The third generation of video games (1983–1993), also commonly known as the 8-bit era, includes the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom), Sega SG-1000 series (including the Sega Master System) and Atari 7800. The NES/Famicom (released 1983) was the first console with hardware support for multi-color sprites and scrolling tilemap backgrounds, like golden age arcade games.
Hardware sales figures
- See also: List of best-selling game consoles
Worldwide
Console | Year | Worldwide sales | Regional sales | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | Americas | Elsewhere | |||
Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom) | 1983 | 61.91 million (2009)[1][2] | 19.35 million (2009)[1] | 34 million (1996)[1] USA: 33.29 million (1993)[3] Other: 710,000 |
8.56 million (1996)[1] EU: 7.74 million (1993)[4][5] South Korea: 360,000 (1993)[6] |
Sega SG-1000 series | 22.84 million | 3.52 million | 10 million | 7.67 million | |
Sega Master System (Mark III) | 1985 | 20.84 million (2012) | 2.52 million (1989)[7] |
10 million Brazil: 8 million (2016)[8] USA: 2 million (1992)[9] |
8.32 million Western Europe: 6.95 million (1993)[10] South Korea: 720,000 (1993)[6] Australia: 650,000 (1994)[11] |
Sega SG-1000 (Mark II) | 1983 | 2 million (1996)[12] | 1 million (1986)[7] | ||
Atari consoles | 1.13 million | ||||
Atari 7800 | 1986 | 1 million (1988)[13] | |||
Atari XEGS | 1987 | 130,000 (1989) | USA: 100,000 (1988)[14] | France: 30,000 (1989)[3] | |
Other consoles | |||||
Daewoo Zemmix (MSX) | 1985 | 415,000 (1990)[6] | South Korea: 415,000 (1990)[6] | ||
Super Cassette Vision | 1984 | 330,000 (1986) | 300,000 (1986)[15] | France: 30,000 (1986)[3] | |
Total | 85.975 million | 23.17 million | 44.1 million+ | 16.705 million |
Home computer | Year | Worldwide sales | Regional sales | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | Americas | Elsewhere | |||
NEC PC-98 | 1982 | 18 million (1999) | 18 million (1999)[16] | ||
Commodore 64 | 1982 | 12.5 million (1993)[17] | 100,000 (1983)[18] | 2.1 million (1993)[17] | 10.3 million (1993)[17] |
MSX | 1983 | 9.2 million (2013) | 9 million (2013)[19] | EU: 200,000 (1985)[20] | |
Sinclair ZX Spectrum | 1982 | 5 million (2000)[21] | |||
Commodore Amiga | 1985 | 4.85 million (1993)[22] | 700,000 (1993)[22] | EU: 3.8 million (1993)[22] | |
Amstrad CPC | 1984 | 2.5 million (1990)[23] | |||
Atari ST | 1985 | 2.1 million (1993)[24] | US: 50,000 (1985)[25] | UK: 120,000 (1988)[26] | |
Sega SC-3000 | 1983 | 120,000 (1983)[27] | |||
Total | 51.76 million | 27.1 million | 2.85 million | 14.42 million+ |
Asia
In South Korea, the Master System, sold by Samsung,[28] was the market leader, outselling the NES.[6]
Japan
The cumulative (including annual) sales figures for Japan:
Year | Sales | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nintendo Famicom series | Sega SG-1000 series | Epoch SCV | |||||
Famicom [29] | FDS | Modem | SG-1000 [29] | Mark III | Master System | ||
1983 | 1,000,000[30][31] | 210,000[32] | |||||
1984 | 3,940,000 (+2,940,000)[33] |
460,000 (+250,000)[32] |
300,000 [33][15] | ||||
1985 | 6,600,000[34][35] (+2,660,000) (95% market)[36] |
720,000 (+260,000) |
370,000[37] | ||||
1986 | 10,500,000 (+3,900,000) |
2,500,000[38] | 1,000,000 (+280,000) |
1,000,000[39] (+630,000) |
|||
1987 | 12,280,000 (+1,780,000) |
1,280,000 (+280,000)[29] |
800,000[40] | ||||
1988 | 13,870,000 (+1,590,000) (90% market)[41] |
100,000[42] | 1,040,000 (+240,000)[29] | ||||
1989 | 15,390,000 (+1,520,000) |
150,000[43] (+50,000) |
1,240,000 (+200,000)[29] | ||||
1990 | 16,750,000 (+1,360,000) |
2,520,000 | |||||
1991 | 17,390,000[3] (+640,000) |
3,520,000 | |||||
1992 | 18,130,000 (+790,000)[3] (40% of Japan homes)[44] |
||||||
1993 | 18,600,000[3] (+470,000) | ||||||
1994 | 18,870,000 (+80,000)[45] | ||||||
