I knew exactly one kid (Joshua) with a Game Gear growing up. He even had the tv tuner, which was boss. Seeing it always plugged into the wall made me realize the ultimate issue...
I knew a kid with it too, it was my friend Joshua's older brother. The battery meme for the game gear was no joke it took like 6 AA batteries to run and it would chew them up in like an hour of playing NBA. His family also had an original fat Gameboy and that thing was amazing.
As a kid I had a Game gear, but never a game boy. The biggest reason Game Gear is MUCH better is because it's IN COLOR! The wide design is also better then the game boy.
Another consideration: the price. Gameboy was $90. Gamegear was $150. If I'm a parent shopping holiday season, I'm immediately attracted to the cheaper option that doesn't chug batteries.
What!? The Nomad didn’t play Sega Saturn and Master System games!? How could Sega make a handheld that wasn’t backward compatible with their previous gen, current gen and next gen home consoles simultaneously.
If commercial success matters, then McDonald's is the finest restaurant in the world. I owned both a Game Gear (and a Dreamcast) and a Game Boy before that, and I probably spent more time with the Game Gear than the Game Boy. Especially when I got the TV Adapter! That was like having portable internet before we had internet at home. You kidding me? A TV I can take anywhere? On car trips?! It's a wonder I didn't get fat. But you touched on a major reason I couldn't use it too much, portably -- the crappy battery life. It wasn't out of the ordinary to stock up on AA batteries in the 1990s, but it got expensive and everyone was aware what throwing them away did to the environment. I'm just relieved that rechargeable batteries have become as amazing as the have. Also, while Game Boy had a much bigger library, buying games for either portable system was still a gamble because there wasn't any place crazy enough to rent portable games to kids. I don't remember much word of mouth for the games of either system, because the home consoles were all the buzz. Except for Pokemon, I guess. There's no question that Nintendo was the savvier company, but I think the Game Gear as a system and collection holds respectably with having full color graphics against the Game Boy's much bigger library.
$18 big Mac says no 😂 though yes gba SP rechargeable and backlit with backwards compatibility was amazing. People also underestimate how good some gb games looked too. GB pocket (glad vid compared its 2 batteries to game gear/nomad 6), printer and camera was a triple play.
@@MrVariant You're comparing the Game Gear with a console that came out literally a decade later. So Nintendo is a _decade_ behind SEGA. I'll take that. No television on the Game Boy. Also, the camera? The printer? Are you going to throw in the Virtual Boy, too? I'm curious if you can come up with a more desperate defense against the Game Gear. Oh, I almost forgot. Name a more popular restaurant than McDonald's. And is it the best? Maybe to you it is. You have a thing for defending Nintendo where they can't be defended. In case I wasn't clear enough: Nintendo: _"Let's make a portable pseudo 8-bit console with shitty graphics."_ SEGA: _"Nope, let's give them a portable of our 8-bit console with THE SAME graphics!"_ Feel however the way you want.
@alanfike similarly switch did better than recent competitors despite being "a decade behind", though nintendo on borrowed time with a successor, as they won't even update switch online expansion though basic gets a ton of stuff. Not sure why you're overreacting or bringing in other stuff like virtual boy and TV, when super game boy with super nes tv setup was fine too. I do see why as your "clear" statement backfired on you. Game Boy had cool graphics and sound and you're a hater. Game gear couldn't compete with link's awakening, super mario land 2, or all those gbc rpgs (dragon quest 3 was cool, and I'm excluding fan Translations or else you'd have star ocean and grandia) and even that daikatana and metal gear. Even looking up any decade there was better interactivity like pokemon as well let alone Sega didn't even bother preserving game gear outside sonic origins plus. Thankful for switch online basic with gb addition that runs circles around the expansion Sega genesis with how rarely that adds stuff. I did like contra and castlevania (the faster one on gb) but there was a ton of stuff easily accessible with upgrades as time progressed, unlike game gear.
@@MrVariant I thought we were talking about the Game Boy. This is very important to you, but you're talking shit. Are your parents monitoring your comments? You're too young to remember the Game Gear. Or the Game Boy. Unless of course you got it from your dad!
I had the game gear too…. And I took my dad to game store for the TV adapter… but they wasn’t selling it any more 😢 Also, the six double A batteries needed with less battery life than the 4 ( I think) needed for the game boy really stung. I couldn’t get batteries all the time.😤 But I did have my charging adapter and it was cool to play it in the dark…. Couldn’t do that with the game boy.
I had a Game Gear as a kid, and I felt like almost every game I got on the system felt closer to an "almost home-console experience" than the pea-green demake feel that characterized the original Game Boy. I do understand why it didn't dethrone the Game Boy -- the price points and battery life being the biggest. I tended to play mine at home, though, much like kids today might play a Switch in their laps while their parents watch TV, and that made the batteries a non-issue for me since I could plug it up to the wall. Similarly, on car trips, that's what that cigarette lighter adapter was for. I general, I agree with you that I wouldn't call the Game Gear a failure, because it didn't flop. It just didn't dethrone a juggernaut of a system because of how well Nintendo understands the portable market. That was the case then, and it was the case when the PSP went up against the DS, and later the Vita went up against the 3DS. Almost every time Nintendo gets challenged in the portable space, it's by a competitor with a superior console and arguably an equal or better game library. But what are you supposed to do when the consumer goes with big N EVERY time they hear, "Well, ours is cheaper, and it has Pokemon"? Your idea that the 32X, Nomad, and Saturn had much to do with the Game Gear's fortunes struck me as wrong at first (and I still think that's wrong in regard to the Saturn -- Sega *needed* that), but your mention of the Game Boy Pocket did get me to thinking... What if Sega had released a second iteration of Game Gear with better battery life rather than make the Nomad or 32X? It still would have been a more powerful console than the Game Boy Color, a console Nintendo supported to around 2000, and provided the new version kept its backlight, it would have left Sega with the technology edge in the portable space for the rest of the decade. I don't think this by itself would have saved Sega or made the Game Gear the better seller, but it would have been an income stream during some years when Sega badly needed it, especially in the disastrous "Saturn-Dreamcast" gap years. Interesting to think about!
