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Prior to development of the Saturn, the ] was ]'s entry into the ] of video game consoles. It was released in Japan as the Mega Drive in 1988, North America in 1989, and Europe as the Mega Drive in 1990.<ref name="Retroinspection">{{cite journal|journal=]|publisher=]|title=Retroinspection: Mega Drive|author=Sczepaniak, John|issue=27|year=2006|pages=42–47}}</ref> In mid-1990, Sega CEO ] hired ] as CEO of Sega of America. Kalinske developed a four-point plan for sales of the Genesis: cut the price of the console, create a U.S.-based team to develop games targeted at the American market, continue aggressive advertising campaigns, and pack '']'' in with the console.<ref name="Kent_pp424_431"/> The Japanese board of directors initially disapproved of the plan,<ref name="Kent_pp424_431">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent|chapter=Run for the Money|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4}}</ref> but all four points were approved by Nakayama, who told Kalinske, "I hired you to make the decisions for Europe and the Americas, so go ahead and do it."<ref name="Retroinspection" /> Magazines praised ''Sonic'' as one of the greatest games yet made, and Sega's console finally took off as customers who had been waiting for the ] (SNES) decided to purchase a Genesis instead.<ref name="Kent_pp424_431"/> However, the release of a CD-based ] for the Genesis, the ] (known as Mega-CD outside of North America), had been commercially disappointing.<ref name="Retroinspection32X">{{cite journal|journal=Retro Gamer|publisher=Imagine Publishing|title=Retroinspection: Sega 32X|author=McFerran, Damien|issue=77|pages=44–49}}</ref> Prior to development of the Saturn, the ] was ]'s entry into the ] of video game consoles. It was released in Japan as the Mega Drive in 1988, North America in 1989, and Europe as the Mega Drive in 1990.<ref name="Retroinspection">{{cite journal|journal=]|publisher=]|title=Retroinspection: Mega Drive|author=Sczepaniak, John|issue=27|year=2006|pages=42–47}}</ref> In mid-1990, Sega CEO ] hired ] as CEO of Sega of America. Kalinske developed a four-point plan for sales of the Genesis: cut the price of the console, create a U.S.-based team to develop games targeted at the American market, continue aggressive advertising campaigns, and pack '']'' in with the console.<ref name="Kent_pp424_431"/> The Japanese board of directors initially disapproved of the plan,<ref name="Kent_pp424_431">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent|chapter=Run for the Money|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4}}</ref> but all four points were approved by Nakayama, who told Kalinske, "I hired you to make the decisions for Europe and the Americas, so go ahead and do it."<ref name="Retroinspection" /> Magazines praised ''Sonic'' as one of the greatest games yet made, and Sega's console finally took off as customers who had been waiting for the ] (SNES) decided to purchase a Genesis instead.<ref name="Kent_pp424_431"/> However, the release of a CD-based ] for the Genesis, the ] (known as Mega-CD outside of North America), had been commercially disappointing.<ref name="Retroinspection32X">{{cite journal|journal=Retro Gamer|publisher=Imagine Publishing|title=Retroinspection: Sega 32X|author=McFerran, Damien|issue=77|pages=44–49}}</ref>


The Model 1 was an expensive system board, and bringing home releases of its games to the Genesis required more than its hardware could handle. Several alternatives helped to bring Sega's newest arcade games to the console, such as the ] chip used for ''Virtua Racing'', and eventually the ] add-on.<ref name="RetroinspectionSaturn"/> Sega also experienced success with ]s. In 1992 and 1993, the company's new Model 1 ] showcased the 3D titles '']'' and '']'', which played a crucial role in popularizing polygonal graphics.<ref>{{cite web|author=GameSpot Staff|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20100412225953/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/15influential/p13_01.html|title=Virtua Racing – Arcade (1992)|work=15 Most Influential Games of All Time|publisher=]|year=2001|accessdate=2014-03-16}}</ref> The Model 1 was an expensive system board, and bringing home releases of its games to the Genesis required more than its hardware could handle. Several alternatives helped to bring Sega's newest arcade games to the console, such as the ] chip used for ''Virtua Racing'', and eventually the ] add-on.<ref name="RetroinspectionSaturn"/>


===Development=== ===Development===
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In 1993, Sega restructured its internal studios in preparation for the Saturn's launch. To ensure high-quality 3D games would be available early in the Saturn's life, and to create a more energetic working environment, developers from Sega's arcade division were instructed to create console games. New teams, such as ''Panzer Dragoon'' developer ], were formed during this time.<ref name="Making of Panzer Dragoon"/> In 1993, Sega restructured its internal studios in preparation for the Saturn's launch. To ensure high-quality 3D games would be available early in the Saturn's life, and to create a more energetic working environment, developers from Sega's arcade division were instructed to create console games. New teams, such as ''Panzer Dragoon'' developer ], were formed during this time.<ref name="Making of Panzer Dragoon"/>
By the end of 1995, Sega was supporting five different consoles—Saturn, Genesis, ], ], and the ]—as well as the Sega CD and Sega 32X add-ons. In Japan the Mega Drive had never been successful, and the Saturn was outselling the PlayStation, so Sega Enterprises CEO Hayao Nakayama decided to force Sega of America to focus on the Saturn. While this made perfect sense for the Japanese market, it proved to be a disastrous move in North America and Europe: the market for Genesis games was much larger than for the Saturn, but Sega was left without the inventory or software to meet demand.<ref name="KSL"/> By contrast, Nintendo concentrated on the 16-bit home console market, as well as its successful ], the ], and as a result Nintendo took in 42 percent of the video game market dollar share, despite not launching a 32-bit console to compete directly with Sony's PlayStation and Sega's Saturn.<ref name="KSL">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4 |chapter=The "Next" Generation (Part 1)}}</ref> While Sega was still able to capture 43 percent of the dollar share of the U.S. video game market as a whole,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1996_Jan_10/ai_18001580/ |title=Sega captures dollar share of videogame market again; diverse product strategy yields market growth; Sega charts path for 1996 |work=] |accessdate=December 4, 2013 |date=January 10, 1996 |quote=Estimated dollar share for Sega-branded interactive entertainment hardware and software in 1995 was 43 percent, compared with Nintendo at 42 percent, Sony at 13 percent and The 3DO Co. at 2 percent. Sega estimates the North American videogame market will total more than $3.9 billion for 1995.}}</ref>{{dead link|date=March 2014}} Nakayama's decision undercut the Sega of America executives.<ref name="KSL"/> By the end of 1995, Sega was supporting five different consoles—Saturn, Genesis, ], ], and the ]—as well as the Sega CD and Sega 32X add-ons. In Japan the Mega Drive had never been successful, and the Saturn was outselling the PlayStation, so Sega Enterprises CEO Hayao Nakayama decided to force Sega of America to focus on the Saturn. While this made perfect sense for the Japanese market, it proved to be a disastrous move in North America and Europe: the market for Genesis games was much larger than for the Saturn, but Sega was left without the inventory or software to meet demand.<ref name="KSL"/> By contrast, Nintendo concentrated on the 16-bit home console market, as well as its successful ], the ], and as a result Nintendo took in 42 percent of the video game market dollar share, despite not launching a 32-bit console to compete directly with Sony's PlayStation and Sega's Saturn.<ref name="KSL">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4 |chapter=The "Next" Generation (Part 1)}}</ref> Due to Sega's decision to cut support to its 16-bit business to focus on the Saturn, Nintendo was able to capitalize by its continued focus on the SNES and the Game Boy from 1995 onward. While Sega was still able to capture 43 percent of the dollar share of the U.S. video game market as a whole,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1996_Jan_10/ai_18001580/ |title=Sega captures dollar share of videogame market again; diverse product strategy yields market growth; Sega charts path for 1996 |work=] |accessdate=December 4, 2013 |date=January 10, 1996 |quote=Estimated dollar share for Sega-branded interactive entertainment hardware and software in 1995 was 43 percent, compared with Nintendo at 42 percent, Sony at 13 percent and The 3DO Co. at 2 percent. Sega estimates the North American videogame market will total more than $3.9 billion for 1995.}}</ref>{{dead link|date=March 2014}} Nakayama's decision undercut the Sega of America executives.<ref name="KSL"/>


