Feature: The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time

10. Dreamcast

Released in the fall of 1998 in Japan and a year later in the US, the Dreamcast was Sega's fifth and final video game system. The much beloved console launched years ahead of the competition but ultimately struggled to shed the negative reputation it had gained during the Saturn, Sega 32X, and Sega CD days. As a result, casual gamers and jaded third-party developers doubted Sega's ability to deliver. Despite a much celebrated game library, the Dreamcast only sold 10.6 million units during its short, three-year lifespan.

Key games: Soul Calibur, Seaman, Crazy Taxi

9. TurboGrafx-16

The TurboGrafx-16 was released in 1989 in North America and was largely considered a success in Japan. But the console never caught on in the US for two reasons: 1) Nintendo's anti-competitive (now illegal) practices prevented Japanese developers from making games for both the TG16 and NES; and 2) poor localization. NEC successfully promoted the system in Japan using advertising in big cities only. When a similar strategy was implemented in the much larger and more diverse North America, a lack of public awareness resulted in smaller communities leaving NEC unable to compete. By 1991, the TurboGrafx-16 was all but dead and would go on to sell a total of 10 million units worldwide with only 2.5 million sold in the States.

Key games: Bonk's Adventure, Splatterhouse

8. Saturn

The Sega Saturn was released in the US several months before the PlayStation in 1995, but like the Dreamcast that would later follow, it failed to last more than 3 years on the market. The console's high $399 price put the sting on gamer wallets, and a complex multi-processor hardware architecture hindered game development leaving Saturn with relatively few good games. As a result, the more technogically forgiving PlayStation enjoyed a high influx of games to become the clear best-selling system of that generation. The "stillborn" Saturn would sell only 9.5 million units worldwide.

Key games: NIGHTS, Virtua Fighter, Daytona USA

7. Sega CD

Compact Disc was all the rage in the early 90s when Sega released their first Genesis add-on that played 16-bit full-motion video games. The problem was threefold: the device was expensive at $299, it arrived late in the 16-bit life cycle, and it didn't do much (if anything) to enhance the gameplay experience. Granted, the attachment delivered the greatest Sonic game of all time (Sonic CD), but everything else under whelmed and the system sold only 6 million units in its short-lived life. Worse still, Sega CD marked the first of several Sega systems that saw very poor support; something that devalued the once-popular Sega brand in the eyes of consumers, and something that would ultimately lead to the company's demise as a hardware maker.

Key games: Sonic CD, Night Trap, Earthworm Jim

6. 3DO

The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer was the first legitimate 32-bit console to hit retail. Engineered by EA founder Trip Hawkins, the system was released in September 1993 by Panasonic. Despite its highly promoted launch, unprecedented power, and attractive development terms, the machine flopped because 3DO was unable to convince consumers to pay an exorbitant $700 price tag (and you thought the PS3 was expensive!). Interestingly enough, the 3DO was one of the first machines to be marketed as a "high-end audio-visual system" in addition to being a game console. Add that to the over-saturated console market of the mid-90s, and the EA-backed system would sell little more than 2 million units (note: the Wikipedia entry claims 6 million, a figure we couldn't verify).

Key games: Road Rash, The Horde

5. Virtual Boy

Not quite a portable, definitely not a handheld, Nintendo released the Virtual Boy a few months after Sega's Saturn in the summer of 1995 (a bad time for hardware launches). Priced at a pricey $180 dollars, the red monochrome system was met with a lukewarm reception despite its pseudo-3D graphics and continued price drops. Nintendo rushed the Virtual Boy to market in light of longer-than-expected N64 delays resulting in a poor selection of games and third-party support. Hence, only 770,000 units were ever sold, and the Virtual Boy was discontinued after just one year. It would be Nintendo's only commercial hardware flop but at the additional expense of losing the creator of the venerable Game Boy line and Metroid franchise. That man Gunpei Yokoi who also designed the Virtual Boy, was kindly asked to leave after the debacle.