A more battery efficient Game Gear would have done wonders. As cool as Nomad/CDX was, they were oversized i.e. not pocketable. Could have called it the Go and added a button to turn off the backlight for energy savings. Appreciate your derailed retrospective on an issue near and dear to me thirty yeara ago...
PSP sold more than the original DS. DS sales always take into account all the DS models, which includes the DSi, 3DS etc etc... The same can be said about the GB, when counting sales, every single model from the OG one to the GB color is put into the statistics. They still sold a ton of GBs, it's just that the statistics are always a bit untrustful.
@@Lilbroda Good numbers to keep it mind. PSP introduced me to many games, some emulators, and movies that now make the top ten list of favorites. Definitely a different time appreciating just how far UMD had come compared to MP4 😅
Lilbroda Youre living in an echo chamber of brand loyalty to Sony. LOL Sony also had various versions of PSP, a fact you conveniently omitted. And Sony themselves called the PSP "a failure." Including the Vita version you also conveniently omitted. If Nintendo included the 3DS sales to the DS lifetime sales, your PSP would be buried to the ground more than thrice over.
@@DontKnowDontCare6.9 I don't even care about consoles. My last console was a PS2. But I was indeed an Arcade and Sega kid in the late 80s to the early 90s, you know, at the time when you were still inside your daddy's little balls. Now back to your point. The 3 different PSP models were all the same console. Just like the PS2 fat and slim are both the same console. It would make sense to count sales on both models since they are the same. Now, do you really think the PSP was a failure? Then I have nothing more to say to you.
Fun Fact: Once upon a time Nintendo wanted to make a portable colored system (not GameBoy Color). They had a deal with Citizen to make the screen (the Game N' Watch previously used Sharp screens). But Nintendo decided to make a monochrome system with Sharp (original GameBoy). Yoshihiro Taki from Gunpei Yokoi's team was tasked to bring the bad news to Citizen. To do so, he decided to make a new (fake) set of design and specs for a colored portable system then sent it to Citizen. The mono screen will be manufactured by Sharp, with Citizen making the colored one at a later date. Nintendo then ghosted them. Years later the Game Gear was launched by Sega. Citizen manufactured the LCD screen. According to accounts of Yoshihiro Taki, he disassembled one and found the device suspiciously similar to the fake design and specs he gave Citizen. Which their contact at Citizen denied. LOL (Source: Yoshihiro Taki interview by Florent Gorges)
I've heard this before but not sure how much I believe it since the Game Gear is based off Master System tech, so closely related many GG ports are directly from Master System.
I remember being a Sega kid growing up in the 90's, I was won over by Sonic on the Genesis and wanted more Sonic with the Game Gear... and as you pointed out, the battery life and even the size (you couldn't even stuff it in most pockets) made it a hassle to deal with... as well as the screen eventually dying out where nowadays I mostly see white with my old Game Gear. Needless to say, despite my Sonic obsession, I preferred the Game Boy when it came to portable gaming on the go. Pokemon was absolutely the coup de grace during the late 90's.
Don't know how you or any other kid could stand the ugly black and white game boy. Well, I mainly played video games at home anyways, where I had all the early consoles growing up. I did have a game gear though. Better graphics, better grip due to the wider design. I mean I'm sorry your pants were too small, but these arguments are lame. Mine never had any of those issues. I think your comment is just a sneaky lie, including saying you were a Sega kid.
I think for every good thing about the Game Gear, there is something just as bad holding it back. Yeah it has color and a back-lot screen, but if there is ANY ambient light, you’ll have to throw a hood over your head. Yeah it has better graphics than the Game Boy, but it gobbles more batteries twice as fast.
Now xbox holds that stupid torch yet microsoft is the richest company of the world despite xbox failing. Am glad they have pc interaction to salvage the bad series s carbon black, though original was better than scalped ps5
So before Pokémon, the Gameboy only outsold the Gamegear 5:1? If you loved your Gamegear, that’s awesome. It had a lot of nice features and games. But if you’re suggesting Pokémon had anything to do with Gameboy outselling it, that’s just not true. Mario Land, Tetris, and several Zelda games were really great games. In this modern age of emulation, try some… you may really like them.
@@Peeps7468 I'm saying Pokemon is the only reason it sold 100 mil. No Pokemon and game boy dies in 1996 just a fact. I grew up well off so I had both my opinion is off real life experience. No question Game Gear is a way better system with way worse dedication by Sega the ips and Nintendo monopoly on 3rd parties. Sega failed all its system except the Genesis. They had the best hardware but terrible business sense. Enjoy
@@FloridaEbikesI don’t know why you’re so emphatic that the Gameboy would have died in 1996. The non-Pokémon sales suggest that Gameboy was going to keep getting support for years. Outside of Pokémon, Nintendo was still releasing several games that sold more than a million copies… Warioland II, Donkey Kong Land 2 and 3, James Bond… then the Color DX games started getting released. You prefer the Gamegear and that’s great. I loved the Gameboy even though my best friend had a Gamegear and we were good about sharing. They were both excellent systems. You are right that Sega didn’t support the system well. But Nintendo did support the Gameboy. Pokémon helped sales for sure, but the Gameboy wasn’t going away in 1996 or even 1998 (without Pokémon).
@@Peeps7468There’s really only one Zelda for the Gameboy when Pokémon came out. Links awakening came out in 93 then the color version in 98 if you consider those two games. I do own both though. Oracle of Ages/Seasons didn’t come out till 2001 when the Game Gear was a distant memory.
So if Pokemon was the reason for GameBoy as to why it sold... Then that means Sega as a game company is even more pathetic. They didnt see the potential of GameFreak when they made games for the Genesis, like Pulseman. And GameFreak in turn didnt see a future in Sega when they approached Nintendo to publish Pokemon.
I loved him Game Gear. The Master System adaptor was very good, and the TV tuner was a useful. The cost of batteries was a a killer, but also the LCD screens of the time weren't great for fast games.
