty darn well.

 

Of course, the Saturn had great games, and still died? Lack of "killer app" or marketing/Sega?

Not sure.. I lean towards the latter.

 

I think, if it had succeeded, people would be calling VF2 (or whatever was the best selling app) the "killer app."

 

desiv

[+wood_jl]

dont start in with this you crap

 

the saturn had no killer app

 

Because you said so. (I didn't use bold.)

 

 

the saturn failed to sell 10 million units worldwide, the playstation sold over 100 million

 

that is a fact,

 

HA HA HA!!! I never took issue with the fact that the Playstaton outsold the Saturn many times over. HA HA!! Posting sales numbers does zero to address that which I take issue with you over. I take issue with the fact that you say it didn't have a killer app. You try to reduce the entire competitive situation between the Playstation and Saturn down to the "fact" that you don't believe it had a killer app. I disagree.

 

Don't you think it could be a little more complicated than that? Maybe the Playstation was easier to make games for. Maybe Sony bought up big-time software houses and licensed exclusive rights. Maybe Sony is a marketing juggernaut with many times the dollars it takes to promote. Maybe the Playstation was cheaper to produce. Maybe all of these things happened. At any rate, it's certainly more complicated than the fact that you (sorry) think the Saturn lacked a killer app.

 

And don't think for a second you're schooling me on Playstaion, or that I'm a Saturn fanboy. I'm a big of a Playstation fan as there comes. I'm simply unwilling to subscribe to your subjective opinion that the Saturn lacked a killer app, and I take issue with your ovely-simplistic view that the entire fate of the console rested upon it. It's quite probable that the Saturn had a killer app at first, but several other factors contributed to its demise. Your "lack of a killer app" idea is way too simple. Just one killer app is required? Not several, over a period of years? How about some specifics? At present, you seem to indicate just one, and that the Saturn had zero. I would say the Saturn had some in the beginning, and fewer as time went on. The Playstation was more powerful for 3D and had several killer apps later, and cross-platform titles looked better. Eventually, the Saturn fell so far behind that additional killer apps wouldn't have saved it anwyay. You don't have to agree, I'm not trying to convince you, and I don't care whether or not you do. I simply disagree with you, as you do with me.

[+wood_jl]

Compare Star Fox to Star Wars Arcade, or SNES Doom to 32X Doom. I think it's pretty clear which have more horsepower behind them.

 

 

to an untrained eye, star fox and star wars arcade look more or less the same

 

 

What training does one's eyes need to make the above look the same?

 

 

32x doom had a smaller screen, but a faster frame rate... again i dont think there is a clear winner by looks alone

No, but the SNES version is more impressive, for the fact that it doesn't require a bulky add-on with cables, power cord, and cost. It's impressive in its own right. I find it reasonable to expect more from the 32x than an SNES cart with Super FX chip.

 

the original idea of the 32x was to basically be an SVP chip. so sega could sell 3D carts at a regular price instead of the 99.99 MSRP of VIrtua Racing. it was a noble idea, but it morphed into everything-but-the-kitchen-sink. and the engineers and business people forgot the basic idea that games sold consoles, not technology.

 

Do you have a source for this information? The SVP and the 32x pretty much have nothing to do with each other; the 32x uses two Hitachi SH2s (a la Saturn) and the SVP uses some proprietary processor of no relation.

[Austin]

Well it's nice that this has turned into more of a pissing contest than anything.

[dendawg]

Well it's nice that this has turned into more of a pissing contest than anything.

 

A pissing match would be more mature than the bitchfest it's really become.

 

 

Kindly take the Playstation vs. Saturn shit to another thread, mmkay, cause last I recalled, neither were Genesis add ons.

[chrisbid]

dont start in with this you crap

 

the saturn had no killer app

 

Because you said so. (I didn't use bold.)

 

 

the saturn failed to sell 10 million units worldwide, the playstation sold over 100 million

 

that is a fact,

 

HA HA HA!!! I never took issue with the fact that the Playstaton outsold the Saturn many times over. HA HA!! Posting sales numbers does zero to address that which I take issue with you over. I take issue with the fact that you say it didn't have a killer app. You try to reduce the entire competitive situation between the Playstation and Saturn down to the "fact" that you don't believe it had a killer app. I disagree.

