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Rumor: Sega Europe about to close, no more Sega AAA, focusing on digital only

Droog

Droog

Member
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...
 
E

Eusis

Member
ULTROS! said:
Glad it was debunked but I won't be surprised if Sega makes less PS360 retail titles and delivers more on PSN/XBLA.
Click to expand...
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. :/
 
A

awaiken

Banned
TheSeks said:
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.
Click to expand...

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
 
G

Graphics Horse

Member
Droog said:
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...
Click to expand...

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.
 
R

Rebel Leader

THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
planetsmasherx1 said:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-06-03-sports-interactive-boss-denies-sega-europe-closure-rumour

DENIED!
Click to expand...

pHlEN.gif
 
T

Tuck

Member
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.
 
KingJ2002

KingJ2002

Member
Nirolak said:
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.
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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.
 
I

iavi

Member
KingJ2002 said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
A

AuthenticM

Member
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.
 
S

SlipperyFishes

Banned
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.
 
C

CrunchinJelly

formerly cjelly
planetsmasherx1 said:
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.
Click to expand...

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

Namomura

Member
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...

planetsmasherx1 said:
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.
Click to expand...
 
B

Berto

Member
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),
Click to expand...
Creative Assembly and Aliens? Aliens RTS? Be still my beating heart!
 
C

cametall

Member
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.
 
D

Dueck

Banned
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.
 
L

lunchwithyuzo

Banned
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.
 
K

killbox

Member
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.
 
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