You are right in all but you forget: All people use emulator live colors but ignore the fact that real screen had washed out colors. It was "kind of color" lcd. Ok it was in color but who cared? That's what we thought back then. Around 2000 siemens released a color mobile that have similar "kind of color" screen. Nobody cared back then. In 2010 cheap chinese tablets had the blue-ish lcd, nobody cared again. Either you give them correct colors or nothing. They praise apple products for that. 2) gamegear lcd is WAY more blurred. At least on gameboy you can spot a pixel.
I was young when these systems came out. Game gear blew gameboy away. Color, better grahics and generally better gameplay. The issue was battery life. They were expensive and once they ran out you were carrying a brick. Portability was paramount. We all had home systems with better games at home. Game boy and game gear were for on the go
I wouldn’t put the Game Gear version of Sonic 2 as a positive. It reviewed well at the time, but nowadays is derided for being a largely unoptimized shrunken version of the Master System game with extreme screen crunch.
More advanced tech doesn't make for a better product. It's usefulness to the customer that sells. Bang for your buck, company support. This is a lesson that so many companies refuse to learn.
I had a Nomad. It was cool. But in addition to the abyssmal battery life, they had to be inserted into a battery pack that clipped on the back, meaning it was heavier and even less ergonomic when playing it unplugged... It was a portable system. Lol. Though it did have a port for a genesis controller for player 2 AND could be hooked up to a tv IIRC.
My childhood friend had a GameGear. I was blown away when he watched TV -programs from it while being outside. It also was playable on dark room, unlike GameBoy Color. But, i never really wanted one. My friend had to carry dozends of batteries everywhere inside his backbag!
i had the Gameboy & the gamegear back then. both systems had their pro's & con's. i would like to see a remake of the game gear with reachable battery's that would last longer then 10 minutes of use
My brother and I had both systems growing up because the only thing my dad liked less than his kids playing video games was his kids being noisy on car trips. The battery issue was definitely frustrating, and was worse than you might think because all of the quoted playtime estimates out there are for fresh alkaline batteries. Our family used rechargeable batteries almost exclusively because they were less expensive in the long run, but rechargeable AA batteries in the 90s SUCKED. They were less powerful and drained more quickly than alkaline batteries by a significant margin. The Game Boy ran okay on the reduced power of the rechargeable batteries, but the Game Gear wasn’t happy with them at all. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the battery life on rechargeable batteries was probably cut in half. Now, that alone wasn’t a deal breaker. After all, we had a car adapter that would reach all the way to the back seat of a minivan, and older cars were practically covered in cigarette lighter ports to draw power from. So, the power issue wasn’t the deal breaker. The color backlit screen was nice, but a lot of people think that the extra power drain it caused was the main problem with it and that’s not entirely true. Both the Game Boy and Game Gear screens were prone to blurring during scrolling due to the generally poor refresh rates of LCD panels during that time. However, poor scrolling performance is much less noticeable when you are playing a single screen puzzle game like Tetris rather than a fast-scrolling action game like Sonic. The screen was actually less visible than the Game Boy’s passively lit screen when you used it outside or near a window. These are the kind of differences that are obvious on original hardware that don’t come across in captured emulator footage. The biggest difference between the two systems for me was honestly the fact that I was already bought into the Nintendo marketing machine. I had a subscription to Nintendo Power, but had no similar access to information regarding new Game Gear games and the few I bought were mostly Sonic titles because that’s what I recognized. Ultimately, I feel like the Game Gear missed meeting its full potential. If it had gotten a design refresh with more energy efficient tech then it could have made a really compelling choice for portable gaming into the early 2000s. Sadly, that isn’t what happened.
Game Boy not only had a head start on the Game Gear, it lasted longer than any console not named Playstation 2, after a soft relaunch (GB Pocket+Color) that benefited from the Pokemon series. When Game Gear was on the market, the year-over-year sales were close until GG was discontinued
If the sales of both portables were close year after year then it meant GameGear was selling strongly. Then it was discontinued? Doesnt make sense. Sound more like an excuse.
Only one console (home and handheld/portable) lasted as long as Game Boy, everything else was discontinued before that time, including all Nintendo consoles
I had both and neither of them had been played with batteries. I never played them somewhere, where there wouldn`t be any outlets, so battery life wasn`t an issue for me. But boy ... did I forget that Game Boy (bought in 1992) as soon as I got my hands on the Game Gear (around 1993). Yeah, colour screen was great, but lit screen was even better. No longer did I need some external source of light. I played that Sega under the blanket when my parents thought I was already alseep. Game libary Game Gear also suited my needs a lot better than those on the Game Boy. I ended up giving that Nintendo away for the price of a Playboy. With all the games included. In Slovenia where I lived (that was way before we joined EU), Game Gear was very popular and I could bet it was 50/50 market share with Game Boy.
Sega really should've thought the hardware development of the Game Gear through before launching it to the public. I mean, if it was going to be more expensive(even just slightly more) than the Gameboy prior to release, fine; I can deal with that since not everything has to be the same to find enjoyment out of them! But Sega really needed to sure the battery life was fair and long lasting enough in the long run before releasing it to the public to warrant any investment from their customer base at the time. Imo, the batery life should've been at least 7 to 8 hours max; especially with the hardware that the games were running on at the time!
I liked the idea and even implementation of the 32x and sega cd, which could provide a budget way to upgrade to a next generation experience, especially when a system may only need ten or so games of the consumers choice to make it a pretty good deal. I could definitely name 10 Saturn games I'd like so I got that as a teen.
Loved game gear because it was in COLOR, and the wide design is better. Hated Gameboy, never had one, never wanted one. Gameboy is basically a Tiger handheld, but with batteries.
I completely agree. At some point I had both the Gameboy and Gamegear (with the case and rechargeable plugin battery lol) While gameboy was highly limited, Nintendo had more third party and superior developers making epic games. On the Gameboy we had Metroid2, OperationC(contra) Mario World, Final Fantasy... All epic games miraculously amazing given the specs. On gamegear I had Power Rangers which was super fun, Sonic and some others... they were good but compared to a game like Metroid... lack depth. If Sega would have cut down on wasting money and invested in taking more time to do good games, they would have done better. Sega had many administrative blunders and Sega USA vs Sega Japan tensions certainly contributed to many bad decisions.