 

Don't you think it could be a little more complicated than that? Maybe the Playstation was easier to make games for. Maybe Sony bought up big-time software houses and licensed exclusive rights. Maybe Sony is a marketing juggernaut with many times the dollars it takes to promote. Maybe the Playstation was cheaper to produce. Maybe all of these things happened. At any rate, it's certainly more complicated than the fact that you (sorry) think the Saturn lacked a killer app.

 

And don't think for a second you're schooling me on Playstaion, or that I'm a Saturn fanboy. I'm a big of a Playstation fan as there comes. I'm simply unwilling to subscribe to your subjective opinion that the Saturn lacked a killer app, and I take issue with your ovely-simplistic view that the entire fate of the console rested upon it. It's quite probable that the Saturn had a killer app at first, but several other factors contributed to its demise. Your "lack of a killer app" idea is way too simple. Just one killer app is required? Not several, over a period of years? How about some specifics? At present, you seem to indicate just one, and that the Saturn had zero. I would say the Saturn had some in the beginning, and fewer as time went on. The Playstation was more powerful for 3D and had several killer apps later, and cross-platform titles looked better. Eventually, the Saturn fell so far behind that additional killer apps wouldn't have saved it anwyay. You don't have to agree, I'm not trying to convince you, and I don't care whether or not you do. I simply disagree with you, as you do with me.

 

 

i will explain one more time what exactly a killer app is.

 

a killer app is a single software title that propels exponential hardware sales growth.

 

it is not a subjective term.

 

neither the 32x nor the saturn had one of these titles, this statement is a fact.

 

neither system had robust hardware sales.

 

this is the primary reason neither system was a success. sega never found the game that duplicated the success of sonic the hedgehog for the genesis.

 

now the subjective part in which we are needlessly arguing over is not market success but quality, and in that department we agree. i never once said the saturn did not have quality software. the sad fact is, the best games on the saturn did not appeal to the mass market. there were a ton of quality niche titles.

[chrisbid]

Compare Star Fox to Star Wars Arcade, or SNES Doom to 32X Doom. I think it's pretty clear which have more horsepower behind them.

 

 

to an untrained eye, star fox and star wars arcade look more or less the same

 

 

What training does one's eyes need to make the above look the same?

 

 

32x doom had a smaller screen, but a faster frame rate... again i dont think there is a clear winner by looks alone

No, but the SNES version is more impressive, for the fact that it doesn't require a bulky add-on with cables, power cord, and cost. It's impressive in its own right. I find it reasonable to expect more from the 32x than an SNES cart with Super FX chip.

 

the original idea of the 32x was to basically be an SVP chip. so sega could sell 3D carts at a regular price instead of the 99.99 MSRP of VIrtua Racing. it was a noble idea, but it morphed into everything-but-the-kitchen-sink. and the engineers and business people forgot the basic idea that games sold consoles, not technology.

 

Do you have a source for this information? The SVP and the 32x pretty much have nothing to do with each other; the 32x uses two Hitachi SH2s (a la Saturn) and the SVP uses some proprietary processor of no relation.

 

 

http://www.eidolons-inn.net/tiki-index.php?page=SegaBase+32X

 

 

its quite a long read

 

Project Mars was actually conceived in parallel to another scheme, one that allowed a stock Genesis to play games utilizing special features not found on the console by use of custom chipsets inside the cart itself. It seemed a natural enough approach, as Nintendo was already doing this for the SNES with their Super FX processor and Capcom was doing the same with their C4 chip. The Super Virtual Play (SVP) concept was thus born, and all three of Sega's current 32-bit AM2 arcade wonders - Daytona USA, Virtua Fighter, and Virtua Racing - were considered to test the idea. These are the only confirmed SVP carts, although there are a few reports that SVP treatments of both Virtua Fighting and Star Wars Arcade were also briefly considered. Virtua Racing was the title that was finally chosen to test the technology, and it also wound up as the only SVP cart ever released. It proved too expensive for Sega to continue developing, and thus the SVP concept died a premature death. Project Mars would prove to be the superior approach to such sophisticated arcade conversions on Genesis hardware.

 

it wasnt specifically an svp add on, but it was to give the genesis 3D games at a lower per-cartridge cost

[Underball]

SNES Doom is slow, and blocky as hell, and was released more than a year and a half after the 32x console and 32x Doom. alomst 2 years of development time, shit - by the time SNES Doom came out, everyone had already moved on to buying 3D0 and Playstations.

