Neo Geo AES

When the system released for rent in Japan the demand for the rental unit was much higher than SNK anticipated.   The high demand proved that there was a market for a very powerful home video game console even if it came with a high price tag.   Due to the high demand SNK decided to release the system for retail and released the Neo Geo AES in both Japan and North America on July 1, 1991 for $650 USD.

SNK was the first video game developer to introduce the use of memory cards to save game data on both an arcade system and a home video game console.  The MVS arcade systems were designed with a memory card system which allowed players to save their game and return later to continue playing, this feature was also incorporated into the AES home system.   Players who saved their game progress on the MVS arcade system had the ability to use a memory card to continue playing on the Neo Geo AES home console.

The Neo Geo MVS became successful in all regions during the 1990s due to the cabinet’s low cost, multiple cartridge slots, and compact size.  Unfortunately, the Neo Geo AES did not see the same success as the MVS arcade system due to the high cost of the console and game cartridges.

The arcade systems were economical for video game arcade operators, but the home console equivalent was not.   The AES had the same raw specs as the MVS and had full compatibility, thus managing to bring a true arcade experience to home users but this came at a cost.  The high price tag for the unit made the Neo Geo AES a luxury system and drastically affected its market share.

The AES was able to establish a niche market in Japan but sales in other regions remained very low due to the high price of both the system and its games.  The system ended up being short lived however has since gained a cult following and is now considered a collectable.  The AES was succeeded by the Neo Geo CD in September 1994, four years after the introduction of the rental system and three years after the retail release of the AES.

The Neo Geo CD was the same platform however converted to a much more cost-efficient media.  The Compact Disc (CD) format allowed SNK to retail games between $49 to $79 compared to the $300 cost of releasing the same games on cartridge-based media.  The Neo Geo AES sold approximately 410,000 units worldwide prior to being discontinued for the production of the Neo Geo CD.