I had both systems, but Game Gear drew me in with better games than Nintendo. My favourite was probably Road Rash. Some good titles were also Jurassic Park, Battletoads, Shinobi, Batman Returns, Lemmings, Alien 3, Streets of Rage etc.
I think it's way more simple than that The game boy had more games and it was cheaper and if parents don't have to spend as much money on a handheld then they're not going to
if the gamegear was made today with better battery technology it would have been slightly more popular< i owned a game gear and later a gameboy color..
I had both of these as a kid I love them both I thought to say I got handheld was way better though well let's screen to play at night came in color from the start I just wish it had gotten popular enough that they've kept it going
Game Gear failed for two main reasons: Price point and battery consumption. Game Gear was a superior system by far, but it was expensive on two fronts. That is a killer.
I'm sure it didn't help that Sega decided to insult the 15+ million people who purchased the affordable and battery efficient Game Boy, and the company that resurrected the video game industry after the crash of 1983, AND the top selling game of all time until Minecraft dethroned it in 2019.
I bought a GameGear and bought my girlfriend a Gameboy when we were on vacation many years ago. I should have bought shares in Duracell, man did the Gear eat batteries. I think the first set got chewed out inside 90 minutes! Within a monthbI was so pissed off with it, I just went out and bought a Gameboy so at least me and gf could then share games. I used my GB for about 7 years before I put it away, eventually during a clear out around 2010 I was able to sell my GB on ebay still fully working!! ( My gf later became my wife and I've had her for 30+ years now but eBay won't take her! ha ha!! ) Sega was the Betamax to Nintendo's VHS, Sega had the superior tech but Nintendo knew their market and deliberately played their strengths and played down the tech. I bought Gameboy Color when it came out and later the GBA as well which was one of Nintendo's small number of failures. The best was the GB Color, that was an amazing little system, I had about 150 games for that by the time I sold it.
I think one issue was the just plain *hateful* way Sega advertised the thing in the North American Market. You don't win people over by insinuating that they're disabled or stupid for using a competitor's product. Nintendo sold their products on the merits of how fun they were. They didn't feel the need to cut anyone down.
Two words: battery life. omg the Game Gear was an absolute pig when it came to batteries. If you didn't have the wall charger, it got REALLY expensive. And what's the point of a portable console if you always had to plug it in or else it would die in a few hours... eating up SIX AAs.
I’ve watched a lot of Sega videos over the years, basically if it weren’t for extreme greed and impatience and really just lack of common sense, they would probably still be making consoles today
Its obvious why Game Gear didn't sell well. Bad Battery, bad caps, inferior ports (basically SMS versions of games on the go). May of lacked exclusives. Fix those and add more exclusives/spinoffs instead of last gen ports (relative to the genesis/megadrive) and it would of sold much better. It would be MUCH better once modded. Its not a unworthy handheld to own once that is done to it.
It depends on the market. I think in Europe Game Gear (and Sega in general) sold very well in the 90s. I actually knew more kids with Sega systems than Nintendos.
I got a GameGear in 1992. Battery life was NEVER an issue for me. I had the chargable battery pack and AC adapter. When at home, I played plugged in. When on the go, I used the battery pack.
I read it was also hurt by Nintendo forcing game stores to not sell the Game Gear if they wanted to sell the Game Boy, an illegal practice Microsoft also did with Windows back then. It's kind of funny the battery life was seen as such a big issue when the Switch is about as bad 30 years later.
"the Switch is about as bad 30 years later." - You're referring to the worst-case scenario for the Switch battery under high load. On the top end of its charge life, it can achieve 9+ hours. The GG's top end was only 5+, so your statement is factually wrong. The Switch's battery issues are counterbalanced by the vast ongoing library of games. Software support was the GG's most significant issue, not the battery or Nintendo's tactics. Those other factors wouldn't have sunk it with more substantial game releases and financial support from Sega; case in point. Blame the other factors all you like, but Sega is still at fault for the GG's ultimate failure.
If you want short vids, go to TH-cam shorts. This is a documentary. Definitely not recommended for people with severe case of impatience or those who lack focus.
Battery consumtion was a nightmare. I always played my Game Gear near a wall socket.
I knew exactly one kid (Joshua) with a Game Gear growing up. He even had the tv tuner, which was boss. Seeing it always plugged into the wall made me realize the ultimate issue...
I knew a kid with it too, it was my friend Joshua's older brother. The battery meme for the game gear was no joke it took like 6 AA batteries to run and it would chew them up in like an hour of playing NBA. His family also had an original fat Gameboy and that thing was amazing.
@@Agret Different breeds from the same sculpture. 💪
As a kid I had a Game gear, but never a game boy. The biggest reason Game Gear is MUCH better is because it's IN COLOR! The wide design is also better then the game boy.
Another consideration: the price.
Gameboy was $90. Gamegear was $150. If I'm a parent shopping holiday season, I'm immediately attracted to the cheaper option that doesn't chug batteries.
Not in Austria. It was actually cheaper or for the same price of 1000 Schillings in 1993.
Well, you get what you pay for. I'm just happy you weren't my parent, and also that you didn't see the far cheaper option: a Tiger handheld game.
What!? The Nomad didn’t play Sega Saturn and Master System games!? How could Sega make a handheld that wasn’t backward compatible with their previous gen, current gen and next gen home consoles simultaneously.
If commercial success matters, then McDonald's is the finest restaurant in the world.
I owned both a Game Gear (and a Dreamcast) and a Game Boy before that, and I probably spent more time with the Game Gear than the Game Boy. Especially when I got the TV Adapter! That was like having portable internet before we had internet at home. You kidding me? A TV I can take anywhere? On car trips?! It's a wonder I didn't get fat.
But you touched on a major reason I couldn't use it too much, portably -- the crappy battery life. It wasn't out of the ordinary to stock up on AA batteries in the 1990s, but it got expensive and everyone was aware what throwing them away did to the environment. I'm just relieved that rechargeable batteries have become as amazing as the have.
Also, while Game Boy had a much bigger library, buying games for either portable system was still a gamble because there wasn't any place crazy enough to rent portable games to kids. I don't remember much word of mouth for the games of either system, because the home consoles were all the buzz. Except for Pokemon, I guess.
