Sega genesis mini preorders are live

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Shadowmoses12

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nightc1 said:
I did enjoy the Genesis but I don't go back to many of these games enough to warrant this where as a Saturn Mini would possibly get my money and a Dreamcast Mini would no doubt have me itching to see what the game list was as that was my favorite Sega system.
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The problem is that an "authentic" Dreamcast classic would have to have VMUs, of one sort or another. I suppose you could have "virtual" VMUs that were stored on the system and interacted with the emulator, but it wouldn't feel the same. Also, the original Dreamcast controllers weren't exactly great when it came to usability or ergonomics. (and those buttons wore out too quickly) The Dreamcast would definitely be a challenge for "classic" treatment.

If anything, the Saturn would be even more challenging, but for different reasons. The Saturn is one of the most notoriously difficult systems to emulate thanks to its bizarre architecture.

 
Starting to think I may want to cancel/return my Genesis Mini and hold off for a sale later on. I definitely want one and no longer have most of my Genesis games but I do have various collections including the most recent one and have barely touched that, I would definitely play more on the Mini. I think Amazon has already charged my card though so I will wait till it arrives and decide then, but I already know once I get it in the mail I will immediately open it and play a few games for 5-10 minutes each before returning to a newer game like Control. 

 
Genesis Mini + Innex 6-button controller for $90

  • Walmart (scroll down to "buy together and save")
Because the 6-button controller isn't first party, I'm concerned it's junk and maybe

not even worth $10.

 
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A ton of YouTubers have been given "Sega CD" and other US variant towers or power. It hurts to see something so glorious and have little hope of ever getting one. (The Model 1 Sega CD may be my favorite console of all time.)

 
briandadude said:
Here's the link: https://www.walmart.com/co/Sega-Genesis-Mini-Your-Choice-of-Innex-SEGA-Genesis-6-Button-USB-Controller/840263219

I wouldn't do it but I also probably won't even bother getting a 6 button controller as fighting games aren't my thing.
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It just isn't more buttons for fighting games. It feels completely different than the original genesis controller. I loved the way the 6 button felt in my hands compared to the OG controller.

stryker said:
Genesis Mini + Innex 6-button controller for $90

  • Walmart (scroll down to "buy together and save")
Because the 6-button controller isn't first party, I'm concerned it's junk and maybe

not even worth $10.
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I got this one for my mini and it feels well made, just like a real 6 button.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P37ZGTF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 
Dr_dreadful said:
Then order one if you want one. I for one however dont care since it doesn't actually do anything and I'm not going to display my mini like a figure

https://www.play-asia.com/mega-drive-mini-tower/13/70crmd?affiliate_id=956097
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That’s the Japanese Mega CD and related Mega Drive peripherals and games with respective styling not the US Sega CD. The Sega CD has a unique logo and indicator plate. The shape and art on the US Genesis carts are different.

As I was saying, Sega is giving out a US-styled tower of power as a promo item to “influencers” and have not indicated that they plan to offer it more widely.
 
hohle said:
That’s the Japanese Mega CD and related Mega Drive peripherals and games with respective styling not the US Sega CD. The Sega CD has a unique logo and indicator plate. The shape and art on the US Genesis carts are different.

As I was saying, Sega is giving out a US-styled tower of power as a promo item to “influencers” and have not indicated that they plan to offer it more widely.
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Ah ok. I thought it was just a Japan only kind of thing. Didn't realize they had different versions.

 
stryker said:
Genesis Mini + Innex 6-button controller for $90

  • Walmart (scroll down to "buy together and save")
Because the 6-button controller isn't first party, I'm concerned it's junk and maybe

not even worth $10.
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Retro-bit has the license from Sega. That's pretty darn good. I'm using one now on Steam, and I approve.

 
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n64ra said:
Retro-bit has the license from Sega. That's pretty darn good. I'm using one now on Steam, and I approve.
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Those Retro-Bit controllers are excellent!

