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[S-Wind]

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Sega always was something like the Disney of videogames with titles like "Sonic" and "Virtua Tennis". Now you're also offering more violent content with "Yakuza" or "Condemmed". Aren't you jeopardizinge your family-friendly image with this?

Disney?! "family-friendly"?!

Where the phoque was this guy during the 80's and 90's?!!!

 

[Stoney Mason]

Disney?! "family-friendly"?!

Where the phoque was this guy during the 80's and 90's?!!!

Jeez C'mon. What person really looks at Sega as the badboys of the industry anymore when you have companies like RockStar and even EA putting out titles like Godfather.

Yakuza aside, to the average person Sega is represented by Sonic (which means btw they are one of the last companies around in the game industry still using a mascot character for their brand identity) and nostalgia for the good old days.

Sonic with a gun aside also they are basically a disney version of a videogame company at this point so the comparison is apt.

 

[S-Wind]

Jeez C'mon. What person really looks at Sega as the badboys of the industry anymore when you have companies like RockStar and even EA putting out titles like Godfather.

Nobody said they are the badboys of the industry. But that does not make them Disney.

See the false dilemma fallacy

Yakuza aside, to the average person Sega is represented by Sonic (which means btw they are one of the last companies around in the game industry still using a mascot character for their brand identity) and nostalgia for the good old days.

Sonic with a gun aside also they are basically a disney version of a videogame company at this point so the comparison is apt.

While they may not be as edgy as they were back when they had their own consoles, they as still far from Disney.

 

[Stoney Mason]

Nobody said they are the badboys of the industry. But that does not make them Disney.

See the false dilemma fallacy



While they may not be as edgy as they were back when they had their own consoles, they as still far from Disney.

The only major videogame maker that strikes me as more conservative than Sega at this point is maybe THQ because of all their Nickelodeon publishing and Nintendo. Sega isn't exactly far away from those two at this point. The last time Sega was considered "edgy" was when the whole Mortal Kombat stuff went down and in videogame years, that translates into roughly 100 years ago.

 

[jarrod]

Next thing you know, you're gonna see Sonic cotton candy machines, Sarah and Pai in a hardcore "virtual callgirl" sim, and Super Monkey Pachinko.

Heaven on earth. Can't be any worse than Sonic 360 at least. :lol

 

[mattiewheels]

so, the only game i can recall besides yakuza is condemned. which studios were responsible for those two? or is the old sega studio system evaporated into a more monolithic 'sega' now?

quoted because i'm really interested in the whole folding-in situation...does anyone have a link to a good synopsis on what happened to all the divisions? how it affected sega's output?

 

[LOCK]

Sega needs more effort put into there games. So lets hope they will recover from there slump.

 

[Cahill]

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Sega always was something like the Disney of videogames with titles like "Sonic" and "Virtua Tennis". Now you're also offering more violent content with "Yakuza" or "Condemmed". Aren't you jeopardizinge your family-friendly image with this?

SATOMI: Up to now, we indeed foremost had kids as customers. Though, we also want to serve to different demographics. Only that way will we be able to dramatically grow our revenue in America and Europe by 2010. We believe that customers are well able to differentiate between our lines of product.

Eternal Champions sequel confirmed for 2009 launch...

Spoiler

Believe?

 

[Zerodoppler]

I never really cared about anything SEGA did pre- or post the Dreamcast. It's like they temporarily hired the best developers on the planet while the DC was around and replaced them with homeless people once it died.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Where did he ask about profits? He referenced their declining position as a software publisher on the video game charts. And the Sega response was "somehow magically" they would reverse trend and leap from #8 to #3. What Sega hits are tearing up the charts constantly in this country? Or discounting sales what innovative titles are Sega bringing into this market currently that people should look to them as an innovation leader?

This is the exchange I referred to:

SPIEGEL ONLINE: You also risk paying larger sums even though SEGA only reported losses for years?

SATOMI: SEGA did have a very difficult time bevor we fusioned the company with the arcade machine manufacturer Sammy in 2004. In the fiscal year until March 2006 did it finally achieve a profit again. And we have a strong cashflow thanks to Sammy which also helps SEGA. Depending on the size of our goal could we pay a low but also a 2 digit-billion-Yen amount for a takeover.

The question is totally off-base. Yes, Sega only reported losses for years. But that was a long time ago, and they've been profitable for at least the past three years straight; their cash position is strong and their sales are increasing. The entire premise of the question was flawed, either due to ignorace (which I doubt) or because he wanted to ask a hardball question. I said it was because he was being an asshole, and reading the rest of the interview makes me think I was correct.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

I never really cared about anything SEGA did pre- or post the Dreamcast. It's like they temporarily hired the best developers on the planet while the DC was around and replaced them with homeless people once it died.

No

 

[linsivvi]

Seriously what the **** is up with all of the Sega hate? Are you people not paying attention to Ryu ga Gotoku, Sega Rally Revo, Virtua Fighter 5, Sonic and the Secret Rings, Seaman 2, Aftur Burner Climax, Psy Phi, etc? Ah, but I forgot that GAF likes to constantly bitch about things over and over just for the sake of it.

The problem isn't that Sega is incapable of making quality titles. Surely they can still create a lot of good games but their aspiration is to become a top 5 publisher, not just a middle of the pack company.

That's not going to happen until they have at least a few more killer franchises. They used to have a lot of those, more than you can count with your fingers. What they have now are just "popular" franchises like Virtua Fighter, Monkey Ball and Sonic. They are great but they simply don't sell as much as franchises like GTA, Madden, FF, Mario, GT, etc. Without the sales, how are they going to move up?

