Sega knew their stuff

[eskil]

I was thinking today… the Sega Saturn was conceived (at least initially) with the goal of making the perfect 2D system. And that's pretty much what it turned out to be. I never really liked the graphics of the Playstation and N64 era because they weren't quite what 3D was supposed to be. 3D was supposed to be all about realism, and if you look at the N64 games especially, let's just say they haven't aged very well.
But ever since I got my Dreamcast, I've come to realized that this was the first console that was actually properly 3D. The models are realistic, the textures fairly detailed, and most importantly, most of the games have vast environments that you can freely explore. Kinda like Super Mario 64, only the levels look great.
When Sega released the Saturn, 2D wasn't finished. It had a whole lot more potential, but other console manufacturers abandoned it just to satisfy a bunch of consumers who had no idea what was good for them. They only wanted "look how shiny", and not actual graphical beauty. 3D took some time to get ready, and the Dreamcast pretty much exactly hit the point where the world was ready.
Am I alone in thinking that Sony and Nintendo should have waited to make the switch to 3D?

[Balasubbie]

From an artistic standpoint, perhaps there's the slightest bit of justification for holding back on the 3D/5th gen. Now, from a business standpoint, no, there were so many folk who wanted the future that bit sooner, even if it meant slightly blocky models and the money that stood to be made as a result was simply irresistible.

[BRIK]

Graphics are always going to evolve over time and get better. While the Saturn might have been the pinocle of 2D it certainly wasn't the first 2D console, not by a long shot. Compare the early console greats of the 70's and 80's to the Saturn. Quite a bit of difference.
What I'm getting at is that the graphics need time to get better. Sure the PS1 and N64 graphics might of been butt ugly but the graphics needed to be bad in order to evolve to the standards of the Dreamcast and beyond. Also keep in mind that the graphics for the PS1 and N64 would of been seen as awesome at the time, there was still a few years until the Dreamcast would be released after them.

[Pulsar_t]

JAGGIES JAGGIES!!

[Opa Opa]

JAGGIES JAGGIES!!

[fastbilly1]

Am I alone in thinking that Sony and Nintendo should have waited to make the switch to 3D?

With hindsight, possibly. I mean which of the three companies still makes consoles... Cheap blow I know but the emphasis on getting the old world perfect when the new world was what most of the community was pulling for is what killed the Saturn. It sure is one of the finest 2d consoles ever made, but it is kinda like Hummer is now. It made a gas guzzling luxury machine that would have been awesome three years ago, but right now everyone wants something with good mileage. Had Sega not released the Sega CD and 32x and released the Saturn two years earlier, things would have changed. On the converse if Nintendo had released a CD based console instead of cart, well things would have just been different all around.

All I know is that Mario Kart 64 and Saturn Bomberman are two games that I will never give up because they are the most played games in my household.

[Anayo]

I disagree. I think the 3DO, Atari Jaguar, and Sega 32X demonstrate adopting 3D too soon.

[BoringSupreez]

Am I alone in thinking that Sony and Nintendo should have waited to make the switch to 3D?

Sony, yes. Nintendo, no. The N64 doesn't look as terrible as the PS1, escpecially when you have the expansion pak. Just look at Rayman 2 or Ocarina of Time, they don't look ugly at all. Simple, maybe, but not ugly like PS1.

[irixith]

Sega didn't know their stuff at all. Look at where Nintendo and Sony are today, and then look at where Sega is today. Sega had all the right pieces of the puzzle, they just didn't manage to put it together correctly, or at the right time.

Sure, early 3D stuff looks (and for the part plays) like ass, but it was a necessary step to get where we are today. As someone that lived through it, I can tell you that back then, that stuff looked awesome.

[Czernobog]

Sega didn't know their stuff at all. Look at where Nintendo and Sony are today, and then look at where Sega is today. Sega had all the right pieces of the puzzle, they just didn't manage to put it together correctly, or at the right time.

Sure, early 3D stuff looks (and for the part plays) like ass, but it was a necessary step to get where we are today. As someone that lived through it, I can tell you that back then, that stuff looked awesome.

Yeah, I remember when things like Mario 64 and Crash Bandicoot blew my mind. The intros to games like Final Fantasy VII had my jaw smacking into the floor.

The Saturn may have had some great 2D games and graphics, but the world wanted 3D at the time. It was new, fresh, seemed more like an evolution than a gimmick, and a lot of gamers saw it as a huge leap forward in gameplay possibilities and game worlds.

Plus, Sega sort of turned their back on millions of Genesis owners when the Saturn came out to focus on the Saturn instead of their other consoles, while far less consumers owned a Saturn than a Genesis. I believe the Christmas that Nintendo threw down Donkey Kong Country, Genesis owners were left without anything good to play (Going by memory - correct me if I'm wrong). Not to mention that they were trying to market the Gen, CD, 32X, and Saturn all at once. The costs of that endeavor must have been staggering. I like the Saturn quite a bit and think it has some great offerings, but I hardly think Sega knew their stuff business-wise around that time.