Thinking I will order the 8Bitdo bluetooth with the adapter I saw on Amazon for $25. Comes out mid October, The three buttons are also very nostalgic for me so I will play with those for a bit before I get the nicer six-button.

 
Wow, hadn't seen 8bitdo had a compatible adapter on the way. May be the best choice.

Retro-Bit have 2.4g versions of their recent pads on the way too.

 
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Will the Japan Mega Drive version with 2 controllers become available again? I am not certain if I want to keep my amazon.jp pre-order since it may be cheaper in the future.... (my payment had issues and I have to update payment to keep the order).
 
Anyone on the east coast manage to get theirs yet? I'm currently in line at Target for the midnight release and there are seriously close to 100 people in line in front of me. I hope they don't sell out.
 
hedliniv said:
Will the Japan Mega Drive version with 2 controllers become available again? I am not certain if I want to keep my amazon.jp pre-order since it may be cheaper in the future.... (my payment had issues and I have to update payment to keep the order).
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I don't think this will be your only chance to get one, but it's very hard to say at this point that there will be significant discounts in the future. Response in the US at least has clearly been quite positive.

Personally, if I really wanted that version I'd just keep the preorder.

 
doctorwolf said:
Anyone on the east coast manage to get theirs yet? I'm currently in line at Target for the midnight release and there are seriously close to 100 people in line in front of me. I hope they don't sell out.
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Wow, didn't expect Nintendo-like response to this. Please update us how it went, if people left empty-handed etc.

 
bigbadboaz said:
Wow, didn't expect Nintendo-like response to this. Please update us how it went, if people left empty-handed etc.
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I didn’t either honestly I was just gonna go into Best Buy tomorrow and grab one off the shelf when I pick up Link’s Awakening. Probably gonna snag one for in store pickup just in case now.
 
bigbadboaz said:
Wow, didn't expect Nintendo-like response to this. Please update us how it went, if people left empty-handed etc.
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I wonder if Sony will learn anything from this...

You make a solid product, with a good game selection and people will want it. People love nostalgia and retro, but only if it is done with care.

 
doctorwolf said:
Anyone on the east coast manage to get theirs yet? I'm currently in line at Target for the midnight release and there are seriously close to 100 people in line in front of me. I hope they don't sell out.
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That is exciting to hear! I pre-ordered mine on Amazon and my order apparently won't arrive until tomorrow which is also when I will be picking up my Switch Lite and Link's Awakening. But I do plan on spending a decent amount of my gaming time this weekend playing the Genesis Mini. I'm going to be getting on a plane Sunday night and heading to the West Coast so I will get plenty of time in with the Switch Lite during my trip.

 
bigbadboaz said:
Wow, didn't expect Nintendo-like response to this. Please update us how it went, if people left empty-handed etc.
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I was at Meijer last week an could have swore I saw these on an endcap in the wire wrap. Is there another Sega system out? Honestly I didn't notice this was even coming out.

Maybe I should swing by after work.

 
Varadatt said:
I was at Meijer last week an could have swore I saw these on an endcap in the wire wrap. Is there another Sega system out? Honestly I didn't notice this was even coming out.

Maybe I should swing by after work.
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Probably was one of the AT Games Genesis, those have been around for awhile and aren't good at all. Definitely make sure you pick up the new Sega Genesis Mini.

 
Sigma said:
Starting to think I may want to cancel/return my Genesis Mini and hold off for a sale later on. I definitely want one and no longer have most of my Genesis games but I do have various collections including the most recent one and have barely touched that, I would definitely play more on the Mini. I think Amazon has already charged my card though so I will wait till it arrives and decide then, but I already know once I get it in the mail I will immediately open it and play a few games for 5-10 minutes each before returning to a newer game like Control.
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i was the same way, i have almost all those game across mulitple systems thru the years so its hard to justify a preorder, hoping for a black friday deal

 
bigstew said:
i was the same way, i have almost all those game across mulitple systems thru the years so its hard to justify a preorder, hoping for a black friday deal
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I ended up not cancelling mine. After looking at the list again there are enough games on this thing that I don't have and would never buy physical copies of due to how expensive they are.

