New Gamasutra Article - TG16 Turns 25

[Necromancer]

Yep, it definitely wasn't as easy to find as main stream stuff.  My point was that it wasn't as hard to get as some make it out, where you had to live in a handful of select towns or you were out of luck.

[DragonmasterDan]

Yep, it definitely wasn't as easy to find as main stream stuff.  My point was that it wasn't as hard to get as some make it out, where you had to live in a handful of select towns or you were out of luck.

Yep, compare that to Neo-Geo AES where I basically knew of JUST specialty stores and Toys R us who actually carried it.

[A Black Falcon]

Fact #1: the Turbob wasn't "impossible to find".  It was carried by Sears, Service Merchandise, Montgomery Ward, JC Penney, and Radio Shack, which were all nationwide.

The Sears and Radio Shack stores in my town did not carry the TG16.  Sears had the Genesis, SNES, Game Boy, even the Virtual Boy, but not the TG16.  Radio Shack had almost no console stuff.  Service Merchandise... there was one of those nearby, but I don't remember going there for videogames much; if they had anything, it was probably even less than Ames (another department store there was one of around here back then), and I doubt very much they had anything TG16.  If those chains carried the system in some places, it was far from nationwide.  The only place I ever remember seeing a TG16 was in the Toys R Us near the mall (~40+ minutes away, so we went there quite rarely).

Fact #2: Mortal Kombat wouldn't have been a huge system seller, as few people would've been willing to pay $200 to play MK ($90 for the system, $50 for the game, $20 for a Tap, and $40 for a pair of 6-button controllers).  That's mighty steep to get a game that wouldn't have been exclusive for any length of time, 90 days tops.

Yeah, the length of exclusivity would be pretty important.  I do agree on that point.

Black Falcon,

What state were you in during that time? I had no trouble seeing TG-16 stuff, without even having to look for it.

Maine.  We also had a Kay-Bee in town, in addition to Sears and Radio Shack (and Ames and Service Merchandise) which became a Kay-Bee Toy Works in '94 or '95 or so; I don't remember ever seeing the TG16 in that store either.

I am quite certain that the one and only time I saw a TG16 demo station was in that Toys R Us I mentioned.  It was kind of cool because I'd never played a TG16 before (they had a shmup in it, of course)... and that was the only time I played the system before buying one in '09.  Another example of how Toys R Us was the only chain which actually widely distributed the TG16 in their stores.

If those chains carried the system in some places, it was far from nationwide.

Yeah, I'm sure they all had 'em in their catalogs but didn't actually stock them anywhere and refused to sell them if you attempted to order.  You got me. 

The concept of catalog stores is obviously lost on you.

... What?  You'd actually consider something you have to order from the catalog as being the same thing as something the chain sells in stores?  That's crazy!  Those are not even remotely similar.  Sure, maybe they had TG16 stuff in the Sears catalog, but what mattered to me was what I could see in stores.

Yep, it definitely wasn't as easy to find as main stream stuff.  My point was that it wasn't as hard to get as some make it out, where you had to live in a handful of select towns or you were out of luck.

Yep, compare that to Neo-Geo AES where I basically knew of JUST specialty stores and Toys R us who actually carried it.

Yeah, Neo-Geo stuff was even less common than TG16, that is true.

[Necromancer]

... What?  You'd actually consider something you have to order from the catalog as being the same thing as something the chain sells in stores?  That's crazy!  Those are not even remotely similar.  Sure, maybe they had TG16 stuff in the Sears catalog, but what mattered to me was what I could see in stores.

I'll repeat myself: my point was that it wasn't as hard to get as some make it out, where you had to live in a handful of select towns or you were out of luck.  Get that through your thick skull.

[Otaking]

Interesting read.
I think if the team behind TTi had been in charge from the beginning of the TG16 then it would of done a lot better.

The article says TTi tried to get Street Fighter II, Dracula X and the NEO GEO Game ports.
I've always thought these games could of changed the outcome of the TG16 if they had been released in the US.

[DragonmasterDan]

Interesting read.
I think if the team behind TTi had been in charge from the beginning of the TG16 then it would of done a lot better.

The article says TTi tried to get Street Fighter II, Dracula X and the NEO GEO Game ports.
I've always thought these games could of changed the outcome of the TG16 if they had been released in the US.

