If you're hoping to secure a Sega Genesis Mini 2 when it arrives in North America this October, you might want to act fast.
This system, loaded with over 50 classic games including Sega CD titles, is expected to be in short supply. Ars Technica reached out to Sega's main office and received confirmation the Mega Drive Mini 2 could only be produced in "small numbers due to the global semiconductor shortage".
As a result, it's really a "Japan-only project". While the company will produce a "small" batch of Genesis Mini 2 for the North American market here in the west, availability is expected to be far less than the previous Genesis Mini.
"The number of units for this project makes up around one-tenth of the total for the previous Genesis Mini."
This news isn't all that surprising if you've been following tech supply shortages. Just last month, Sega's classic hardware producer Yosuke Okunari warned that production of the Mega Drive Mini 2 would be "much lower" due to supply issues and the increased price of components.
There's no word on a European release of the Mega Drive Mini 2, but you can learn more about the North American release in our previous post:
Will you be adding this system to your Mini collection on October 27th? Comment down below.
[source arstechnica.com, via mynintendonews.com]
Comments 64
And here comes the scalpers...
And that's definitely not hitting Europe then.
While Nintendo did launch the NES and Super NES Classic Edition mini in limited supplies, they don't out right say it. Why Sega would tell consumers this would just made some of their consumers lose interest and take the free emulation route.
Living in the UK, I think I will put the allocated money towards Sparks of hope and BOTW 2 then. And yes Lostdragon here come the scalpers!
I really want the Mega Drive Mini 2. Most likely will want the JP version too... This is gonna be a huge pain to get ahold of...
Blehhhh..
Even Mini consoles are facing shortages, yet people online are screaming about how Nintendo should release an upgraded Switch rn lol
Oh good, they’ve fired the starting gun for the scalpers. 🙄
If you want it you should probably preorder. It's going to be one of those heavily scalped holiday items.
Do we know if there is genuinely any difference between this and the original Mega Drive Mini except for the games?
I'll wait for a Dreamcast Mini.
Please make it happen Sega.
Yes I know it would be more expensive but I'd still throw money at it.
okay screw it. i just bought the JP version from someone on ebay for £140. I know it's always sketchy to pre-order something via someone on eBay but I didn't want to wait until the only ones available are triple this price.
So tired of companies doing this, no thanks.
Amazon won't let me order the north american version (I'm UK based). very annoying, looks like Europe based Sega fans have no hope
I feel like the better route would be for mini consoles to have access to an eshop rather than a whole new gadget just for 50 more games.
The idea of owning two of the same Classic consoles with different libraries is annoying. They all should be internet capable and have expandable libraries.
Way to let the scalperrs know. They're all rubbing their hands now. No chance of getting this in the U.K then unless i want to spend stupid money to a scalper. Which i would never do.
@Dimey Same here. Think we don't have any hope of getting it. Thanks Sega
Good thing I have one pre ordered.
Good for the scalpers but I'm smart enough to emulate the entire list. Sega CD emulation has come a long way. You'd be surprised how much better looking and playing they are compared to the regular Genesis.
@mr_benn It has a different body (modelled after a Genesis redesign I believe) and comes with the six button controller instead of the three button controller the original Genesis mini had in the west. It's also emulating Sega CD games so the emulation software is probably different or expanded. To my knowledge, besides the games themselves those are all the differences.
Scalpers you will go on my first whistle, consumers you will go on my second. Retail bots ready.............GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I panic preordered despite not understanding why I’m charged over $20 for shipping on Amazon if it’s supposed to be the US version.
@mr_benn The only thing they mention was that this will have more power specs from the last one so if you plan to hack it you may likely be able to use it to run Sega CD and 32X games too perhaps in addition to Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, and Sega Game Gear games.
@Serpenterror While some hacking is required, the first Genesis Mini is capable of properly running Sega CD games, along with just about everything up to the 16-bit era; the issue was built-in storage.
To find out more (not affiliated): https://hi54.blog/content/an-updated-guide-on-how-to-hack-your-sega-genesis-mega-drive-mini
I did think about preordering, but then I realized that it was an impulse purchase through and through. I picked up the first Genesis Mini and the SNES Mini because those were the consoles I actually had as a kid, or could play regularly when I met extended family members as a kid, so there's nostalgic value. The Genesis / MD 2? Not so much.
What chipset would you need to run these games? Just round up all the old recycled Pixel 1s and strip them for parts, problem solved.
they still have not listed more games for the us version yet
I wish they’d give us the full game list already to see if it’s worth it. Popful mail and final fight cd I’d really like from the Japanese version.
@farrgazer
I did the same thing with my Genesis Mini, hacked it to put the sega games I wanted on it and it can run CD games too. I'm gonna pass on this.
Bummer, though I understand.
@TYRANACLES me too
@Serpenterror Sega is usually pretty good about distributing their plug n plays. This is just a guess, but maybe seeing all the backlash Nintendo got for deliberately playing the scarcity game made them want to let their fans know that it couldn't be helped.
Pre-ordered it as soon as it went live on Amazon like I did with the TGFX-16 mini. FOMO is strong with this one.