I do feel like we will se deals on these, maybe not a huge discount anytime soon but I am hoping to see the Genesis Mini sell well for Sega and would love to see more of this type of thing from them. A Saturn Mini would be amazing for example.

 
Played with mine a bit, it is really nice.  Games play great.  The three button controllers are actually better than the originals, the pad is more rubbery than the originals and doesn't float around - more reminiscent of the 6 button D-Pad than the original model.  Also the buttons are less floaty as well and a bit more clicky and see more responsive.

However, using the three button pads means you need to hold the Start button for a couple seconds to pull up the menu, making clutch save states tough (you have to have a couple seconds of free time or pause).  This is where the RetroBit six button controllers come in - they work and feel fantastic.  I have two of the earlier models (with shoulder buttons) that came out before the August version made specifically for the system. (and I think those are missing the shoulder buttons)  They work without an issue (obviously ignoring the shoulder buttons, which do not get in the way).  The key here though is the Mode button makes the menu pop immediately, fixing my one issue.  And the bonus is with the model with the shoulder buttons they make great use for PC/RetroPie as well.  I would go with those if you want to get some, not the newer ones.

Also, the included three button pads have a good size cord (maybe 6 feet?), but it isn't as heavy duty as the originals, it is the girth of an average USB cord.  The RetroBit cords are much more substantial (like the originals) and significantly longer still, like 9-10 feet if I had to guess.

If you are going to use the Genesis Mini for more than just a once in a while time waster, go get RetroBit 6 button pads on Amazon now, before they become scarce.  They are $20, but I got one for $15 on Prime Day a while back so they do go on sale - but I have a feeling the popularity of these things might sell them out for a while and might be harder to get (they are available right now, BTW).

With shoulder buttons:

https://www.amazon.com/Retro-Bit-Official-Controller-8-Button-Raspberry/dp/B07P37ZGTF/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=retrobit+sega+genesis+mini&qid=1568912523&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Without:

https://www.amazon.com/Retro-Bit-Official-Controller-6-Button-Nintendo/dp/B07SG8XMJM/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=retrobit+sega+genesis+mini&qid=1568912523&s=gateway&sr=8-3

They also come in translucent blue.

 
briandadude said:
Thanks for the advice! Any idea if the controller with shoulder buttons also works on Mario Kart 8 for the Switch?
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I dunno about Switch compatibility, but I do know that since it is a digital pad only (no analog) Mario Kart 8 might not be a good match since that would mean either no turn or all the way turning. Driving games typically aren't good matches for digital sticks as they really need that granular input - it's why F-Zero had the D-Pad for turning and used the shoulder buttons for turning harder by leaning. I doubt it is coded for doing this in Mario Kart 8.

 
Now you all have me paranoid this will end up like the NESC shortly. I doubt there'd be the same shortage since it's not from a greedy company and I do want one eventually. Will have to check around after work to see if it warrants an immediate purchase.

Oh wow, these are store pickup only? Ordered one from my store that was already limited stock now. Better to be safe than sorry.

 
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Had a target gift card so I decided to pick one up. All the stores in my area were sold out except for one that had 7 according to the stock online. Went to the store and they had them all in the back which is probably why they still had some. It's a neat looking console but just got home with it so haven't played around with it too much.
 
Jodou said:
I doubt there'd be the same shortage since it's not from a greedy company and I do want one eventually.
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A lot of people frequently confuse corporate motivation. Sometimes people throw the label "greedy" around for a company simply because the company did something they don't like, without actually giving any thought to what really motivated a business decision.

