Ohga Shrugs

This is a technological alternate history. In short, the PlayStation brand is never created, both keeping Sega and Nintendo the main players in the game console market through the current day and limiting the expansion of the Video Game Console market.

= Timeline =

1991

 * December – The Sega CD is released as a Sega peripheral. It flops

1992

 * April 11 – The SNES is launched in Europe
 * June – The first version of Street Fighter 2 is released for the Super Nintendo.

1993

 * October – Ridge Racer is released in the arcades. The game does not come to home consoles.

1994

 * November – The 32X is released in the West. 6 games are made for it.
 * November 22 – The Sega Saturn is released in Japan. The key launch title is Virtua Fighter, which goes on to be the dominant fighting franchise on the platform.
 * December – Tekken is released in the arcades. This series does not come to home consoles the entire 5th console generation.

1995

 * March – Panzer Dragoon is released for the Saturn
 * April – Daytona USA is released for the Saturn.
 * September – The Sega Saturn is released worldwide at a price of about $299. Key launch titles include Virtua Fighter, Virtua Cop, and Daytona USA.
 * November - Virtua Cop is another major title, and is the leading on-rails shooter of the era.
 * December – Virtua Fighter 2 is released. The game goes on to become the Saturn’s best selling fighter.
 * December – Sega Rally Championship is released. This revolutionary racer, which allows for different surfaces to have different properties, is the primary Saturn racing game.

1996

 * January – A port of Street Fighter Alpha is brought to the Saturn.
 * May – Resident Evil is released for the Saturn. It helps define early 3D gaming.
 * June 23 – The Nintendo 64 is released in Japan
 * July – Nights into Dreams is released by the Sonic Team for the Saturn. Although a critical darling, it is no Sonic.
 * September – Sakura Taisen is released in Japan. This popular dating sim series makes it big in that country, but is never brought West.
 * September – Wave Race 64 is released.
 * September – Crash Bandicoot is released for the Saturn. This third party game, published by Universal Interactive Studios, becomes the Saturn’s answer to Mario.
 * September 26 – The Nintendo 64 is released in North America at $250. The Saturn’s price is cut to $250.
 * October – Tomb Raider is released for the Saturn. It becomes one of the system’s premiere franchises.
 * October – Rayman is released for the Saturn. It becomes the #1 2D platformer for the system.
 * December – Fighters Megamix is released for the Saturn. The game combines aspects of multiple Sega fighting games in a King of Fighters-like fashion.
 * December – Mario Kart 64 is released in Japan. The game wasily becomes the best selling racer on the N64.
 * December – Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is released. Although a moderate hit, it merely hints at later great games like Goldeneye and Star Fox 64.

1997

 * January – Final Fantasy 7 comes out in Japan for the N64, followed by a worldwide release later in the year. As an N64 exclusive, it is radically different from our timeline’s Final Fantasy 7. Character models are more developed, but lack the same level of detail in environments. The same character models are used in and out of battle, and load times are mostly eliminated, but the world is smaller, there is less music, and cinematics are kept to a minimum. The resulting project is significantly smaller (a 20 hour RPG rather than a 40 hour one), but more concentrated and coherent. Although a hit in the west, the series does not reach true superstardom like in our timeline.
 * March 1 – The N64 is released in Europe
 * April – Star Fox 64 is released. The game features Rumble Pack compatibility, which is later used as an option in other games as well.
 * May – Saturn and N64 prices are cut to $200.
 * August – Goldeneye is released for the N64. The popularity of the first major console FPS draws in a lot of older gamers, especially due to the multiplayer.
 * September – Super Robot Taisen F is released for the Saturn in Japan. Like many popular Japanese Saturn games, it never leaves the country.
 * November – Diddy Kong Racing is released. It essentially feeds off of and expands upon Mario Kart’s success.
 * November – Tomb Raider 2 is released. It becomes one of the best selling action games on the Saturn.
 * December – Yoshi’s Story is released for the N64. The game sells well enough, but has a poor critical reception largely due to its brevity.
 * December - Crash Bandicoot 2 is released for the Saturn. It goes on to become the best selling 3D platformer on the system.

1998

 * March – Resident Evil 2 is released for the Saturn. It is eventually ported to the N64 in a slighty compromised fashion.
 * June – Banjo-Kazooie is released. It is arguably the greatest 3D platformer on the N64, a platform known for its 3D platformers.
 * August – Console prices are cut to $150.
 * October – Metal Gear Solid is released for the Saturn.
 * October – Spyro the Dragon is released for the Saturn.
 * October – The Game Boy Color is launched. Despite launching with a deluxe version of Tetris, it is overshadowed by the Pokemon phenomenon.
 * November – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is released. The game is just as big a deal as it is in real life, if not more so.
 * November – Crash Bandicoot 3 is released.
 * November – Virtua Fighter 3 is released for the Saturn.
 * December – Mario Party is released to good sales and some praise. It starts yet another multiplayer series for Nintendo systems.

