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[IrishNinja]

Update 2:

Official statement from SEGA America regarding the changes

Due to the challenging economic climate and significant changes within the interactive gaming industry, SEGA has made the decision to consolidate its publishing business in order to focus on developing digital content and driving its existing IP such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Total War, Football Manager and the Aliens franchise. This realignment of the business around existing and digital IP is a necessity to ensure that SEGA continues to invest and enhance its digital business offering, whilst reducing its reliance on traditional packaged goods.

As a result of the SEGA Sammy Board decision to consolidate the business, many of our internal functions will be re-structured and this could result in a number of redundancies within the publishing business across the Western organisation. The company will be entering into a re-structure phase to reflect the unprecedented change in our industry and to move the company forward appropriately.

The changes will position SEGA as a content led organisation, maximising sales with a strong and balanced IP portfolio across both packaged and digital distribution. The management team are confident that the proposed restructure will benefit the company and make it fit for purpose within the changing nature of the industry over the coming years.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/30/s...jobs-in-us-and-europe-to-restructu/#continued

Forgot to paste this little tidbit too from the IGN story:

Our sources have revealed that any currently announced game that isn't included on that list [Sonic, Football Manager, Total War, and Aliens] will not be published by SEGA, leaving a decent amount of the publisher's upcoming publishing roster in jeopardy.

So basically, unless games are in the above four franchises, they won't be published by Sega, and may be in trouble, period, of releasing.

**UPDATE:

In case people missed it

Sounds like just a bunch of people got sacked (not a surprise) and someone using this to make a joke

update from Gaffer RubyEclipse as well.

But they've taken huge cuts:

http://games.ign.com/articles/122/1222024p1.html?utm_campaign=twposts&utm_source=twitter

"the QA department has been hit hard, being completely shut down for North America. SEGA Europe will be covering QA for the remaining SEGA titles. Additionally, positions in marketing, design, social, and development have also seen layoffs. "

OP:

http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/rlf43/sega_of_america_is_closing_its_doors/

Sega of America, operating out of San Francisco, is closing its doors. Me and all our teams just received the sad news. I'll miss working with that silly hedgehog.

Can you post a source to this? It's pretty big news if it's true..

Uhm, you know I would love to, but we kinda just got told. There was a all company meeting at 11.30. Now a lot of people are drinking at ilPirata on 16th street in San Francisco.

with the recent news of reporting a $96 million loss (@ $60 mill writedown from canceled projects) and subsequent corporate restructuring, I don't think this can be ruled out, but really awful it true.

smaller updates:

https://twitter.com/#!/frostman007

Sega employee I follow.. seems to be confirming the worse.. if not a bit cryptic.

https://twitter.com/#!/aeonnz

Another employee

 

[Wario64]

I want to believe this is a rumor since I'd think we'd have heard something already by now. Posting was 4 hours ago and it's the only thing I've seen

 

[chubigans]

Man, this all feels like The Great Videogame Crash of 2012.

Which is obviously isn't, but still.

 

[Phonomezer]

The fuck.

Okay Sega, get rid of the people that are actually doing things right. Jesus.

 

[IrishNinja]

Wario - true. god i hope you're right, i can't find anything else on this yet and i'd much rather have made a shitty thread than this actually be the case.

 

[Emitan]

michaelscotno.gif

No Sega dont die i love you

 

[GavinGT]

and nothing of value was lost.

 

[Azure J]

What the shit? I gotta get depressed over (a portion of) Sega going the way of the dodo again?

 

[Combichristoffersen]

I'm listening to Lava Reef Zone Act 1 in honour of SoA

and nothing of value was lost.

But this isn't a thread about Nintendo dying?

 

[Randolph Freelander]

I'm sure they'll land on their feet.

Assuming they're cats.

 

[Nemo]

Oof

 

[BosSin]

If it is just a rumour posted by a random guy, it's a very well constructed one

 

[CrazyDude]

That means we'll never get Yakuza 5. D:

 

[Persona7]

Someone in San Fran do some sleuthing.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I have heard separate rumors from earlier in the day that SoA just sacked their entire QA department today, so...

 

[IrishNinja]

and nothing of value was lost.

really, if it pans out, i think all those jobs were worth it, so you could make this little post.

 

[chubigans]

and nothing of value was lost.

Except those hundreds of employees with jobs and families. You know, those guys.

Assuming this is all true of course.

 

[Wario64]

I have heard separate rumors from earlier in the day that SoA just sacked their entire QA department today, so...

It could be just a studio and not the entire headquarters

Baseless observation but @Sega stopped tweeting at around 10 AM today

 

[Man God]

This is the last work day before everyone's favorite internet message board holiday but it still could be true.

 

[RPGamer92]

Platinum?

 

[King of the Potato People]

No! I say nasty things about you sometimes but I don't want my dear Sega to suffer.

 

[Box of Bunnies]

RubyEclipse are you okay? Post if you're okay.