When Nintendo under-stocks and under-produces some of their products, it is not because they are greedy. This practice does not actually make Nintendo more money. Nintendo themselves do not benefit much from temporary artificial demand. Flippers and scalpers take advantage of that sort of situation to overprice scarce stock. But Nintendo makes the same amount they would have anyway. The only real benefit to Nintendo is a reduction of risk. Under-stocking their products helps to insure that existing stock sells out, and they don't get stuck with redundant physical products. (which usually ends up costing them extra money)

If you don't like Nintendo's production practices, that's fine, and you certainly aren't alone. But it wouldn't be accurate to call them "greedy" over them. Their motivation is much more closely related to caution than to greed. They produce stock in low numbers because they are fearful of getting stuck with unsold stock, and take an excessively cautious approach to their distribution chain. You could also say that they want to maintain a "premium" reputation for their products, but that is also related to caution, and not greed.

Producing an excessively large number of a product is actually the kind of action that would be motivated by greed. Given past examples in the market, I'm thinking Sega will be smart enough to go for more of a middle-of-the-road approach. Over-producing is bad, as that can lead to a Playstation Classic scenario. Under-producing is also bad, and can lead to a Nes/Snes-Classic scenario. (happy scalpers, and pissed-off fans) I would expect a little bit of shortage initially, but fairly easy to acquire by later in the year.

 
Richard Kain said:
The only real benefit to Nintendo is a reduction of risk. Under-stocking their products helps to insure that existing stock sells out, and they don't get stuck with redundant physical products. (which usually ends up costing them extra money)
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You are correct in your assessment. However they have one more benefit, they do not want their product to be put on clearance, so they almost always go with conservative production. And in the case of the NES Classic, they shot low because it was an unknown thing - sure we had "mini" consoles, but they were 3rd party junk like At Games crap - never one made like this from the original company with the care and style they gave it.

Nintendo hates for their stuff to go on clearance because it erodes that "premium" feeling of their products. They don't want the price to go down a significant amount until they are ready to do a "Greatest Hits" version of it, complete with packaging indicating that. Just look at what happened to Sony, they made a sub-par offering, and it became a joke that plummeted in price almost right away all the way down to 80% off. Nintendo, on the other hand, outside of the initial frustration and scalping did things about right by the time the SNES Classic hit and they re-did the NES Classic. You could find one fairly easily, but stores didn't have tons of extras.

It isn't really about "greed", it is more about brand protection. Which, I guess in a way can be considered "greed" because it lets them charge more, but they aren't sitting around wringing their hands laughing about it.

 
I don't know if it's greed but it is at least ignorance. If Nintendo wasn't sure about demand, how about putting a pre-order button on their website?

Also, got my genesis mini just delivered! Best Buy seems to be the best with pre-orders.

 
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Richard Kain said:
A lot of people frequently confuse corporate motivation. Sometimes people throw the label "greedy" around for a company simply because the company did something they don't like, without actually giving any thought to what really motivated a business decision.

When Nintendo under-stocks and under-produces some of their products, it is not because they are greedy. This practice does not actually make Nintendo more money. Nintendo themselves do not benefit much from temporary artificial demand. Flippers and scalpers take advantage of that sort of situation to overprice scarce stock. But Nintendo makes the same amount they would have anyway. The only real benefit to Nintendo is a reduction of risk. Under-stocking their products helps to insure that existing stock sells out, and they don't get stuck with redundant physical products. (which usually ends up costing them extra money)

If you don't like Nintendo's production practices, that's fine, and you certainly aren't alone. But it wouldn't be accurate to call them "greedy" over them. Their motivation is much more closely related to caution than to greed. They produce stock in low numbers because they are fearful of getting stuck with unsold stock, and take an excessively cautious approach to their distribution chain. You could also say that they want to maintain a "premium" reputation for their products, but that is also related to caution, and not greed.