1999

 * January – Super Smash Bros is released for the N64. The game joins the library of multiplayer titles the N64 has become known for, and becomes the best selling fighting game on the system.
 * February – Final Fantasy 8 comes out for the N64.
 * March – Pokemon Snap is released. Despite its brevity, it becomes the second best selling on-rails shooter on the N64, following Star Fox 64.
 * April – Pokemon Stadium is released. The game helps breathe life into the aging N64, preparing it for the onslaught of the Dreamcast.
 * July – Driver is released for the Saturn
 * July – Seaman is released for the Saturn alongside a microphone peripheral. It becomes a cult hit.
 * May – Star Wars Episode 1 Racer is released to critical acclaim and sales success on the N64. It is later ported to the upcoming Dreamcast.
 * September – The N64’s price is cut to $130
 * November - Donkey Kong 64 is released. The game required a special expansion pack for increased RAM, like the latter Majora’s Mask. Nonetheless, it sells well.

2000

 * February – Dead or Alive 2 is released for the Saturn.
 * April – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is released. It suffers from lower sales than Ocarina of Time due to the need for a peripheral.
 * July – Dragon Quest 7 is released for the N64. The game helps the N64 temporarily overshadow the upcoming Dreamcast in Japan, despite its age.
 * September – The Dreamcast is launched in Japan, and is released worldwide over the next few months. Launch window titles include Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Samba de Amigo, Shenmue, Sonic Shuffle, and Capcom vs. SNK. It is renowned as one of the great launch lineups of all time.
 * September – Final Fantasy 9 is released for the N64.
 * October – Skies of Arcadia is released for the Dreamcast.
 * November – The N64’s price is cut to $100
 * December – Pokemon Stadium 2 is released. The game is one of the N64’s last hurrahs.
 * December – Phantasy Star Online is launched, and becomes the first great console MMO.

2001

 * June – The Game Boy Advance is launched. Unlike its predecessors, it is virtually uncontested. It is released with Super Mario Advance,
 * July – Mario Kart: Super Circuit is released for the GBA.
 * September – Super Monkey Ball is released for the Dreamcast
 * September – The GameCube is released in Japan. Key launch titles include Final Fantasy X and Luigi’s Mansion. Final Fantasy X easily dominates the launch, guaranteeing the GameCube a place in the country.
 * October – Grand Theft Auto is released for the PC. The game is NOT available on the Dreamcast, due to the limited control scheme and the lackluster memory of Dreamcast discs.
 * October – Pikmin is released for the GameCube.
 * November -The GameCube launches in America with the main Japanese launch titles and Pikmin.
 * November – Super Smash Bros Melee is released. It becomes the first killer app for the GameCube.
 * November – Metal Gear Solid 2 is released for the Dreamcast. The game is a huge step above its predecessor on a technological level, but still falls short of our timeline’s version.
 * November – Rez is released for the Dreamcast
 * December – Super Mario Advance 2 is released

2002

 * January – Virtua Fighter 4 is released for the Dreamcast. It joins the vast library of Dreamcast fighters with a strong online fanbase.
 * February – Sonic Adventure 2 is released
 * May – The GameCube is launched in Europe.
 * July – Super Mario Sunshine is released. The game scores and sells better than Sonic’s recent outings, but not by tremendously much.
 * September – Super Mario Advance 3 is released.
 * October – Shenmue 2 is released.
 * October – Kirby’s Nightmare in Dreamland is released
 * November – Shinobi is released for the Dreamcast. It is fucking hard.
 * November – Pokemon Generation 3 is released.
 * December – Panzer Dragoon Orta is released. It shames Star Fox fans.
 * December – The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is released. Despite the controversial art style, the game ultimately is well received, although not as much as Ocarina of Time.

2003

 * January – The House of the Dead 3 is released for the Dreamcast.
 * July – Super Mario Advance 4 is released.
 * November – Sonic Heroes is released. It is the worst received Sonic platformer yet.
 * November – Mario Kart: Double Dash is released. The game receives generally good reviews, but is hindered by a lack on online play compared to the Dreamcast.

2004

 * January – Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen
 * September – Pokemon Emerald is released
 * November – Shenmue 3 is released. The series as a whole sold well and was a critical hit, but was financially draining. The series ends here.

2005

 * November - Shadow the Hedgehog is released. It receives very mixed reviews.

2006

 * March – The Game Boy Nitro is launched for $150. This handheld is similar to our DS, but with only the one touchscreen, a touch more horsepower, and an analog stick, making it appear similar to the PSP. Like the Advance, it goes virtually unopposed in the handheld market.
 * November – Sega and Nintendo release their 7th generation systems, the Pluto and the Revolution, for about $300 apiece at minimum with multiple skus and bundles. The two systems have similar specs, somewhere between our timeline’s Wii and the HD twins, and use 4.7 GB DVD discs. If anything, specs are comparable to the Vita’s, with some stats being higher and lower. Thus, games are typically rendered in 480p or 720p. Controllers are similar to the real-life standard, with four face buttons, a D-Pad, dual analogs, Start, Select, and home buttons, and two rows of shoulder buttons. The main difference between the two consoles is online strategy. Sega uses an Xbox Live-like system, where players pay per month of online access and play, and a market of downloadable games is quick to get started. The Revolution, on the other hand, is similar to the Wii in terms of online support. The service is free, and doesn’t launch with a true eShop, instead having a Virtual Console service. Over time, both consoles get better online support, including eventual Netflix compatibility.
 * November – The Sega Pluto is launched. Sega launches the system with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, with 3rd party titles including sports and racing games, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and Blue Dragon, which is funded in part and published by Sega. Sonic the Hedgehog is intended to be a launch title, but is delayed for quality reasons. Therefore, the launch is considered somewhat disappointing, ala the PS3 launch in our timeline.
 * November – The Nintendo Revolution is launched. Nintendo launches the system with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Viva Pinata, with third parties providing various sports and racing games and Dead Rising.