On July 15, 1996 it was announced that Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske had resigned, reportedly due to lang-standing disagreements with Sega of Japan.<ref name="KSL"/><ref name="Tale of Two E3s"/> Within the same week, ] and Nakayama resigned from their positions over Sega of America, though they remained with the company.<ref name="main"/> Nakayama assembled a new management team for Sega of America led by ] as chairman and CEO and Bernie Stolar as executive vice president in charge of product development and third-party relations.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sega of America appoints Shoichiro Irimajiri chairman/chief executive officer|journal=M2PressWIRE|publisher=M2 Communications, Ltd. |date=July 16, 1996|url=http://www.m2.com/m2/web/story.php/1996852568440080DDE88025683B005E7A3F}} {{closed access}} {{subscription required|s}}</ref> Stolar, however, was not supportive of the Saturn due to his belief that the hardware was poorly designed.<ref name="IGNHistory"/> Knowing that the Saturn had little support from third-party developers and hardware that was difficult to work with, Stolar emphasized quality games for the Saturn and prevented localization of some titles from Japan in order to improve the console's image in North America. This was accompanied by a lighter image that Sega was beginning to portray in its advertising, including removing the "Sega" scream and holding press events for the education industry.<ref name="main">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4 |chapter=The Mainstream and All Its Perils}}</ref> Marketing in Japan for the console had also changed, with the introduction of ] as a character in Japanese advertisements for the console in 1997 and 1998.<ref name="Shiro">{{cite web|author=Towell, Justin|title='Mr. Sega Saturn' lives on via amazing T-shirt|publisher=GamesRadar|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/mr-sega-saturn-lives-on-via-amazing-t-shirt/|date=June 23, 2012|accessdate=March 3, 2014}}</ref> Temporarily abandoning his arcade roots, ] of ] began developing several Saturn-exclusive games, including ''Virtua Fighter ]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kolan|first=Patrick|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/811/811423p1.html|title=Shenmue: Through the Ages|publisher=IGN |date=2007-08-07|accessdate=2014-03-07}}</ref> Suzuki hoped the latter, "a revenge epic in the tradition of ]", would be the Saturn's ].<ref name="IGNHistory"/> Development was eventually shifted to the Saturn's successor, the ], as the game evolved into '']''.<ref name="IGN Shenmue">{{cite web|author=IGN Staff|url=http://uk.dreamcast.ign.com/articles/068/068806p1.html|title=Shenmue, the History: Our look at Shenmue's history begins back in 1996|publisher=IGN|date=1999-07-13|accessdate=2014-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Wallace|first=Kimberley|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/03/19/yu-suzuki-reminisces-about-shenmue-sharing-behind-the-scenes-moments.aspx|title=Yu Suzuki Reminisces About Shenmue, Expresses Interest In Shenmue 3|publisher=Game Informer|date=2014-03-19|accessdate=2014-03-20}}</ref> On July 15, 1996 it was announced that Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske had resigned, reportedly due to lang-standing disagreements with Sega of Japan.<ref name="KSL"/><ref name="Tale of Two E3s"/> Within the same week, ] and Nakayama resigned from their positions over Sega of America, though they remained with the company.<ref name="main"/> Nakayama assembled a new management team for Sega of America led by ] as chairman and CEO and Bernie Stolar as executive vice president in charge of product development and third-party relations.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sega of America appoints Shoichiro Irimajiri chairman/chief executive officer|journal=M2PressWIRE|publisher=M2 Communications, Ltd. |date=July 16, 1996|url=http://www.m2.com/m2/web/story.php/1996852568440080DDE88025683B005E7A3F}} {{closed access}} {{subscription required|s}}</ref> Stolar, however, was not supportive of the Saturn due to his belief that the hardware was poorly designed.<ref name="IGNHistory"/> Knowing that the Saturn had little support from third-party developers and hardware that was difficult to work with, Stolar emphasized quality games for the Saturn and prevented localization of some titles from Japan in order to improve the console's image in North America. This was accompanied by a lighter image that Sega was beginning to portray in its advertising, including removing the "Sega" scream and holding press events for the education industry.<ref name="main">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4 |chapter=The Mainstream and All Its Perils}}</ref> Marketing in Japan for the console had also changed, with the introduction of ] as a character in Japanese advertisements for the console in 1997 and 1998.<ref name="Shiro">{{cite web|author=Towell, Justin|title='Mr. Sega Saturn' lives on via amazing T-shirt|publisher=GamesRadar|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/mr-sega-saturn-lives-on-via-amazing-t-shirt/|date=June 23, 2012|accessdate=March 3, 2014}}</ref> Temporarily abandoning his arcade roots, ] of ] began developing several Saturn-exclusive games, including ''Virtua Fighter ]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kolan|first=Patrick|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/811/811423p1.html|title=Shenmue: Through the Ages|publisher=IGN |date=2007-08-07|accessdate=2014-03-07}}</ref> Suzuki hoped the latter, "a revenge epic in the tradition of ]", would be the Saturn's ].<ref name="IGNHistory"/> Development was eventually shifted to the Saturn's successor, the ], as the game evolved into '']''.<ref name="IGN Shenmue">{{cite web|author=IGN Staff|url=http://uk.dreamcast.ign.com/articles/068/068806p1.html|title=Shenmue, the History: Our look at Shenmue's history begins back in 1996|publisher=IGN|date=1999-07-13|accessdate=2014-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Wallace|first=Kimberley|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/03/19/yu-suzuki-reminisces-about-shenmue-sharing-behind-the-scenes-moments.aspx|title=Yu Suzuki Reminisces About Shenmue, Expresses Interest In Shenmue 3|publisher=Game Informer|date=2014-03-19|accessdate=2014-03-20}}</ref>
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{{Quote box {{Quote box
|quote = "I believe if we look at Saturn, it was a system that shouldn't have been launched. It was too difficult to develop for therefore the games were not fun and the games weren't there. This isn't a matter about hardware, this is about software. Software has always driven hardware. You don't have the software, the hardware will fail."|source = —Bernie Stolar, former president of Sega of America giving his assessment of the Saturn in 2004.<ref name="G4 Icons">{{Cite episode |title=Sega Dreamcast |episodelink= |url= http://www.g4tv.com/icons/episodes/1259/Sega_Dreamcast.html|accessdate= |series= Icons |serieslink= |first= |last= |network= G4|station= |city= |date= 3/11/2004 |began= |ended= |season= 3|seriesno= |number=302 |minutes= |time= |transcript= |transcripturl= |quote= |language=English}}</ref>|width = 30em}} |quote = "I believe if we look at Saturn, it was a system that shouldn't have been launched. It was too difficult to develop for therefore the games were not fun and the games weren't there. This isn't a matter about hardware, this is about software. Software has always driven hardware. You don't have the software, the hardware will fail."|source = —Bernie Stolar, former president of Sega of America giving his assessment of the Saturn in 2004.<ref name="G4 Icons">{{Cite episode |title=Sega Dreamcast |episodelink= |url= http://www.g4tv.com/icons/episodes/1259/Sega_Dreamcast.html|accessdate= |series= Icons |serieslink= |first= |last= |network= G4|station= |city= |date= 3/11/2004 |began= |ended= |season= 3|seriesno= |number=302 |minutes= |time= |transcript= |transcripturl= |quote= |language=English}}</ref>|width = 30em}}
Selling 9.5 million units worldwide, the Saturn is considered a commercial failure.<ref name="brandweek">{{cite journal|journal=Brandweek|publisher=Nielsen Business Media|title=Looking for a Sonic Boom|author=Lefton, Terry|issue=39.9|year=1998|pages=26–29}}</ref> By March 1998, Sega reported losses of $309 million on the Saturn, and had begun to focus on a successor, the Dreamcast.<ref name="Allgame"/> During 1998, Sega took an additional $450 million loss.<ref name="cycle"/> According to Stolar, his decision to abandon the Saturn was due to Sega's losses and his desire to rebuild with a new team.<ref name="IGNHistory"/> The decision to abandon the Saturn effectively left the Western market without Sega games for over a year.<ref name="IGN History of Dreamcast"/> Rumors about the upcoming Dreamcast were leaked to the public before the last Saturn games made it to the shelves.<ref name="cycle"/> The Dreamcast would later be released on November 20, 1998 in Japan and in the fall of 1999 in North America.<ref name="Allgame"/> Selling only 9.5 million units worldwide, the Saturn is considered a commercial failure.<ref name="brandweek">{{cite journal|journal=Brandweek|publisher=Nielsen Business Media|title=Looking for a Sonic Boom|author=Lefton, Terry|issue=39.9|year=1998|pages=26–29}}</ref> By March 1998, Sega reported losses of $309 million on the Saturn, and had begun to focus on a successor, the Dreamcast.<ref name="Allgame"/> During 1998, Sega took an additional $450 million loss.<ref name="cycle"/> According to Stolar, his decision to abandon the Saturn was due to Sega's losses and his desire to rebuild with a new team.<ref name="IGNHistory"/> The decision to abandon the Saturn effectively left the Western market without Sega games for over a year.<ref name="IGN History of Dreamcast"/> Rumors about the upcoming Dreamcast were leaked to the public before the last Saturn games made it to the shelves.<ref name="cycle"/> The Dreamcast would later be released on November 20, 1998 in Japan and in the fall of 1999 in North America.<ref name="Allgame"/>


