Difference between revisions of "History of Sega in Russia"
From Sega Retro
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==Early Mega Drive== | ==Early Mega Drive== | ||
| − | As a soviet state up until the early 1990s, Russia's video game history is almost nonexistent. Video gaming only really kicked off in 1992, when a Russian importing company, Steepler created the "Dendy", an own-branded Famicom sourced from Chinese manufacturers | + | As a soviet state up until the early 1990s, Russia's video game history is almost nonexistent. Video gaming only really kicked off in 1992, when a Russian importing company, Steepler created the "Dendy", an own-branded Famicom sourced from Chinese manufacturers. Copyright laws are hazy and the Dendy does not seem to have been challenged by [[Nintendo]] (they certainly failed to halt production - they might even have given permission to Steepler). |
| − | + | [[Sega]] entered the market at an unknown period around 1993/1994, however unlike other regions of the world, did not deal with the country directly in any significant capacity. Instead, Sega worked with [[Nissho Iwai]], a Japanese firm which had operated in Russia for decades, who in turn picked a distributor, [[Forrus]], to distribute Sega consoles and games in the country. Sega would sell stock to Nissho Iwai, who would sell it to Forrus, who would distribute to retailers across the country. | |
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| + | Both the [[Sega Mega Drive]] (model 2) and [[Sega Master System]] (model 2, although evidence suggests the model 1 also made it to the region) were sold in Russia, with the same selection of PAL games seen in Europe (at least, in regards to first-party releases), however despite widespread publicity and even the commissioning of a [[Sonic - Super Hedgehog|weekly television show promoting Sega products]], the endeavour appears not to have been a success, with Sega's official lines of distribution being shut down before the release of the [[Sega Saturn]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | At first the Mega Drive played second best to the Dendy, though would gradually rise in popularity over time. However, little of the Mega Drive's success in Russia lies with Sega - within months of release, unlicensed clone consoles flooded the market and were able to significantly undercut Sega - an extremely important factor in the early days of post-Soviet Russia, where in 1993 it is estimated that 39-49% of the population was classed as being in poverty. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Competitors to the Mega Drive included the [[Super Bitman]], [[Kenga Mega Ken]], [[Pro 16 Bit]] and [[SB-16C]], all of which originate from China or Taiwan. It is a similar story for games and accessories - as what was seen on-screen rarely differed from the official products, it was nearly impossible for Sega to gain ground. This feature of the Russian market still exists to this day, with cheaply made Mega Drive clones and games (including Russian translations and entirely original releases) continuing to be sold well after official support for the console was dropped (although some systems are manufactured in Russia now too). | ||
==Dreamcast== | ==Dreamcast== | ||
Revision as of 14:35, 2 December 2014
This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.
Sega has had a presence in Russia for a good many years, however detailed information is in short supply. This page sums up what we know.
Contents
Early Mega Drive
As a soviet state up until the early 1990s, Russia's video game history is almost nonexistent. Video gaming only really kicked off in 1992, when a Russian importing company, Steepler created the "Dendy", an own-branded Famicom sourced from Chinese manufacturers. Copyright laws are hazy and the Dendy does not seem to have been challenged by Nintendo (they certainly failed to halt production - they might even have given permission to Steepler).
Sega entered the market at an unknown period around 1993/1994, however unlike other regions of the world, did not deal with the country directly in any significant capacity. Instead, Sega worked with Nissho Iwai, a Japanese firm which had operated in Russia for decades, who in turn picked a distributor, Forrus, to distribute Sega consoles and games in the country. Sega would sell stock to Nissho Iwai, who would sell it to Forrus, who would distribute to retailers across the country.
Both the Sega Mega Drive (model 2) and Sega Master System (model 2, although evidence suggests the model 1 also made it to the region) were sold in Russia, with the same selection of PAL games seen in Europe (at least, in regards to first-party releases), however despite widespread publicity and even the commissioning of a weekly television show promoting Sega products, the endeavour appears not to have been a success, with Sega's official lines of distribution being shut down before the release of the Sega Saturn.
At first the Mega Drive played second best to the Dendy, though would gradually rise in popularity over time. However, little of the Mega Drive's success in Russia lies with Sega - within months of release, unlicensed clone consoles flooded the market and were able to significantly undercut Sega - an extremely important factor in the early days of post-Soviet Russia, where in 1993 it is estimated that 39-49% of the population was classed as being in poverty.
Competitors to the Mega Drive included the Super Bitman, Kenga Mega Ken, Pro 16 Bit and SB-16C, all of which originate from China or Taiwan. It is a similar story for games and accessories - as what was seen on-screen rarely differed from the official products, it was nearly impossible for Sega to gain ground. This feature of the Russian market still exists to this day, with cheaply made Mega Drive clones and games (including Russian translations and entirely original releases) continuing to be sold well after official support for the console was dropped (although some systems are manufactured in Russia now too).
Dreamcast
There have been no reported sightings of the Sega Saturn in Russia, however the Sega Dreamcast made it to the country in some form. Games were distributed by a company known as Vector (Вектор) with custom-made packaging, again potentially without a license.
Mega Drive Portable
During the mid-2000s when the technology became inexpensive, a new Mega Drive "standard" was adopted by a set of unknown Russian companies under the banner of Mega Drive Portable. Games were placed in custom-made Game Boy Advance-style cartridges and are compatible in a number of different devices, most of whom steal design tips from Nintendo consoles. Once again the legality is questioned.
NewGame Consoles
A company known as NewGame also took it upon themselves to translate Mega Drive games into Russian and produce their own set of consoles - the Magistr Drive.
Homebrew Games
There appears to be a strong homebrew Mega Drive community in Russia, with many of their creations leaking into the commercial market by dodgy eBay sellers.
AtGames Presence
The only guaranteed official source of Sega games and hardware in Russia throughout its entire history are products created by AtGames, which have a worldwide license to produce Sega consoles. A good chunk of their consoles have been released in the region, including the Arcade Classic and the Arcade Ultimate. Blue and green versions of the Arcade Ultimate appeared in Russia before other regions of the world (namely the UK, in which Blaze Europe introduced the blue variant in 2011), suggesting strong support from AtGames in that region.
The Micro Drive is currently exclusive to Russia.
Modern Titles
More modern games for the PlayStation 2 and beyond seem to be distributed in Russia legally without much concern. The country seems to have adopted the PEGI rating system and games are translated into Russian in a similar manner to other European regions.