1995 | 18,950,000[45] (+70,000) | ||||||
1996 | 19,020,000 (+60,000)[1] | ||||||
1997 | 19,050,000 (+30,000)[1] | ||||||
1998 | 19,100,000 (+50,000)[1] | ||||||
1999 | 19,150,000 (+50,000)[1] | ||||||
2000 | 19,200,000 (+50,000)[1] | ||||||
2001 | 19,260,000 (+60,000)[1] | ||||||
2002 | 19,320,000 (+60,000)[1] | ||||||
2003 | 19,350,000 (+30,000)[1] |
4,500,000[46] |
Americas
In Brazil, the Master System, sold by Tec Toy, was the market leader, outselling the NES. Tec Toy still sells the Master System in Brazil through to the present day. By 1996, the Master System and Mega Drive sold a combined 2 million units, mostly the Master System.[47] By 2012, Tec Toy sold 5 million Master System consoles in Brazil.[48] By 2016, 8 million Master System consoles were sold in Brazil, indicating at least 4 million sales between 2012 and 2016.[8]
United States
The cumulative (including annual) sales figures for the United States:
Year | Sales | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nintendo Entertainment System | Sega Master System | Atari | ||
7800 | XEGS | |||
1985 | 90,000 (NYC)[49][50] | |||
1986 | 3,090,000[51] (+3,000,000)[52][53][35] (+$310 million) (73% market)[54] |
250,000[55] (125,000 Base) (125,000 Master)[52] |
100,000[52][56] | |
1987 | 6,090,000 (+3,000,000)[57][58] (+$1 billion)[59][60] (70% market)[61] |
750,000 (+500,000)[62] (10% market)[63] |
600,000 (+400,000) (est.) |
100,000[14] |
1988 | 11,100,000 (+5,010,000)[64] (+$1.7 billion)[59][65] (75-85% market)[66][67] |
1,250,000 (+500,000) (+$300 million) (13% market)[68] |
1,000,000[13] (+500,000)[69] (est.) |
|
1989 | 20,300,000 (+9,200,000)[70][71] (79-90% market)[72][73] |
1,500,000[74] (+250,000) (est.) |
||
1990 | 27,500,000 (+7,200,000)[75][76] (85-90% market)[77][75] |
1,750,000 (+250,000) (est.) |
||
1991 | 31,900,000[78][3][79] (+4,400,000) |
2,000,000[9] (+250,000) (est.) |
||
1992 | 33,290,000[3] (+1,390,000) (33% of US homes)[44] |
Western Europe
In 1990, Computer + Video Games reported that the Master System was the biggest-selling console in Europe. However, they noted that the NES was beginning to have a fast-growing user base at the time.[80]
The NES and Master System had the following estimated installed base figures for Western Europe:
Year | Sales | |
---|---|---|
Nintendo Entertainment System [81] | Sega Master System[81] | |
1987 | 75,000+[82] | 155,000[82] |
1988 | — | 350,000[83] |
1989 | — | 700,000[83] |
1990 | 655,000+[84] | 1,608,000[84] |
1991 | 4,710,000 | 3,840,000 |
1992 | 7,740,000 | 5,650,000 |
1993 | 7,260,000 | 6,250,000 |
1993 | 5,110,000 | 4,460,000 |
The regional sales figures for Western Europe:
Nation(s) | Sales | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NES [81] | SMS [81] | SCV [3] | XEGS [3] | MSX | Amiga [22] | Atari ST | |
United Kingdom | 1,308,000-1,500,000[85][86][87] | 1,350,000-1,500,000[88][89] | — | — | — | 1,500,000 | 120,000[26] |
France | 1,400,000-1,788,000[90][91] | 970,000-1,600,000[81] | 30,000 | 30,000 | — | 250,000 | — |
Germany | 1,500,000[92] | 540,000-700,000[93] | — | — | — | 1,300,000 | — |
Italy | 500,000 | 400,000 | — | — | — | 600,000 | — |
Belgium | 220,000 | 600,000 | — | — | — | 45,000 | — |
Netherlands | 250,000 | 200,000 | |||||
Spain | 440,000 | 550,000 | — | — | — | 105,000 | — |
Others | 1,760,000 | 1,400,000 | |||||
Platform Total | 7,260,000[81][5] | 6,950,000[81] | 30,000 | 30,000 | 200,000[20] | 3,800,000 | 120,000 |
Australia
In Australia, the most successful console during this generation was the Sega Master System, which outsold the NES as well as home computers.[94] The Master System sold 650,000 units in Australia by 1994.[11]
Software sales figures
System | Software sales | Attach rate (per console) | Source |
---|---|---|---|
Nintendo Entertainment System | 500,010,000 | 8.08 | [95] |