 

Star Fox doesn't even come close to 32x Star Wars Arcade.

 

This is a really silly argument. I mean, I understand if you like SNES better than Sega, but c'mon.

Edited November 23, 2010 by Underball

[+wood_jl]

 

i will explain one more time what exactly a killer app is.

 

a killer app is a single software title that propels exponential hardware sales growth.

 

it is not a subjective term.

 

neither the 32x nor the saturn had one of these titles, this statement is a fact.

 

neither system had robust hardware sales.

 

this is the primary reason neither system was a success. sega never found the game that duplicated the success of sonic the hedgehog for the genesis.

 

now the subjective part in which we are needlessly arguing over is not market success but quality, and in that department we agree. i never once said the saturn did not have quality software. the sad fact is, the best games on the saturn did not appeal to the mass market. there were a ton of quality niche titles.

 

Ok, I think I get what you're saying. But many people (myself included) bought one to play Virtua Figher 2, Sega Rally, Virtua Cop. Exactly how many people did this, there's no way to know, eh? So what does and does not constitute a killer app is pointless to discuss, since such data is not available to us.

[Reaperman]

My gut reaction was that 32x is a clear winner in terms of power, but looking at Starfox 2 vids on the FX2, I'm not so sure 32x was very far ahead of that at all. Why the heck didn't Star Fox 2 come out? I might have to do some repro shopping now...

[Underball]

My gut reaction was that 32x is a clear winner in terms of power, but looking at Starfox 2 vids on the FX2, I'm not so sure 32x was very far ahead of that at all. Why the heck didn't Star Fox 2 come out? I might have to do some repro shopping now...

by the time it was ready to go, N64 was already coming out, and PS1, 3D0 and Saturn were already out.

 

It was already obsolete.

[Seob]

taining PlayStation, two controllers and a Memory Card at £129.

 

In the game's debut weekend in North America, it sold 330,000 copies, and had reached sales of 500,000 units in less than three weeks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII

So i don't think ffvii alone was the reason that sales went up.

 

Back to topic,

I do find the 32x graphics better then the super fx. I think comparing these to isn't the right way of comparing. I think the svp processor used in virtual racing is the right competitor to compare the both. Because this was sega's answer to the super fx chip.

http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=37&title=Sega's%20SVP%20Chip:%20The%20Road%20not%20Taken?

 

Edited November 23, 2010 by Seob

[malducci]

Compare Star Fox to Star Wars Arcade, or SNES Doom to 32X Doom. I think it's pretty clear which have more horsepower behind them.

 

 

to an untrained eye, star fox and star wars arcade look more or less the same

 

 

What training does one's eyes need to make the above look the same?

 

 

32x doom had a smaller screen, but a faster frame rate... again i dont think there is a clear winner by looks alone

No, but the SNES version is more impressive, for the fact that it doesn't require a bulky add-on with cables, power cord, and cost. It's impressive in its own right. I find it reasonable to expect more from the 32x than an SNES cart with Super FX chip.

 

the original idea of the 32x was to basically be an SVP chip. so sega could sell 3D carts at a regular price instead of the 99.99 MSRP of VIrtua Racing. it was a noble idea, but it morphed into everything-but-the-kitchen-sink. and the engineers and business people forgot the basic idea that games sold consoles, not technology.

 

Do you have a source for this information? The SVP and the 32x pretty much have nothing to do with each other; the 32x uses two Hitachi SH2s (a la Saturn) and the SVP uses some proprietary processor of no relation.

 

 

http://www.eidolons-inn.net/tiki-index.php?page=SegaBase+32X

 

 

its quite a long read

 

Project Mars was actually conceived in parallel to another scheme, one that allowed a stock Genesis to play games utilizing special features not found on the console by use of custom chipsets inside the cart itself. It seemed a natural enough approach, as Nintendo was already doing this for the SNES with their Super FX processor and Capcom was doing the same with their C4 chip. The Super Virtual Play (SVP) concept was thus born, and all three of Sega's current 32-bit AM2 arcade wonders - Daytona USA, Virtua Fighter, and Virtua Racing - were considered to test the idea. These are the only confirmed SVP carts, although there are a few reports that SVP treatments of both Virtua Fighting and Star Wars Arcade were also briefly considered. Virtua Racing was the title that was finally chosen to test the technology, and it also wound up as the only SVP cart ever released. It proved too expensive for Sega to continue developing, and thus the SVP concept died a premature death. Project Mars would prove to be the superior approach to such sophisticated arcade conversions on Genesis hardware.

