Genesis Transformation

[GenkiVideoGames.com]

(Was the Mega Drive called Genesis for religious reasons in the States?)
We've always been curious to find out.... :roll:

[Elusive]

I always assumed that was a side-effect. Genesis was a new birth for Sega in the States, and an adequate substitute for Mega Drive.

[landstalkerx]

I thought the name Mega-Drive was copyrighted by some other company in the U.S., before Sega got a chance to have it copyrighted. As for the naming of the system; I don't know why they chose the name genesis. But then again, why did they choose the name Mega-Drive in the rest of the world.

[Obviously]

Yes, as far as I've heard it was only changed because the name Mega Drive was already taken in the US, there was no other reason for it.

There's no explaination why the name Genesis was chosen but theory is because it was Sega's "new beginning" in the US after the Master System bombed there.

[GenkiVideoGames.com]

Thank you for the enlightenment... :)
I'd always imagined it was to boost sales in the bible belt....
You do indeed learn something new everyday. :cool:

[j_factor]

Genesis means "in the beginning". I don't think it was meant as a new beginning for Sega, but meant to sound like a new beginning for videogames. That was reinforced by some of their early marketing/press that declared it "the first true 16-bit console", "leader of the 16-bit revolution", etc.

I think using Biblical names probably makes you less popular in the Bible Belt, but I dunno for sure.


Mega Drive was definitely their first choice, though. That name came from an extension of their SMS language -- "the mega cartridge" etc.

[Joe Redifer]

I remember calling Sega of America every other day for information about the Mega Drive. Then one day when they were finally willing to talk about it, they said it would be called the Genesis. I was like "WTF? Is Phil Collins endorsing it or something?" It took a bit to get used to the name. I think I would have preferred Mega Drive, with the Japanese MD logo.

[j_factor]

Phil Collins < Peter Gabriel

[lordofduct]

Phil Collins < Peter Gabriel

Most definately!!!!!

[GenkiVideoGames.com]

I can just see Yu Suzuki getting on down to a bit of Phil Collins, especially looking such a cool 'no jacket required' type. :cool: Maybe he argued for the name change as a tribute to the mighty PC? :P

[Joe Redifer]

I'm sure Yu Suzuki was given NO SAY over the console. Except maybe that he felt threatened by it so they scaled it back before release, limiting its colors and removing the scaling and tracking feature so as not to "outshine" his wonderful arcades. I do know that the Mega Drive/Genesis was originally going to be a bit more powerful than it ended up being. I'm thinking that Sega didn't want to compete with its arcade arm. Gah!

[Obviously]

It was probably a cross between keeping people in the arcade as well as keeping the system in an affordable price range. What's the point of having the most powerful console you can build at the time if it's going to cost as much as a PC?

Here's looking at you Neo Geo.

[Elusive]

Well, yes. That and cost. That's why the X360 isn't a home version of the Deep Blue supercomputer. =P