WI: Worse Video Game crash of 1983?

[Sian]

What would happen if the Video game crash, was so much harder that the console market never recovered, say by Nintendo failing (hard) to revitalize the American market due to the console mistrust? perhaps getting burned so hard that Japanese consoles stays in Japan and won't test markets outside ... Sure there would still be a thriving market on PC-gaming (as really, it was only really consoles that crashed hard, games for home computers kept a steady, if only mildly growing, course), but if consoles never resurfaced as an independent machine, what would change? which genres would be fazed out and which genres would be much stronger?

If i were to guess, I'd say that Platform games, Fighting games and Shmups, and in general reflex dependent games would be much smaller ATL, while different kinds of strategy games, and visual pick-your-own-adventure'eqsue adventure games would be stronger.

 

[viperzero]

Maybe kids spend the next 30 years playing outside, but thats just crazy talk

 

[Sian]

Maybe kids spend the next 30 years playing outside, but thats just crazy talk

Specially given that actually calling it a video game crash is probably overstating it ... It was only the console market that crashed ... Home Computers (Such as Amiga, Amstrad, Commodore and the first proto-towers by IBM, later shifting towards modern styled PCs) went just fine.

Long story short ... What would happen if there were no (S)NES, no Gameboy, no Sega Genesis, No Playstation etc... or at least none outside Japan, except for a very niche market based on 'private' exportation

 

[Sian]

no one willing to bite?

 

[Kitiem3000]

It was the relentless ad campaigns of the resurgent console market that clearly defined gaming as a male activity. Before that there was no real gender divide in the gaming market. I would say that with gaming restricted to the PC world it would not become a purely 'male' activity in popular culture.

It will also stop the easy entry point into Japanese culture, cartoons excluded.

 

[Arkenfolm]

Would the US be more like Europe, where PC gaming was more important? I think video games are impossible to kill as a medium, but they might be a lot more niche as a result.

Plus maybe the Sega Master System, as a result of waiting a bit longer than Nintendo to launch, might gain a lot more traction in the US. I'm thinking of how popular it was in Brazil as an analogue--if Nintendo doesn't try the US as a market, then Sega might try. Similar thing with the Atari 7800. If Nintendo fails, this might help Atari in the long run.

 

[Alstein]

You'd see a more inclusive video game space based around the PC, and eventually standardization of gaming within the PC space or consolization of PCs.

Another possibility is that the Neo-Geo eventually becomes the ATL equivalent of Nintendo or a Neo-Geo competitor like a Supergun to bring home arcade ports. The Arcades didn't crash- but I think an arcade crash is inevitable in the US.

My guess is the biggest Japanese companies would be SNK, Capcom and Falcom. You might also see more Euro influence on the US.