Game consoles (Projecto Alter)

In this timeline, the German empire, which won the WW 1, and the Japanese empire are the biggest powers of the world. The USA is split in four countries. The dictatorship in the Soviet Union has fallen, but the Socialism survived. There is no cold war. In the Western world, Socialism is as tolerable as Islamism.

The history of video game consoles diverges from OTL in the fourth generation. The only difference in the history of Atari in this timeline is that it is from Seatle, Canada.

=Consoles=

SNES
It is like Super Nintendo in OTL. Some games are 3D and use Super FX chips, which are included in the cartridges of games that use it.

SMD
It is like Sega Mega Drive in OTL. The only addon released for it is the 32X addon.

Turbo Engine CD
It is the only console released by NEC and uses CD.

OTL games released for Turbo Engine:
 * The original PCE games were released in CD as well and are fast because they use only a small outer part of the CD.
 * PC Engine CD
 * Mega CD (except for Sega games)

History
SMD started better because of the popularity of Arcade. SNES became more popular later, because of the popularity of long games, which requires saving.

In Japan, SNES was the most successful and SMD was a failure. In North America, SNES and SMD were sucessful. In Europe, SMD was the most successful. In Latin America, SMD was the most successful and Turbo Engine was a failure.

N64
It is like Nintendo 64 in OTL. It uses cartridge and has 3D graphics, but the textures are minimalist.

Saturn
NEC joined Sega, because NEC was weak in regions other than Japan and Sega was weak in Japan.

Saturn is a Sega console that has a good 32-bit system for 2D games. It can use either CD pr cartridge, but most developers preferred CD. It is based on OTL original Saturn project. Its marketing says that it is cheaper and the other consoles have ugly 3D. It supports VCD, unlike PS1.

OTL games released for it:
 * Sega games released for Mega CD (Sonic CD)
 * NEC PC FX
 * Sega Saturn 2D games
 * Neogeo CD
 * Many OTL PS1 2D games were transferred: Suikoden series, Lunar series, Castlevania, Street Fighter Alpha.
 * Few PS1 ports with pre-rendered graphics: Final Fantasy 7.

Retrocompatibility: Turbo Engine CD games

The cartridge slot can receive more memory.

The cartridge slot can receive an updated version of the 32X addon, which supports 3D. 32X games are compatible with it. However, the addon was a commercial failure. Few Arcade games were ported: Virtua Racing, Panzer Dragoon, Nights, Virtua Fighter 2.

PS1
It is like Sony Play Station 1 in OTL. It uses CD and has 3D graphics, but there is loading time.

Although some OTL 2D games were moved to Saturn, some OTL Saturn 3D games were moved to PS1 (except Sega games). Examples: Burning Rangers.

History
This generation showed that CD is prefereable over cartridge and 3D games are more popular.

In all regions, PS1 was very successful and the other consoles were far from it. N64 was the most unsucessful.

Dream Cube
Sega joined Nintendo. Both companies were weak in the previous generation and Sega was in a financial crisis.

Dream Cube is an OTL Dreamcast with the shape of a white cube. It uses GC mini-DVD. Its hardware specs are the same as OTL GC. It uses the OTL Wii classic controller. It was released in 2000.

OTL games released for it:
 * Dreamcast and Game Cube
 * OTL Sega Saturn 3D games (Sonic R, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Shining Force III, Dragon Force, Virtua Cop)
 * Collection of Sega Arcade 3D games released in the previous generation (Panzer Dragoon, Nights, Virtua Fighter 2)
 * PS2 Sega Ages (everything in English)
 * PS2 Sega games (Virtua Fighter 4)
 * Rareware games (Conker)

Retrocompatibility: Saturn games in CD.

PS2
It is like PS2 in OTL. It was released in 2001. It supports DVD movies.

Retrocompatibility: PS1.

New games: Disney kart, Disney Smash (games developed to be like Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros)

Xbox
It is like Xbox in OTL. Most games are ports from other platforms.

It has few original games: Fable, Jade Empire, KOTOR, Morrowind, Dead or Alive, Halo, Project Gotham Racing, Forza, Psychonauts, Crimson Skies.

History
In all regions, PS2 was very successful. Dream Cube was good, but it was far from PS2. Xbox was a failure.

Wii
It is like Wii in OTL. It has graphics and hardware of the preceding generation, but it supports motion controllers.

Retrocompatibility: Dream Cube.

VC: N64, SNES, SMD, 32X, Neogeo, PCE.

PS3
It is like PS3 in OTL.