==Technical specifications== ==Technical specifications==
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==Game library== ==Game library==
{{main|List of Sega Saturn games}} {{main|List of Sega Saturn games}}
Much of the Saturn's library comes from Sega's arcade ports,<ref name="IGNHistory"/> including ''Daytona USA'', '']'', the '']'' series, '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', ''Sega Rally'', '']'', the ''Virtua Cop'' series, the ''Virtua Fighter'' series, and ''Virtual On''. '']'', combined characters from ''Fighting Vipers'' and ''Virtua Fighter'' to critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/197327-fighters-megamix/index.html|title=Fighters Megamix for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref><ref>cf. {{cite web|last=McNamara|first=Andy et al.|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19990824095521/http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=sat&path=may97&doc=megamix|title=Fighters Megamix - Saturn|publisher=Game Informer|date=May 1997|accessdate=2014-03-19|quote=This has to be one of the finest fighters to ever grace consoles.}}</ref> Highly-rated Saturn exclusives include '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/198258-panzer-dragoon-saga/index.html|title=Panzer Dragoon Saga for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref><ref>The Saturn port of '']'' is directly behind ''Panzer Dragoon Saga'' as the second highest-rated Saturn game on GameRankings. See {{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/375831-virtua-fighter-2/index.html|title=Virtua Fighter 2 for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref><ref>cf.{{cite web|author=GI Staff|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19990824121149/http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=sat&path=may98&doc=pds|title=Panzer Dragoon Saga|publisher=Game Informer|date=May 1998|accessdate=2014-03-26|quote=Only '']'' tops it.}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/197149-dragon-force/index.html|title=Dragon Force for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/573960-guardian-heroes/index.html|title=Guardian Heroes for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref> ''Nights'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/198201-nights-into-dreams/index.html|title=NiGHTS Into Dreams... for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/562829-panzer-dragoon-ii-zwei/index.html|title=Panzer Dragoon II Zwei for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref> and '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/198623-shining-force-iii/index.html|title=Shining Force III for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref> Multiplatform games like '']'', '']'', and '']'' released for the PlayStation before the Saturn and achieved greater success on the former. Although ] (which had previously supported the Sega CD which multiple releases) created '']'' with the Saturn in mind, the PlayStation version ultimately became better known to the public.<ref name="1UP Pleasure and Pain"/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Blache III|first1=Fabian|last2=Fielder|first2=Lauren|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20131002104047/http://www.gamespot.com/features/tombraider_hist/p3_01.html|title=History of Tomb Raider|publisher=GameSpot|accessdate=2014-03-15}}</ref> Lobotomy Software's ports of ''Duke Nukem 3D'', '']'', and '']'' featured some of the most impressive 3D graphics on the system.<ref name="1UP Pleasure and Pain"/> While ]' limited support for the Saturn and Sega's failure to develop a football game for the 1996 fall season allowed Sony to take the lead in the sports genre,<ref name="1UP Pleasure and Pain"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Kent|first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World|year=2001|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=533}}</ref><ref name="IGNHistory"/> Sega published numerous sports games under its "Sega Sports" label, including the high-quality '']'' and '']'' series.<ref name="1UP Pleasure and Pain"/><ref>cf. {{cite web|author=GI Staff|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19990824140309/http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=sat&path=nov95&doc=series|title=Sega Sports Does It One More Time|date=November 1995|accessdate=2014-03-19|quote=''World Series Baseball'' is by far the smoothest baseball game ever made.}}</ref><ref>cf. {{cite web|author=GI Staff|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19971120004707/http://www.gameinformer.com/dec96/wsoccer.html|title=Worldwide Soccer '97|publisher=Game Informer|date=December 1996|accessdate=2014-03-19|quote=Truly, a fantastic soccer game.}}</ref><ref>cf. {{cite web|author=GI Staff|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19990930170004/http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=sat&path=jan98&doc=wws|title=Worldwide Soccer '98|publisher=Game Informer|date=January 1998|accessdate=2014-03-19|quote=The graphics are smooth, and the physics are perfect.}}</ref> By 1998, the Saturn had a significantly larger library than the Nintendo 64.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent|first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World|year=2001|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=539|quote=PlayStation and Saturn had hundreds of games, most of which sold for under $50. By comparison, there were merely dozens of games for N64, some of which sold for nearly $80, and rumors were that future third-party cartridges might cost as much as $100.}}</ref> Much of the Saturn's library comes from Sega's arcade ports,<ref name="IGNHistory"/> including ''Daytona USA'', '']'', the '']'' series, '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', ''Sega Rally'', '']'', the ''Virtua Cop'' series, the ''Virtua Fighter'' series, and ''Virtual On''. '']'', a Saturn exclusive,<ref name="IGN Shenmue"/> combined characters from ''Fighting Vipers'' and ''Virtua Fighter'' to critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/197327-fighters-megamix/index.html|title=Fighters Megamix for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref><ref>cf. {{cite web|last=McNamara|first=Andy et al.|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19990824095521/http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=sat&path=may97&doc=megamix|title=Fighters Megamix - Saturn|publisher=Game Informer|date=May 1997|accessdate=2014-03-19|quote=This has to be one of the finest fighters to ever grace consoles.}}</ref> Other highly-rated Saturn exclusives include '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/198258-panzer-dragoon-saga/index.html|title=Panzer Dragoon Saga for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref><ref>The Saturn port of '']'' is directly behind ''Panzer Dragoon Saga'' as the second highest-rated Saturn game on GameRankings. See {{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/375831-virtua-fighter-2/index.html|title=Virtua Fighter 2 for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref><ref>cf.{{cite web|author=GI Staff|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19990824121149/http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=sat&path=may98&doc=pds|title=Panzer Dragoon Saga|publisher=Game Informer|date=May 1998|accessdate=2014-03-26|quote=Only '']'' tops it.}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/197149-dragon-force/index.html|title=Dragon Force for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/573960-guardian-heroes/index.html|title=Guardian Heroes for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref> ''Nights'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/198201-nights-into-dreams/index.html|title=NiGHTS Into Dreams... for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/562829-panzer-dragoon-ii-zwei/index.html|title=Panzer Dragoon II Zwei for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref> and '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/198623-shining-force-iii/index.html|title=Shining Force III for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-26}}</ref> Multiplatform games like '']'', '']'', and '']'' released for the PlayStation before the Saturn and achieved greater success on the former. Although ] (which had previously supported the Sega CD which multiple releases) created '']'' with the Saturn in mind, the PlayStation version ultimately became better known to the public.<ref name="1UP Pleasure and Pain"/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Blache III|first1=Fabian|last2=Fielder|first2=Lauren|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20131002104047/http://www.gamespot.com/features/tombraider_hist/p3_01.html|title=History of Tomb Raider|publisher=GameSpot|accessdate=2014-03-15}}</ref> Lobotomy Software's ports of ''Duke Nukem 3D'', '']'', and '']'' featured some of the most impressive 3D graphics on the system.<ref name="1UP Pleasure and Pain"/> While ]' limited support for the Saturn and Sega's failure to develop a football game for the 1996 fall season allowed Sony to take the lead in the sports genre,<ref name="1UP Pleasure and Pain"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Kent|first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World|year=2001|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=533}}</ref><ref name="IGNHistory"/> Sega published numerous sports games under its "Sega Sports" label, including the high-quality '']'' and '']'' series.<ref name="1UP Pleasure and Pain"/><ref>cf. {{cite web|author=GI Staff|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19990824140309/http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=sat&path=nov95&doc=series|title=Sega Sports Does It One More Time|date=November 1995|accessdate=2014-03-19|quote=''World Series Baseball'' is by far the smoothest baseball game ever made.}}</ref><ref>cf. {{cite web|author=GI Staff|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19971120004707/http://www.gameinformer.com/dec96/wsoccer.html|title=Worldwide Soccer '97|publisher=Game Informer|date=December 1996|accessdate=2014-03-19|quote=Truly, a fantastic soccer game.}}</ref><ref>cf. {{cite web|author=GI Staff|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19990930170004/http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=sat&path=jan98&doc=wws|title=Worldwide Soccer '98|publisher=Game Informer|date=January 1998|accessdate=2014-03-19|quote=The graphics are smooth, and the physics are perfect.}}</ref> By 1998, the Saturn had a significantly larger library than the Nintendo 64.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent|first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World|year=2001|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=539|quote=PlayStation and Saturn had hundreds of games, most of which sold for under $50. By comparison, there were merely dozens of games for N64, some of which sold for nearly $80, and rumors were that future third-party cartridges might cost as much as $100.}}</ref>