There's no question that Nintendo was the savvier company, but I think the Game Gear as a system and collection holds respectably with having full color graphics against the Game Boy's much bigger library.
$18 big Mac says no 😂 though yes gba SP rechargeable and backlit with backwards compatibility was amazing.
People also underestimate how good some gb games looked too. GB pocket (glad vid compared its 2 batteries to game gear/nomad 6), printer and camera was a triple play.
@@MrVariant You're comparing the Game Gear with a console that came out literally a decade later. So Nintendo is a _decade_ behind SEGA. I'll take that.
No television on the Game Boy. Also, the camera? The printer? Are you going to throw in the Virtual Boy, too? I'm curious if you can come up with a more desperate defense against the Game Gear.
Oh, I almost forgot. Name a more popular restaurant than McDonald's. And is it the best? Maybe to you it is. You have a thing for defending Nintendo where they can't be defended.
In case I wasn't clear enough:
Nintendo: _"Let's make a portable pseudo 8-bit console with shitty graphics."_
SEGA: _"Nope, let's give them a portable of our 8-bit console with THE SAME graphics!"_
Feel however the way you want.
@alanfike similarly switch did better than recent competitors despite being "a decade behind", though nintendo on borrowed time with a successor, as they won't even update switch online expansion though basic gets a ton of stuff.
Not sure why you're overreacting or bringing in other stuff like virtual boy and TV, when super game boy with super nes tv setup was fine too. I do see why as your "clear" statement backfired on you. Game Boy had cool graphics and sound and you're a hater.
Game gear couldn't compete with link's awakening, super mario land 2, or all those gbc rpgs (dragon quest 3 was cool, and I'm excluding fan Translations or else you'd have star ocean and grandia) and even that daikatana and metal gear.
Even looking up any decade there was better interactivity like pokemon as well let alone Sega didn't even bother preserving game gear outside sonic origins plus. Thankful for switch online basic with gb addition that runs circles around the expansion Sega genesis with how rarely that adds stuff.
I did like contra and castlevania (the faster one on gb) but there was a ton of stuff easily accessible with upgrades as time progressed, unlike game gear.
@@MrVariant I thought we were talking about the Game Boy.
This is very important to you, but you're talking shit. Are your parents monitoring your comments? You're too young to remember the Game Gear. Or the Game Boy. Unless of course you got it from your dad!
I had the game gear too…. And I took my dad to game store for the TV adapter… but they wasn’t selling it any more 😢
Also, the six double A batteries needed with less battery life than the 4 ( I think) needed for the game boy really stung. I couldn’t get batteries all the time.😤
But I did have my charging adapter and it was cool to play it in the dark…. Couldn’t do that with the game boy.
I had a Game Gear as a kid, and I felt like almost every game I got on the system felt closer to an "almost home-console experience" than the pea-green demake feel that characterized the original Game Boy. I do understand why it didn't dethrone the Game Boy -- the price points and battery life being the biggest. I tended to play mine at home, though, much like kids today might play a Switch in their laps while their parents watch TV, and that made the batteries a non-issue for me since I could plug it up to the wall. Similarly, on car trips, that's what that cigarette lighter adapter was for.
I general, I agree with you that I wouldn't call the Game Gear a failure, because it didn't flop. It just didn't dethrone a juggernaut of a system because of how well Nintendo understands the portable market. That was the case then, and it was the case when the PSP went up against the DS, and later the Vita went up against the 3DS. Almost every time Nintendo gets challenged in the portable space, it's by a competitor with a superior console and arguably an equal or better game library. But what are you supposed to do when the consumer goes with big N EVERY time they hear, "Well, ours is cheaper, and it has Pokemon"?
Your idea that the 32X, Nomad, and Saturn had much to do with the Game Gear's fortunes struck me as wrong at first (and I still think that's wrong in regard to the Saturn -- Sega *needed* that), but your mention of the Game Boy Pocket did get me to thinking... What if Sega had released a second iteration of Game Gear with better battery life rather than make the Nomad or 32X? It still would have been a more powerful console than the Game Boy Color, a console Nintendo supported to around 2000, and provided the new version kept its backlight, it would have left Sega with the technology edge in the portable space for the rest of the decade. I don't think this by itself would have saved Sega or made the Game Gear the better seller, but it would have been an income stream during some years when Sega badly needed it, especially in the disastrous "Saturn-Dreamcast" gap years. Interesting to think about!
A more battery efficient Game Gear would have done wonders. As cool as Nomad/CDX was, they were oversized i.e. not pocketable. Could have called it the Go and added a button to turn off the backlight for energy savings. Appreciate your derailed retrospective on an issue near and dear to me thirty yeara ago...
PSP sold more than the original DS. DS sales always take into account all the DS models, which includes the DSi, 3DS etc etc... The same can be said about the GB, when counting sales, every single model from the OG one to the GB color is put into the statistics. They still sold a ton of GBs, it's just that the statistics are always a bit untrustful.
@@Lilbroda Good numbers to keep it mind. PSP introduced me to many games, some emulators, and movies that now make the top ten list of favorites. Definitely a different time appreciating just how far UMD had come compared to MP4 😅
Lilbroda
Youre living in an echo chamber of brand loyalty to Sony. LOL
Sony also had various versions of PSP, a fact you conveniently omitted. And Sony themselves called the PSP "a failure." Including the Vita version you also conveniently omitted.
If Nintendo included the 3DS sales to the DS lifetime sales, your PSP would be buried to the ground more than thrice over.
@@DontKnowDontCare6.9 I don't even care about consoles. My last console was a PS2. But I was indeed an Arcade and Sega kid in the late 80s to the early 90s, you know, at the time when you were still inside your daddy's little balls.
Now back to your point. The 3 different PSP models were all the same console. Just like the PS2 fat and slim are both the same console. It would make sense to count sales on both models since they are the same. Now, do you really think the PSP was a failure? Then I have nothing more to say to you.
Fun Fact: Once upon a time Nintendo wanted to make a portable colored system (not GameBoy Color). They had a deal with Citizen to make the screen (the Game N' Watch previously used Sharp screens).