 

it wasnt specifically an svp add on, but it was to give the genesis 3D games at a lower per-cartridge cost

 

Your first mistake was quoting Sam Pettus.

Your second mistake was quoting Sam Pettus.

And finally, your third mistake was quoting Sam Pettus. Seriously, why do people still quote Sam Pettus?

 

Also, the N64 ram pack can be hardly considered 'addon'.

Edited November 24, 2010 by malducci

[godslabrat]

Ok, I think I get what you're saying. But many people (myself included) bought one to play Virtua Figher 2, Sega Rally, Virtua Cop. Exactly how many people did this, there's no way to know, eh? So what does and does not constitute a killer app is pointless to discuss, since such data is not available to us.

 

I will say, FWIW, that the lack of a killer app is the exact reason I never bought a 32X. I remember seeing it, being somewhat interested, but decided that I wouldn't go for it unless there was a badass game I had to have. The system was discontinued before that ever happened. That doesn't mean there weren't good games for it, it just means that the games weren't good enough to justify spending not just $50 for the game, but $200+ for the game & system. I went through a similar phase with the SegaCD.

 

That's what a killer app is, it's a game good enough that it alone justifies the price of the system. In other words, a game that alone is worth $200-$300. It's possible for a system to survive without it. The original PSX, I would argue, didn't have a single killer app, but it offered enough titles that a "something for everyone" approach paid off. But, that's the exception to the rule. Usually, the killer app is so overwhelmingly popular that it's not really up for debate what title it is. So, I'm not sure I buy the idea that it's up for opinion. Sure, maybe you and your buddy bought an NES because you liked Tecmo Bowl, but for 99% of people, the game they needed to have was Super Mario Bros.

[Austin]

In relation to the Super FX and 32X comparison and looking at some of the posts made earlier in the thread, it should be noted that "impressive" can mean multiple things:

 

There's "impressive" as in, "Wow, this game can run on THIS kind of hardware?" An example here would be the SNES Super FX chip games that allow 3D games to be run on hardware not originally designed for that purpose. These may not look nearly as sharp or detailed (or even run nearly as fluid) as similar games that run on hardware better designed for this purpose (the 32X, Jaguar, PSX and Saturn, etc. etc.).

 

Another way to look at "impressive" is along the lines of, "Wow, look at how fluid this runs, how detailed everything is, and look at the greater amount of higher-resolution textures, etc. etc." The example here would be the 32X, with its 3D games generally looking larger, more detailed and with much smoother framerates overall (for instance, the constant 30fps or more in Shadow Squadron).

 

The first definition falls under the lines of novelty, IMO. To make an objective comparison, the second take on the word is what should be followed.

[+wood_jl]

Good call, Austin. The SNES version of Doom indeed "sucks" relative to all other versions. It's still a neat cartridge to own. It's still somewhat-playable, and kind of a neat demo. But no. Play DOOM 64.

[chrisbid]

Ok, I think I get what you're saying. But many people (myself included) bought one to play Virtua Figher 2, Sega Rally, Virtua Cop. Exactly how many people did this, there's no way to know, eh? So what does and does not constitute a killer app is pointless to discuss, since such data is not available to us.

 

I will say, FWIW, that the lack of a killer app is the exact reason I never bought a 32X. I remember seeing it, being somewhat interested, but decided that I wouldn't go for it unless there was a badass game I had to have. The system was discontinued before that ever happened. That doesn't mean there weren't good games for it, it just means that the games weren't good enough to justify spending not just $50 for the game, but $200+ for the game & system. I went through a similar phase with the SegaCD.

 

That's what a killer app is, it's a game good enough that it alone justifies the price of the system. In other words, a game that alone is worth $200-$300. It's possible for a system to survive without it. The original PSX, I would argue, didn't have a single killer app, but it offered enough titles that a "something for everyone" approach paid off. But, that's the exception to the rule. Usually, the killer app is so overwhelmingly popular that it's not really up for debate what title it is. So, I'm not sure I buy the idea that it's up for opinion. Sure, maybe you and your buddy bought an NES because you liked Tecmo Bowl, but for 99% of people, the game they needed to have was Super Mario Bros.