Sega Master System | 422,470,000 | 20.9 | [96] |
Atari 7800 | 3,770,000 | 3.77 | [97] |
Atari XEGS | 827,504 | 6.37 | [97] |
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Consolidated Sales Transition by Region (PDF). Nintendo (2010-01-27). Archived from the original on 2010-02-14. Retrieved on 2010-02-14.
- ↑ NES. Classic Systems. Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2007-08-04. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Sales figures from magazine scans
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://archive.org/stream/Game_Over_1999_Cyberactive_Publishing#page/n425/mode/2up
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Game World (South Korea)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Japan
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Azevedo, Théo (May 12, 2016). Console em produção há mais tempo, Master System já vendeu 8 mi no Brasil (Portuguese). Universo Online. Retrieved on May 13, 2016. “Comercializado no Brasil desde setembro de 1989, o saudoso Master System já vendeu mais de 8 milhões de unidades no país, segundo a Tectoy.”
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Sheff, David (1993). Game Over (1st ed. ed.). New York: Random House. p. 349. ISBN 0-679-40469-4. https://archive.org/stream/Game_Over_1999_Cyberactive_Publishing#page/n357/mode/2up. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ↑ Western Europe
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 https://archive.org/details/megazoneau45/page/n22
- ↑ Co-opetition (1996), page 238
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Press Release, Atari (June 1, 1988)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 http://www.atarimagazines.com/v7n1/marketplace.html
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Epoch Japanese Hardware
- ↑ "Computing Japan". Computing Japan (LINC Japan) 54-59: 18. 1999. https://books.google.com/books?id=oP61AAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 6 February 2012. "...its venerable PC 9800 series, which has sold more than 18 million units over the years, and is the reason why NEC has been the number one PC vendor in Japan for as long as anyone can remember."
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Steil, Michael (2011-02-01). How many Commodore 64 computers were really sold?. Pagetable.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved on 2017-03-18.
- ↑ http://scacom.bplaced.net/Collection/max/maxen.php
- ↑ Games vs. Hardware. The History of PC video games: The 80's, page 51 (2014)
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/27/feature_30_years_of_msx/?page=6
- ↑ "Videogaming: The Odyssey". EDGE Magazine (Future Publishing): 76. January 2000. https://retrocdn.net/images/6/64/Edge_UK_080.pdf.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Commodore-Amiga Sales Figures, Amiga History Guide
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/RetroGamer_No1-No11/Retro%20Gamer%20%E2%84%9611/page/n23/mode/2up
- ↑ Total Share: Personal Computer Market Share 1975-2010
- ↑ http://mcurrent.name/atarihistory/tramel_technology.html
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 The Games Machine, issue 11 (October 1988), page 8
- ↑ https://retrocdn.net/images/9/93/JeuxetStrategie_FR_29.pdf#page=24
- ↑ https://segaretro.org/Samsung
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 Hardware Shipments (Japan)
- ↑ Donovan, Tristan (2010). "12. A Tool To Sell Software". Replay: The History of Video Games. East Sussex, England: Yellow Ant. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-9565072-0-4. https://booksvooks.com/fullbook/replay-the-history-of-video-games-pdf.html?page=5. "Within two months of the Famicom's July 1983 launch around 500,000 had been sold. By the end of the year sales had topped the million mark."
