Sega: "We’d like to win back the customers’ trust"

[Riku Rose]

You won't see much of a change. To me this just sounds like PR speak to try and keep people happy. Ever since the Dreamcast factories shut up shop we've heard every year that SEGA wants to win back old school fans or want to make more games for them. They aren't going to come out and say bye to everyone who bought their games back in the day as that will do nothing but piss off their remaining customers. For years the company has been moving away from in house console games so I doubt they're going to do a complete U turn all of a sudden.

It's like if Atari came out and said they'd like to be the number one console maker again. Sure they'd 'like to' but the reality of that actually happening is very different.

[freakycritter]

I don't think any gaming company has squandered as much strong IP as SEGA. The good news is they still hold to rights to that IP, but it's possible that they lost a lot of talented people over the years. For me, I think the starting point is:

-Release PSO2 in the west on PS4/PC
-Announce Shenmue 1/2 HD for PS4/PC
-Announce 1 new game from their stable of IP. My hope is Jet Set Radio with a cool multiplayer component.

I think there could also be the opportunity to take a bunch of their older IPs from the Genesis era and start to make modern PSN/XBLA/PC type games that are smaller and cheaper.

And now I feel like making a master list of COOL ASS GAMES/IP that Sega holds! Feel free to chime in! (Let's not include ATLUS)

Shenmue
Sonic
Phantasy Star
Skies of Arcadia
Jet Set Radio
Streets of Rage
Yazuka
Golden Axe
Valkyria Chronicles
Shining Force
Shinobi
House of the Dead
Panzer Dragoon
After Burner
Hang On
Outrun
Virtua Fighter
Virtua a bunch of other shit
Crazy Taxi
Ecco the Dolphin
NiGHTS
Super Monkey Ball
Toe Jam and Earl
Altered Beast

I just miss this company, mannnnn. They were big AND took chances with making original and unique games.

Sega has over seventy franchises and 500 games in arcades alone.

It's clear that the stance of the company is to constantly create and publish new IP. The only mainstay are Sonic, Virtua Fighter, Yakuza and Phantasy Star.

You won't see much of a change. To me this just sounds like PR speak to try and keep people happy. Ever since the Dreamcast factories shut up shop we've heard every year that SEGA wants to win back old school fans or want to make more games for them. They aren't going to come out and say bye to everyone who bought their games back in the day as that will do nothing but piss off their remaining customers. For years the company has been moving away from in house console games so I doubt they're going to do a complete U turn all of a sudden.

It's like if Atari came out and said they'd like to be the number one console maker again. Sure they'd 'like to' but the reality of that actually happening is very different.

Its the first time the CEO has made a statement as such and isn't even aimed at us (had no intention of translation).
Japanese Sega fans were confused as they go "what you don't have to improve brand image! You always make good games"; while one replies "Sega's overseas image is horrendus, Sonic is the main mascot of the combat and people are always dissapointed by the quality". Right now Japanese Sega fans are mainly concerned of Sega's inability to sell games overseas (mainly Yakuza series, so it can continue), because the Japanese home console market is in the shitter.

[Wude-Tang Clan]

Arcade-style games don't translate that well to current gamers. They could all be reworked, I suppose, but how would a game like Golden Axe compete with series such as Dark Souls?

Some of IP's that SEGA did re-launch were complete blunders. As much as the fans don't have faith or trust in SEGA, I don't think SEGA has much faith in themselves.

It seems to me, on some level, that SOJ feels like the west is the reason why they are where there are today. This dates back to SOA, during the Genesis days, when there was infighting over the ad campaigns that made SEGA a household name in America ad SOJ heads were outraged.
They've become insular as a means of self-preservation, and cut off the rest of the world; do they even care about the western gamers who've supported them for over a quarter century? Serious question, because it doesn't seem like it.

[freakycritter]

One other thing that stuck out me was a about recruitment profile of current employer at Sega who has been there since 2008 and said "One day I want to make a game that is released worldwide". Like really, that is supposed to be goal?

The people who made Panzer Dragoon and Jet Set Radio simply got a shot at making just after 4 years at being at the company.

Granted that isnt Sega specfic but still.

[Miles Prower]

One other thing that stuck out me was a about recruitment profile of current employer at Sega who has been there since 2008 and said "One day I want to make a game that is released worldwide". Like really, that is supposed to be goal.

God that's depressing
With Phantasy Star Online 2, for example, what exactly is their reasoning for not releasing that outside of Japan? The Dreamcast original was successful in the US and Europe wasn't it?

[Riku Rose]

Arcade-style games don't translate that well to current gamers. They could all be reworked, I suppose, but how would a game like Golden Axe compete with series such as Dark Souls?

Some of IP's that SEGA did re-launch were complete blunders. As much as the fans don't have faith or trust in SEGA, I don't think SEGA has much faith in themselves.

You can translate old IP's to the new consoles. As normal as it seems now an FPS Metroid game at the time seemed strange to people but Nintendo has done well at making their IP's still relevant. You could make a Dragon Age clone and replace everything with stuff that relates to Golden Axe, you could even have a Streets of Rage game like Yakuza where you play a cop stuck in a city overrun by criminals like the Dark Knight Rises.

If SEGA wanted to make those types of games on a large scale they could but they just feel they can make more money doing what they're doing already and you can't blame them as they're a business at the end of the day.

