As pointed out by Forbes, SEGA didn’t prepare their business partners for the early release, only stocking Saturns at four retail chains and not allowing enough time for games to be developed or localized meaning there were only six titles at launch. The move was an early viral marketing stunt, surprising consumers with the release to create hype for the console. The Sega Saturn’s Shadow Drop Virtua Fighter It would even come with the arcade hit Virtua Fighter as the pack-in game.

They shadow-dropped the launch of the Saturn for that day and you could go to a store and pick one up after the conference for $399 USD. SEGA however was concerned since it would have to compete with the original PlayStation that was also launching in the region around the same time.Īs such on May 11th, 1995, at the very first E3, SEGA of America President Tom Kalinske took to the stage to speak about The Saturn and announced that it was not just coming, but it was out. The SEGA Saturn was actually known prior to its release having already been launched in Japan in 1994 and was planned to launch in the Fall of 1995 in America. The SEGA Saturn’s American Launch Launch Ads for The Saturn Probably the best example of just how badly a shadow drop can be is the North American launch of the SEGA Saturn. It goes out and there’s no guarantee it’ll get any traction, making Hi-Fi’s success all the more unique. When first revealed, the game was mocked for its corny dialogue and odd tone for a Final Fantasy game yet as more information about the game and why characters like Jack Garland seemed so out of place, people started to warm up to the game and now its consider a hidden gem of sorts.Ī shadow-dropped game however doesn’t have that safety. Just look at Strangers of Paradise Final Fantasy Origins. It’s an essential part of marketing a game that can really make or break a game.

Follow us on Twitter Follow and Tweet us Tweet to Problems with Shadow DropsĪn important part of any marketing of any product is the communication period between reveal and release, this is the time when the publisher needs to tell the audience what the game is and why they should care.

Hi-fi rush release date