- ↑ Wolf, Mark J. P. (1 May 2015). Video Games Around the World. MIT Press. p. 322. ISBN 978-0-262-52716-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=pZb5CAAAQBAJ&pg=PA322. "The Nintendo Famicom was released in July of 1983 and by the end of the year had sold more than a million units."
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Koyama, Yusuke (2023-06-02). History of the Japanese Video Game Industry. Springer Nature. p. 51. ISBN 978-981-99-1342-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=uITCEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA51.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 昔(1970年代)のテレビゲームは何台売れた? (How many old (1970s) video games sold?) (Japanese). Classic Videogame Station Odyssey (CVS Odyssey) (2014-01-09). Archived from the original on 2023-11-02.
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19860407&id=apAyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MegDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2107,4408710
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 https://archive.org/stream/06Kahle001551#page/n5/mode/2up
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2209&dat=19860608&id=PborAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SPwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3978,2380436
- ↑ The Birth of “Final Fantasy”: Square Corporation
- ↑ https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=RI51dkpbcGoC&pg=PA34
- ↑ Nihon Kōgyō Shinbunsha (1986). "Amusement". Business Japan (Nihon Kogyo Shimbun) 31 (7-12): 89. (Link)
- ↑ Arcades, issue 7, page 29
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19881113&id=YeoeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lc4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6700,5100300
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19881113&id=YeoeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lc4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6700,5100300
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19890813&id=85BTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yYYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6774,717076
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 https://archive.org/stream/Game_Over_1999_Cyberactive_Publishing#page/n427/mode/2up
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 Famitsu, Issue 392, Page 8 (March 1996)
- ↑ http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/07/time-to-feel-old-inside-the-nes-on-its-30th-birthday/2/
- ↑ Szczepaniak, John (2006). "Company Profile: Tec Toy". Retro Gamer (30): 50–53.
- ↑ Théo Azevedo (2012-07-30). Vinte anos depois, Master System e Mega Drive vendem 150 mil unidades por ano no Brasil (Portuguese). Universo Online. Retrieved on 2012-08-06.
- ↑ http://elafountain.escalonimaginario.com/comeback.html
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/27/business/video-games-once-zapped-in-comeback.html
- ↑ Kent, Steven L. (2010-06-16). The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 1: From Pong to Pokemon and Beyond . . . the Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-56087-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=PTrcTeAqeaEC. "Americans purchased 3 million NES consoles in 1986."
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 Computer Entertainer, February 1987, page 13
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19870228&id=ChNPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4AIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7027,7957469
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1665&dat=19890730&id=qKIbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R04EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5459,6856521
- ↑ Advokat, Stephen (January 30, 1987). "Consumers eat up successors to Pac-Man; video games being gobbled up". Detroit Free Press: p. 2B. https://www.newspapers.com/image/99559046/. ""Sega came on the scene late, offering its Master System ($150) in late September. Even so, it sold more than 250,000 units by Christmas.""
- ↑ Computer Entertainer, December 1986, page 8
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19880409&id=klpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mu8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4634,5262094
- ↑ https://archive.org/stream/06Kahle001551#page/n7/mode/2up
- ↑ 59.0 59.1 http://vidgame.info/vid1987.htm
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19881121&id=Qb8sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uyYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6937,3445595
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/04/business/nintendo-scores-big.html?pagewanted=2
- ↑ https://imgur.com/r0UNuXS
- ↑ "Video Games". Los Angeles Times. June 13, 1988. http://articles.latimes.com/1988-06-13/business/fi-3249_1_video-game-systems. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19890622&id=kZBTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=x4YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5094,956076
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19881208&id=hvFVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6835,2121822
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1901&dat=19890526&id=AIgfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tNIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3930,7137789
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19881121&id=xjRSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MjYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2041,4303690
- ↑ "Holiday Gift Guide: Fantasy Games Remain Popular With Young Video Fans". Aiken Standard: p. 21. 1 December 1988. https://newspaperarchive.com/aiken-standard-dec-01-1988-p-21/.
