Sega Game Gear

The Game Gear's development was driven by Sega's desire to capture a share of the handheld market that Nintendo had virtually monopolized since the Game Boy's 1989 launch. Sega's hardware engineering team, working under the broader supervision of Hideki Sato, made the pragmatic decision to base the Game Gear on the existing Master System architecture rather than designing entirely new silicon. This approach reduced development time and costs while providing a proven, well-understood hardware platform.

The choice to use a backlit color STN LCD screen was the Game Gear's defining design decision and its greatest double-edged sword. Sega's engineers knew that a color backlit display would be immensely appealing to consumers, especially compared to the Game Boy's murky monochrome screen. However, the CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) backlight technology of the era was power-hungry. The engineering team explored various options to reduce power consumption, including using a more efficient STN panel and optimizing the power circuitry, but the fundamental physics of backlighting a color LCD in 1990 demanded significant battery capacity.

Sega considered using a smaller screen to reduce power draw, but market research indicated that the 3.2-inch display size was critical for the color gaming experience to feel premium. The team ultimately accepted the battery life tradeoff, hoping that the visual impact of the color screen would outweigh the inconvenience. They designed the console to accommodate six AA batteries (vs. the Game Boy's four) and offered various external power solutions.

The decision to maintain backward compatibility with the Master System was both technical and strategic. Technically, the Game Gear's VDP was a superset of the Master System's VDP, adding a wider color palette and slightly different resolution. Strategically, this compatibility gave the Game Gear access to the Master System's existing library ??particularly valuable in European and Brazilian markets where the Master System had been very successful.

Internally, there was debate at Sega about the Game Gear's positioning. Some executives wanted it to be a premium device targeting older gamers, while others pushed for a family-friendly approach. The resulting product split the difference, launching at $149.99 in North America ??$60 more than the Game Boy. The price premium, combined with the ongoing battery costs, positioned the Game Gear as the more expensive option at every level. Sega attempted to mitigate this with the rechargeable Battery Pack accessory, but it added even more bulk to an already large device.

The TV Tuner accessory was conceived early in development and was a significant selling point in marketing materials. Sega's engineers designed the Game Gear's screen and tuner circuitry from the start to support analog television reception, making it one of the first truly convergent portable entertainment devices. While the TV Tuner is now obsolete due to the digital television transition, it was a forward-thinking feature that demonstrated Sega's ambition.