 

[elostyle]

This is the exchange I referred to:


The question is totally off-base. Yes, Sega only reported losses for years. But that was a long time ago, and they've been profitable for at least the past three years straight; their cash position is strong and their sales are increasing. The entire premise of the question was flawed, either due to ignorace (which I doubt) or because he wanted to ask a hardball question. I said it was because he was being an asshole, and reading the rest of the interview makes me think I was correct.

Keep in mind that this has been translated quickly by me. Maybe I'm wrong on a few things, I'm not a professional. The question definately didn't mean to address a specific time but rather the general point of how they can afford their endeavours. Like the answer reflects.

 

[Ash Sparrow]

I hate Sega hate, imo Sega did enough great games in their past that other companies are still playing catch up, not one company can touch what Sega has brought to gaming imo.

 

[callous]

I'm with Ash, there. You all watch your filthy mouths!

 

[GhaleonEB]

Keep in mind that this has been translated quickly by me. Maybe I'm wrong on a few things, I'm not a professional. The question definately didn't mean to address a specific time but rather the general point of how they can afford their endeavours. Like the answer reflects.

I still maintain that question was off regardless of translation, but I'll chill out about it. I had Sega stock until a few months ago and am very familiar with Sega's financials, so a question bringing up whether they can afford the purchases got my hackles up. :lol

Consider it dropped.

 

[Ash Sparrow]

I'm with Ash, there. You all watch your filthy mouths!

:lol more posts like this please

 

[MegaTen]

Let's combine our powers to summon Captain Segata Sanshiro.

 

[DMczaf]

Yup, he's the head of Sega alright.

 

[g23]

Sega is awesome! Their about to unleash Medieval II: Total War in a month

How can you say that their making crap games? You guys completely ignore the quality PC titles they put out/planning to put out.

 

[Lazy Z]

They're (not "their" )just publishing that, people here are referring to games actually developed by Sega.

 

[KINGMOKU]

You guys are being a bit harsh. Sega is trying to adapt. Last I heard they had crazy amount of of titles in the works for 2007 (117 link ).

Of course they have been on a extreme downhill since DC's demise but give them some time. For example, VF5 should be a huge hit worldwide and titles like PSO and Sonic will not be far behind on branding alone. Along with the new IPs in the works, they should have a pretty healthy future.

PSP: 29 Titles
PlayStation2: 28 Titles
PlayStation3: 17 Titles
Nintendo DS: 17 Titles
Xbox 360: 14 Titles
Wii: 7 Titles
Gamecube: 2 Titles
Game Boy Advance: 2 Titles
Xbox: 1 Titles

Now this is exactly why Sega is floundering right now. Putting game quality aside for a moment, If I recall correctly(Someone PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong) Sega's titles sold a hell of alot better on the Gamecube, and on the DS then on any of the other consoles. Why in the hell do they have so few Wii/DS titles in the works? They also sold the poorest in the XBOX, but yet they have double the amount of 360 titles, then Wii titles in the works?

Does this make anyone else wonder if Sega is collectivly smoking crack?

 

[Zenith]

The only good game Sega has put out recently is Condemned, and even that was outsourced to Monolith.

 

[trancejeremy]

They're (not "their" )just publishing that, people here are referring to games actually developed by Sega.

They own the developer of the Total War series. So it's not like they are just publishing it anymore...

 

[PipBoy]

wow, I hope the EGM/1UP staff read this interview, that's how a real interview is done, not this Peter Moore Barby adventure stuff.

 

[Oblivion]

I always love it when a gaming company head is revealed as not playing games much at all either. When Miyamoto says the same things it angers me. Sometimes a Game Designer can learn a lot from other successful products.

Miyamoto plays games (though, I believe he said he doesn't like long games or something). I think you're confusing him with Yaumuchi.

 

[trancejeremy]

Now this is exactly why Sega is floundering right now. Putting game quality aside for a moment, If I recall correctly(Someone PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong) Sega's titles sold a hell of alot better on the Gamecube, and on the DS then on any of the other consoles. Why in the hell do they have so few Wii/DS titles in the works? They also sold the poorest in the XBOX, but yet they have double the amount of 360 titles, then Wii titles in the works?

Does this make anyone else wonder if Sega is collectivly smoking crack?

Because that's not necessarily true? That is, neither are they floundering (they were in 2003, now they are seemingly making a profit), nor do their games seem to sell better on the DS or GC.

For instance, picking extremes, Chromehounds has sold 160,000 copies in 2 months on the Xbox 360. While their DS game, "Rub Rabbits" has sold 7000 copies in 6 months.

I also think you are overlooking that a lot of their titles in the works for the PS2 (and probably the PSP) are either shovelware (Sega Genesis collection) or those Sega Ages games (remakes of PS1-Saturn titles) or ports. Things not feasible on the DS, or likely to sell well on a new console (Wii).

 

[jarrod]

SEGA's basically focusing on PS3/Wii/DS internally. Most of their 360/PSP stuff is licensed or outsourced.

Actually, that seems pretty logical for a JP publisher... focus on nationally successful platforms first, work with outside talent for games targeted at outside markets.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

I find the comments about the potential console sales growth in China, India and Russia interesting.

Anyone have any sales data for these three countries?

If you cant win an old territory (USA, Europe, Japan), just build up a new market!