How many Sega CD units were sold worldwide?
2.24 million Sega CD units were sold worldwide before Sega discontinued it in the first quarter of 1996. By 1994, 1.5 million had sold in the United States and 415,000 in Western Europe.
Questions about Sega CD
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When was the Sega CD released in North America?
The Sega CD was released in North America on the 15th of October 1992, at a retail price of US$299. Only 50,000 units were available at launch due to production problems, though sales crossed 200,000 by the end of 1992.
What was the Night Trap controversy on Sega CD?
Night Trap, an FMV game by Digital Pictures, was cited by Senator Joe Lieberman during December 1993 congressional hearings on video game violence as an example of inappropriate content being marketed to children. Sega recalled the game and rereleased a revised version in 1994. The hearings led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board in 1994.
What games were considered the best on the Sega CD?
Critically praised Sega CD games included Sonic CD, Lunar: The Silver Star, Lunar: Eternal Blue, Popful Mail, and Snatcher. Sonic CD was singled out by GamePro's Blake Snow as the greatest Sonic game, and the enhanced port of Final Fight was praised for its faithfulness to the arcade original.
Why did the Sega CD fail commercially?
The Sega CD's failure is attributed to its high launch price of US$299, a game library dominated by poorly received FMV games and minimal Genesis ports, and its late arrival in the 16-bit console life cycle. Former senior producer Scot Bayless said Sega fell in love with the technology without asking how it would affect the games being made.
What were the technical specifications of the Sega CD?
The Sega CD's main CPU was a 12.5 MHz 16-bit Motorola 68000 processor, running 5 MHz faster than the Genesis. It included 6.5 Mbit of RAM, a custom graphics chip capable of sprite scaling and rotation, and audio through the Ricoh RF5C164. Its CD-ROM format offered more than 640 megabytes of storage, over 320 times the capacity of a Genesis cartridge.