Editing Sega CD (section)

===Launch===
As early as 1990, magazines were covering a CD-ROM expansion for the Genesis.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=November 1990|title=Big in Japan|magazine=[[Raze (magazine)|Raze]]|issue=1|pages=20–21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=September 1990|title=CD-ROM|magazine=[[Beep! Mega Drive]]|language=Japanese|page=20}}</ref> Sega announced the release of the Mega-CD in Japan for late 1991, and North America (as the Sega CD) in 1992. It was unveiled to the public at the 1991 Tokyo Toy Show,<ref name="RetroGamer"/><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=August 1991|title=Sega of Japan Unveils Mega-CD at Tokyo Toy Show!|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=25|page=36}}</ref> to positive reception from critics,<ref name="RetroGamer" /> and at the [[Consumer Electronic Show]] in [[Chicago]] in mid-1991.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=June 22, 1991|title=Does the CD Console War Start Here?|magazine=[[New Computer Express]]|issue=137|page=4}}</ref>  It was released in Japan on December 12, 1991, initially retailing at [[JP¥]]49,800.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mega-CD|publisher=[[Sega Corporation]]|language=ja|access-date=March 29, 2014|url=http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mcd/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716110215/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mcd/|archive-date=July 16, 2014}}</ref> Though the Mega-CD sold quickly, the small install base of the Mega Drive in Japan meant that sales declined rapidly.<ref name="RetroinspectionCD">{{cite magazine|author=McFerran|first=Damien|date=February 2009|title=Retroinspection: Mega-CD|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|issue=61|pages=82–87}}</ref> Within its first three months, the Mega-CD sold 200,000 units, but only sold an additional 200,000 over the next three years.<ref name=":0" /> Third-party game development suffered because Sega took a long time to release [[software development kit]]s.<ref name="RetroGamer" /><ref name="AllgameCD"/> Other factors affecting sales included the high launch price of the Mega-CD in Japan and only two games available at launch,<ref name="RetroGamer" /> with only five published by Sega within the first year.<ref name=":0" />

[[File:Sega-Genesis-CD-Model-1-Bare-wPlate.jpg|thumb|A model 1 Sega CD without a Genesis attached. The steel joining plate was included to act as RF shielding between the CD and console hardware.]]On October 15, 1992, the Mega-CD was released in North America as the Sega CD, with a retail price of [[US$]]299.<ref name="segacd" /> Advertising included one of Sega's slogans, "Welcome to the Next Level". Though only 50,000 units were available at launch due to production problems, the Sega CD sold over 200,000 units by the end of 1992<ref name="RetroinspectionCD" /> and 300,000 by July 1993.<ref>{{cite news|first=Andrew|last=Pollack|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/273694979/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211019/https://www.newspapers.com/image/273694979/| archive-date=October 19, 2021|title=Sega strives to be a Disney for the new electronic age|date=July 8, 1993|agency=The New York Times|newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|access-date=December 29, 2020|url-status=live|page=D4|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref> As part of Sega's sales, [[Blockbuster (retailer)|Blockbuster]] purchased Sega CD units for rental in their stores.<ref name="SunSentinel">{{cite news|author=McCash, Vicki|title=Sega Channel To Offer Games Via Cable TV|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1993-04-28/business/9302080600_1_sega-channel-sega-cd-sega-genesis|date=April 28, 1993|access-date=December 9, 2013|newspaper=[[Sun-Sentinel|Broward and Palm Beach Sun Sentinel]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213040029/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1993-04-28/business/9302080600_1_sega-channel-sega-cd-sega-genesis|archive-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>  Sega of America emphasized that the Sega CD's additional storage space allowed for [[full-motion video]] (FMV),<ref name="AllgameCD" /><ref name="CDFollies">{{cite web|last=Buchanan|first=Levi|title=Sega CD Follies|website=[[IGN]]|date=October 15, 2008|access-date=July 1, 2013|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/15/sega-cd-follies|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828085544/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/15/sega-cd-follies|archive-date=August 28, 2013}}</ref><ref name="1UP">{{cite web|author=Parish, Jeremy |title=20 Years Ago, Sega Gave Us the Sega CD |website=[[1UP.com]] |date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=December 11, 2016 |url=http://www.1up.com/features/sega-cd-anniversary |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130615202428/http://www.1up.com/features/sega-cd-anniversary |archive-date=June 15, 2013 }}</ref> with [[Digital Pictures]] becoming an important partner.<ref name="segacd" /> After the initial competition between Sega and Nintendo to develop a CD-based add-on, [[Nintendo]] canceled development of a CD add-on for the SNES after having partnered with Sony and then Philips to develop one.<ref name="segacd" />

The Mega-CD was launched in Europe in April 1993,<ref name=":0" /><ref name="RetroGamer" /> starting with the United Kingdom on April 2, 1993, at a price of £269.99. The European version was packaged with ''[[Sol-Feace]]'' and ''[[Cobra Command (1984 video game)|Cobra Command]]'' in a two-disc set, along with a [[Sega Classics Arcade Collection|compilation CD]] of five Mega Drive games.<ref name="CVG 138">{{cite magazine|date=May 1993|title=News: Mega CD Launches!|magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]]|location=United Kingdom|issue=138|page=8}}</ref> Only 70,000 units were initially available in the UK, but 60,000 units were sold by August 1993.<ref name="RetroinspectionCD" /> The Mega-CD was released in Australia in March 1993.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=April 1993|title=Disc is it: Mega-CD|magazine=Megazone|issue=27|pages=20–21}}</ref>  Brazilian toy company [[Tectoy]] released the Sega CD in Brazil in October 1993, retaining the North American name despite the use of the name Mega Drive for the base console there.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=October 1993|title=Bits: Sega CD|magazine=VideoGame|language=Portuguese|volume=3|issue=31|pages=6–7}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|date=November 2006|title=Company Profile: Tec Toy|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|publisher=|issue=30|pages=50–53|issn=}}</ref>

Sega released a second model, the Sega CD 2 (Mega-CD 2), on April 23, 1993, in Japan.<ref name="Megacd2">{{cite web|title=Mega-CD 2|url=http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mcd/mcd2.html|publisher=Sega Corporation|language=ja|access-date=March 29, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140530063620/http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mcd/mcd2.html|archive-date=May 30, 2014}}</ref> It was released in North America several months later at a price of [[US$]]229, bundled with one of the bestselling Sega CD games, ''[[Sewer Shark]]''.<ref name="AllgameCD" /><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Sega Packs Sewer Shark with New Sega CD|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=52|date=November 1993|page=261}}</ref> Designed to bring down the manufacturing costs of the Sega CD, the newer model is smaller and does not use a motorized disc tray.<ref name="RetroinspectionCD"/> A limited number of games were developed that used the Sega CD and another Genesis add-on, the [[32X]], released in November 1994.<ref name="AllgameCD32X">{{cite web|last=Marriott|first=Scott Alan|title=Sega Genesis 32X CD&nbsp;– Overview|website=[[Allgame]]|access-date=July 2, 2013|url=http://allgame.com/platform.php?id=43|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210111102/http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=43|archive-date=December 10, 2014}}</ref>