- ↑ "Tops in Toyland". U.S. News & World Report (U.S. News Publishing Corporation) 106: 80. 1989. https://books.google.com/books?id=2lbuAAAAMAAJ. "Best-selling toys of 1988 (...) 1. Action set (Nintendo)
2. Pictionary (Games Gang)
3. Power Set (Nintendo)
4. Kitchen Center (Fisher-Price )
5. Control Deck (Nintendo)
6. Li'l Miss Makeup Doll (Mattel)
7. Tape Recorder (Fisher-Price)
8. 7800 Video Game System (Atari)
9. Micro Machines (Lewis Galoob)
10. Pee Wee Herman Talking Doll (Matchbox)
USN & WR - Basic data: NPD Research, Playthings magazine
Taking stock of the toy box
The continuing craze over Nintendo videogames, which racked up $1.7 billion in sales last year, provided one of the few bright spots in a mostly dull 1988 for toy sales" - ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/08/business/waiting-for-the-zapping-of-nintendo.html?pagewanted=2
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19891224&id=hktQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AQ4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6439,3430124
- ↑ https://archive.org/stream/06Kahle001568#page/n0/mode/2up
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20150219225357/http://vidgame.info/vid1989.htm
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=H7JUAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA28&article_id=4743,2045368
- ↑ 75.0 75.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20150102192032/http://vidgame.info/vid1990.htm
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19911217&id=MTAgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RiwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2101,1140372
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19940303&id=LdBOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cBMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3371,1240681
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19920110&id=IV0xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TgcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3802,6316567
- ↑ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=puMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA75
- ↑ "The Complete Machine Guide". Computer + Video Games: Complete Guide to Consoles 4: 7-23. November 1990. https://archive.org/details/Complete_Guide_to_Consoles_Volume_IV_1990_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n7/mode/2up.
- ↑ 81.0 81.1 81.2 81.3 81.4 81.5 81.6 "Active installed base estimates". Screen Digest. Screen Digest. March 1995. p. 60. https://www.scribd.com/doc/208776076/Screen-Digest?secret_password=2ntzw5zfrtsy8kxequmg. (cf. here, here, here and here)
- ↑ 82.0 82.1 https://imgur.com/r0UNuXS
- ↑ 83.0 83.1 https://imgur.com/qUXeIkm
- ↑ 84.0 84.1 "Segas sell better than Nintendos - official!". Sega Power (18): 6. May 1991. https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3ASegaPower_UK_18.pdf&page=6.
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ https://www.neogaf.com/threads/retro-sales-age-thread.981407/
- ↑ https://www.neogaf.com/threads/retro-sales-age-thread.981407/post-153193181
- ↑ UK Installed Bases (EA)
- ↑ Edge, issue 1 (October 1993), page 14
- ↑ https://www.neogaf.com/threads/retro-sales-age-thread.981407/page-3
- ↑ https://www.mastersystem-france.com/t2217p15-le-resultat-de-la-guerre-presque-20-ans-apres
- ↑ https://www.neogaf.com/threads/retro-sales-age-thread.981407/post-163421371
- ↑ https://www.neogaf.com/threads/retro-sales-age-thread.981407/post-163421371
- ↑ http://www.smh.com.au/technology/games/nintendos-nes-launched-30-years-ago-in-australia-this-month-or-did-it-20170706-gx6ex0.html
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/hard_soft/
- ↑ Sega Master System software sales:
- United States – 2 million hardware units, each bundled with one or more games = More than 2 million software units
- Western Europe – 6.95 million hardware units, each bundled with one or more games = More than 6.95 million software units
- Brazil (1989-2016) – 8 million hardware units = More than 411 million software units
- 1989-2012 – 5 million hardware units, each bundled with 3 or more games = More than 15 million software units
- 2012-2016 – 3 million hardware units, each bundled with 132 games = 396 million software units
- Japan – 2.52 million hardware units = At least 2.52 million software units
- ↑ 97.0 97.1 http://www.atarimuseum.com/whatsnew/2009-MAY-28.html
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