2007

 * February – Virtua Fighter 5 is released for the Pluto.
 * March – Virtua Tennis 3 is released
 * April – Super Paper Mario is released
 * May – Mario Party 8 is released. It performs similarly to its GameCube predecessors.
 * June – Sonic the Hedgehog, better known as Sonic 07, is released. Although by no means the mess our timeline’s counterpart was, the game is still heavily criticized for its story.
 * August – Metroid Prime 3 is released. The game finishes the Prime trilogy, but the lack of online multiplayer prevents it from becoming a killer app.
 * November – Sonic at the Olympic Games is released. The game is meant to compete with Nintendo’s Mario Sports titles. Although not quite as popular as our timeline’s Mario crossover series, it does well.
 * November – Super Mario Galaxy is released to about as much acclaim as in our timeline. Except it’s in glorious HD. So that’s cool.
 * November – Assassin’s Creed is released for both consoles. The game is slightly scaled down from our timeline’s version, and still suffers from repetition. Nevertheless, the game proves to be a hit, starts a new franchise, and shows off what these new systems can do.
 * November – Guitar Hero is released for the Revolution and Pluto. It starts what becomes a major franchise. This is two years later than in our timeline due to the limits of G6 discs and the lack of establishment of the two consoles in 2006.
 * December – Revolution Fitness is released by Nintendo to the Revolution. In a timeline where the market is limited, this game helps sell a lot of systems, pushing this generation ahead of its predecessors.

2008

 * January – Devil May Cry 4 is released for both consoles.
 * March – Sega Superstar Tennis is released, to surprisingly good reviews and sales.
 * March – Super Smash Bros Brawl is released for the Revolution. It is the first game to make extensive use of Nintendo’s online service, and is the beginning of a positive trend for Nintendo.
 * April - Valkyria Chronicles is released for the Pluto.
 * April – Mario Kart X is released for the Revolution. It becomes the best selling racing game of its generation, and pushes a lot of hardware.
 * June – Metal Gear Solid 4 is released for the Pluto.
 * July – Soul Calibur 4 is released
 * September – Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is released as a multiplatform title.
 * October – Guitar Hero 2 is released. The game builds on the previous entry’s success.
 * December – Final Fantasy 13 is released for both consoles, although the better selling and received version is on the Revolution. The game

2009

 * February – Sonic Unleashed is released.
 * February – Street Fighter 4 comes to the consoles. The game resparks the fighting genre.
 * February – Yakuza 3 is released for the Pluto.
 * March – Resident Evil 5 is released for both consoles. The game is one of the most popular shooters of the generation, and further popularizes 3rd person shooters.
 * June – Prototype is released.
 * August – Batman: Arkham Asylum is released for both consoles. The game does well critically and commercially.
 * August – Monster Hunter 3 is released as a Revolution exclusive. A port of the game is eventually brought to the Nitro.
 * September – Need for Speed: Shift is released
 * September – Revolution Sports is released for the Revolution.
 * October – Bayonetta is released for the Pluto.
 * October – Revolution Fitness Plus is released.
 * October – Tekken 6 is released for both consoles.
 * November – Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games is released
 * November – At long last, the first Call of Duty game is brought to the consoles: a port of Modern Warfare. Although the series is at home on the PC, it finds some success on the Revolution and Pluto.
 * November – New Super Mario Bros Revolution is released. The game repopularizes 2D platformers, and expands the Revolution’s installbase.
 * November – Assassin’s Creed 2 is released. In lieu of popular FPS’s like Call of Duty and Halo, and even Grand Theft Auto, this game helps define the generation of games

2010

 * February - Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is released for the Pluto.
 * May – Super Mario Galaxy 2 is released
 * August – Revolution Party
 * November – Sonic Colors is released
 * November – Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is released. From this point on, Assassin’s Creed is an annual franchise.
 * November – Epic Mickey is released for both consoles.
 * November - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is released.
 * December – Monster Hunter 3 Portable is released for the Nitro

2011

 * April – The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is released. The game features some of the best graphics in console history, with both technical prowess and artistic genius.
 * November – Sonic at the 2012 Olympic Games is released.
 * November – Sonic Generations is released to celebrate the Hedgehog’s 20th birthday. The game combines 2D and 3D gameplay.
 * November – Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is released.

2012

 * November – The successors of both the Pluto and the Revolution are launched.