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Nintendo, Sega give new life to classic game consoles
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The Akihabara district in Tokyo feels like a pilgrimage for many gamers. (Shutterstock/File)
N
intendo Co. and Sega Holdings Co. are releasing replicas of their classic video game consoles, which were big hits in the 1980s and 1990s, in a bid to attract former game afficionados.
On April 14, Sega announced that it would release a replica of its 1988 “Mega Drive” console this year. It will be about one-fourth the size of the original console, and the company is currently deciding what software will be installed.
“We’re responding to demand from fans of the console. I want them to enjoy the excitement they felt back then,” said Sega Honorary Chairman Haruki Satomi.
Nostalgia trip
Sega rival Nintendo has taken the lead in resurrecting classic consoles.
Nintendo released a compact reproduction of its Family Computer, or famicom, in 2016 and of its Super Famicom in 2017. Both re-creations were a big hit, and there was a prolonged shortage of supply.
Reproductions of popular games such as “Super Mario Bros.” can be downloaded to play on the most up-to-date consoles, but replica consoles are still popular, apparently due to support from the second-generation of baby boomers, who are currently in their 30s to 50s.
“It’s a large generation, many of whom probably bought reproduction consoles due to nostalgia and the affordable prices,” said Hirokazu Hamamura who represents Famitsu group, a company that publishes game magazines.
After the release of the famicom, Nintendo was for some time the sole winner in the console market. Sega was dominant in some sectors of the games industry, such as providing machines for arcades, and eventually became a strong competitor against Nintendo.
Sega’s console with exclusive games, such as “Virtua Fighter,” gained passionate support from its fans. Release of the two companies’ re-created consoles have brought their classic consoles back to store shelves.
Consoles popular again
Smartphone games’ share of the domestic gaming market has grown in recent years, and the market size for video game consoles and related devices has been flagging, from ¥231.5 billion (US$2.13 billion) in fiscal 2008 to ¥131.1 billion in fiscal 2016, according to a Famitsu survey.
However, the market has regained some strength since fiscal 2017 when Nintendo released the Nintendo Switch, a new console that allows users to play both in and outside their house. Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 4 maintains strong sales.
Nintendo and Sega expect a further boost, hoping that the reproduced consoles will inspire middle-aged people who had moved away from games to return to playing.
This article appeared on The Japan News newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
