In 1983, Kazuhiko Nishi - then Vice-President of Microsoft Japan and director of ASCII Corporation �� developed the MSX home computer. He intended to establish a single standard in home computers the same way that VHS became the standard for the home video market. MSX machines were produced by many leading industry technology companies, such as Sony, Panasonic, Yamaha, and Philips. MSX computers proved popular in Asia, especially Japan, as well as South America, Europe, and the former Soviet Union. It did not catch on in the US, as many Americans preferred the Apple II and Commodore 64.
For many Japanese game developers, the MSX had appeal as a second platform to port their games . Games that saw dual releases include Square?s Final Fantasy, Konami?s Metal Gear and Castlevania, and Enix?s Dragon Quest. During its lifetime, four generations of the MSX appeared on the market: The original MSX (1983), the MSX2 (1985), the MSX2+ (1988), and the MSX TurboR (1990). By the time the MSX TurboR was released, only Panasonic was manufacturing the computers, but they soon focused on their own consol, the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (1983). This led to the MSX finally being discontinued in 1995.