Sega CD / Mega CD
In 1991 at the Tokyo Toy show in Japan, Sega unveiled it’s secret project to compete against NEC’s PCEngine CD-ROM add on.
The Mega CD like it’s rival was capable of utilizing the enormous storage capacity of CD media to produce quality games. The Mega CD however was designed with it’s own processor and memory that worked in conjunction with the Megadrive’s (Genesis) processor and memory via an interface
port.
The unit was capable of adding 10 extra sound channels to the Megadrive, and provide sprite enhancement features such as scaling and rotation, similar to that of the SuperNES’s Mode 7.
Like other CD-based consoles, the Mega CD could also run audio CD’s and
CD+G (CD plus Graphics). With the massive amount of storage space on CDs, game producers also saw the capability of using Full Motion Video (FMV) in their games. Unfortunately, when shown on a 16-bit console, the graphics turned out very pixilated and grainy, but that didn't stop them making such games.
The Mega CD was released in Japan in the winter of 1991, and competed well against NEC’s add on. In 1992 Sega began to lose it’s dominance in the United States due to the release of the SuperNES. Their
CD add-on renamed Sega CD was released in October of that year to retake their sales position. However, the initial price tag of $299, and the initial lack of quality titles kept the add-on from taking off.
In 1993 the Sega CD was redesigned with a top loading CD tray. The redesign made the add on cheaper, and sleeker to connect to the remodeled Megadrive II / Genesis II. It was finally released in Europe in April, and
garnered a larger following.
In March of 1994 the Sega CD was redesigned yet again, but was no longer an add-on. The Sega CDX was a single unit that combined both the Genesis and the Sega CD into a single unit. The sleek design was slightly larger then a normal CD Player and retailed for $399
USD.
The Sega CD was an innovative creation, but was not considered a total success. A number of factors prevented the Sega CD from attaining a dominant position in the videogame market at the time. The initial high price prevented the add on from selling well. Another contributor was the delay of third party software support.
This was because Sega was slow to distribute the development kits needed to create Sega CD games.
The result caused some rushed low quality games. Other developers abused the add-on’s ability to create FMV, and games seemed more a cheap movie then an actual game. Other games still were simple slightly enhanced versions of their existing Genesis / Megadrive carts.
In 1993, an issue of violence and videogames began surfacing. Fingers began pointing
at Sega due to a game called "Night Trap". Stores began removing Sega CD games from their shelves in fear of protest.
Approximately 149 Sega CD titles were released in the United States. Sega finally pulled the plug on the Sega CD in 1996.
 FACT: As a result of their involvement in protests about videogames and violence, Sega was the first
to develop video game ratings on their Sega CD titles. Click HERE for an example.
Another interesting fact is that the Sega CD had another capability not exploited by more developers. The console had limited 3D polygon capability. The only Sega CD title that took advantage of this capability was Silpheed released in 1993.
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