Due to the cancellation of ''Sonic X-treme'', the Saturn lacks an exclusive ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' platformer, containing only the compilation ''Sonic Jam'', a port of ''Sonic 3D Blast'', and a racing game called '']''.<ref name="RetroinspectionSaturn"/> Notable Saturn platformers include ''Bug!'', whose eponymous main character was considered to be a potential mascot.<ref name="IGN Bug!">{{cite web|last=Buchanan|first=Levi|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/02/what-hath-sonic-wrought-vol-10|title=What Hath Sonic Wrought? Vol. 10|publisher=IGN|date=2009-02-02|accessdate=2014-03-15|quote='''], CES 1995''': This is the character! This is the character that is going to do it for Saturn!}}</ref> Despite receiving highly positive reviews at the time<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/573934-bug/index.html|title=Bug! for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-15}}</ref><ref>cf. {{cite web|last=McNamara|first=Andy, et al.|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19971120012847/http://www.gameinformer.com/sep95/bug.html|title=Not To Be Denied!|publisher=Game Informer|date=September 1995|accessdate=2014-03-15}}</ref> (and being successful enough to receive ]), ''Bug!'' failed to catch on with audiences in the way ''Sonic'' had, and retrospective coverage of the game has been less positive.<ref name="IGN Bug!"/> Sonic Team's ''Nights'' was praised for its originality, but did not have ''Sonic'''s mainstream appeal, and critics noted it was a mostly 2D experience.<ref>{{cite web|author=Edge Staff|url=http://www.edge-online.com/reviews/nights-dreams-review|title=Nights into Dreams (review)|publisher=Edge|date=1996-08-02|accessdate=2014-03-11|quote=There can be no doubt that the game is easily the most original and visually dazzling title seen on the Saturn to date...''Sonic'' was a very focused game a clear aim, making it easy to pick up and play. By contrast, a lot of the time ''Nights'' feels as if its gameplay has been made to fit within a set of technological displays of competence, with good 3D, excellent texture mapping, total freedom of movement for characters, fast polygon movement – selling points for the Saturn around which a game has been framed. ''Nights'' is an enigmatic game that the public might take to their hearts or might reject out of hand. Either way, it's not quite good enough to be a all-time classic.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World|year=2001|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=533|quote=Naka may have established his reputation as a great designer with ''Sonic'', but with ''NiGHTS'' he demonstrated his versatility...''NiGHTS'' showed the strengths and weaknesses of Saturn. The game's atmosphere and design were exceptional; but while the game had a free-flowing 3D feel, most of it actually took place in two dimensions.}}</ref><ref>cf. {{cite web|last=Sheffield|first=Brandon|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4208/out_of_the_blue_naoto_ohshima_.php?page=2|title=Out of the Blue: Naoto Ohshima Speaks|publisher=]|date=2009-12-04|accessdate=2014-03-11|quote='''Naoto Oshima:''' Well, 's a character that I think is suited to America--or, at least, the image I had of America at the time. ''Nights'' is a more delicate... well, his gender is deliberately ambiguous, for one.}}</ref><ref>''Edge'' was slightly more favorable in retrospective coverage. See, e.g., {{cite web|author=Edge Staff|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/nights-dreams-retrospective/|title=Nights Into Dreams Retrospective|publisher=Edge Online|date=2007-06-08|accessdate=2014-03-24|quote=The game's 2.5D flight-paths in the place of unlimited freedom were perhaps perceived as backwards when it was first released, even if they actually offered fantastically expressive movement. In flight, its titular character has the full height of each 3D space to enact its range of acrobatic manoeuvres. Speeding and looping from hoop to item to item around each course is an exercise in flow, of unbroken momentum instead of staccato pedestrian wandering.}}</ref> Sonic Team's '']'' offered a fully 3D experience, but was less popular than ''Nights''.<ref name="1UP Pleasure and Pain"/> Due to the cancellation of ''Sonic X-treme'', the Saturn lacks an exclusive ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' platformer, containing only the compilation ''Sonic Jam'', a port of ''Sonic 3D Blast'', and a racing game called '']''.<ref name="RetroinspectionSaturn"/> Notable Saturn platformers include ''Bug!'', whose eponymous main character was considered to be a potential mascot.<ref name="IGN Bug!">{{cite web|last=Buchanan|first=Levi|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/02/what-hath-sonic-wrought-vol-10|title=What Hath Sonic Wrought? Vol. 10|publisher=IGN|date=2009-02-02|accessdate=2014-03-15|quote='''], CES 1995''': This is the character! This is the character that is going to do it for Saturn!}}</ref> Despite receiving highly positive reviews at the time<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/573934-bug/index.html|title=Bug! for Saturn|publisher=GameRankings|accessdate=2014-03-15}}</ref><ref>cf. {{cite web|last=McNamara|first=Andy, et al.|url=http://web.archive.org/web/19971120012847/http://www.gameinformer.com/sep95/bug.html|title=Not To Be Denied!|publisher=Game Informer|date=September 1995|accessdate=2014-03-15}}</ref> (and being successful enough to receive ]), ''Bug!'' failed to catch on with audiences in the way ''Sonic'' had, and retrospective coverage of the game has been less positive.<ref name="IGN Bug!"/> Sonic Team's ''Nights'' was praised for its originality, but did not have ''Sonic'''s mainstream appeal, and critics noted it was a mostly 2D experience.<ref>{{cite web|author=Edge Staff|url=http://www.edge-online.com/reviews/nights-dreams-review|title=Nights into Dreams (review)|publisher=Edge|date=1996-08-02|accessdate=2014-03-11|quote=There can be no doubt that the game is easily the most original and visually dazzling title seen on the Saturn to date...''Sonic'' was a very focused game a clear aim, making it easy to pick up and play. By contrast, a lot of the time ''Nights'' feels as if its gameplay has been made to fit within a set of technological displays of competence, with good 3D, excellent texture mapping, total freedom of movement for characters, fast polygon movement – selling points for the Saturn around which a game has been framed. ''Nights'' is an enigmatic game that the public might take to their hearts or might reject out of hand. Either way, it's not quite good enough to be a all-time classic.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World|year=2001|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=533|quote=Naka may have established his reputation as a great designer with ''Sonic'', but with ''NiGHTS'' he demonstrated his versatility...''NiGHTS'' showed the strengths and weaknesses of Saturn. The game's atmosphere and design were exceptional; but while the game had a free-flowing 3D feel, most of it actually took place in two dimensions.}}</ref><ref>cf. {{cite web|last=Sheffield|first=Brandon|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4208/out_of_the_blue_naoto_ohshima_.php?page=2|title=Out of the Blue: Naoto Ohshima Speaks|publisher=]|date=2009-12-04|accessdate=2014-03-11|quote='''Naoto Oshima:''' Well, 's a character that I think is suited to America--or, at least, the image I had of America at the time. ''Nights'' is a more delicate... well, his gender is deliberately ambiguous, for one.}}</ref><ref>''Edge'' was slightly more favorable in retrospective coverage. See, e.g., {{cite web|author=Edge Staff|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/nights-dreams-retrospective/|title=Nights Into Dreams Retrospective|publisher=Edge Online|date=2007-06-08|accessdate=2014-03-24|quote=The game's 2.5D flight-paths in the place of unlimited freedom were perhaps perceived as backwards when it was first released, even if they actually offered fantastically expressive movement. In flight, its titular character has the full height of each 3D space to enact its range of acrobatic manoeuvres. Speeding and looping from hoop to item to item around each course is an exercise in flow, of unbroken momentum instead of staccato pedestrian wandering.}}</ref> Sonic Team's '']'' offered a fully 3D experience, but was less popular than ''Nights''.<ref name="1UP Pleasure and Pain"/>

Revision as of 23:41, 8 April 2014

Sega Saturn
File:SegaSaturn.png
File:SegaSaturnjp.png
The original NA Sega Saturn
Model 2 Japanese Sega SaturnTop: Western and Eastern Sega Saturn logos
Middle: Model 1 "Oval Button" NA console with model 1 controller
Bottom: Model 2 "Round Button" JP console and controller
ManufacturerSega
TypeVideo game console
GenerationFifth generation era
Units sold9.5 million
MediaCD-ROM, CD+G
CPU2 × Hitachi SH-2 32-bit RISC (28.6 MHz)
StorageInternal RAM, cartridge
GraphicsVDP1 & VDP2
Online servicesSega NetLink
PredecessorSega Genesis
SuccessorDreamcast

The Sega Saturn (セガサターン, Sega Satān) is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America and July 8, 1995 in Europe as the successor to the successful Sega Genesis. At the center of the Saturn is a dual-CPU architecture and a total of eight processors. Its games are in CD-ROM format, and its game library contains a number of arcade ports as well as original titles.

