An upgrade is an upgrade.....is an upgrade ?
By Matt Hancher
There has been a lot of talk surrounding the possibilities of a Saturn upgrade. It could come in the form of a 64X, Saturn 2, or a plug-in enhancement. We need to take a moment, step back and look at Sega's history. I think doing so will reveal what Sega is planning to do.
1. Second time around...the 64X :
Does anybody really learn from the past? The 32X upgrade for the Sega Genesis, regardless of what people say now (with hindsite), was a good idea. This peripheral was capable of providing gameplay and graphics well beyond that of Super NES. It also had the hot, must have game of the time....DOOM. Ironically, what DOOMED the 32X was execution and timing. The upgrade should have been released about 1 year earlier, and it should have included DOOM as a pack-in. I think if these two things would have occurred, the 32X would have seen a much different life cycle. In reality, releasing the 32X when they did amounted to nothing except hampering the release of the Saturn by stealing some of the potential user base and by taking away some of its spotlight.
Verdict: Sega has learned from the past and will not release a 64X.
2. Look to the future...the Saturn 2 ???
Again, we need only to look at what happened with the 32X. Releasing new hardware too close to a current system ends up hurting one system and killing the other. This time, a premature release of a Saturn 2 could end up killing both the Saturn and the Saturn 2.
Sony will probably release the PSX2 sometime in early 1998. We won't see another system from Nintendo until 2000...expect to see the Saturn 2 sometime in 1999.
With the advent of the 3 pack deal, Saturns are selling like hotcakes. Sega is expanding the Saturn's installed user base with this astounding deal. They are not going to turn their back just as the next generation systems are experiencing growth like that found in the 16 bit glory days. However, once again Sega is finding their platform slightly lacking in the 3D area. This leads us to the plug-in enhancement.
3. The 3D Accelerator !!!
Based on what I've read from the different on-line and print magazines, it looks like Sega will release an enhancement along with VF3. They will essentially have two versions: a regular and an enhanced version. This would require some extra programming to check for the plug-in card, and access the appropriate libraries, etc....but AHHHHHHH !!! look at those wonderful M2 level of graphics!
There are a few key areas Sega needs to address to make this scenario a success:
Name: Sega needs to come up with a good name, one that does not bring up the bad memories of the 32X. Personnally, I like the 3D Accelerator.
Timing: Sega needs to release this upgrade at the same time Nintendo releases the 64DD. The video game industry is ready for a successful upgrade. I think the success will come from the Nintendo 64. Sega needs only to ride their coat tales. If the upgrades are a flop again, the N64 will receive most of the bad press, not Sega.
Design: Sega needs to make this plug-in a graphics/memory enhancement. It should also plug-in to the expansion slot in the back of the unit. This way an enhanced Saturn looks the same as a non-enhanced Saturn, which will promote the image of the Saturn as still one unit, not as two separate units. (No bulky 32X)
I think a 3D accelerator is the way to go. Remember, the Saturn already has the best 2D capabilities of any next generation machine. It just needs a little boost on the 3D side to really play hardball with the big boys. The plug-in enhancement is really the same type of idea as a 3D accelerator card for the PC. Some people will get it, some people won't. Regardless, the software will support the different graphics capabilities. Sega will need to make the new libraries readily available to third party software companies.
All things said, I love the Saturn, I want VF3, and I want it to look better than any game on the market. :-) Sega....give us a 3D accelerator for Saturn !!!