5 Things You Didn’t Know About SEGA

I’m very glad that video games are where they are today. I’ve loved them all of my life. Outside of Playstation, the system I spent a good amount of my saddest nerdiest of times with was the Sega Genesis. I remember thinking that the Sega Genesis was such a scientific advancement in video gaming… so futuristic and otherworldly. This machine was a true feat of master engineering. I remember thinking the Sega Genesis was so cool that I was scared that humanity might be advancing too rapidly, finally resulting in the destruction of the universe by our own technological might. Luckily, I was wrong and video games got even better AND the universe survived.

Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about the Sega Genesis:

• Sega Partnered With The Makers of The Game Genie

  The game genie. A device created to help you cheat in various ways through various titles in the video game world. These were the days where I would destroy controllers because it was an extra enraging time in video games. The games were super difficult and frustrating. The game genie gave you the same freedom in the gaming world that a machine that makes fake credit cards could give you in this world. Nintendo decided that the Game Genie was evil and wanted nothing to do with it… but Sega partnered with Galoob.

• Before Video Games, Sega Sold TV's

  The 1970’s. What a crazy time. There wasn’t alot goin on in the way of video games, but Sega was selling weird projection TV’s. Luckily, for them things got better. The tv itself was a horrible failure. But there was one good thing that happened for the folks that worked on the Sega TV… it was a featured prize one time on the Price is Right. What a celebration that day was for the folks of Sega TV. They truly captured a moment. They knew once Bob Barker revealed that TV as a prize, it made everything they had done… well worth it.

• Sega's Early 90's Virtual Reality Was So Advanced it Scared Them

  We talk about AI today and the scary, horrifying potential nightmares it can unleash on our reality. Well, we narrowly escaped certain doom, when unbeknownst to most of society, Sega almost destroyed the planet with virtual reality so realistic it literally scared them into ceasing the project. It’s good to know that they were responsible enough to stop before unraveling all of our minds.

• Sega Was The First to Charge 25 Cents For Arcade Games

  Arcade games used to be the main delivery methods of video game entertainment. There have been slot machines and other games in the past that were coin operated. But Sega created an arcade game that was so mind-blowing, they deemed each individual round of play worth 25 cents. It was an insane price for the time. They knew that society was ready for a game that they knew would be worth the money. What game could be worth such a price? Periscope. That’s right… Periscope.

• Somehow Sega Had Online Multiplayer

  I know that in today’s world, the internet not being as fast as possible can turn out to be really frustrating. Especially, in terms of gaming. Well, can you imagine nauseating pain your brain would be in trying to play the Sega Net Link. A technology that.. maybe, just maybe could allow you to play a game with your friend in a different place… but probably not. Using the old internet and phone lines, one Sega would literally call another Sega. Yes, things are better now.