@RandomNerds That's what Nintendo has done (I believe I've seen a teardown video showing the NES and SNES Minis were the same console on the inside, of course with different firmware).
And then there was the Famicom Mini comic edition with mostly Bandai license games.
@WhiteTrashGuy
Pre-ordering on Amazon is such a gamble, they love to randomly cancel pre-orders or ship them late.
I pre-ordered mine the day they went live, mostly because I'm a collector and I've become accustomed to these shortages. Seems like the global supply chain is going to take a decade to get back to whatever normal once was.
@JJtheTexan
Being a collector is not a good reason to buy a mass produced piece of plastic. It will hold zero value in ten years.
Well this is a waste of time then as we won’t get this here.
No more minis for me, last one was the overpriced Amiga 500.
I think I'm better off just waiting for a Sega compilation game to come out on Switch or PS5 instead.
@Kid_Sickarus Exactly; releasing an entire new revision of a bespoke console just to update its game selection misses the entire point of the commonsense console-and-game model that was fundamental to the thing it's nostalgifying in the first place.
I know it's been a while since you've been in the console business, Sega, but you're doing it wrong.
@strongest_link It also has been confirmed that it's more capable hardware than the original.
Is there a way to guarantee getting a North American version through pre order? I’ve seen no concrete answers on what version I’d receive if i decided to go ahead and commit to a preorder…
@RandomNerds argh, pirates life for me.. who wastes their time on this? 🙄🙄
@steventonysmith the games will hold more value, no one will keep on caring about these mini consoles
@steventonysmith
Every system, game, or collectible I have ever pre-ordered off Amazon eventually made it to me. So here's hoping everything goes okay!
@WhiteTrashGuy
The keyword there is eventually
Well, I think it’s about time Sega update their game list here. Supposedly over 50 games but we are at 23 at the moment.
@steventonysmith I collect things because I enjoy them. I'm not trying to make money. It just happens that a lot of "worthless pieces of plastic" are worth a dang fortune these days. You don't have to collect if you don't want to!
@steventonysmith
I don't care, man! I love these mini-consoles. They are a lot of fun and I like getting these out and plugging them to my 4K tv the dealing with boxed up retro-collection. If I don't get this new one delivered until November or December so be it. Patience is a virtue, good sir.
I was worried about this in the initial article. Guessing this definitely means no interesting side additions like Darius and Tetris in the first.
I'm just going to say it...
What a waste of semiconductors.
@JJtheTexan Steven is confusing ‘collector’ with ‘speculator’.
The first is someone who derives pleasure from owning something that brings them joy, the latter is someone who can’t understand value beyond the monetary.
Already pre-ordered.
Glad I pre-ordered, but is it possible that the ModMyClassic Team needs new members, because some of them might have died of COVID early on?
I pre-ordered the Japanese version when it was announced, before there an announcement for the Genesis 2 mini, and I was fully intending on cancelling the Japanese order, but I may just keep that now just in case something happens to my other pre-order.
This is not a "start your engines" for the scalpers- they would've pre-ordered it even before this warning. This is for those like myself who just assumed the Mini 2 would have similar levels of inventory as the Mini 1.
Aren't these "classic" systems all released in limited supplies? Typically they don't provide the shortage excuse though.
I feel this is all part of the marketing strategy. Make people that are kind of interested feel that they NEED to buy this when they see it at their local store because if they don't they won't find it again.
@dkxcalibur Generally, yes. Unless you get them on day 1 (either pre-ordered) or standing in line (as I did for the NES & SNES mini's) they're pretty much "sold out" after day 1. I will say I think Sega over estimated the first Genesis mini, as I've seen it in the "wild" as recently as a couple months ago, and I've seen it on sale a lot over the years. So maybe this time, they're not overextending themselves with the new mini?
@delt75 I too own both the NES and SNES classics; but unlike you, I neither preordered nor purchased on day 1. I picked them both up once the initial craze went down. I bought them at two different local stores. So perhaps it depends on the area you live in. In my experience, all of them were hyped soooooo much that they initially flew off the shelves, but if you were patient, you could find them all eventually. The one exception would be the TG16 one. That one I never saw in person. This was also my experience with both the Mario & Zelda Game & Watch systems. At first I never saw them, they flew off shelves as quickly as they were stocked. But eventually, they showed up.
Is the US version going to be any different to the Japanese one?
@dkxcalibur Yeah, I agree. I do think depending on where you live is a factor on how easy it is to find them after the hype dies down. I think the TG16 was an Amazon exclusive, even though I don't recall ever seeing it officially was? That's how I got mine, but they didn't last long on there either. And I agree on the Game & Watch's. I still see them at my local Target sitting to next to the My Aracde Galaga mini.
With the crazy high price and shipping, demand will be significantly lower as well. Such a shame, it could've been a good product. Just seems like they're pushing it out to die.
I went ahead and preordered one on Amazon. It’s got a hike up in the price by $3 in the last few days. I’m just waiting to see the final lineup of games and will cancel if I don’t see more cd games.
@mr_benn There's also a Sega CD base in Japan, but I don't think it comes with this version that's being sold here. I bought the Japanese version just to have and it has the CD base.
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