You can’t win big if you’re not willing to bet big.
Of course, as we discovered last week, sometimes betting big can lead to disaster. However, some game companies have managed to thrive and create legacies off of some daring enterprises.
Below is a list of some of the biggest risks in gaming history. Read on, and discover how those who dared to bet big were able to win big.
The original Sony PlayStation
Launched: Sep. 9, 1995
What was it?: The PlayStation was Sony’s first console. Originally, the Japanese electronics company attempted to partner with Nintendo and later Sega on hardware projects, but both plans fell through. Sony decided to release a system on its own, the disk-based PlayStation.
Why was it such a risk?: Because Nintendo and Sega were already in a war for market share, and they were both planning to release new systems that would compete against Sony’s PlayStation. Sony was going to have to fight against years of marketing, brand loyalty, and hype if it wanted to succeed.
How did it do?: The PlayStation sold 102.49 million worldwide. By comparison, the Nintendo 64 was a distant second with 32.93 million units worldwide, and the Sega Saturn flopped with only 9.5 million worldwide.
World of Warcraft
Launched: Nov. 23, 2004
What is it?: World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game for computers. In it, players can create an avatar based on a wide selection of fantasy races, then adventure and journey through the world of Azeroth.
Why was it such a risk?: Making an MMO is an expensive job, and while the genre had some hits before 2004 (notably 1999’s Everquest), it was hardly the big deal it is today. World of Warcraft also launched around the same date as Everquest 2, which at the time was a much bigger name in the MMO space. Previous Warcraft games, however, were real-time strategy games. No one knew if the world would successfully translate to a massively multiplayer role-playing experience.
How did it do?: At its peak, World of Warcraft had over 10 million paying subscribers. While that number is now down to 6.8 million, it’s still doing well for a 10-year-old game. Its fifth expansion, the Warlords of Draenor, launches on Nov. 13.
Giving Sonic the Hedgehog away for free with the Genesis
Launched: June 23, 1991
What was it?: Sonic the Hedgehog was Sega’s answer to Nintendo’s insanely popular mascot, Mario. Sega knew it had something special with the speedy, 2-D platformer, and it was hoping that the title could help its struggling Genesis system gain ground on the Big N. Sega of America, however, had a risky plan. Instead of selling Sonic the Hedgehog separately, it would bundle the game with every Genesis system for no additional cost.
Why was it such a risk?: Because Sega of America was giving away its best game for free. The idea was that Sonic would move hardware, which Sega needed before the Genesis could really gain traction as a legitimate competitor to Nintendo. Of course, if the plan didn’t work, then Sega would have lost out on any money it could have potentially made off of software sales for Sonic the Hedgehog.
How did it do?: Sonic was a huge commercial success, and it spawned a franchise that is still alive 23 years later (Sonic Boom comes out for the 3DS and Wii U later this year). More importantly, it helped the Genesis become a major player in the American console war. It didn’t quite topple the Super Nintendo, but it came close.