[M_Night]

good stuff

i needz my yakuza 5

[cuyahoga]

Didn't someone post something to the effect that they changed the purview of their new Vita studio to F2P mobile games though?

[BlazingDarkness]

Good that it's bullshit
I need my Yakuza 5, and whatever the Yakuza Vita game will be!

[Droog]

Hmm, I know a few people at Sega Europe (Product Development) who are being made redundant this month actually so was considering the rumour to be true. After that comment from the Sports Interactive guy, we'll have to wait and see I guess. Hopefully it's just downsizing...

[planetsmasherx1]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...closure-rumour

DENIED!

[disappeared]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...closure-rumour DENIED!

And that's the end of that chapter.

*flips scarf*

[Dreams-Visions]

*whew*

[Eusis]

Glad it was debunked but I won't be surprised if Sega makes less PS360 retail titles and delivers more on PSN/XBLA.

Yeah, and they'll probably focus on smaller entries.

Still, the fact that rumor was pretty much just a mirror of what really happened with SoA means it being false is small comfort. :/

[awaiken]

Why? They aren't going to localize Val Chron 3 or make a 4th on PS3 when the engine/Canvas engine is already THERE for sequels and they had a small devoted base for it. Instead, they port it to the PSP which is DEAD in the west to "save costs" and try to appeal to the Japanese more. They scratch my back, I'll scratch theirs. Me pre-ordering a Platinum Game that I have no interest in, and a game that was alright in the demo but not a $60 game isn't going to solve Sega's woes. Sega solving their woes by publishing things people want (like... *GASP* VIRTUA FIGHTER 5: FINAL SHOWDOWN IS OUT ON PSN TOMORROW!) is what will solve Sega's woes.

What's a $60 game? A game that takes you out back and goes down on you?

Binary Domain was certainly a $60 experience

No company is in a rush to localize or produce sequels to an unsuccessful game series, and as much as I love V. Chron, it didn't sell well here in North America to justify Additional American releases.

You answered your own question with your post. Why don't they bring VC3 here? It has a small fan base as you said, it won't sell. You can blame gamers here for not buying it the same way I blame gamers for not buying Binary Domain

[Graphics Horse]

Hmm, I know a few people at Sega Europe (Product Development) who are being made redundant this month actually so was considering the rumour to be true. After that comment from the Sports Interactive guy, we'll have to wait and see I guess. Hopefully it's just downsizing...

Tell them that their jobs are safe! Sega is fine!

But yeah that sucks, it would be interesting to hear what's really going on.

[Rebel Leader]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...closure-rumour DENIED!

[Tuck]

I hope that's not true.

I really enjoyed Sonic Generations, and hope they do more games like it. Plus, they published Vanquish, which is an absolute blast (Playing it now). If only they marketed it more. Sigh.

EDIT: @Eurogamer link. That's good, if true.

[Corto]

Now, let's all go to Steam and buy Fall of the Samurai to celebrate!

[KingJ2002]

This would not exactly be in line with the new strategy they announced, so I suspect there's some level of exaggeration to this report. I mean, they intended to pare down their console efforts *HEAVILY*, but they still expected things like Sonic to exist and certainly to make digital titles for more than phones and tablets.

I agree... i can't imagine Sega ignoring consoles entirely to focus on mobile.

but if you consider where their strengths are.

it's clear the majority of Sega's arcade style would do better in the digital space.

while they will continue to pump out Sonic, Yakuza, Phantasy Star, Virtua Fighter titles for consoles and pc until they create other franchises that can also sell.

Konami has quietly taken this stance as well... if it's not a licensed product... they have been pumping out PES, Metal Gear, Castlevania, and Silent Hill titles for consoles while releasing everything else on digital platforms.


Sega is just following the trends... which many of us should be happy about... this new digital stance will allow the company to not shoehorn in pointless features to justify a 59.99 price... when they can release the title with core features for 10-20 bucks digitally.

[Miizy F Baby]

Sega is just following the trends... which many of us should be happy about... this new digital stance will allow the company to not shoehorn in pointless features to justify a 59.99 price... when they can release the title with core features for 10-20 bucks digitally.

Ironically enough, though next-gen is said to be winter coming for many dev studios, I actually think that the furthered adoption of DD, along with the abolishment of arbitrary price tiers, a la Arcade or psn mini, will not only save many studios from the weight of AAAA dev, but give rise to a surprising amount of new ones.

[Tailer]

Now, let's all go to Steam and buy Fall of the Samurai to celebrate!

Lol everything is going according to SEGA's master plan :P.

[Glass Rebel]

So who's ready for Total War: Ramses?

[Jhriad]

::holds his Yakuza close::

Don't ever go away.

[ShinobiFist]

That was close.....

[AuthenticM]

If true, I expect someone to buy them for their IPs at some point in the future. Nintendo would be a great home for Sonic and company. Imagine a Miyamoto-developed Sonic game. MADNESS.

[planetsmasherx1]

Someone on the Eurogamer forums posted this:

"Sega Europe are looking find someone else to publish their games in Europe. They have already approached other publishers about this and they have already let most of their sales team go in their West London office. Most of their customers are serviced via Centresoft, they now want someone else to take up selling their games to 100% of customers and deal with the manufacturing and distribution. What will be left in West London will deal with the digital side of the business and licensing. Their boxed product games are not selling at all in Europe and Mario and Sonic costs them a fortune due to the Mario license from Nintendo."

