Hypothetical senario

[exile]

In today's age of hand held devices, Do you think if NEC avoided the hardware/console wars and put out the Turbo Express do you think it would have been more successful? I know the battery life was an issue, but it would have carved a nice lane for itself. Did the Express predate the game boy?

[Mathius]

I don't think it pre-dated the Game Boy in America. If they released it at a lower price point, and had more third-party support, things may have improved for the Express. But alas...

[SignOfZeta]

I'm not sure what your question is, but I'm pretty sure the answer is no. The Express was only as successful as it was because of the TG-16.

The Turbo Express was 2.5x the cost of a Gameboy and ate batteries something like 4x as fast (my guess, actual figures are probably worse). The games were also more expensive. Even for someone who had a decent collection of software for it, it was still a bizarre nick-nack more than a thing you'd actually use since it didn't do CDs and the screen was rather hard on the eyes.

[ShinobiMan]

In today's age of hand held devices, Do you think if NEC avoided the hardware/console wars and put out the Turbo Express do you think it would have been more successful? I know the battery life was an issue, but it would have carved a nice lane for itself. Did the Express predate the game boy?

I'm pretty sure the Turbo Express came out in 1990, a year after Game Boy. A friend of mine's dad had one, and he'd always take it with him on business trips. He used to brag about it because it was an expensive purchase back in the day.

It's possible that the Turbo Express could have succeeded on it's own as a portable gaming device. I still don't think it could have toppled the Game Boy. Nintendo just had the market for games, their name was etched in pure gold.

[Mathius]

Yeah, nothing would have toppled the Game Boy. But, under the right conditions, it may have been in a PSP like senario.

[SignOfZeta]

Instead, I think the Game Gear ended up with the PSP scenario.

[henrycsc]

I believe that the Game Boy and the Lynx were out first. 
There are tons of reasons why the NEC products didn't sell big in the US, but I think people are realizing now what incredible gaming products they produced.
I've had an express since about 1992 when Toy's R Us started clearing them out.  Everyone who saw it back then was blown away.  Too bad that it was so unattainable for most people.  Had NEC released the LT in the US instead of the express, what might have been different?

[Joe Redifer]

Instead, I think the Game Gear ended up with the PSP scenario.

I think that is kind of an insult to the PSP.

[SignOfZeta]

Had NEC released the LT in the US instead of the express, what might have been different?

Considering the LT was four times the price of the Express, and literally (instead of just practically) requires an AC adapter to run...I think it would have been a much more spectacular failure.

Seriously, when you see an LT on eBay for $700, that's actually a good price. The little f*cker was ¥99800.

I really need to get an LT soon...

[ShinobiMan]

Had NEC released the LT in the US instead of the express, what might have been different?

Considering the LT was four times the price of the Express, and literally (instead of just practically) requires an AC adapter to run...I think it would have been a much more spectacular failure.

Seriously, when you see an LT on eBay for $700, that's actually a good price. The little f*cker was ¥99800.

I really need to get an LT soon...

What is the LT? Never heard of it until now.

[SignOfZeta]

Its a PC Engine that looks like a big Game Boy Advance SP. The 4" screen is way easier to read than that down-sampled little postage stamp on the GT. Its "portable", but has no battery capability and cost a grand when new.

[henrycsc]

The PC Engine GT/Turbo Express was ahead of it's time.... the LT was light years ahead of it's time. 
Regardless of sales, releasing something like the LT in the US back then would have turned heads.  Alone, a move like that probably wouldn't have been enough to change the fate of the Turbo Grafx, but it may have drawn enough attention to NEC to help get some of the other issues back in line.

The fact is that console wars have been around long before NEC was in the game.  Making people want the system (and actually buy it) is always the key to victory.  There is no doubt that the LT would have made people want it.  Affording it would have been the other issue. 

The Express, as much as I love it, wasn't enough for the general public to change the fate of the system.  And had NEC got all of the 3rd party support in the US that they did in Japan, the Express would have fared better, but price (even for the express) would have still been an issue.

PCE GT:


US Turbo Express:


PCE LT:

[exile]

To clarify my post: If NEC would have spent their time and energy promoting the Turbo express vs competing against the Nintendo and Genisis, could it have been successful in the hand held market. I don't think it would have de-throned the Game Boy per-se, but it would have probably cornered the adult market. @Zeta you are right on most counts with the Express' limitations. Perhaps they count have used some of the marketing bread to improve the battery. It probably would have been around longer. What do you all think?


P.S. The LT is pretty sexy. :oops:

[DragonmasterDan]

In today's age of hand held devices, Do you think if NEC avoided the hardware/console wars and put out the Turbo Express do you think it would have been more successful? I know the battery life was an issue, but it would have carved a nice lane for itself. Did the Express predate the game boy?

It was WAAAAAAAAAY too expensive, I think it debuted at 399.99 and spent most of its lifespan at 299.99. That would have been a disaster.

In the US the Game Boy and Lynx were on the market a year before the express.

[termis]

I'd imagine even if NEC marketed explicitly toward the handheld market, the TE would've been the Neo Geo equivalent for that market.  Basically, too niche and ahead of its time to imagine that it would've been a commercial success.

The gameboy was a success because it gave what the handheld market needed.  Quick gaming on the go.  And more than 30 minutes of it at a time, too.  The market has shown that fancy graphics and sound is by no means the measure for success factor for handhelds time after time again, and that's the only thing that TE provided over others at the time.

LT... is the biggest waste of money IMO.  It's a piece that just wasn't thought out very well -- no option for batteries mean well, you have to be inside, and if you're inside, there's only limited circumstances you'd want to use that screen.  It's been a collector's only piece since day one.