- published: 25 Dec 2015
- views: 79729
The Sega Saturn (セガサターン, Sega Satān?) is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe. The system was discontinued in North America and Europe in 1998, and in 2000 in Japan.
The Saturn sold 9.5 million units worldwide. While its installed base in the United States ended at 2 million, its installed base in Japan was more than 6 million units.[citation needed] While it was popular in Japan, the Saturn failed to gain a similar market share in North America and Europe against its main competitors: Sony's PlayStation and later the Nintendo 64.
In 2009, video game website IGN chose the Saturn to be their 18th best video game console of all time, out of their list of 25.
Sega's 27-member Away Team, comprising employees from hardware engineering, product development and marketing, worked for two years beginning in February 1993 to design the Sega Saturn's hardware. Since the project was top secret, Hayao Nakayama dubbed the project "Aurora".