Sega Challenge

For the newsletter, see Sega Challenge: The Team Sega Newsletter.

Sega Challenge
Date: 1987

Sega Challenge was a US nationwide promotional tour for the Sega Master System, occuring in late 1987. It was fronted by Project Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter. It was staged in shopping malls and youth centres.

Players would compete against each other across five games, including three one-minute tries of OutRun, a round in Shooting Gallery and a set of more physical activities, including having to write as many letters as possible backwards (in a contest called "The Write Stuff") and catching and sorting coloured balls in "Space Balls". Finally, "Ring Maze" required players to manoeuvre a ring through an electric buzzer maze in the shape of "SEGA" letters.

Part of the plan was developed in conjunction with "computer software experts" and Professor Phillip Merrifield of New York University to assess how video games helped develop "non-verbal faculties" and build confidence amongst children.