Producing an excessively large number of a product is actually the kind of action that would be motivated by greed. Given past examples in the market, I'm thinking Sega will be smart enough to go for more of a middle-of-the-road approach. Over-producing is bad, as that can lead to a Playstation Classic scenario. Under-producing is also bad, and can lead to a Nes/Snes-Classic scenario. (happy scalpers, and pissed-off fans) I would expect a little bit of shortage initially, but fairly easy to acquire by later in the year.
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And that's the thing. You're basing it on opinion as much as the people who you're arguing against. Your side and the other side both make compelling arguments and give good examples to to why you're both correct in your assumptions. But at the end of the day neither side including yours is doing anything more than just inventing ideas and situations to support your theories. You nor them actually work for Nintendo or have any first hand knowledge of why they do what. So you're not wrong, but you aren't right either.

And the term greed is only used by people who want what others have. There is no such thing as greed in business. A business exists to make money, nothing more and nothing less. Only differences is the length a company will go to make money. A business is impartial, indifferent to the point where they aren't out to screw anyone personally or create evil schemes because all they care about is making money. Like people call ea evil for loot boxes, well they aren't a requirement and as long as people buy them they will keep making them. Most practices considered evil only exist because people are supporting them.

And I have no doubt Nintendo short shipped like the nes mini. Sure your arguments are valid but CNN and my local news stations where talking about how scarce they are which drove demand. When people see others get something they can't it makes them want it more. Nes mini stayed almost oos for over a year nearly everywhere because of it. It's not greed, it's simply a tactic is all. If they released them all at once they would have sat around for a long time because there was no panic to get one. But then again much like you, I dont know shit and I am just guessing.

 
Dr_dreadful said:
You nor them actually work for Nintendo or have any first hand knowledge of why they do what. So you're not wrong, but you aren't right either.
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Well, naturally. All of this is speculation. And if you want to layer on even more uncertainty, a corporation like Nintendo is a massive international affair. So it never really has any one unifying vision or motivation. Ascribing motivation to it as though it were a person is technically impossible, as the reality of the matter is that it is a huge collection of various people all of whom have different, and often conflicting, interests and motivations.

But if we set aside those qualifiers for the nonce, it is possible to speculate as to such motivations in a general sense by looking at the actions taken. And if you boil it down like that, you can say what certain actions were motivated by.

Producing too much of a product is often motivated by greed, and occasionally by poor planning. The more of a product you sell, the more money you make. Corporations like Nintendo don't get to scalp on-line. They have to sell at their MSRP, or else their retail partners would roast them alive and refuse to carry their products anymore. So temporarily and artificially inflated demand thanks to planned scarcity doesn't benefit them financially. It can help to better manage demand over time, but the only real short-term benefit is in risk aversion. They make less money when they produce and sell fewer items. They are essentially putting a hard cap on their potential profits. That's not the sort of thing anyone does out of greed.

If you wanted to spin this to ascribe a negative trait to Nintendo, it would be easy to say that they are being cowardly or craven. And that jives with a LOT of their actions over the years. Nintendo may experiment with game design from time to time, but their fiscal policies have always been extremely conservative and risk-averse.

 
doctorwolf said:
Anyone on the east coast manage to get theirs yet? I'm currently in line at Target for the midnight release and there are seriously close to 100 people in line in front of me. I hope they don't sell out.
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I'm confused? I literally ordered one and two of the 6-button controllers from best Buy on Wednesday and everything arrived today.
 
I rolled into Target after work today and when I told the guy at the electronics counter I wanted to buy a Genesis Mini, he didn't even know what that was. I led him to the glass case and he pulled me out one of the dozen sitting there filling out the case to max capacity.

I give it about a month or so until these are $40.
 
doctorwolf said:
I rolled into Target after work today and when I told the guy at the electronics counter I wanted to buy a Genesis Mini, he didn't even know what that was. I led him to the glass case and he pulled me out one of the dozen sitting there filling out the case to max capacity.

I give it about a month or so until these are $40.
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It took the PS Classic a lot longer than a month to hit $40 and these are so much better.

