Press release: 1994-12-20: Sega declares third straight holiday season victory with robust Christmas sales

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: The Free Library

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 1994--Strong sales of Genesis 32X, combined with an overall increase in sales of Sega Genesis software, Sega CD hardware and software, and Game Gear hardware and software, will make 1994 the third straight year Sega wins the holiday season sales battle.

Based on independent sales figures, Sega has 55 percent of all 16-bit hardware sales for 1994 and 55 percent for all 16-bit software sales in 1994. Sega will also beat Nintendo, and Atari, Phillips and 3DO combined, in overall annual video game hardware sales.

"This is a tremendous win for Sega," said Tom Kalinske, president and CEO, Sega of America. "1994 has been a transition year for us, and it's a great coup to introduce our new 32-bit platform successfully, while at the same time sustain our No. 1 position."

Sega maintained its leadership position with a comprehensive hardware and software lineup: Game Gear, the best-selling portable system, with 51 percent dollar share; Sega CD, which grew in sales by running at 38 percent over 1993; the 32X add-on for Genesis, with more than 300,000 units sold between its introduction in late November and last week; and Genesis, the overall home video game system leader, with substantial sales of more than 4 million units.

"While our industry had sales that took a small slip this year, Sega has grown its market share," Kalinske said. "Overall, the video game industry will have sold nearly 8 million 16-bit systems this year, while sales of the much-heralded home multimedia PC CD-ROM will top out at about 4 million units -- so even with a small dip, the video game industry significantly outweighs the computer industry."

Sega's growing hardware family paid off at the cash register and made the difference in leading the industry.

"In a very competitive year, our product strategy won out with consumers," Kalinske said.

Sega of America's parent company, Sega Enterprises Ltd. in Tokyo, recently introduced the next-generation Sega Saturn system in Japan, where it has been outselling Sony's newly introduced Playstation by a ratio of 5-to-3.

"1995 will be an outstanding year for us as Genesis 32X accelerates in the U.S. market and as Saturn is introduced here late next year. We're very upbeat about 1995 after such a solid 1994," Kalinske added.

Sega bases its predictions on a combination of TRST data from the independent research company NPD Group, which tracks video game sales; its own internal data; sales and back orders to date of 32X, the 32-bit add-on which gives Genesis 40 times more power; and strong software sales of hit titles such as "Sonic & Knuckles," "NFL '95," "World Series Baseball," "Ecco: The Tides of Time" and "Tomcat Alley."

In addition, sales of the Genesis value system with "Sonic Spinball" included helped keep Sega ahead of the pack, with 56 percent market share in October alone.

Sega of America is the arm of Tokyo-based Sega Enterprises Ltd. responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Sega products in the Americas. Sega Enterprises is a nearly $3.5 billion company recognized as a leader in interactive digital entertainment media, with operations on five continents.

CONTACT: Manning, Selvage & Lee, Universal City, Calif.

 Lee McEnany/Kelly Smith, 818/509-1840
 or
 Sega of America, Redwood City
 Richard Brudvik-Lindner, 415/802-3658

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