But Nintendo decided to make a monochrome system with Sharp (original GameBoy). Yoshihiro Taki from Gunpei Yokoi's team was tasked to bring the bad news to Citizen. To do so, he decided to make a new (fake) set of design and specs for a colored portable system then sent it to Citizen. The mono screen will be manufactured by Sharp, with Citizen making the colored one at a later date. Nintendo then ghosted them.
Years later the Game Gear was launched by Sega. Citizen manufactured the LCD screen. According to accounts of Yoshihiro Taki, he disassembled one and found the device suspiciously similar to the fake design and specs he gave Citizen. Which their contact at Citizen denied. LOL
(Source: Yoshihiro Taki interview by Florent Gorges)
I've heard this before but not sure how much I believe it since the Game Gear is based off Master System tech, so closely related many GG ports are directly from Master System.
Yup, they chose monocrome, and that is why I have never nor ever will have a game boy, or emulate a game boy.
I remember being a Sega kid growing up in the 90's, I was won over by Sonic on the Genesis and wanted more Sonic with the Game Gear... and as you pointed out, the battery life and even the size (you couldn't even stuff it in most pockets) made it a hassle to deal with... as well as the screen eventually dying out where nowadays I mostly see white with my old Game Gear.
Needless to say, despite my Sonic obsession, I preferred the Game Boy when it came to portable gaming on the go. Pokemon was absolutely the coup de grace during the late 90's.
Don't know how you or any other kid could stand the ugly black and white game boy. Well, I mainly played video games at home anyways, where I had all the early consoles growing up. I did have a game gear though. Better graphics, better grip due to the wider design. I mean I'm sorry your pants were too small, but these arguments are lame. Mine never had any of those issues. I think your comment is just a sneaky lie, including saying you were a Sega kid.
I think for every good thing about the Game Gear, there is something just as bad holding it back. Yeah it has color and a back-lot screen, but if there is ANY ambient light, you’ll have to throw a hood over your head. Yeah it has better graphics than the Game Boy, but it gobbles more batteries twice as fast.
This is a story I heard dozens of times: Sega making numerous mind-numbingly stupid decisions that lead to their downfall.
Now xbox holds that stupid torch yet microsoft is the richest company of the world despite xbox failing. Am glad they have pc interaction to salvage the bad series s carbon black, though original was better than scalped ps5
The game gear was not a bad decision.
50% of units sold are after Pokemon so....
So before Pokémon, the Gameboy only outsold the Gamegear 5:1?
If you loved your Gamegear, that’s awesome. It had a lot of nice features and games. But if you’re suggesting Pokémon had anything to do with Gameboy outselling it, that’s just not true. Mario Land, Tetris, and several Zelda games were really great games. In this modern age of emulation, try some… you may really like them.
@@Peeps7468 I'm saying Pokemon is the only reason it sold 100 mil. No Pokemon and game boy dies in 1996 just a fact. I grew up well off so I had both my opinion is off real life experience.
No question Game Gear is a way better system with way worse dedication by Sega the ips and Nintendo monopoly on 3rd parties.
Sega failed all its system except the Genesis. They had the best hardware but terrible business sense.
Enjoy
@@FloridaEbikesI don’t know why you’re so emphatic that the Gameboy would have died in 1996. The non-Pokémon sales suggest that Gameboy was going to keep getting support for years. Outside of Pokémon, Nintendo was still releasing several games that sold more than a million copies… Warioland II, Donkey Kong Land 2 and 3, James Bond… then the Color DX games started getting released.
You prefer the Gamegear and that’s great. I loved the Gameboy even though my best friend had a Gamegear and we were good about sharing. They were both excellent systems. You are right that Sega didn’t support the system well. But Nintendo did support the Gameboy. Pokémon helped sales for sure, but the Gameboy wasn’t going away in 1996 or even 1998 (without Pokémon).
@@Peeps7468There’s really only one Zelda for the Gameboy when Pokémon came out. Links awakening came out in 93 then the color version in 98 if you consider those two games. I do own both though. Oracle of Ages/Seasons didn’t come out till 2001 when the Game Gear was a distant memory.
So if Pokemon was the reason for GameBoy as to why it sold... Then that means Sega as a game company is even more pathetic. They didnt see the potential of GameFreak when they made games for the Genesis, like Pulseman.
And GameFreak in turn didnt see a future in Sega when they approached Nintendo to publish Pokemon.
I loved him Game Gear. The Master System adaptor was very good, and the TV tuner was a useful. The cost of batteries was a a killer, but also the LCD screens of the time weren't great for fast games.
You are right in all but you forget:
All people use emulator live colors but ignore the fact that real screen had washed out colors. It was "kind of color" lcd. Ok it was in color but who cared? That's what we thought back then.
Around 2000 siemens released a color mobile that have similar "kind of color" screen. Nobody cared back then. In 2010 cheap chinese tablets had the blue-ish lcd, nobody cared again.
Either you give them correct colors or nothing. They praise apple products for that.
2) gamegear lcd is WAY more blurred. At least on gameboy you can spot a pixel.
Blurred color and kind of color is still better then no color.
5:42 holy crap, that’s Ethan Suplee! I remember that commercial but I never realized that was him.
I’m amazed you know him by name. I mean I recognize him but kudos to you paying attention like that.
@@b.o.4492 he’s been in a lot of things since this commercial.
@@risksrewardsrelics51 My Name is Earl, American X and other stuff yeah. I remember the commercial too.
@@b.o.4492 th-cam.com/video/ZbKU3_H3FVw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=H42tbDyGlzt9gR_P
I was young when these systems came out. Game gear blew gameboy away. Color, better grahics and generally better gameplay. The issue was battery life. They were expensive and once they ran out you were carrying a brick. Portability was paramount. We all had home systems with better games at home. Game boy and game gear were for on the go
I owned both consoles. The Gameboy had much better games.
I wouldn’t put the Game Gear version of Sonic 2 as a positive. It reviewed well at the time, but nowadays is derided for being a largely unoptimized shrunken version of the Master System game with extreme screen crunch.
