I learned it's the Game Gear's anniversary today and going back to my previous posts on the matter, I learned the GG and Master System share roughly 75% of the same titles and GG has several exclusives, so my previous question is mostly moot.
I'd still be curious on my what-if/alternate history of what Sega could do to make the GG and Saturn as "successful, beloved, potential realized" as the Mega Drive/Genesis in the West, while still ending console-making with the Dreamcast right on schedule. Like I figured, the 32X never existing and all its released n' planned games going to the Saturn in their intended forms would be a help. Bernie Stolar NOT being SOA President would also be good. Dunno what to do for the Game Gear.
Even if you want to put the butterfly effect into action and assume the above systems doing better means Sega's gonna last longer, to ensure they still end with the Dreamcast I figure this also means they overextend in... "quality" ways. Maybe sell the Saturn cheap and take bigger losses on the hardware, Dreamcast gets DVD playing capability, etc. That way Sega still has the reputation of quality game makers but a more "positive" version of being bad at business - instead of the dimwitted and short-term infighting of reality, they're seen wistfully as an Icarus flying too close to the sun, with all sorts of expensively-made-but-quality games, cool ideas, and innovations.