Development of the Saturn began in the early 1990s, but significant changes were reportedly made to the system architecture late in development in response to the Sony PlayStation. After the launch, Sega's upper management structure changed with the departures of chairman David Rosen and Sega of Japan CEO Hayao Nakayama from their roles in the American division, and Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske from the company altogether. This led to the additions of Shoichiro Irimajiri and Bernie Stolar to Sega of America, who guided the Saturn to its discontinuation in 1998 in North America, three years after its release. The Saturn's complex system architecture resulted in the console receiving limited third-party support, which inhibited commercial success. The failure of Sega's development teams to create a game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, known in development as Sonic X-treme, has also been attributed as a factor in the console's poor performance.

After the launch of the Nintendo 64 by Nintendo in late 1996, the Saturn began losing marketshare rapidly in the United States, and company management began to publicly distance itself from the system. By March 1998 the Saturn had sold 9.5 million units worldwide, which significantly trailed the sales of its biggest rival, the PlayStation. The Saturn's installed base reached over 6 million units in Japan, over 2 million units in the United States, and over 970,000 units in Western Europe. It is considered a commercial failure, contributing heavily to a $309 million loss for Sega by 1998, and another $450 million during 1998. Reception to the Saturn is mixed based on the console's game library and complex internal hardware. Sega's management has also been criticized for its decision-making during the system's development and cancellation.

History

Background

Prior to development of the Saturn, the Sega Genesis was Sega's entry into the fourth generation of video game consoles. It was released in Japan as the Mega Drive in 1988, North America in 1989, and Europe as the Mega Drive in 1990. In mid-1990, Sega CEO Hayao Nakayama hired Tom Kalinske as CEO of Sega of America. Kalinske developed a four-point plan for sales of the Genesis: cut the price of the console, create a U.S.-based team to develop games targeted at the American market, continue aggressive advertising campaigns, and pack Sonic the Hedgehog in with the console. The Japanese board of directors initially disapproved of the plan, but all four points were approved by Nakayama, who told Kalinske, "I hired you to make the decisions for Europe and the Americas, so go ahead and do it." Magazines praised Sonic as one of the greatest games yet made, and Sega's console finally took off as customers who had been waiting for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) decided to purchase a Genesis instead. However, the release of a CD-based add-on for the Genesis, the Sega CD (known as Mega-CD outside of North America), had been commercially disappointing.

Sega also experienced success with arcade games. In 1992 and 1993, the company's new Model 1 arcade system board showcased the 3D titles Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter, which played a crucial role in popularizing polygonal graphics. The Model 1 was an expensive system board, and bringing home releases of its games to the Genesis required more than its hardware could handle. Several alternatives helped to bring Sega's newest arcade games to the console, such as the Sega Virtua Processor chip used for Virtua Racing, and eventually the Sega 32X add-on.

Development

According to Sega project manager Hideki Okamura, the Saturn project started over two years before the system was officially unveiled in June 1994 at the Tokyo Game Show. The name "Saturn" was initially the system's codename during development in Japan, but was ultimately chosen as the official product name. At the release of the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer by The 3DO Company in 1993, Sega of America president Tom Kalinske claimed, "We have a more powerful machine waiting in the wings, but the time's not ready yet."

In November 1993, Sony announced the release of the PlayStation. The PlayStation was intended to be a 3D-capable console, superior even to Sega's Model 1 arcade board. When Sega learned of the PlayStation's capabilities, Sega CEO Hayao Nakayama is said to have approached his research and development department team members and criticized them for allowing Sony to develop a console more powerful than theirs. According to a Sega of Japan employee, "There had been rumors, but Sony's announcement took a lot of people by surprise. It wasn't just the technology that worried people; it was the fact that Sony was planning to enter a market that Sega thought it would have completely to itself." In response, Sega reportedly redesigned the Saturn quickly to compete with Sony's new console. Its new architecture was designed with two SH-2 processors, as well as two video display processors (VDP). According to Sega of Japan developer Kazuhiro Hamada, the SH-2 was chosen for cost and efficiency reasons. Its additional functions with its second VDP chip were designed to utilize effects similar to Mode 7 on the SNES. The newly redesigned Saturn's hardware and 3D capabilities were improved beyond the Model 1 and approached Sega's new Model 2 arcade board, which had not yet launched.

According to Kalinske, Sega of America "fought against the architecture of Saturn for quite some time". Seeking an alternative graphics chip for the Saturn, Kalinske attempted to broker a deal with Silicon Graphics, whose 3D graphics system was ultimately used in the Nintendo 64. Although Kalinske has stated that Sega of Japan refused the plan, Nintendo's Howard Lincoln claimed that "Mr. Nakayama wanted that technology as badly as Yamauchi, but Yamauchi got it." Kalinske, Sony Electronic Publishing's Olaf Olafsson, and Sony America's Micky Schulhof had previously discussed a joint "Sega/Sony hardware system" that never came to fruition.

Sega began to develop a stop-gap solution that would bridge the gap between the Genesis and the Saturn, serving as a less expensive entry into the 32-bit era. The decision to create a new system was made by Nakayama. According to former Sega of America producer Scot Bayless, Nakayama was worried that the Saturn would not be available until after 1994 and that the recently released Atari Jaguar would cut into Sega's hardware sales. As a result, Nakayama ordered his engineers to have a stop-gap ready for launch by the end of the year. The 32X would not be compatible with the Saturn, but Sega executive Richard Brudvik-Lindner pointed out that the 32X would play Genesis titles, and has the same system architecture as the Saturn. This was justified by Sega's statement that both platforms would run at the same time, and that the 32X would be aimed at players who could not afford the more expensive Saturn. According to Sega of America research and development head Joe Miller, the 32X served a role in assisting development teams for software to familiarize themselves with the dual SH-2 architecture also used on the Saturn.

Launch

A first model Japanese Sega Saturn unit

Sega released the Saturn in Japan on November 22, 1994, at a price of JP¥44,800. Virtua Fighter, a nearly indistinguishable port of the popular Model 1 arcade game, sold at a nearly 1:1 ratio with the Saturn hardware at launch and was crucial to the system's early success in Japan. In addition to Virtua Fighter, Sega had wanted the launch to include both Clockwork Knight and Panzer Dragoon, but the latter wasn't ready in time. Within the first two days, the Saturn sold over 250,000 units. Meanwhile, the 32X was released on November 21, 1994 in North America, December 3, 1994 in Japan, and January 1995 in PAL territories, and was sold at less than half of the Saturn's launch price. After the holiday season, however, interest in the 32X rapidly declined.

In early 1995, Sega of America president Tom Kalinske announced that the Saturn would launch in the U.S. on "Saturnday", (Saturday) September 2, 1995. Kalinske was skeptical about the timing of the Saturn's launch, feeling that the 16-bit Genesis market was still strong and the newer 3DO and Atari Jaguar were not successful. Sega of Japan, however, was determined to beat the PlayStation to market. At the first Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles on May 11, 1995, Kalinske gave a keynote presentation for the upcoming Saturn in which he revealed the release price at US$399, and described the features of the console. Kalinske also revealed that Sega had already shipped 30,000 Saturns to Toys "R" Us, Babbage's, Electronics Boutique, and Software Etc. for immediate release. This announcement upset retailers that were kept out of the loop. Sony subsequently unveiled the retail price for the PlayStation, with speaker Steve Race taking the stage, saying "$299", and walking away to applause.

Because of the early launch, the Saturn had only six games (all Sega-made) available to start as most third party games were slated to be released around the original launch date. The Saturn's release in Europe also came before the previously announced North American date, on July 8, 1995, at a price of GB₤399.99. By September 1995, Sega of Japan had several ports of games from its popular Model 2 arcade board ready for release, including Virtua Cop, Sega Rally Championship, and Virtua Fighter 2, helping sales for the Saturn. Kalinske unveiled more titles releases at E3 in 1996, including Sonic X-treme, Virtua Cop 2, and Nights into Dreams..., as well as the NetLink, a modem and Internet service.

