Sega Master System (SMS)
3rd Generation Console
In 1986, Sega released the Sega Master System three months after the NES. However, Sega went to Tonka Toys for distribution and marketing. Sega also encounter Nintendo software restrictions that prevent game developers from making games for any other console makers. As a result, the Sega Master System did not reach the same level of success as the NES.
Nintendo was proving once again that gaining market dominance in this market was not all about price and features, it was locking in software restrictions that prevented its companies like Sega from accessing top selling games.
While Sega was not that successful in North America, it was extremely popular in the UK and Brazil mainly due to currency premiums that made the NES much more expensive.
By the time the second generation games came out, Sega started to show off its superior technical ability, which insured them a spot in the market for several generations.
Date Range: 1985 - 1994
Release Price: US $200
The Sega Master System is a cartridge-based console. The SMS was designed to compete against the NES, but failed to make any dent in Nintendo's market share.
The SMS survived for ten years before being discontinued.
Product Specs:
- 256 x 224 video
- 4-channel mono sound
- 3.5 Mhz processor
- 32 colours
- 64KB RAM
- 128KB ROM
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