 

 

while final fantasy vii itself wasnt as ubiquitous as sonic the hedgehog or super mario bros, its release was the watershed moment for the psx. within a year of its release the install base went from 5 million to 15 million, and the software explosion soon followed. you wouldnt have purchased a psx in 95, 96, or early 97 thinking the system had something for everyone. that only happened once it was dominating the industry.

[akator]

The original PSX, I would argue, didn't have a single killer app, but it offered enough titles that a "something for everyone" approach paid off. But, that's the exception to the rule. Usually, the killer app is so overwhelmingly popular that it's not really up for debate what title it is. So, I'm not sure I buy the idea that it's up for opinion. Sure, maybe you and your buddy bought an NES because you liked Tecmo Bowl, but for 99% of people, the game they needed to have was Super Mario Bros.

 

I don't think a system needs to have only one killer app that remains the same for years after a system's release, i.e. the killer app in 1995 doesn't have to be the same killer app the following year(s).

 

IMO the PSX had several killer apps -- depending on the year. Seeing Ridge Racer at a Blockbuster demo kiosk in late-1995 convinced me and at least 2 others that I knew to get a PSX. It took another year for me to get one, but the decision was made by seeing Ridge Racer.

 

Later on, Tekken 3, FFVII, and GT also sold many systems.

 

Looking at many of the most successful computers and consoles, the first killer app was followed by many others. If Space Invaders was the 2600's only killer app, it would have died much sooner. If VisiCalc was the Apple ]['s only killer app, if SMB was the NES's, if Sonic was the Genesis', etc. I would agree that a successful system needs at least one killer app... but limiting it to only one seems unnecessary.

[akator]

while final fantasy vii itself wasnt as ubiquitous as sonic the hedgehog or super mario bros, its release was the watershed moment for the psx. within a year of its release the install base went from 5 million to 15 million

 

Agreed that sales exploded the same year FFVII was released. FFVII undoubtedly contributed to that growth.

 

and the software explosion soon followed.

 

The software explosion that "followed" was not directly related to FFVII. Even back in the 90s, most major games took 12-18 months of development. Most of the games that were released during the software explosion had started development long before FFVII was released. Consumers may have seen more games coinciding with FFVII's release, but what that really means in a few years earlier that many more developers started making PSX games.

 

you wouldnt have purchased a psx in 95, 96, or early 97 thinking the system had something for everyone. that only happened once it was dominating the industry.

 

Disagreed. My wife and I got our first PSX in 96. There were tons of great games already available, far more than we could afford.

 

What kept it from being purchased by everyone was the cost. During Christmas 1996 the PSX sold for between $250-300. Every time the price dropped, more and more people we knew got one.

[chrisbid]

The original PSX, I would argue, didn't have a single killer app, but it offered enough titles that a "something for everyone" approach paid off. But, that's the exception to the rule. Usually, the killer app is so overwhelmingly popular that it's not really up for debate what title it is. So, I'm not sure I buy the idea that it's up for opinion. Sure, maybe you and your buddy bought an NES because you liked Tecmo Bowl, but for 99% of people, the game they needed to have was Super Mario Bros.

 

I don't think a system needs to have only one killer app that remains the same for years after a system's release, i.e. the killer app in 1995 doesn't have to be the same killer app the following year(s).

 

IMO the PSX had several killer apps -- depending on the year. Seeing Ridge Racer at a Blockbuster demo kiosk in late-1995 convinced me and at least 2 others that I knew to get a PSX. It took another year for me to get one, but the decision was made by seeing Ridge Racer.

 

Later on, Tekken 3, FFVII, and GT also sold many systems.

 

Looking at many of the most successful computers and consoles, the first killer app was followed by many others. If Space Invaders was the 2600's only killer app, it would have died much sooner. If VisiCalc was the Apple ]['s only killer app, if SMB was the NES's, if Sonic was the Genesis', etc. I would agree that a successful system needs at least one killer app... but limiting it to only one seems unnecessary.