Changes at Sega

"I thought the world of Nakayama because of his love of software. We spoke about building a new hardware platform that I would be very, very involved with, shape the direction of this platform, and hire a new team of people and restructure Sega. That, to me, was a great opportunity."

—Bernie Stolar, on his joining Sega of America.

In 1993, Sega restructured its internal studios in preparation for the Saturn's launch. To ensure high-quality 3D games would be available early in the Saturn's life, and to create a more energetic working environment, developers from Sega's arcade division were instructed to create console games. New teams, such as Panzer Dragoon developer Team Andromeda, were formed during this time.

By the end of 1995, Sega was supporting five different consoles—Saturn, Genesis, Game Gear, Pico, and the Master System—as well as the Sega CD and Sega 32X add-ons. In Japan the Mega Drive had never been successful, and the Saturn was outselling the PlayStation, so Sega Enterprises CEO Hayao Nakayama decided to force Sega of America to focus on the Saturn. While this made perfect sense for the Japanese market, it proved to be a disastrous move in North America and Europe: the market for Genesis games was much larger than for the Saturn, but Sega was left without the inventory or software to meet demand. By contrast, Nintendo concentrated on the 16-bit home console market, as well as its successful handheld, the Game Boy, and as a result Nintendo took in 42 percent of the video game market dollar share, despite not launching a 32-bit console to compete directly with Sony's PlayStation and Sega's Saturn. Due to Sega's decision to cut support to its 16-bit business to focus on the Saturn, Nintendo was able to capitalize by its continued focus on the SNES and the Game Boy from 1995 onward. While Sega was still able to capture 43 percent of the dollar share of the U.S. video game market as a whole, Nakayama's decision undercut the Sega of America executives.

On July 15, 1996 it was announced that Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske had resigned, reportedly due to lang-standing disagreements with Sega of Japan. Within the same week, David Rosen and Nakayama resigned from their positions over Sega of America, though they remained with the company. Nakayama assembled a new management team for Sega of America led by Shoichiro Irimajiri as chairman and CEO and Bernie Stolar as executive vice president in charge of product development and third-party relations. Stolar, however, was not supportive of the Saturn due to his belief that the hardware was poorly designed. Knowing that the Saturn had little support from third-party developers and hardware that was difficult to work with, Stolar emphasized quality games for the Saturn and prevented localization of some titles from Japan in order to improve the console's image in North America. This was accompanied by a lighter image that Sega was beginning to portray in its advertising, including removing the "Sega" scream and holding press events for the education industry. Marketing in Japan for the console had also changed, with the introduction of Segata Sanshiro as a character in Japanese advertisements for the console in 1997 and 1998. Temporarily abandoning his arcade roots, Yu Suzuki of Sega AM2 began developing several Saturn-exclusive games, including Virtua Fighter RPG. Suzuki hoped the latter, "a revenge epic in the tradition of Chinese cinema", would be the Saturn's killer app. Development was eventually shifted to the Saturn's successor, the Dreamcast, as the game evolved into Shenmue.

In 1997, Sega entered into a short-lived merger with Japanese toy maker Bandai. Bandai subsequently called off the merger, citing "cultural differences" between the two companies. That same year, the first GameWorks entertainment complexes opened in a joint collaboration between Sega, DreamWorks, and Universal Studios.

Sonic X-treme

Main article: Sonic X-treme

Following the completion of Sonic & Knuckles in 1994, Sega began work on its next game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Development of the game was started by Sega Technical Institute, a U.S.-based developer that had worked on several previous Sonic games. It was originally developed for several other Sega game consoles prior to the Saturn, such as the Sega 32X. The game's design changed significantly and evolved beyond what the struggling Sega 32X was capable of, so the game was shifted to the Saturn. The Saturn version of the project was initially developed separately by two teams in parallel starting in the second half of 1995. One team—led by designer Chris Senn and programmer Ofer Alon—was in charge of developing the main game engine, while the other team—led by programmer Chris Coffin—worked on the "free-roaming, ‘arena-style’" 3D boss engine. Senn and Alon's "fixed-camera side-scroller" with the ability "to move freely in all directions" was similar to Bug! and featured a fish-eye camera system (called the "Reflex Lens") that gave players a wide-angle view of the action. Levels appeared to move around Sonic.

In March 1996, Sega of Japan representatives, including CEO Hayao Nakayama visited STI headquarters to evaluate the game's progress. They were unimpressed by the main game engine, although they reportedly watched an outdated version. Conversely, they were so impressed by the boss engine that they requested the entire game be reworked to be like that instead. To achieve this in time for the strict December 1996 deadline, Coffin's team was moved into a place of isolation from further company politics and worked sixteen hours a day. Since their approach was similar to the Nights into Dreams... game engine, they requested access to it as a starting point. However, engine creator Yuji Naka reportedly threatened to leave the company if it was used.

Senn and Alon had initially continued on with their game engine, undeterred by their work's original rejection, hoping to pitch it Sega's PC division. However, it was eventually rejected again, prompting Alon to leave Sega. Meanwhile, Coffin—who had been overworking to get the project out—came down with pneumonia. This solidified the fact that the game could not be released in time and as a result the project was cancelled. For the 1996 holiday season, Sega instead decided to concentrate on a port of the Genesis title Sonic 3D Blast, and Sonic Team's Nights into Dreams... Sonic Team started work on an original 3D Sonic title for the Saturn (which eventually became Sonic Adventure), but development was ultimately shifted to the Dreamcast. According to Naka, remnants of the project can be seen in the compilation Sonic Jam.

Decline

Sega's financial trouble in the 1998–2002 time periods. This financial data came from their Annual Reports.

After the launch of the Nintendo 64, sales of the Saturn and Sega's 32-bit software were sharply reduced. As of August 1997, Sony controlled 47 percent of the console market, Nintendo controlled 40 percent, and Sega controlled only 12 percent. Neither price cuts nor high profile game releases were proving fruitful to the Saturn's success. As a result, the console market was dominated by the PlayStation and the Nintendo 64, leaving the Saturn behind. At E3 in 1997, Bernie Stolar stated during his keynote that "The Saturn is not our future..." which some have cited as an example of the Osborne effect. Combined with Sega's recent history of short-lived consoles, particularly the Sega CD and 32X, Sega's reputation was further damaged by the announcement. Sega announced its final games for the North American market on March 14, 1998, and by its discontinuation had sold 2 million Saturn consoles in the region, compared to 10.75 million PlayStation consoles sold by Sony at that time. The Saturn would last longer in Japan and Europe. In Japan, the console sold 6 million units, compared to the 3.5 million of Sega's previous console, the Genesis. 971,000 consoles were sold in Europe by the beginning of 1998.

"I believe if we look at Saturn, it was a system that shouldn't have been launched. It was too difficult to develop for therefore the games were not fun and the games weren't there. This isn't a matter about hardware, this is about software. Software has always driven hardware. You don't have the software, the hardware will fail."

—Bernie Stolar, former president of Sega of America giving his assessment of the Saturn in 2004.

Selling only 9.5 million units worldwide, the Saturn is considered a commercial failure. By March 1998, Sega reported losses of $309 million on the Saturn, and had begun to focus on a successor, the Dreamcast. During 1998, Sega took an additional $450 million loss. According to Stolar, his decision to abandon the Saturn was due to Sega's losses and his desire to rebuild with a new team. The decision to abandon the Saturn effectively left the Western market without Sega games for over a year. Rumors about the upcoming Dreamcast were leaked to the public before the last Saturn games made it to the shelves. The Dreamcast would later be released on November 20, 1998 in Japan and in the fall of 1999 in North America.

Technical specifications

"One very fast central processor would be preferable. I don't think all programmers have the ability to program two CPUs—most can only get about one-and-a-half times the speed you can get from one SH-2. I think that only 1 in 100 programmers are good enough to get this kind of speed out of the Saturn."

