While Sega is one of the biggest console makers ever, not all of its products were a hit. Despite being a brand from Japan, Sega performed relatively well in the United States in the 90s. Now startling information about the company’s internal correspondence has emerged that has Sega fans riled. A considerably long PDF of a previously undisclosed Sega of America document has materialized on the Sega Retro Wiki. The website is a community-run page that aims to cover everything about Sega from the 1940s till today. While the document gives details about multiple aspects of the company’s internal plans, information about the Sega Saturn has the fans’ attention.

The 272-page document has revealed thoughts of Tom Kalinske, Sega America boss during the mid-90s, on the Sega Saturn.

Sega Saturn underperformed in the US market

Sega has been making video game consoles since the mid-1980s and continues to be one of the most popular names in the industry. Old-school gamers have thousands of fond memories of Sega consoles that are considered to be legendary.

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However, the release of Sega Saturn in the United States was a flop. Many attribute this to the release of Nintendo 64, which launched a year later. The retail margin for the Sega Saturn in the US was only 6%, which is pretty low.

While Saturn did have issues, outside factors also made matters worse. The situation for the Sega Saturn in the US was pretty rough compared to how the console performed in Japan. The newly emerged PDF shows Kalinke writing in an email, “In every [store in Japan], Saturn hardware is sold out and there are stacks of PlayStation. The retailers commented they can’t compare the true sales rate because Saturn sells out before they can measure accurately.” However, the scenario was quite different in the U.S.

Underlying factors, previously unknown

While Kalinske mentions how the Sega Saturn is overrunning Sony in Japan, the console stumbled on its face in US. The above-mentioned email was sent out in March and Kalinske would leave the company in less than four months. In an interview given much later, Kalinske would say that the success of Sega in the US led to decisions being forced on him from Japan. The former Sega America boss said that they were forced to launch the Saturn in the US five months before they wanted to. They did not have ample hardware or software infrastructure to support the release.

A 272 page PDF of classified Sega of America documents from the mid-90s has materialised on the Sega Retro wiki
by u/Zhukov-74 in GamingLeaksAndRumours

The considerably long document also tells tales about manufacturing costs, retail margins, sales, business strategies, storyboard plans, product strategies, internal company emails, etc. Undoubtedly it would tickle the fancy of many gaming historians and enthusiasts alike.

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