Retrocompatibility: PS1.

VC: PS1, few PS2 remasters.

Optional addon: Kinect (released later)

Konsonik
It is a 2D console created by the Soviet Union for 480p televisions. The technology is simple both it reached developing countries. It has lots of tools for common people develop games freely. Nothing controls the releases. There are tools like RPG Maker, Mugen and hacking tools. The software is compatible with Russian computers and can be emulated in American computers. Its tools and emulators are popular with alternative gamers in North America and Europe and doujin in Japan.

History
It introduced VC, which are downloaded games to be emulated without changes. Remasters are rereleases of old games in HD with new models and textures. Unlike fully-emulated games, rereleases were modified in some parts and were recompiled using a compatiblity layer.

Wii started better, but it lost its popularity because of the expansion of HD televisions. Wii is cheaper, but it looked good only in 480p televisions.

Both consoles performed well. Wii was the most successful in Latin America.

PS4
It is like PS4 in OTL.

Retrocompatibility: PS1, PS2 (upscaled).

VC: PS1, PS2 (upscaled), few PS2 remasters (including the ones for PS3), few PS3 remasters (The Last of Us, Uncharted trilogy, God of War).

Optional addon: Kinect

WiW
It is like WiiU in OTL. It has graphics of the preceding generation, but the hardware is cheaper.

It used to come with a tablet controller. The tablet controller was unsuccessful and then it was discontinued. The main controller is the Pro one, which is normal. Because of the failure, the strategy was changed. The expensive controller is optional for making the console cheap. Nintendo introduced a custom home Android version for allowing multimedia usage, homebrew software and popular apps. They kept games for WiiU. Nintendo also converted and included Xbox games and continued some Xbox franchises. Consequently, Wiw was not ignored by games that does not require powerful hardware, such as anime games, indie games, puzzles, visual novels and 2D/2.5D fighting games.

Retrocompatibility: Wii and its retrocompatibility.

VC: It was added: GBA, DS.

OTL games released for it:
 * Wii U
 * Sega games released for X360: Sonic Racing, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Generations, Sonic 4 (Sonic 2006 and Sonic for Wii U don't exist in this timeline)
 * Xbox 2001 emulation
 * Rareware Xbox games (Killer Instinct 2014)
 * Some X360 games (Dead or Alive series, Forza Horizons series, Fable 2)
 * Android games in bytecode
 * Android games ARM with JIT games if they aren't slow

Meganik
It is the evolution of Konsonik and supports 3D graphics at 720p. It has PS2-like graphics. Its popularity is better than its predecessor and some Western companies started to clone and support it. The hardware specs are simple and open. It can be emulated in strong computers.

History
PS4 was the most successful console in North America, Europe and Japan. WiW was unsuccessful, but managed to be a good console to have. In Latin America PS4 was the console of rich people, and common people had PS3 or Meganik. In the preceding generation Wii was the most popular console and PS3 became cheap and appeared as something new.

Meganik became notable in the developed countries, but it is still far from Wiw. In Latin America, Tec Toy is the biggest manufacturer of Meganik clones. Besides the socialist countries, Meganik is the most popular console in India and Indonesia, which import clones manufactured in Taiwan and South Korea, where the most popular console is PS4.

Nineth generation
The new generation is still coming.
 * PS VR: Sony wants to use glasses like the Oculus Rift. It will be the next major step in the gaming history.
 * Switch: Nintendo will develop a hybrid device. It is expected to be popular in crowded countries that have small houses, such as Japan, and in regions where the people prefer outdoors environments.
 * Teranik: It has the power of a PS4 and the Soviets believe the it is the ultimate console and a new console will not have to be developed in the future. They are skeptical about VR glasses. Although the new console supports photorealism, photorealist games is too complex for home developers. The number of Western companies that are going to develop games for it is getting bigger.

=Handheld=

Seventh generation
The most successful consoles were PSP and NDS. NDS got many complains about the inefficiency of having to small screens while the gamer sees only one each time. PSP has problems with the loading time.

Vita
It was the best handheld console released, but it doesn't have many releases.

Later, in order to increase the sales, Sony unlocked PSP software and made a custom Android version. It allowed homebrews, popular Android games and apps and kept the Vita power.

Retrocompatibility: PS1 software, PSP software.

VC: PS1, few PS2 remasters.

GB3D
It is known as Game Boy 3D and has the inner hardware of 3DS in OTL. It features stereoscopic 3D, but it has only one screen.

