Previously, the auto-accompaniment concept was not taken seriously by professional users, who saw it more the preserve of home hobbyists, and the market had been dominated by low-cost machines made by the likes of Casio and Yamaha.
Prior to this time, the idea of automatic accompaniment was not seen as valuable by professional musicians, who considered it a feature for home users only, while the market was controlled by low-cost instruments from brands like Casio and Yamaha.