 
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Anyone else order from Amazon and have it arrive in a bubble mailer? Predictably my box is thrashed, already started the return process and have one ready for pickup at Best Buy. Should have just done that in the first place.
 
jjks said:
Anyone else order from Amazon and have it arrive in a bubble mailer? Predictably my box is thrashed, already started the return process and have one ready for pickup at Best Buy. Should have just done that in the first place.
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Yup, I was a bit shocked to see the bubble mailer on my doorstep yesterday. Lately Amazon has been great about sending things that generally warrant a box, well, in a box. No actual dents on mine (I live 5 minutes away from an Amazon shipment center... which ships them to a delivery center further away, then back to my house - WTH :lol:), though the front of the box has some slight pressure marks. Not bad enough for me to send back, and not so bad that my collector OCD felt the need to get a "perfect" one.

Anyway, sorry to hear about the damage. Their packers don't always stay consistent or make sense. One time I ordered a cheapo replacement power cable for an old boom box, and they send the 6' cable in a box big enough to ship two folded suits. I could go on about other orders, but I'd get really, really off topic ;)

Overall I'm absolutely loving the Genesis Mini. I figure $80 is well below what I would have comfortably paid for a Japanese version of Contra: The Hard Corps years ago when the price was reasonable, and now I pretty much own three versions of the game. I think the selection of games is outstanding overall, and I understand why some games aren't on there as they're already on other compilations (and are possibly tied up because of it). I would have preferred Ristar or a few other games (Pulseman would have been a really neat treat) over the likes of Eternal Champions, but again, for the price and the performance it's tough to be upset about the package as a whole.

The pack-in controllers are beautifully faithful to the originals, though I keep reaching for the Start button in the old place :D (edit: pack-ins have the Start button in the correct place - got confused with the 6-button version which I've been using the last 25+ years) I enjoyed using them for nostalgia's sake, but like @defpally I bought the shoulder-buttoned Retro-bit 6-button pads ahead of time. Those are glorious, and control and feel just as well as my original 6-button pads. The Mode button is incredibly handy for accessing the save and load options, and I honestly can't go back to the original pads. I highly recommend these pads, especially since they're USB and switchable between X-input and D-input.

Yes, there is some sound delay which is unfortunate, but after playing through the game list for a few hours it honestly didn't bother me much, and I forgot about it altogether most of the time thereafter (and I'm usually sorta picky about that kind of thing, so take that as you will). I'm pretty happy with the input response on the Mini versus the (for me) annoying lag in the Genesis Classics Collection, so a tiny bit of audio lag on the Mini is a welcome compromise.

 
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doctorwolf said:
Just as I suspected, the price has already dropped on Amazon.
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You sure you are looking at the right entry and not an old At Games version of it? Because the price is still $79 on amazon unless they had some glitch.

Or are you just trolling and I missed the subtlety?

 
defpally said:
You sure you are looking at the right entry and not an old At Games version of it? Because the price is still $79 on amazon unless they had some glitch.

Or are you just trolling and I missed the subtlety?
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It's been discounted to $79.00. MSRP is $79.99. Troubling news considering it was released today.
 
briandadude said:
I don't know if it's greed but it is at least ignorance. If Nintendo wasn't sure about demand, how about putting a pre-order button on their website?

Also, got my genesis mini just delivered! Best Buy seems to be the best with pre-orders.
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Nintendo is not a retailer like best buy or amazon, and doesn't have the staff to box and ship 20 million consoles. Or even 2 million or 200000 consoles.

 
doctorwolf said:
It's been discounted to $79.00. MSRP is $79.99. Troubling news considering it was released today.
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Yes, that 99 cent price drop is very troubling. When you see a price like that coming from Amazon this early, you know it's coming from somewhere else (it's Wal-Mart, the retailer that knocks around $10 off of most Switch games lately upon release.).

 
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