Key games: None, really

4. CD-i

If there was one machine that didn't know what it was, it was Philip's CD-i. Released in 1991 and heavily promoted via infomercials, the system was similar to the Sega CD in that it played 16-bit video CDs but was marketed as an all encompassing "interactive" player that included educational software, music, and self-improvement titles in addition to a limited number of video games. The arrival of cheaper, more powerful consoles in the mid 90s effectively sealed its fate, but miraculously, Philips life-supported the system until 1998 when it was finally discontinued. The CD-i would only sell a paltry 570,000 units.

Key games: Zelda: The Wand of Gannon, Dragon's Lair, Myst

3. Atari Jaguar

The Jaguar was Atari's last-ditch effort to deliver a financially successful video game console. The system was released in November 1993 as a 64-bit machine when in reality it was a 32-bit system (only the graphics card had 64-bit capabilities). Launching at a $250 price point, Jaguar was marketed under the slogan "Do the Math." Let's take Atari up on that mathematical challenge: Atari's final console sold a measly 250,000 units in just over a year on the market. Sure the system had the ultra-cool Tempest 2000, but just about every other game was garbage. Is it a coincidence that the number three console on our list had the worst game controller ever invented by man? We think not.

Key games: Aliens vs. Predator, Tempest 2000, Iron Soldier

2. Sega 32X

The 32X was the epitome of Sega's hardware failure. Launched in November 1994, this second Genesis add-on left gamers even more confused in light of the previously released Sega CD. Just how many 16-bit attachments did one need? All in all, if you were one of the unlucky souls who completely bought into Sega's add-on frenzy, you would have spent a whopping $650 dollars for something that weighed about us much as a small dog. The real problem, however, was that Sega of America (which developed the 32X) had no idea the Saturn was being developed in Japan until it was too late. As a result, the 32X was half-heartily supported for only a few months selling an unthinkably low 200,000 units.

Key games: Virtua Racing Deluxe, Knuckles Chaotix, Doom

1. Apple Pippen

Apple and successful Japanese toy maker Bandai teamed up in 1995 to deliver a next-gen video game console and their lack of experience showed. The system launched at a pricey $599, making it more expensive albeit less powerful than the competition (kinda hard to sell something on that value proposition). The platform failed to gain any traction, had an appallingly limited roster of games, and only sold 42,000 units before being discontinued in 1997. Combine its ridiculously low sales in addition to making PC World's "Worst Tech Products of All-time," and the Pippin easily tops our list of the most under-performing, high-profile consoles ever.

Key games: none

source gamepro

Feature: The 10 Worst-Selling Handhelds of All Time

10. Game Gear (11 million sold)
Sega released the Game Gear in North America in 1991 for what was then a hefty $150 asking price. The machine was basically a portable Master System with a larger color pallet for slightly better-looking graphics. Unlike the Game Boy, the Game Gear rocked the landscape holding position, making it less cramped for human beings with two hands to hold. And even though the Game Gear could be considered a success, its bulky frame, relative high price, constant consumption of AA batteries, and a lack of appealing games ultimately kept Sega from releasing a true successor.

9. Nokia N-Gage (3 million sold)
Nokia launched the first 3D-enabled handheld gaming device in October of 2003 just prior to the release of the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. The N-Gage was an extremely versatile cell phone that included wireless multiplayer and a built-in MP3/video player. Unfortunately, it under whelmed as a game system. Its high launch price of $299 and lack of enticing games are commonly cited for its early demise, not to mention the system's abhorrent, clunky, and widely mocked "taco" design. Gamers actually had to remove the battery to insert a game, and the 12-digit keypad doubling as command buttons would even make the Jaguar controller blush.

8. GBA Micro (2.5 million sold)
While beloved by many and heralded by some as the best of three GBA models, the Micro has been the lone commercial failure in Nintendo's expansive portable portfolio. First introduced at E3 2005 along with the unveiling of the Wii, the Micro was geared towards the few "image conscious" Game Boy owners in existence. While the screen set a new standard in brightness, even outshining the PSP, the Micro didn't support original Game Boy games like the SP did, and it forced gamers to upgrade to pesky adaptors not compatible with previous GBA hardware. Even Nintendo admitted the Micro's defeat saying "we failed to explain its unique value to consumers."