—Yu Suzuki reflecting upon Saturn Virtua Fighter development.
Hitachi SH-2
Hitachi SH-2
Saturn sound processor
Saturn sound processor
Motorola 68EC000
Motorola 68EC000
Hitachi SH-2
Saturn sound processor
Motorola 68EC000
Video display processor 1
Video display processor 1
Video display processor 2
Video display processor 2
Saturn motherboard
Saturn motherboard
Video display processor 1
Video display processor 2
Saturn motherboard

Featuring a total of eight processors, the Saturn's main central processing units are two Hitachi SH-2 chips clocked at 28.6 MHz. It also contains a Motorola 68EC000 running at 11.3 MHz as a sound controller, a sound processor capable of up to 32 sound channels with both FM and PCM sampling at a maximum rate of 44.1 kHz, as well as two video display processors. The system's disc drive is a double-speed CD-ROM drive, and it also contains a cartridge slot for memory expansion. It contains 16 Mbit of work random-access memory (RAM), as well as 12 Mbit video RAM and 4 Mbit of RAM for sound functions. Its video output, provided by a stereo AV cable, displays at a resolution of 320 x 224 and is capable of displaying up to 16.77 million colors simultaneously. Physically, the Saturn measures Template:Convert/3. The Saturn was sold packaged with an instruction manual, one control pad, a stereo AV cable, and its 100V AC power supply, with a power consumption of approximately 15W.

The Saturn had technically impressive hardware at the time of its release, but its complexity made harnessing this power difficult for developers accustomed to conventional programming. The biggest disadvantage was that both CPUs shared the same bus and were unable to access system memory at the same time. Making full use of the 4 kB of cache memory in each CPU was critical to maintaining performance. For example, Virtua Fighter used one CPU for each character, while Nights used one CPU for 3D environments and the other for 2D objects. Lobotomy Software programmer Ezra Dreisbach found the PlayStation to be substantially faster and easier to develop for than the Saturn. By contrast, Kenji Eno of WARP observed little difference between the two systems.

Unlike the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 which used triangles as their basic geometric primitive, the Saturn rendered quadrilaterals with forward texture mapping. This proved to be a hindrance because most of the industry's standard design tools were based on triangles, with independent texture UV coordinates specified per vertex. One of the challenges brought forth by quadrilateral-based rendering was problems with textured surfaces containing triangles. In order to make a triangular-shaped object, rendering had a fourth side with a length of zero. This technique proved problematic as it caused texture distortion and required careful reworking to achieve the desired appearance—Sega provided tools for remapping textures from UV space into rectangular tiles.

Third-party development was initially hindered by the lack of useful software libraries and development tools, requiring developers to write in assembly language to achieve good performance. During early Saturn development, programming in assembly could offer a two to fivefold speed increase over C language. Sega responded to these criticisms by writing new graphics libraries which were claimed to help make development easier. These libraries were presented as a new operating system by Sega of Japan.

Several different models of the Saturn were produced in Japan. An updated model in a recolored light gray was released in Japan at a price of ¥20,000 in order to reduce the system's cost. A limited release of a "skeleton" model was also released to commemorate the release of Derby Stallion on the system. Two models were also released by third parties: Hitachi released a model known as the "Hi-Saturn", while JVC released the "V-Saturn".

An unreleased prototype known as the Sega Pluto was also created, and features a built-in NetLink modem.

1st North American controller
1st North American controller
3D Pad
3D Pad
Arcade Racer
Arcade Racer
Model 1 North American controller
3D Pad
Arcade Racer
2nd North American controller
2nd North American controller
Saturn multitap
Saturn multitap
RAM backup cartridge
RAM backup cartridge
Model 2 North American controller
Saturn multitap
RAM backup cartridge

A number of accessories were created for the Saturn. Its controller came in various color schemes to match each model of the console. A wireless version powered by AA batteries utilizes infrared signal to connect to the console. Designed to work with Nights into Dreams..., the 3D Pad is a fully functional controller that includes both a control pad and an analog stick for directional input. Sega also released several versions of arcade sticks as peripherals, including the Virtua Stick, the Virtua Stick Pro, the Mission Analog Stick, and the Twin Stick. Sega also created a light gun peripheral known as the "Virtua Gun" for use with shooting games such as Virtua Cop and The Guardian, as well as a wheel for racing games known as the Arcade Racer. The Play Cable allows for two Saturn consoles to be connected for multiplayer gaming across two screens, while a multitap allows up to six players to play games on the same console. RAM cartridges expand the amount of memory in the system. Other accessories include a keyboard, mouse, floppy disk drive, and movie card.

Like the Genesis, the Saturn also had an Internet-based gaming service. The Sega NetLink was a 28.8k modem that fit into the cartridge slot in the Saturn for direct dial multiplayer. In Japan a now defunct pay-to-play service was used. It could also be used for web browsing and for sending email. The NetLink functioned with five games: Daytona USA, Duke Nukem 3D, Saturn Bomberman, Sega Rally, and Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Operation Moongate. According to Joe Miller, the NetLink was designed for different purposes than the Sega Channel, Sega's most recent network service for the Genesis.

Game library

Main article: List of Sega Saturn games

Much of the Saturn's library comes from Sega's arcade ports, including Daytona USA, Die Hard Arcade, the Fighting Vipers series, Golden Axe: The Duel, The House of the Dead, Last Bronx, Manx TT Super Bike, Sega Rally, Sega Touring Car Championship, the Virtua Cop series, the Virtua Fighter series, and Virtual On. Fighters Megamix, a Saturn exclusive, combined characters from Fighting Vipers and Virtua Fighter to critical acclaim. Other highly-rated Saturn exclusives include Panzer Dragoon Saga, Dragon Force, Guardian Heroes, Nights, Panzer Dragoon II Zwei, and Shining Force III. Multiplatform games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Resident Evil, and Wipeout released for the PlayStation before the Saturn and achieved greater success on the former. Although Core Design (which had previously supported the Sega CD which multiple releases) created Tomb Raider with the Saturn in mind, the PlayStation version ultimately became better known to the public. Lobotomy Software's ports of Duke Nukem 3D, PowerSlave, and Quake featured some of the most impressive 3D graphics on the system. While Electronic Arts' limited support for the Saturn and Sega's failure to develop a football game for the 1996 fall season allowed Sony to take the lead in the sports genre, Sega published numerous sports games under its "Sega Sports" label, including the high-quality World Series Baseball and Worldwide Soccer series. By 1998, the Saturn had a significantly larger library than the Nintendo 64.

Due to the cancellation of Sonic X-treme, the Saturn lacks an exclusive Sonic the Hedgehog platformer, containing only the compilation Sonic Jam, a port of Sonic 3D Blast, and a racing game called Sonic R. Notable Saturn platformers include Bug!, whose eponymous main character was considered to be a potential mascot. Despite receiving highly positive reviews at the time (and being successful enough to receive a sequel), Bug! failed to catch on with audiences in the way Sonic had, and retrospective coverage of the game has been less positive. Sonic Team's Nights was praised for its originality, but did not have Sonic's mainstream appeal, and critics noted it was a mostly 2D experience. Sonic Team's Burning Rangers offered a fully 3D experience, but was less popular than Nights.

Some of the games that made the Saturn popular in Japan, such as Grandia and the Sakura Wars series failed to see a Western release. Despite appearing first on the Saturn, games such as Dead or Alive, Grandia, and Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete only saw a Western release on the PlayStation. Working Designs localized several Japanese Saturn games before a public feud between Sega of America's Bernie Stolar and Working Designs president Victor Ireland resulted in the company switching their support to the PlayStation.

Modern ports of Saturn games including Guardian Heroes, Nights, and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers have continued to receive positive reviews from critics. Partly due to rarity, Saturn titles such as Panzer Dragoon Saga and Radiant Silvergun have been noted for their cult following. Due to the system's commercial failure and hardware limitations, Saturn versions of games such as Resident Evil 2, Shenmue, Sonic Adventure, and Virtua Fighter 3 were cancelled and moved to the Dreamcast.

Reception and legacy

At the time of its release, Famicom Tsūshin scored the Saturn console 24 out of 40 possible points, higher than the PlayStation's 19 out of 40. In December 1995, Next Generation scored the system with three and a half stars out of a possible five, highlighting Sega's marketing as a strength but highlighting the system's complexity as a weakness. Electronic Gaming Monthly's 1996 Buyer's Guide had four reviewers score the Saturn 8, 6, 7, and 8 out of 10; these scores were inferior to those of the PlayStation, which was scored 9, 10, 9, and 9 in the same review. By 1998, Electronic Gaming Monthly's scores had diminished to more mixed reviews, with reviewers citing the lack of titles for the system as a major issue. According to EGM reviewer Crispin Boyer, "the Saturn is the only system that can thrill me one month and totally disappoint me the next."

