It’s pretty tough to believe that it has been three decades since the Sega Genesis was released. Gaming was a much simpler world back then, but the Sega Genesis acted as the spark that would set the industry alight and lead to what we have today.
The Evolution of the Gaming Industry
The gaming industry has come an incredibly long way since it was originally established as can be seen in this article by Investopedia. We used to be limited to 2D arcade games such as Pong and Asteroids and we had to head out to different arcades to play. Now, the whole experience has become more story-driven, cinematic and immersive.
Gaming is at the point where elements of the real world can be replicated without us ever actually having to leave the comfort of our own homes. This can be seen in the likes of VR headsets and meta but even more so in how far the online casino world has come. Originally established in 1996 and limited to a select number of games and images, the online casino experience now recreates the experience of going to a physical casino. For example, the live dealers who host online games make players feel as though they’re actually at the table. There are so many that sites such as BonusFinder collate different options and publish ratings and reviews. Their recent article put the likes of MGM Casino near the top when it comes to the quality the site offers regarding its live dealers and other games available.
This evolution is impressive, but how did the Sega Genesis contribute?
The Improvement of Arcade Ports
Arcade ports were quite average when you consider the likes of the NES that pre-existed the Genesis, even though as can be seen in this piece some of the games were excellent, but the overall quality lacked somewhat. When the Sega Genesis came out, they were able to produce several perfect arcade ports for the likes of Strider and Midnight Resistance. This made competition continue to try upping their game, which Nintendo did with the SNES. The fact of the matter is the fact Sega proved with the genesis the potential that Arcade Ports could have. This led us to a trail of constant improvement in the consoles we have.
The Rise of Sonic
When you consider a lot of the games we have today, many of them depend on stories and an immersive narrative that players relate to. Nintendo created Mario but it could be argued with just them as a one-off, people might not have required story as much in their game as they do now. With Genesis and the subsequent popularity of Sonic, it was cemented that familiarity and story are something gamers are looking for. This has gone on to shape the way games are made ever since.
We Owe a Lot to the Genesis
It’s highlighted above just how much the gaming world has developed in recent years. This can be owed to several different games and consoles, but the fact is that we owe a great deal to the Sega Genesis. With this console, the true potential within our games was highlighted as their media port changed the game completely. This sparked the constant developments in ports which helped get our quality of games to where it is now. Not to mention, the importance of familiarity and characters was highlighted by Sonic.