I recall talking to someone at TTI at the Summer 1993 CES about Street Fighter and they basically said the cost of releasing six button pads in the US alone made it impossible to do in the US. They also stated that most people who owned a TurboGrafx/Duo already owned a SNES or Genesis and those systems were getting their own versions of Champion Edition before the end of the year, so why bother.

The Neo-Geo ports were licensed by Working Designs.

[DragonmasterDan]

Interesting read.
I think if the team behind TTi had been in charge from the beginning of the TG16 then it would of done a lot better.

One other important thing I left out of the earlier message was that one key problem with the Turbo in the US was the franchise agreement between NEC and Hudson soft. NEC Home Electronics felt like had they not had to pay as steep of a licensing fee to Hudson for all licensed hardware/software and peripherals they could have made more money. Basically, all the hardware had to be manufactured in Japan through their co-op agreement and imported back into the US.

Had a different deal been reached for international distribution NEC could have shopped around for less expensive suppliers to manufacture the controllers, systems, multi-taps, and ultimately to manufacture HuCards that would have allowed more money for marketing and other resources.

[KingDrool]

God damn...what a depressing article. There were so many opportunities just...missed.

I next time someone creates a "What Went Wrong?" thread, we can just link this thing.

[A Black Falcon]

... What?  You'd actually consider something you have to order from the catalog as being the same thing as something the chain sells in stores?  That's crazy!  Those are not even remotely similar.  Sure, maybe they had TG16 stuff in the Sears catalog, but what mattered to me was what I could see in stores.

I'll repeat myself: my point was that it wasn't as hard to get as some make it out, where you had to live in a handful of select towns or you were out of luck.  Get that through your thick skull.

Be realistic.  If people have to buy a console by mail order, while all the other systems are available in stores, of course at least 99% of them aren't going to do it.  It's a major barrier.

[Necromancer]

*sigh*

Nowhere have I claimed that it was as easy to find as the SNES or Genesis.  NOWHERE!

Are you really this stupid?

[Opethian]

... What?  You'd actually consider something you have to order from the catalog as being the same thing as something the chain sells in stores?  That's crazy!  Those are not even remotely similar.  Sure, maybe they had TG16 stuff in the Sears catalog, but what mattered to me was what I could see in stores.

I'll repeat myself: my point was that it wasn't as hard to get as some make it out, where you had to live in a handful of select towns or you were out of luck.  Get that through your thick skull.

Be realistic.  If people have to buy a console by mail order, while all the other systems are available in stores, of course at least 99% of them aren't going to do it.  It's a major barrier.

You buy stuff online how is that any different? Do you only buy games at gamestop and Best buy?

[esteban]

@NEO GEO:

When it launched, NEO was available, I'd say for at least 1-2 years, at JC PENNY. Yes, JC PENNY. A demo unit with Magician Lord (later Baseball Stars 2) was very nice.

Of course,I don't know if this was a national rollout, or just a few select stores that carried it (i.e. In affluent areas). Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, NJ is near many affluent towns...folks who could afford it.

I don't have any hard evidence, of course, but I can't imagine demographics weren't used when determining what stores would demo/stock.

[Gentlegamer]

"The pack-in should have been R-Type. If it was R-Type, it would have made a bigger splash," says Brandstetter. In fact, NEC could have had Irem's hit arcade shooter; Hudson's port was a launch title for the TurboGrafx-16.

Johnny Turbo is right.

[esteban]

"The pack-in should have been R-Type. If it was R-Type, it would have made a bigger splash," says Brandstetter. In fact, NEC could have had Irem's hit arcade shooter; Hudson's port was a launch title for the TurboGrafx-16.

Johnny Turbo is right.

I don't know, Sega Master System already had R-Type...only shootemup fans would want a game like that,since it was challenging and would scare off (frustrate) young/casual gamers.

Brand recognition was high (most folks had at least heard of R-Type)...but was it a better pack-in than Keith Courage? I don't know.

PC Genjin wasn't released until much later....I feel that Legendary Axe might have been a good pack-in.

[DragonmasterDan]

PC Genjin wasn't released until much later....I feel that Legendary Axe might have been a good pack-in.

Legendary Axe would have been the best choice.

From my understanding that decision had to do with ROM size, Legendary Axe required a bigger ROM card than did Keith Courage which was part of the reason Keith was picked.