Mega Drive Architecture: Architecture of Consoles: A Practical Analysis, #3

By Rodrigo Copetti

Sega (and their TV ads) want you to know: Developers can't come up with decent games unless the console provides faster graphics and richer sounds.

 

Their new system includes lots of already familiar components ready to be programmed. This means that, in theory, developers would only need to learn about Sega's new GPU... right?

 

Architecture of Consoles: A Practical Analysis

 

Looking at the evolution of video game consoles is fascinating. While conventional PCs tend to evolve 'incrementally', new generations of consoles introduce completely new ways of working. What you see here is a series of articles that will hopefully uncover the rationale behind the latest trends in technology. They will also demonstrate why each system can't be summarised by its 'bits', megahertz, amount of RAM and whatnot.

 

This is not a developer manual, just an in depth introduction to how each system worked internally. Bear in mind that tech has gotten really complicated lately, so if you struggle to follow my latest articles, try reading the early ones first. They introduce many concepts and definitions that are constantly revisited. Basic knowledge of computing is preferable, however, I try really hard to adapt my content for wider audiences, so please don't be afraid to give it a try!

 

About this edition

 

This edition originates from the article initially published on my personal website, it's been re-styled to take advantage of the capabilities of eBook documents.

 

While identical content-wise, interactive widgets have been simplified to work with a static environment - in other words, anything that physical pages allow us :), though these will offer a link to the original article in case the reader wants to try the 'full version'. Please keep this in mind when you see references to interactivity throughout the writings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rodrigo Copetti
• Release date: May 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9798201146818

Book preview

1 About this edition

This edition originates from the article initially published on my personal website, it’s been re-styled to take advantage of the capabilities of PDF/eBook documents.

While identical content-wise, interactive widgets have been simplified to work with a static environment - in other words, anything that physical pages allow us, though these will offer a link to the original article in case the reader wants to try the ‘full version’. Please keep this in mind when you see references to interactivity throughout the writings.

As always, the original manuscript of the articles is available on Github to enable readers to report mistakes or propose changes. There’s also a supporting reading list available to help understand the series. The author also accepts donations to help improve the quality of current articles and upcoming ones.

1.1 Open to feedback

Last but not least, for any comments and/or issues regarding this edition of the article, please get in touch using the links provided on the About page.

2 A quick introduction

Sega (and their TV ads) want you to know: Developers can’t come up with decent games unless the console provides faster graphics and richer sounds.

Their new system includes lots of already familiar components ready to be programmed. This means that, in theory, developers would only need to learn about Sega’s new GPU… right?

3 Supporting Imagery

The Mega Drive. Released on 29/10/1988 in Japan. [1]

The Genesis. Released on 14/08/1989 in America. [1]

The Mega Drive. Released on 09/1990 in Europe. [1]