Sometimes you do get the odd nugget of shit appearing in comments, other times - truth.

[CrunchinJelly]

Someone on the Eurogamer forums posted this: "Sega Europe are looking find someone else to publish their games in Europe. They have already approached other publishers about this and they have already let most of their sales team go in their West London office. Most of their customers are serviced via Centresoft, they now want someone else to take up selling their games to 100% of customers and deal with the manufacturing and distribution. What will be left in West London will deal with the digital side of the business and licensing. Their boxed product games are not selling at all in Europe and Mario and Sonic costs them a fortune due to the Mario license from Nintendo." Sometimes you do get the odd nugget of shit appearing in comments, other times - truth.

Quick, some call up THQ and Acclaim again...

[Namomura]

Sega Europe will be closing, it is a matter of time. I am waiting Sega to react on this information, should be funny to hear what they are going to say about it...

Someone on the Eurogamer forums posted this: "Sega Europe are looking find someone else to publish their games in Europe. They have already approached other publishers about this and they have already let most of their sales team go in their West London office. Most of their customers are serviced via Centresoft, they now want someone else to take up selling their games to 100% of customers and deal with the manufacturing and distribution. What will be left in West London will deal with the digital side of the business and licensing. Their boxed product games are not selling at all in Europe and Mario and Sonic costs them a fortune due to the Mario license from Nintendo." Sometimes you do get the odd nugget of shit appearing in comments, other times - truth.

[Berto]

Wait...

Sega's current strategy is to focus on a few key pillars, notably the Total War series (developed by The Creative Assembly), Football Manager (Sports Interactive), Aliens (Gearbox Software and Creative Assembly),

Creative Assembly and Aliens? Aliens RTS? Be still my beating heart!

[Neuromancer]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...closure-rumour DENIED!

Huzzah!

[Brera]

This doesn't make sense.

Sonic is still a major seller.

What about Yakuza?

Sad times.

[CrunchinJelly]

This doesn't make sense. Sonic is still a major seller. What about Yakuza? Sad times.

Sonic Generations sold less than 2m over four platforms. Not a major seller by todays standards.

[ArjanN]

Sonic Generations sold less than 2m over four platforms. Not a major seller by todays standards.

Close to 2 million sales is actually quite good. Especially considering Sonic games are probably relatively cheap to produce.

[ezodagrom]

Sega Europe will be closing, it is a matter of time.

Creative Assembly and Sports Interactive are both studios from SEGA Europe, and their games are quite successful, so no, I don't believe the European branch of SEGA will close anytime soon.

[Miizy F Baby]

Sonic Generations sold less than 2m over four platforms. Not a major seller by todays standards.

This isn't to say that it'll add all that much, but the PC DD hasn't been taken into account.

[cametall]

What's with Japanese publishers having quality/sales trouble with Western developers? Are they just picking the wrong devs to publish for?

On a side note, Dragon's Dogma has got to be my GOTY easily (this early too). So it seems the Japanese devs can emulate Western games successfully while putting their own spin on the genres... or they can completely butcher them.

[Dueck]

If this turns out to be true, it's probably for the best. Better than over-extending themselves and going bankrupt. Only Yakuza/Ryu ga Gotoku and Virtua Fighter are any good, everything else of quality is developed outside Sega and they just publish it.

[Namomura]

Here's an update on Sega situation today :

http://www.tssznews.com/2012/06/25/r...n-could-close/

SEGA France PR Manager, Franck Sebastien, has lost his position due to company restructuring.

[RurouniZel]

Here's an update on Sega situation today : http://www.tssznews.com/2012/06/25/r...n-could-close/ SEGA France PR Manager, Franck Sebastien, has lost his position due to company restructuring.

Sucks, looks like some heads are going to roll even if they don't shut down all of Europe. >>;

[lunchwithyuzo]

Next gen systems will make a digital transition pretty easy anyway (Wii U, Vita and 3DS all support "full" game DD, as do 360 and PS3 already), I don't think this is too huge a deal. At least not for their internal Japanese R&D, though I could see Sega cutting all their external teams loose. They've done it before (after Dreamcast and before the Sammy merger with Visual Concepts, Red Entertainment, Nextech, Access Games, No Cliché, Sims). They already killed Secret Level, I think all it'll take is one big bomb and Sports Interactive or The Creative Assembly could be on the chopping block.

[Coppertracks]

Sonic Generations sold less than 2m over four platforms. Not a major seller by todays standards.

Unyet Colours sold over 2 million on the Wii alone. Clearly Sega picked the wrong platform there.

[lunchwithyuzo]

Unyet Colours sold over 2 million on the Wii alone. Clearly Sega picked the wrong platform there.

It was Wii + DS.

Sonic Colors Wii + DS: 2,180,000
Sonic Generations 360 + PS3 + PC + 3DS: 1,850,00

[killbox]

both Sega and Konami where talking about digital/mobile is where the majority of their focus was going to be going forward.

Creative Assembly did really well with Total War on iOS, I can't imagine they are going to be doing much for $60 on PC or Console work going forward.

[Namomura]

The news became a reality... Sega France will officially close. Expect all Sega Europe to shut down.