 

[Slayer-33]

http://youtu.be/hYxlqTpZ-24

0:26 epic kicks in.

 

[Negator]

Awww shit. All signs point to this being correct.

SEGA can't die yet, what about Bayonetta 2?

 

[Smiles and Cries]

wow

 

[bigtroyjon]

I have heard separate rumors from earlier in the day that SoA just sacked their entire QA department today, so...

Heard rumors or read IGN?

 

[androvsky]

It could be just a studio and not the entire headquarters

Baseless observation but @Sega stopped tweeting at around 10 AM today

Did SoA even have any studios left?

 

[GavinGT]

Except those hundreds of employees with jobs and families. You know, those guys.

Assuming this is all true of course.

Except I don't play employees.

 

[Giolon]

I want to believe this is a rumor since I'd think we'd have heard something already by now. Posting was 4 hours ago and it's the only thing I've seen

Give that their twitter account has been silent for nearly the last 7 hours and Friday is normally their most active day (since they give out free swag to fans), I believe it.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Heard rumors or read IGN?

It was from somewhere separate, but I'd be surprised if they weren't the same source.

 

[B!TCH]

I'm familiar with that office and it sounds plausible but I'm really surprised that Sega is doing so poorly overall. I haven't really paid attention since the DC/PS2/Xbox/GC days but I assumed people liked their games (Sonic, etc) and were buying them. I bought a few of their releases on iOS. I really thought they were doing well and things were on an upswing since focusing on software exclusively.

 

[Emitan]

Awww shit. All signs point to this being correct.

SEGA can't die yet, what about Bayonetta 2?

Bayo and Alpha Protocol will never get sequels. And Sonic Generations will never get DLC.

Why why why why why

 

[Phonomezer]

RubyEclipse are you okay? Post if you're okay.

Needs to get in here and clear things up.

 

[Augemitbutter]

what? this sounds wrong. must be some studio, not the whole NA branch.

 

[QisTopTier]

As much as I loved the new sonic game. FUCK SEGA for the whole stupid guilty gear rights holding bullshit.

Sucks if good people are losing their jobs though =/

 

[Retro_]

Platinum?

Independent studio

 

[ShadiWulf]

I heard from a friend that SEGA Japan was really upset at SoA.. really sad if this is true.

 

[Defuser]

Don't die on me Sega! You still have to localise Valkyria Chronicles 3!

 

[IrishNinja]

This is the last work day before everyone's favorite internet message board holiday but it still could be true.

also a possibility. it'd be pretty shitty but vastly preferable.

RubyEclipse are you okay? Post if you're okay.

i checked his twitter first thing, hasn't been updated in a few days. can anyone in bay-area GAF vet some of this? they even listed a bar, hours back...

Except I don't play employees.

oh, okay! then you can be just a shitty as you please.

 

[PhantomOfTheKnight]

As much as I loved the new sonic game. FUCK SEGA for the whole stupid guilty gear rights holding bullshit.

Sucks if good people are losing their jobs though =/

...didn't Arc get the rights back?

 

[Wario64]

Give that their twitter account has been silent for nearly the last 7 hours and Friday is normally their most active day (since they give out free swag to fans), I believe it.

Yeah, now I just realized they didn't even do Free Stuff Friday. They even had prizes listed on their blog.

 

[Negator]

Bayo and Alpha Protocol will never get sequels. And Sonic Generations will never get DLC.

Why why why why why

Skies of Arcadia will never be released in HD

 

[SolarPowered]

Not again...

I can't go through this again...

;_;

...didn't Arc get the rights back?

They got them back as far as I know.

As much as I loved the new sonic game. FUCK SEGA for the whole stupid guilty gear rights holding bullshit.

Sucks if good people are losing their jobs though =/

We got good games out of them anyway and they seem more relevant in Japan than before because of it. It could be worse. They could be one of those companies that got used to milking the same tired properties over and over.

 

[Cloudius12]

...fuck...

 

[Anasui Kishibe]

you were always second place, Sega, but damn I'm bloody sad for all the people who will lose their jobs

Bayo and Alpha Protocol will never get sequels. And Sonic Generations will never get DLC.

Why why why why why

I think Bayonetta would make an extremely interesting WiiU title

now it can happen

 

[Combichristoffersen]

I heard from a friend that SEGA Japan was really upset at SoA.. really sad if this is true.

Haven't SoJ been upset at SoA basically since the days of the Mega Drive?

 

[cpp_is_king]

what? this sounds wrong. must be some studio, not the whole NA branch.

Considering that in the reddit post he's talking about everyone drinking in San Francisco, it's their main (only?) branch in the US afaik.

 

[TheUnknownForce]

What can Sega do without an American branch? Not release games or hype up games in the US? Sounds like a banger idea, guys.

 

[CrunchinJelly]

I wonder what happened with Sega Europe.

 

[Persona7]

Jet Set Radio HD

Spoiler

cancelled