Later, in order to increase the sales, Nintendo released a second model with better battery, a second analog stick built-in and without stereoscopic 3D to be cheaper.

Retrocompatibility: DS

VC: SNES, SMD, 32X, Neogeo, PCE, GBA, DS, few N64 remasters (both Zelda games). The VC network and account is the same used in Wii.

History
The concurrency of games for smartphones decreased the sales of the handheld consoles a lot. Vita was going to be very successful, but failed.

=Developers=

Square
PS2
 * FFX (unchanged)
 * FFXI (It is not online. It has FFXI world, FFX2 Battle System and new story.
 * FFXII (new game with world and style of FF1-FF5)
 * Ivalice Fantasy (the FF12 of OTL)
 * KH 1 & 2 (unchanged)
 * Tale of Mana (good game, replaces Dawn of Mana)
 * FFT2 (using hex grid)
 * FFT3 (using continuous grid)
 * DQ8 (unchanged)

GBA
 * FF1 & 2 (the FF2 system and mechanics are redone and fixed)
 * FF3 (The planned Wonderswan version with named characters and DS dialogs. Some battles have at most 3 enemies, other batles have at most 8 enemies.)
 * FF4 (unchanged)
 * FF5, FF6 (they fixed sprite consistency, colors and audio)
 * CT (DS version)
 * Sword of Mana (unchanged)
 * Secret of Mana remake (improved battle into something dynamic and allowing combos)
 * Remakes: Terranigma, Illusion of Gaia, Soul Blazer
 * Remakes: DQ 3, 4, 5, 6.

DS
 * Seiken Densetsu 3 (2D, one plays with all characters and the paths are combined.)
 * New Final Fantasy 2D (The sound track is from the Dragon Quest series)
 * New Tactics Ogre
 * Gaianigma (new 2D game with Zelda-like puzzles)

PSP
 * FF4 (3D remake, voices, DS problems excluded, The After Years doesn't exist)
 * FFT WoL (updated GUI)
 * TO LUCT
 * KH (unchanged)
 * Power of Mana (New game, it is like Ys)
 * FF7, FF8, FF9 (single disc, bug fix, bestiary, sound test, better models)
 * Valkirie Profile (unchanged)

GB3D
 * Monster Tamer 1 (Pokemon clone)
 * Monster Tamer 2 (Pokemon clone with multiple monsters in battle)

PS3 (These are the main games. Since now, all releases will get a PC version as well.)
 * FFXIII (It is the merger and simplifications of the FF13 series of OTL. Other characters can be controlled.)
 * FFXIV (It is FF Type-0 in OTL. It is in English and it is for console.)
 * Chrono Break (Unrelated to CT, but it has the same style)
 * Fantasy Quest (DQ9 world with FF mechanics and new story)
 * Vagrant Story 2 (It is different, but it uses the same idea for battle)
 * A WRPG game

PS4
 * Brave Heart (It is FF15 in OTL)

Sega
Saturn
 * Phantasy Star 1 (the OTL Sony PS2 version in English)
 * Phantasy Star 2 (It is based on the OTL Sony PS2 version in English. Movies were added, dialogs are longer and have emotion. It is less repetitive.)
 * Phantasy Star 3 (The games is completely remade. The idea of generations and worlds in the spacecraft is kept.)

Dream Cube
 * Streets of Rage 4
 * Golden Axe 4
 * Road Rash 4

WiW
 * Sonic Unleashed (No werehog. It is the X360 version. The Wii version exists as well)

Nintendo
GBA
 * Earthbound series (The battle system and the encounter are improved.)
 * Fire Emblem series (It is possible to train the characters between chapters.)

GB3D
 * Zelda - Majora's Mask (remake)(The time limit is not a problem anymore)
 * Zelda - Wind Waker (remake)(Better textures rather than cartoon graphics)

WiW
 * Zelda - Skywards Sword (It uses normal controller. There is no Wind Waker remake.)

Others
GBA
 * Popful Mail (remake)(The combat is better, the character can use combos, and backtracking is not required.)

DS
 * Rune Factory Adventure (It is an ARPG and doesn't have farming. The battle system is the same as Rune Factory 3.

PSP
 * Ys 1 and 2 (remake)(The bump system were replaced with a modern combat system)
 * Tales of Phantasia (remake)(The battle system is turn-based.)
 * Tales of Eternia (remake)(The battle system is 3D rather than linear)

Wii
 * Grandia 4 (A new game is developed with the same battle system as Grandia 3)
 * Suikoden 6 (In Harmonia)