Sega

[MartyG]

I think you're being a bit harsh there Concept.

Feel the Magic DS
Puyo Pop Fever PSP
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe Xbox

These are recent releases that are total Sega. Monkey Ball aside ( ) I don't want to see lazy ports when Sega have produced so many classics. If anything, dropping the hardware goals has improved their chances of surviving in a very cut throat industry.

[Concept]

And Outrun 2, not to mention Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution.

Still... there appears a general malase in terms of the whole outlook of Sega now with regards to true original intent, and although this may sound ironic in this uncomfortable world of sequelitis, the only sequels I'm interested in seeing are actually those from Sega.

None of which stand much of a chance of ever being made again.

They've got such rich tapestry there... and it's on the whole likely to be forgotten. I acknowledge Sega have made some great games during this generation, but there's something missing, and it's been this way since 2001.

I just feel the artistic impetous and driving force within the company isn't there in the same way any more. Believe me, I'd love for Sega to completely prove me wrong at this year's E3.

[Team Andromeda]

Thing is though most of the studio heads are still there (don?t know what there are up to, but that?s a diff point )
The only major studios heads to walk out were Rikiya Nakagawa (over Sammy), and sadly Mizuguchi (no doubt over the closer of UGA and moving the team back into SEGA HQ, from Shibuya). .

With all the merge, takie over talks and money troubles with regards to SEGA this past few years.
SEGA share holders were never going to give the go-ahead to risky or massive budget titles . Now that Sammy are in full control, and the merger of all the Teams is complete, with luck we can see SEGA come out fighting in some form ,for the next gen.

At least this time they?ll be starting out the same time as other 3dr party?s (no machine of it?s own to back) and won?t have any DC ports to worry about(will be all new stuff).

Plus as sh8t as SEGA output as been this past 2 years (apart from AM#2) they are in the best financial and most secure position since the early 90?s (thanks to Sammy and 4 years of profits).
So they do now have the money to take the risks. And games like Altered Beast, Project Rub, Spike Out have that SEGA feel to them (shame a few problems really hold the games back)

Next year should be the real test to see if SEGA can get some of the magic back

[Ben]

Yeah, i'm with Andromeda here as I stated before. I agree the Sega output is not what it used to be but my hope and genuine belief is that this is part of an overall strategy to become dominant in the publishing sector - which they will then translate over to the dev side and give free reign to the numerous sega divisions who had over the last few years gone into limbo, essentially becoming seperate companies, but who have now been bought back into the fold where all the teams can share their knowledge and experience and go back to the roots.

I'd also agree that Sega now is a corpse of its previous self, and while that really really hurts to say, it also presents some hope, because the industry as a whole is circular and one of cycles. Maybe all the things that went wrong were exactly what Sega needed, an oppurtunity to re-invent and re-inject some of the original Sega principles/ethos... Sure seeing 'non-Sega' titles like Football Manager seems strange, wrong and plain disheartening, but, to answer radio's queston, yes - these titles are making Sega a lot of money. If (and that's a big If) Sega use this right, put their money (and faith) back to the likes of Yu Suzuki...well...

[sj33]

I find it more troubling that Sonic is still their most profitable series, dispite being the series that has arguably fallen the worst in quality recently. Sonic Heroes and Mega Collection Plus both topped the charts, dispite both being a big disappointment to even the biggest Sonic fans.

That said, Sega do still have their moments... Outrun2 went straight into the top 5 multiformat chart after the price drop, which is pleasing.

[Keitaro]

SEGA was bound to have this happen though, considering how that company was run, it's some-what no surprise this happened. Still sad though. And personally, I never really cared for Yu Suzuki games. There's just usually something integrally lacking in his games to me.

[tokyochojin]

Something lacking in Virtua Fighter, OutrunII, Nights, Shenmue or Sonic II?? What is it not enough blood, because that's the only thing i think is missing from his games!?





And yes i am a SEGA fan boy :P

[Keitaro]

Heh, I love Sonic 2. I'm not a huge player of fighters and Shenmue nor NiGHTs I've had the pleasure of playing. I've played a number of Suzuki's arcade games, I find them not the least bit captivating. Which is what has me intrigued by Shenmue. Sonic 2 was Yuji Naka, different guy.

As for blood, I actually in a conversation the other day argued against the addition of blood to the Tediz in Conker's Bad Fur Day in the Xbox remake.

Don't get me wrong, I love SEGA. But Yu Suzuki just never grabbed my attention and love. (I kinda find it funny a guy who could care less about games is such a well noted and beloved game designer.) And I just honestly think SEGA was a terribly run company. I base that on the number of just absolutely bizzare things they did that defied logic. Supporting the creation of groundbreaking, unique, experimental games is one thing...but really, withholding information from your overseas branches, crippling game developement for crazy reasons. Etc. I love SEGA and I love my Genesis and Dreamcast (I need to pick up a Saturn sometime), but I just find the people who run the company to have been total boobs. That's not the game developement staff's fault. It's all the management there...

[tokyochojin]

Ｗｏｏｐｓ　ｍｙ　ｂａｄ　ｏｎ　ｓｏｎｉｃ　２，　ａｎｙｗａｙ　ｙｏｕ　ｏｗｅ　ｉｔ　ｔｏ　ｙｏｕｒ ｓｅｌｆ　ｔｏ　ｇｉｖｅ　ｓｈｅｎｍｅ　１　ａｎｏｔｈｅｒ　ｔｒｙ　ｍａｔｅ．

：）

[Keitaro]

Oh as soon as I can find a copy of Shenmue I definately intend on grabbing it and finally giving it a try. And it's no prob, after awhile game designers sometimes blur together among other things. S'all good. And, uh, that's some crazy typing you've got there in your post. Unless my browser has decided to toy with me.

[Resonance]

This thread is right on the money. I have been thinking about Sega for the past few days wondering exactly what went wrong for them, dreaming of another great sonic game that was not a spiritless 3D platformer.

I really wish they would start whoring out their past great games so that everyone had a chance to play them. Bring Samba, Nights, etc to modern consoles so that everyone could enjoy them. When they have made enough money, start producing great games again.It is so sad seeing them as a shadow of their former selves when they have so much to capitalise on, it is like watching your best mate wasting away next to a plate of good food.

Sega are responsible for my fondest gaming memories and I would hate to see them go under or vanish.

[son_of_bael]

One thing that has annoyed me about Sega is that they claim they are a multi platform publisher, but then constantly produce games for only 1 platform (cases in point, Outrun 2, Altered beast, forthcoming Phantasy Star, Monkey Ball).

[tokyochojin]

Wasn't monkey ball and Phantasy star online realeased for gamecube?? Or am i missing the point?

[Kotatsu Neko]

One thing that has annoyed me about Sega is that they claim they are a multi platform publisher, but then constantly produce games for only 1 platform (cases in point, Outrun 2, Altered beast, forthcoming Phantasy Star, Monkey Ball).

Well the new Phantasy Star is on two platforms (PS2 and PC), and Monkeyball is on four platforms (GC, GBA, PS2, XB).

But certainly they have limited plenty of their games to just one system. There is some logic to it sometimes - putting Virtua Fighter 4 on PS2 because the arcade was big in Japan and the other two console formats don't sell there, but still you can't help think they are missing out on sales.

Still, we can all avoid Shadow the Hedgehog on any of the three major platforms!

[tokyochojin]

But it would be naive not to think Microsoft don't have some sort of say to which systems SEGA outputs their games on.

And Gamecube isn't doing that bad in Japan, although playing Virtua Fighter on the GC pad would be like trying to comb your hair with a toothpick.

But that's why they have sticks