This is a time line of Sega's history in video games rather than a map of the company's entire history. Enjoy and learn.
1977: Sega broadens its horizons through home console and arcade development.
1982: Sega Enterprises (Sega of America) opens.
1985: Master System is released in the US.
1986-9: Through titles like Shinobi, Sega establishes itself as an arcade superdeveloper.
1988: Phantasy Star is released for the Master System.
1989: Sega's new home console - the Genesis - is launched.
1990: Game Gear - Sega's handheld console, which went up against the Game Boy - is released.
1991: The revolutionary Sonic the Hedgehog becomes Sega's new mascot when sales of the first game in the series go through the roof.
1992: The Sega CD, a CD-based Genesis add-on, is released in the US. It fails to catch on, and little software is released for the system.
1993: Shining Force is made ready to release on the Genesis in the West.
1994: The appalling Sega 32X, another poorly supported, expensive Genesis add-on, is launched. A total commercial failure.
1995: Sega launches the Saturn a few weeks before Sony launches its main rival, the PlayStation. Arcade-converted Sega Rally Championship becomes the number one piece of software for the system; Virtua Fighter also proves popular.
1998: Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shining Force 3 are released for the Saturn. Unfortunately, the console is doing very badly, and both titles are massively overlooked.
1999: Sega brings out the Dreamcast, its first new console in five years. Launch games include Sonic Adventure, Sega Rally 2, and Virtua Fighter 3.
2000: This is the year Sega launched SegaNet, the company's online console gaming network.
2001: Sega announces that it will halt production of the Dreamcast console and focus on restructuring itself as a third-party software developer and publisher.