More advanced tech doesn't make for a better product. It's usefulness to the customer that sells. Bang for your buck, company support.
This is a lesson that so many companies refuse to learn.
I had a Nomad. It was cool. But in addition to the abyssmal battery life, they had to be inserted into a battery pack that clipped on the back, meaning it was heavier and even less ergonomic when playing it unplugged... It was a portable system. Lol. Though it did have a port for a genesis controller for player 2 AND could be hooked up to a tv IIRC.
My childhood friend had a GameGear. I was blown away when he watched TV -programs from it while being outside. It also was playable on dark room, unlike GameBoy Color. But, i never really wanted one. My friend had to carry dozends of batteries everywhere inside his backbag!
i had the Gameboy & the gamegear back then. both systems had their pro's & con's. i would like to see a remake of the game gear with reachable battery's that would last longer then 10 minutes of use
Good video. Looking forward to more
Thanks so much!
My brother and I had both systems growing up because the only thing my dad liked less than his kids playing video games was his kids being noisy on car trips. The battery issue was definitely frustrating, and was worse than you might think because all of the quoted playtime estimates out there are for fresh alkaline batteries. Our family used rechargeable batteries almost exclusively because they were less expensive in the long run, but rechargeable AA batteries in the 90s SUCKED. They were less powerful and drained more quickly than alkaline batteries by a significant margin. The Game Boy ran okay on the reduced power of the rechargeable batteries, but the Game Gear wasn’t happy with them at all. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the battery life on rechargeable batteries was probably cut in half. Now, that alone wasn’t a deal breaker. After all, we had a car adapter that would reach all the way to the back seat of a minivan, and older cars were practically covered in cigarette lighter ports to draw power from. So, the power issue wasn’t the deal breaker. The color backlit screen was nice, but a lot of people think that the extra power drain it caused was the main problem with it and that’s not entirely true. Both the Game Boy and Game Gear screens were prone to blurring during scrolling due to the generally poor refresh rates of LCD panels during that time. However, poor scrolling performance is much less noticeable when you are playing a single screen puzzle game like Tetris rather than a fast-scrolling action game like Sonic. The screen was actually less visible than the Game Boy’s passively lit screen when you used it outside or near a window. These are the kind of differences that are obvious on original hardware that don’t come across in captured emulator footage. The biggest difference between the two systems for me was honestly the fact that I was already bought into the Nintendo marketing machine. I had a subscription to Nintendo Power, but had no similar access to information regarding new Game Gear games and the few I bought were mostly Sonic titles because that’s what I recognized. Ultimately, I feel like the Game Gear missed meeting its full potential. If it had gotten a design refresh with more energy efficient tech then it could have made a really compelling choice for portable gaming into the early 2000s. Sadly, that isn’t what happened.
Game Boy not only had a head start on the Game Gear, it lasted longer than any console not named Playstation 2, after a soft relaunch (GB Pocket+Color) that benefited from the Pokemon series. When Game Gear was on the market, the year-over-year sales were close until GG was discontinued
If the sales of both portables were close year after year then it meant GameGear was selling strongly. Then it was discontinued? Doesnt make sense. Sound more like an excuse.
Only one console (home and handheld/portable) lasted as long as Game Boy, everything else was discontinued before that time, including all Nintendo consoles
I had both and neither of them had been played with batteries. I never played them somewhere, where there wouldn`t be any outlets, so battery life wasn`t an issue for me. But boy ... did I forget that Game Boy (bought in 1992) as soon as I got my hands on the Game Gear (around 1993). Yeah, colour screen was great, but lit screen was even better. No longer did I need some external source of light. I played that Sega under the blanket when my parents thought I was already alseep. Game libary Game Gear also suited my needs a lot better than those on the Game Boy. I ended up giving that Nintendo away for the price of a Playboy. With all the games included. In Slovenia where I lived (that was way before we joined EU), Game Gear was very popular and I could bet it was 50/50 market share with Game Boy.
They should used LEDs, or even no backlights, but a full on lightsaber on batteries was arguably the worst they could've done.
Battery life! It is exactly why Nintendo used the dot matrix screen.
The Game gear was bought by many kids. They saw huge profits, success
Profits which Sega blew on the Sega 32X, the cancelled Neptune, the discontinued Nomad, and finally, the Saturn.
My mom got the Game Gear for Christmas. The sad part was her parents had to run back to Toys R Us to grab the rechargeable battery pack.
1:16 I see the Atari Lynx isn’t on that chart
Sega really should've thought the hardware development of the Game Gear through before launching it to the public. I mean, if it was going to be more expensive(even just slightly more) than the Gameboy prior to release, fine; I can deal with that since not everything has to be the same to find enjoyment out of them! But Sega really needed to sure the battery life was fair and long lasting enough in the long run before releasing it to the public to warrant any investment from their customer base at the time. Imo, the batery life should've been at least 7 to 8 hours max; especially with the hardware that the games were running on at the time!
For me it wasn`t a big deal as I never played Game Boy or Game Gear on batteries.
I liked the idea and even implementation of the 32x and sega cd, which could provide a budget way to upgrade to a next generation experience, especially when a system may only need ten or so games of the consumers choice to make it a pretty good deal. I could definitely name 10 Saturn games I'd like so I got that as a teen.
Game Boy had the Pokémon hype going for it
That was 1996
Theres that Pokemon excuse as to why Game Gear failed again. LOL
Do a little research.
I'm not even pressing play. Battery life. You could not finish Sonic 1 on batteries. And decent batteries were expensive back then.
Loved game gear because it was in COLOR, and the wide design is better.
Hated Gameboy, never had one, never wanted one.
Gameboy is basically a Tiger handheld, but with batteries.
I love my Game Gear, I want to upgrade the screen to make it lcd but worried about my soldering skills.
I completely agree. At some point I had both the Gameboy and Gamegear (with the case and rechargeable plugin battery lol)
While gameboy was highly limited, Nintendo had more third party and superior developers making epic games. On the Gameboy we had Metroid2, OperationC(contra) Mario World, Final Fantasy...
All epic games miraculously amazing given the specs.
On gamegear I had Power Rangers which was super fun, Sonic and some others... they were good but compared to a game like Metroid... lack depth.
