You know, I was looking at this box art and chuckling over everyone's comments when a weird thought occurred to me. Why didn't any of these American-based console manufacturers play the patriotic card like the car companies? It seems like a no-brainer; just make a big deal out of not buying Japanese consoles and videogames for the sake of the ol' stars and stripes.
There was really no Japanese presence in the US pre-crash except through American companies. It was the "destruction" of the American industry that allowed the Japanese to come in and dominate. Post crash, once Nintendo and Super Mario fever took hold, patriotism wouldn't have mattered, as it then became all about having the hottest games.
Matt Barton wrote:
I personally don't care where a game comes from, but it seems like a pretty reasonable marketing ploy. Do you know of any of them ever tried it? I guess it could be a moot point if they were importing components anyway.
Yeah, that's a tough one. Even American cars are full of foreign components. It's doubtful there's a way to make something sophisticated like a videogame console all "American", and certainly not a cost competitive way. Even the Xbox series is manufactured overseas, though those can be considered "American" consoles...
You know, I was looking at this box art and chuckling over everyone's comments when a weird thought occurred to me. Why didn't any of these American-based console manufacturers play the patriotic card like the car companies? It seems like a no-brainer; just make a big deal out of not buying Japanese consoles and videogames for the sake of the ol' stars and stripes.
There was really no Japanese presence in the US pre-crash except through American companies. It was the "destruction" of the American industry that allowed the Japanese to come in and dominate. Post crash, once Nintendo and Super Mario fever took hold, patriotism wouldn't have mattered, as it then became all about having the hottest games.
I personally don't care where a game comes from, but it seems like a pretty reasonable marketing ploy. Do you know of any of them ever tried it? I guess it could be a moot point if they were importing components anyway.
Yeah, that's a tough one. Even American cars are full of foreign components. It's doubtful there's a way to make something sophisticated like a videogame console all "American", and certainly not a cost competitive way. Even the Xbox series is manufactured overseas, though those can be considered "American" consoles...
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Bill Loguidice, Managing Director | Armchair Arcade, Inc.
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Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.