There's an old saying: "If the public likes what you do then for goodness' sake do more of it before they change their mind," and six years ago the public very much liked what Sega were doing with their Mega Drive - bundling top games with it.

Even so, there were audible gasps of astonishment when Sega unveiled their Christmas line up six years ago this week. There were no less than seven different Mega Drive configurations, varying in price from £129 to £149, for the public to choose from: a) With Aladdin. b) With Sonic 1 and 2. c) With Street Fighter II. d) With Sonic 2, Terminator and James Bond (no, not GoldenEye). e) With... oh, you get the picture. The rest just contained shovelware if the truth be known.

Sega thought that by offering so many variations, adding value, retail would be able to resist discounting and devaluing the system. Manufacturers of top quality brand products - which Sega were, six years ago - don't like to see their expensively positioned icons with 'Save £30' slogans next to them. They like to keep the perceived value as high as possible.

Sadly for Sega, the opposite occurred. This was the year when certain chain stores embraced computer and videogames for the first time, and some of that embracing was a little too enthusiastic, if not naïve. Woolworths ordered, it is said, huge quantities of these many and varied Mega Drive packs, not realising they were all essentially the same product.