If Sega would have cut down on wasting money and invested in taking more time to do good games, they would have done better. Sega had many administrative blunders and Sega USA vs Sega Japan tensions certainly contributed to many bad decisions.
I had both systems, but Game Gear drew me in with better games than Nintendo. My favourite was probably Road Rash. Some good titles were also Jurassic Park, Battletoads, Shinobi, Batman Returns, Lemmings, Alien 3, Streets of Rage etc.
I think it's way more simple than that The game boy had more games and it was cheaper and if parents don't have to spend as much money on a handheld then they're not going to
if the gamegear was made today with better battery technology it would have been slightly more popular< i owned a game gear and later a gameboy color..
I had both of these as a kid I love them both I thought to say I got handheld was way better though well let's screen to play at night came in color from the start I just wish it had gotten popular enough that they've kept it going
Game Gear failed for two main reasons: Price point and battery consumption.
Game Gear was a superior system by far, but it was expensive on two fronts. That is a killer.
I am an age that videos like this are not 'educational', but they are just pure nostalgia 🎮
Well, I can tell you that I never feel the same. Nope. Not me.
...looks in mirror, weeps....
I'm sure it didn't help that Sega decided to insult the 15+ million people who purchased the affordable and battery efficient Game Boy, and the company that resurrected the video game industry after the crash of 1983, AND the top selling game of all time until Minecraft dethroned it in 2019.
gameboy wasnt greyscale it was 3 shades of green and one transparent
Bought this jewel because of surf ninjas. Saw it in the movie and thought it was cool.
I bought a GameGear and bought my girlfriend a Gameboy when we were on vacation many years ago. I should have bought shares in Duracell, man did the Gear eat batteries. I think the first set got chewed out inside 90 minutes! Within a monthbI was so pissed off with it, I just went out and bought a Gameboy so at least me and gf could then share games. I used my GB for about 7 years before I put it away, eventually during a clear out around 2010 I was able to sell my GB on ebay still fully working!!
( My gf later became my wife and I've had her for 30+ years now but eBay won't take her! ha ha!! )
Sega was the Betamax to Nintendo's VHS, Sega had the superior tech but Nintendo knew their market and deliberately played their strengths and played down the tech. I bought Gameboy Color when it came out and later the GBA as well which was one of Nintendo's small number of failures. The best was the GB Color, that was an amazing little system, I had about 150 games for that by the time I sold it.
How I remember it as a kid
Battery cost
Parents budget (one or the other)
Game library
Cool factor Nintendo
I think one issue was the just plain *hateful* way Sega advertised the thing in the North American Market. You don't win people over by insinuating that they're disabled or stupid for using a competitor's product. Nintendo sold their products on the merits of how fun they were. They didn't feel the need to cut anyone down.
Lots of sega fan boy salt in the comments. You'd think most of us would be adults by now. Sheesh... Anyway, good video.
Having owned both the GB and GG i can say the battery life was the reason, before I even watch the video lol
Two words: battery life. omg the Game Gear was an absolute pig when it came to batteries. If you didn't have the wall charger, it got REALLY expensive. And what's the point of a portable console if you always had to plug it in or else it would die in a few hours... eating up SIX AAs.
The voice sounds familiar. Who is he?
Those Ninja Gaiden animation frames are SO janky!😅
5:54 is that Ethan Suplee?
Sonic chaos was a really good game for family road trips in the early 90’s. Just saying
I’ve watched a lot of Sega videos over the years, basically if it weren’t for extreme greed and impatience and really just lack of common sense, they would probably still be making consoles today
And just dumb decisions over and over again.
Two biggest reasons; batteries were expensive and Nintendo games were everywhere.
Biggest reason game Gear way more expensive by alot
Game gear AKA Battery Eater 2000
the game gear was way more powerful than the gameboy , Nintendo won on the battery war , nothing else , I hated my gameboy , loved my lynx
Its obvious why Game Gear didn't sell well. Bad Battery, bad caps, inferior ports (basically SMS versions of games on the go). May of lacked exclusives.
Fix those and add more exclusives/spinoffs instead of last gen ports (relative to the genesis/megadrive) and it would of sold much better.
It would be MUCH better once modded. Its not a unworthy handheld to own once that is done to it.
It depends on the market. I think in Europe Game Gear (and Sega in general) sold very well in the 90s. I actually knew more kids with Sega systems than Nintendos.
Got a like and subscribe outta me for this video!
I got a GameGear in 1992. Battery life was NEVER an issue for me. I had the chargable battery pack and AC adapter. When at home, I played plugged in. When on the go, I used the battery pack.
Nice Video ! Sub & Big Like ! And Love Retro Sega Games !
thanks so much!!!
it wasnt better than the lynx , do you even check your facts or are you just AI , the lynx was way more powerful than the game gear
Battery life.
Literally that simple.
I read it was also hurt by Nintendo forcing game stores to not sell the Game Gear if they wanted to sell the Game Boy, an illegal practice Microsoft also did with Windows back then. It's kind of funny the battery life was seen as such a big issue when the Switch is about as bad 30 years later.
"the Switch is about as bad 30 years later." - You're referring to the worst-case scenario for the Switch battery under high load. On the top end of its charge life, it can achieve 9+ hours. The GG's top end was only 5+, so your statement is factually wrong.
The Switch's battery issues are counterbalanced by the vast ongoing library of games.
Software support was the GG's most significant issue, not the battery or Nintendo's tactics. Those other factors wouldn't have sunk it with more substantial game releases and financial support from Sega; case in point.
Blame the other factors all you like, but Sega is still at fault for the GG's ultimate failure.
@@notsyzagts7967 Switch's low end battery is actually lower than that of GG. The GG didn't fail, it made profit and had a lifespan of about 6 years.
The price. Why is this video so long?
muuuuuuuuuuch more than that. Battery probably the worst culprit honestly.
@@AlmostSomething Also the price of the software tended to be $10 or $15 more expensive than their Gameboy counterparts!
If you want short vids, go to TH-cam shorts. This is a documentary. Definitely not recommended for people with severe case of impatience or those who lack focus.