7. Neo-Geo Pocket (2 million sold)
Neo Geo released their first handheld, the Pocket, in late 1998. Due to lower than expected sales, the company quickly discontinued the monochrome version in favor of a 16-bit colored one released in 1999 across Japan, North America, and Europe at a retail price of $69. The portable initially sold well due to its attractive price, good battery life, and surprisingly strong line up of first-party games. Ultimately, however, a lack of third-party support, its cost-cutting cardboard box, and the impending threat of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance left Neo Geo with no choice but to gracefully bow out of the hardware business altogether as its home and arcade platforms had already shriveled up.

6. NEC Turbo Express (1.5 million sold)
The Turbo Express was the first ever handheld to play actual home console games some five years before the Sega Nomad could do the same for Sega Genesis games. It was a commensurate Turbo Grafx-16 if you will. While the most technologically advanced portable of its time, the Turbo Express was plagued with problems since first launching in 1990. The system was originally priced at an unheard of $349, could drain six AA batteries in less than 20 minutes, and a large number of units were shipped missing display pixels. Factor in NEC's disastrous marketing, and the oft labeled Rolls Royce of handhelds was quietly discontinued around the same time as NEC's Turbo Duo

5. Sega Nomad (1 million sold)
The Sega Nomad was the second portable to allow mobile play of home console games. In its case, the device played both Genesis and Mega Drive cartridges. Sega launched the handheld in October 1995 for $180 in Japan and North America only. It featured a Genesis controller port on the bottom of the system for two-player games, and strangely, it supported an external out to TV so a second person could watch on the Nomad's smaller screen (Why not peep the larger TV?). Released at a time when 3D graphics were standard, the Nomad suffered an early death due to its poor timing, inadequate marketing, and dismal 2-hour battery life.

4. Atari Lynx (fewer than 500k sold)
Released in 1989, the Atari Lynx was the first commercially available color handheld to market. It featured a backlit display, a switchable ambidextrous layout by turning the unit upside down, local networking of up to 17 other systems, and it was the first system to support sprite zooming for pseudo-3D graphics. Though available in the US for five lackluster years, the rarely owned Lynx never caught on due to its high $189 launch price, poor distribution, limited 3 hour battery life, cumbersome design, and some of the worst games this side of the Pacific. Atari dropped the Lynx like a bag of dirt in 1994 to focus on the soon-to-fail Jaguar.

3. Game.com (fewer than 300k sold)
The Game.com (pronounced "game com") was released by Tiger Electronics in September 1997. It was the first system to use a touchscreen and stylus, first to provide internet access, and it was squarely aimed at an older audience with its PDA-style features. The touch screen lacked precision, however, due to its low sensor resolution and lack of a backlight. Furthermore, Game.com suffered from some of the worst game advertising in history; an insulting midget spokesman claimed "It plays more games than you idiots have brain cells," referring to the very gamers he was trying to sell to. Ironically, it only had a total of 20 games. Idiots!

2. Tapwave Zodiac (fewer than 200k sold)
The Tapwave Zodiac was another touch-screen handheld released shortly before the Nintendo DS in 2004. Despite its robust feature set including Microsoft Office support, MP3 and video playback, and an internet browser, the gamer-aiming system clearly lacked Nintendo's portable pixie dust as it did little right. The system was largely doomed at its birth being that Palm-base devices were already on their way out. More detrimental, however, was that Tapwave had zero experience in gaming, not to mention a piss-poor marketing budget to go up against both Nintendo and Sony. A year later, it was "game over" for the Zodiac as Tapwave declared bankruptcy.

1. Gizmondo (fewer than 25k sold)
Oh, the Gizmondo! Where to begin with this Euro trash? For the sake of time let's just summarize the mediocrity. The handheld was released in 2005 with two versions; a $400 ad-free unit and a $229 ad-supported unit. Only eight of the 14 planned games were ever released because the Gizmondo was never about launching a viable gaming machine; rather it was a front for company president Stefan Eriksson to sucker (ahem, bully) investors for money, throw a year long party, spend exorbitant amounts of cash, and bifurcate Ferrari Enzos in southern California before getting arrested for Swedish mob ties then going bankrupt a year later. Utter incompetence. Top handheld failure.

source gamepro