[amiga1200]

yeah, well, good luck with that!
ship has sailed, and scuttled.
she aint returning to birth, not in the same form anyway. :indifferent:

[Henry Spencer]

Arcade-style games don't translate that well to current gamers. They could all be reworked, I suppose, but how would a game like Golden Axe compete with series such as Dark Souls?

Some of IP's that SEGA did re-launch were complete blunders. As much as the fans don't have faith or trust in SEGA, I don't think SEGA has much faith in themselves.

You can translate old IP's to the new consoles. As normal as it seems now an FPS Metroid game at the time seemed strange to people but Nintendo has done well at making their IP's still relevant. You could make a Dragon Age clone and replace everything with stuff that relates to Golden Axe, you could even have a Streets of Rage game like Yakuza where you play a cop stuck in a city overrun by criminals like the Dark Knight Rises.

If SEGA wanted to make those types of games on a large scale they could but they just feel they can make more money doing what they're doing already and you can't blame them as they're a business at the end of the day.

To be fair, I still think Phantasy Star Online 2 would have made good bank for them, but they just sit on their hands all of the time and never localize anything anymore.

[zach]

I would love a new Panzer Dragoon. What is team andromeda doing anyway, do they still exist?
I also would love a new game of Overworks (SOA and Valkyria Chronicles)

[Himuro]

Arcade-style games don't translate that well to current gamers. They could all be reworked, I suppose, but how would a game like Golden Axe compete with series such as Dark Souls?

Some of IP's that SEGA did re-launch were complete blunders. As much as the fans don't have faith or trust in SEGA, I don't think SEGA has much faith in themselves.

It seems to me, on some level, that SOJ feels like the west is the reason why they are where there are today. This dates back to SOA, during the Genesis days, when there was infighting over the ad campaigns that made SEGA a household name in America ad SOJ heads were outraged.
They've become insular as a means of self-preservation, and cut off the rest of the world; do they even care about the western gamers who've supported them for over a quarter century? Serious question, because it doesn't seem like it.

Actually not completely accurate. Arcade style games have made a huge resurgence in the form of indie games and digital titles. It's not a 100% bet, but I think if the games were high quality and really marketed them towards platforms like Steam, they could work.

[b_ren]

I would love a new Panzer Dragoon. What is team andromeda doing anyway, do they still exist?
I also would love a new game of Overworks (SOA and Valkyria Chronicles)

I believe they were internally absorbed sometime ago and key members moved around different depts at Sega over the years.

I'd love the old sega to come back. Panzer Dragoon Saga being one game other than shenmue 3 that I really want. Never gonna happen though, Sega's best days are long gone and won't ever return.

[Wude-Tang Clan]

Arcade-style games don't translate that well to current gamers. They could all be reworked, I suppose, but how would a game like Golden Axe compete with series such as Dark Souls?

Some of IP's that SEGA did re-launch were complete blunders. As much as the fans don't have faith or trust in SEGA, I don't think SEGA has much faith in themselves.

It seems to me, on some level, that SOJ feels like the west is the reason why they are where there are today. This dates back to SOA, during the Genesis days, when there was infighting over the ad campaigns that made SEGA a household name in America ad SOJ heads were outraged.
They've become insular as a means of self-preservation, and cut off the rest of the world; do they even care about the western gamers who've supported them for over a quarter century? Serious question, because it doesn't seem like it.

Actually not completely accurate. Arcade style games have made a huge resurgence in the form of indie games and digital titles. It's not a 100% bet, but I think if the games were high quality and really marketed them towards platforms like Steam, they could work.

Yes, I agree, it's still a profitable niche and I really enjoy those types of games.
Capcom has done very well with the likes of Bionic Commando Re-Armed and the new Strider game, but I don't know of games like that would be enough scratch for SEGA to start taking risks again.

[amiga1200]

^^ there's no risk to take.
if sega listened to a wider spectrum, wouldn't be a subject.
in fairness, it's likely there's a cost overhead on account of that, but they'd have the assets if they wasn't asses to begin with.
nintendo (imo, and to draw parallels) are not that different, they just struck out and appealed to the most common denominator.
for the games not considered by nintendo as 'mainstream' they can keep supplying it on account of the former.
won't comment on the other two....

[Axm]

Sega doubling down on the previous statement with a new one!

“Seeing our fans across the world respond to our recent interview with Famitsu, lets us know we’ve made the right first step in acknowledging who we are and where we want to be. Sega is dedicated to bringing you quality gaming experiences and becoming a brand you love and trust again.” — Haruki Satomi

http://www.seganerds.com/2015/07/23/seg ... irst-step/

[Sean]

Sega/Sammy financials for the previous fiscal quarter:

http://www.segasammy.co.jp/english/pdf/release/201603_1q_tanshin_e_final.pdf

Not exactly the strongest figures in the slightest, though perhaps not that surprising given the current climate of uncertainty facing the global economy. The qualitative data of this report also continues the pushed emphasis towards mobile gaming: "Owing to the Company’s decision to promote business development in the field of digital game software, which is positioned as a growth field in the Entertainment Contents Business, through reallocation of resources and new investment including overseas, quantitative materiality of the field of digital game software will increase from now on."

Recognizing that Sega are in a rather precarious position financially, I hope that Mr. Satomi's words will remain genuine and that Sega will try and work towards becoming a brand again that gives their fans what they want. I feel that Shenmue HD could be the obvious choice and the stepping stone to making that happen