Retrospective feedback of the Saturn is mixed, but generally praises its game library. Douglass C. Perry of Gamasutra notes that the Saturn "soured many gamers on Sega products". In 2009, video game website IGN chose the Saturn to be their 18th best video game console of all time, praising its unique game library. According to the reviewers, "While the Saturn ended up losing the popularity contest to both Sony and Nintendo it was host to a library of classic titles that epitomize the early days of SEGA's innovation in software. NiGHTS into Dreams, the Virtua Fighter and Panzer Dragoon series are all examples of exclusive titles that made the console a fan favorite." Retro Gamer's Damien McFerran has also praised the uniqueness of the game library, stating "Even today, despite the widespread availability of sequels and re-releases on other formats, the Sega Saturn is still a worthwhile investment for those who appreciate the unique gameplay styles of the companies that supported it." Greg Sewart of 1UP.com praised the Saturn's first-party titles as "Sega's shining moment as a game developer". IGN's Travis Fahs was critical of the Saturn library's lack of "fresh ideas" and "precious few high-profile franchises", in contrast to what he described as Sega's more creative Dreamcast output.

Some criticism has befallen Sega's management regarding both the creation and handling of the Saturn. McFerran criticizes Sega's management at the time of the Saturn's development, claiming that they had "fallen out of touch with both the demands of the market and the industry." Bernie Stolar has also taken some criticism for his decision to end support for the Saturn. According to Fahs, "Stolar's decision to abandon the Saturn made him a villain to many SEGA fans, but he had more vision than most gave him credit for. SEGA had a lot of work to do before they'd be ready for the next battle, and it was better to regroup than to enter the next fight battered and bruised. Dreamcast would be Stolar's redemption." Stolar has defended his decision, stating "I felt Saturn was hurting the company more than helping it. That was a battle that we weren't going to win." Sewart and IGN's Levi Buchanan cited the failure of the Saturn as the major reason for Sega's downfall as a hardware manufacturer.

Sewart connected the large number of Japan-exclusive Saturn releases with a subsequent boom in the game import market. In retrospect, former Working Designs president Victor Ireland described the Saturn as "the start of the future of console gaming", explaining that it "got the better developers thinking and designing with parallel-processing architecture in mind for the first time."

See also

References

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  87. "Guardian Heroes for Saturn". GameRankings. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
  88. "NiGHTS Into Dreams... for Saturn". GameRankings. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
  89. "Panzer Dragoon II Zwei for Saturn". GameRankings. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
  90. "Shining Force III for Saturn". GameRankings. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
  91. Blache III, Fabian; Fielder, Lauren. "History of Tomb Raider". GameSpot. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
  92. Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World. Roseville, California: Prima Publishing. p. 533. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
  93. cf. GI Staff (November 1995). "Sega Sports Does It One More Time". Retrieved 2014-03-19. World Series Baseball is by far the smoothest baseball game ever made.
  94. cf. GI Staff (December 1996). "Worldwide Soccer '97". Game Informer. Retrieved 2014-03-19. Truly, a fantastic soccer game.
  95. cf. GI Staff (January 1998). "Worldwide Soccer '98". Game Informer. Retrieved 2014-03-19. The graphics are smooth, and the physics are perfect.
  96. Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World. Roseville, California: Prima Publishing. p. 539. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4. PlayStation and Saturn had hundreds of games, most of which sold for under $50. By comparison, there were merely dozens of games for N64, some of which sold for nearly $80, and rumors were that future third-party cartridges might cost as much as $100.
  97. ^ Buchanan, Levi (2009-02-02). "What Hath Sonic Wrought? Vol. 10". IGN. Retrieved 2014-03-15. Steven Spielberg, CES 1995: This is the character! This is the character that is going to do it for Saturn!
  98. "Bug! for Saturn". GameRankings. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
  99. cf. McNamara, Andy; et al. (September 1995). "Not To Be Denied!". Game Informer. Retrieved 2014-03-15. {{cite web}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |first= (help)
  100. Edge Staff (1996-08-02). "Nights into Dreams (review)". Edge. Retrieved 2014-03-11. There can be no doubt that the game is easily the most original and visually dazzling title seen on the Saturn to date...Sonic was a very focused game a clear aim, making it easy to pick up and play. By contrast, a lot of the time Nights feels as if its gameplay has been made to fit within a set of technological displays of competence, with good 3D, excellent texture mapping, total freedom of movement for characters, fast polygon movement – selling points for the Saturn around which a game has been framed. Nights is an enigmatic game that the public might take to their hearts or might reject out of hand. Either way, it's not quite good enough to be a all-time classic.
  101. Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World. Roseville, California: Prima Publishing. p. 533. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4. Naka may have established his reputation as a great designer with Sonic, but with NiGHTS he demonstrated his versatility...NiGHTS showed the strengths and weaknesses of Saturn. The game's atmosphere and design were exceptional; but while the game had a free-flowing 3D feel, most of it actually took place in two dimensions.
  102. cf. Sheffield, Brandon (2009-12-04). "Out of the Blue: Naoto Ohshima Speaks". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2014-03-11. Naoto Oshima: Well, 's a character that I think is suited to America--or, at least, the image I had of America at the time. Nights is a more delicate... well, his gender is deliberately ambiguous, for one.
  103. Edge was slightly more favorable in retrospective coverage. See, e.g., Edge Staff (2007-06-08). "Nights Into Dreams Retrospective". Edge Online. Retrieved 2014-03-24. The game's 2.5D flight-paths in the place of unlimited freedom were perhaps perceived as backwards when it was first released, even if they actually offered fantastically expressive movement. In flight, its titular character has the full height of each 3D space to enact its range of acrobatic manoeuvres. Speeding and looping from hoop to item to item around each course is an exercise in flow, of unbroken momentum instead of staccato pedestrian wandering.
  104. cf. Bartholow, Peter (1999-10-25). "Grandia Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2014-03-15. Back in the heyday of Final Fantasy VII, Sega fans around the world hailed the coming of Grandia. Now, nearly two years later, PlayStation RPG fans can finally see what the hoopla was all about.
  105. cf. Edge Staff (2006-03-03). "Japan Votes on All Time Top 100". Edge Online. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
  106. Vore, Bryan (2011-10-12). "Guardian Heroes". Game Informer. Retrieved 2014-03-17. Even though some aspects of Guardian Heroes haven't aged well, the strength of the battle system, branching paths, and characters help this brawler retain its place near the top of the class.
  107. Parkin, Simon (2011-10-12). "Guardian Heroes". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2014-03-28. One of the most satisfying combat games ever conceived.
  108. Robinson, Martin (2012-10-05). "NiGHTS Into Dreams HD review". Eurogamer. an incredibly odd game...NiGHTS has exquisite handling...its distinctiveness is something to be celebrated.
  109. Wallace, Kimberley (2013-04-16). "Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers". Game Informer. Retrieved 2014-03-17. I still can't believe that a game that came out in 1997 feels so fresh and exciting over 15 years later.
  110. ^ Buchanan, Levi (2008-07-29). "Top 10 SEGA Saturn Games". IGN. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
  111. EGM Staff (2005-06-22). "Top 10 Cult Classics". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
  112. Hatfield, Daemon (2011-09-13). "Radiant Silvergun Review". IGN. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
  113. Ohbuchi, Yutaka (1998-10-21). "RE2 for Saturn Canceled". GameSpot. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  114. "The History of Sega Fighting Games". GameSpot. Retrieved 2014-04-05. Word from insiders had it that Sega was working feverishly to complete a new game console that would be able to do better translations of Sega's arcade games, and Sega executives started to quietly state that Virtua Fighter 3 was not going to come out for the Saturn...People who once said that the game was never coming out for the Saturn were now claiming that the game had only been "delayed" in development but was still coming out. Whether Sega changed its mind is presently unknown, and whether VF3 for the new Sega console will be a launch title is also unclear.
  115. "Game Machine Cross Review: セガサターン". Weekly Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese) (335). Famitsu: 166. May 12–19, 1995.
  116. "EGM rates the systems of 1996!". Electronic Gaming Monthly. EGM Media, LLC. January 1996.
  117. "Electronic Gaming Monthly looks at the top systems for this year". Electronic Gaming Monthly. EGM Media, LLC. January 1996.
  118. cf. GamesRadar Staff (2014-03-06). "Best Saturn games of all time". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2014-04-06. But that doesn't mean it's a total bust. Numerous excellent games were released for the console, which was supported primarily in the mid-to-late 1990s, including a variety of original Sega classics and several stellar third-party releases. RPG and fighting game fans, in particular, enjoyed a healthy array of options on the platform.
  119. Perry, Douglass C. "The Rise and Fall of Dreamcast". Gamasutra. Retrieved March 3, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  120. "SEGA Saturn is number 18". IGN. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
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