Editing Game Gear (section)

===Release and marketing===
Before the Game Gear's launch in 1990, the [[16-bit]] [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] had been successfully marketed as a "more mature" option for players, and this was repeated against the Game Boy. Sega's marketing in Japan did not take this approach, instead opting for advertisements with Japanese women featuring the handheld, but Sega's worldwide advertising prominently positioned the Game Gear as the "[[Cool (aesthetic)|cooler]]" console than the Game Boy.<ref name="RG2" />

In North America, marketing for the Game Gear included side-by-side comparisons against the Game Boy which likened Game Boy players to the [[Obesity|obese]] and uneducated. Most of these advertisements feature the "Sega Scream" with a person yelling the name. One Sega advertisement in early 1994 features the quote, "If you were [[color blind]] and had an [[Intelligence quotient|IQ]] of less than 12, then you wouldn't mind which portable you had."<ref name="RG2" /> Such advertising drew criticism from Nintendo, who sought to have protests organized against Sega for insulting [[Disability|disabled people]]. Sega of America president [[Tom Kalinske]] responded that Nintendo "should spend more time improving their products and marketing rather than working on behind-the-scenes coercive activities". Ultimately, this debate would have little impact on sales for the Game Gear.<ref name="book" />

Europe and Australia were the last regions to receive the Game Gear. Due to delays, some importers paid up to £200 per system. Upon launch in Europe, video game distributor [[Virgin Interactive|Virgin Mastertronic]] unveiled the price as £99.99, positioning it as being more expensive than the Game Boy, but less expensive than the also full-color Atari Lynx.<ref name="RetroGamer" /> Marketing in the [[United Kingdom]] included the slogan, "To be this good takes Sega", and advertisements with a [[Motorcycling|biker]].<ref name="RG2" /> In the United Kingdom, the Game Gear had a 16% share of the handheld market in January 1992, increasing to 40% by December 1992.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Geared For Success |magazine=[[Sega Force]] |date=March 4, 1993 |issue=16 (April 1993) |page=17 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/9/98/SegaForce_UK_16.pdf#page=17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329203427/https://retrocdn.net/images/9/98/SegaForce_UK_16.pdf |archive-date=March 29, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>