 

 

 

there always needs to be one title that gets people to buy the hardware. subsequent hit titles are needed to maintain momentum. few nes owners were playing super mario bros in 1990. super mario bros 3 was a better game than smb, but smb3 didnt put as many NESs into living rooms as the first SMB. maybe killer app is too misleading a term. maybe 'big bang' app is better description.

[Drixxel]

there always needs to be one title that gets people to buy the hardware. subsequent hit titles are needed to maintain momentum. few nes owners were playing super mario bros in 1990. super mario bros 3 was a better game than smb, but smb3 didnt put as many NESs into living rooms as the first SMB. maybe killer app is too misleading a term. maybe 'big bang' app is better description.

 

Big bang app, that's catchy.

 

On the topic of the big bang app and looking at the 32X launch lineup, Doom was very likely the game Sega was banking on for success out of the gate. It was arguably the console port most hungered for out of the others available at launch (Star Wars Arcade, Afterburner Complete, Virtua Racing Deluxe). 32X software sales figures would be interesting to peruse, I'd be curious to know what the best-selling games for the thing were. My guess would be Doom at or near the top.

 

Graphics technology was racing for 3D at the time of the 32X and the best case scenario for the add-on would have been an adequate middle ground between current gen and next gen - could that ever honestly be enough to keep early adopters happy, a console maker's promise of mediocrity? To me, chipped carts for graphical enhancements at this stage of the 16-bit era made a hell of a lot more sense as far as extending the life of a console, capitalizing on Austin's 1st definition of what constitutes "impressive", the wringing of every bit of value out of aging hardware.

[Underball]

 

while final fantasy vii itself wasnt as ubiquitous as sonic the hedgehog or super mario bros, its release was the watershed moment for the psx. within a year of its release the install base went from 5 million to 15 million, and the software explosion soon followed. you wouldnt have purchased a psx in 95, 96, or early 97 thinking the system had something for everyone. that only happened once it was dominating the industry.

absolute crap.

 

Everyone I knew had a PSX long before FFVII came out.

 

You're just a jaded Nintendo RPG lover. Most gamers, in fact, most people who own consoles aren't that into RPGs at all. FPS and Sports games sell consoles.

 

This is all sounding like fanboi revisionist history here.

[+wood_jl]

 

while final fantasy vii itself wasnt as ubiquitous as sonic the hedgehog or super mario bros, its release was the watershed moment for the psx. within a year of its release the install base went from 5 million to 15 million, and the software explosion soon followed. you wouldnt have purchased a psx in 95, 96, or early 97 thinking the system had something for everyone. that only happened once it was dominating the industry.

absolute crap.

 

Everyone I knew had a PSX long before FFVII came out.

 

You're just a jaded Nintendo RPG lover. Most gamers, in fact, most people who own consoles aren't that into RPGs at all. FPS and Sports games sell consoles.

 

This is all sounding like fanboi revisionist history here.

 

Same experience here. Everybody I knew wanted a PS to play Toshinden, Destruction Derby, Ridge Racer, Twisted Metal, Wipeout, Formula 1 in the early days. Shortly thereafter, Need for Speed (1), Tekken 1/2/3, Gran Turismo (1), Soul Blade. But none of these are "killer apps" by some people's [subjective] definition. Final Fantasy somehow means more than all of these games and the consoles they sold. I didn't hang out with the D&D/Magic Gathering/RPG crowd, but I did know a couple people who were all goo-goo about Final Fantasy, and they already owned Playstations.

[chrisbid]

 

while final fantasy vii itself wasnt as ubiquitous as sonic the hedgehog or super mario bros, its release was the watershed moment for the psx. within a year of its release the install base went from 5 million to 15 million, and the software explosion soon followed. you wouldnt have purchased a psx in 95, 96, or early 97 thinking the system had something for everyone. that only happened once it was dominating the industry.

absolute crap.

 

Everyone I knew had a PSX long before FFVII came out.

 

You're just a jaded Nintendo RPG lover. Most gamers, in fact, most people who own consoles aren't that into RPGs at all. FPS and Sports games sell consoles.

 

This is all sounding like fanboi revisionist history here.

 

 

 

 

i posted sales numbers from a playstation fan/history site that shows the PSX sales numbers triple after 1997. read the numbers again. if all your friends had playstations in 1996, you obviously lived in a nice neighborhood where 299 (1996) dollars was no big thing to spend on a video game system. congrats

Edited November 24, 2010 by chrisbid