Sega... pretty much dead in the water :(

[Torr]

http://kotaku.com/5898026/sega-of-america-walloped-by-layoffs-western-publishing-reduced-to-sonic-and-three-others

 

I hate to say it, but I'd say this is the end of Sega.

I know they've been a shadow of their former selves for years now, with a very small niche of games (though good ones) helping keep them afloat while they milked poor Sonic for all he was worth... but really, who TRULY looks forward to a new Sonic game anymore? He's basically become a TV show with bad games made about him, like any kids show being licensed and ported back in the day; "Kids watch the show, so they'll buy the game, who cares if it's any good." I can hear a developer saying in my mind...

 

Man, in the early 90s, I was a Sega fanboy through and through ('cause you HAD to pick a side!), then the Saturn kinda floundered due to the new kid on the block, Sony, but the Dreamcast came out and I thought, this is it, Sega has redeemed itself. Arcade games in my home (for much cheaper than the Neo-Geo used to be!) I can surf the Internet on my TV, I downloaded my FIRST DLC (The Detonator Pack for Dynamite Cop... I don't remember WHAT it did anymore... added a Stun Gun to the inventory and something else...) Found out there was gonna be an online version of Phantasy Star in the vein of Ultima Online. It had a screen on the controller, Power Stone could transfer mini games to it, or I raise a Chao like a gigapet... Neither Sony nor Nintendo could compete with this I thought.

 

And then it died.

And Sega started putting it's games on other systems

And now 15 years later they're closing that door, and becoming digital distribution.

I really wonder how much gas they got left in the tank... I think they're running on fumes now...

 

 

[Reaperman]

It'd be kind of a shame if they finished their drain-circling, now that (IMO) they're putting out solid stuff. Sega somewhat recently managed to get off my post-pso, do-not-buy grudge list in style with winners like the Valkyria Chronicles and the Sonic Racing games. I buy both on pretty much every system they come out for--last night I picked up the Steam version of Valkyria, actually. I'm fairly excited about aliens too.

 

What'd be a bigger shame is if Sega, as in the story, spends their last few years focusing heavily on sonic. They may not want to expend what's left of their resources on more mediocre platformers. Sega is at its best when it's not trying to clone the past. However, if past-clonery is insisted upon, Fatal Labyrinth 2 might do okay in the pc and phone markets.

Edited February 8, 2015 by Reaperman

[8th lutz]

The article you linked is old. The posting date of the article says March 31, 2012.

Edited February 8, 2015 by 8th lutz

[Torr]

Oops, linked to an old one! After reading a post somewhere I started Googling stuff, here's some from a week ago

 

http://venturebeat.com/2015/01/30/sega-will-shut-down-its-once-legendary-san-francisco-office/

 

http://nichegamer.net/2015/01/sega-confirms-300-staff-layoffs-on-the-anniversary-of-sonic-the-hedgehog-2006/

 

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2015/01/30/sega-sammy-announces-restructuring-plans-mass-layoffs#.VNerOy6TUwc

 

http://www.hngn.com/articles/65361/20150130/sega-of-america-relocating-to-socal-layoffs-coming-is-the-end-nigh-for-soa.htm

Edited February 8, 2015 by Torr

[+chicgamer]

This makes me really sad. The first console I received that was entirely mine was the Sega Master System. I loved that system a lot and defended it against the hordes of NES devotees. Then the Genesis came, and we finally had graphics that looked like arcade games and several successful franchises were released. To this day, my Genesis is my favorite console.

 

I guess I'll have to give up hope of ever seeing a new Streets of Rage.

[+Charlie Cat]

Hi guys,

 

Ouch! Sorry to read on what's happening to Sega since so many great employees worked at the San Fransisco location doing its heyday. Maybe a good book would come out talking about the times at SOA at that location!

 

Anthony...

[Austin]

They did it to themselves. They failed to consistently treat their old properties with care and respect and they have made some damaging choices in how they treat fans. It saddens me to say that because Sega was one of my favorite gaming companies. They were pioneers in the industry and have been around a lot longer than most companies.

 

The name will still be around just as it has been since Sammy bought them out. We just likely won't see many (if any) console releases, especially not physical retail releases.

Edited February 8, 2015 by Austin

[Lost Dragon]

Sad times, but indeed they've only themselves to blame.Ive sunk lord knows how much cash into Sega systems over the years:MD, MCD, 32X, Game Gear, MS (convertors for MD+G.G), Saturn and Dreamcast have all at 1 time been owned and loved to various degrees by myself.

 

But time and time again they failed to learn from past, costly mistakes and now they are paying the price.They gambled on online when people wanted it seemed DVD, the attempts at rebooting franchises has been very hit and miss (Golden Axe Beast Rider anyone?).Things like Planet Harriers/Lost World etc never seemed worthy of home conversions.The DC re-releases on XBLA/PSN seemed all over the shop.

 

Company seemed to have lost focus and going back to the DC era, even after the Saturn took a hammering, they still seemed far too arogant, not needing Camelot, not needing E.A as they were SEGA, well your still SEGA, but look whats befallen you....

 

Very sad times indeed :-(

[Rick Dangerous]

Looks like they put out one too many crap Sonic games.... a shame indeed.

[Cynicaster]

I’ve always liked Sega, but I don’t find this news terribly upsetting from a personal perspective.

 

For me, Sega is analogous to one of those bands that has been making albums for decades, but all of their best ones are from 20-30 years ago. Eventually, it gets to the point where I’m not even aware of the band’s latest releases, and am certainly not laying out any money to buy them when they come out. Every now and then, I might check out a re-issue of one of their classics, but that’s about it.

 

Maybe they’re best left to history. They can shut down and layoff whatever and whomever they like, but they can’t take away my Golden Axe—and that’s all I really care about.

[Clint Thompson]

Yeah. The only thing I think of when I hear Sega is the Dreamcast and Shenmue... or the Flashback Gensis consoles I see at Meijer or where ever. Sonic is so played out it doesn't make sense and it really hasn't been much of a must-have since the Genesis days imo. What can they even really do at this point? being completely out of the hardware camp and all.

Edited February 11, 2015 by Clint Thompson

[akator]

Sega may be dead to classic gamers who still mourn the loss of Sega branded hardware, but they are far from dead as a gaming company. The recent news was about the "death" of the American San Francisco branch of Sega, a branch that has miserably underperformed and squandered once valuable properties. Sega is amputating a diseased limb to save the life of an otherwise successful company.

 

Despite the bleeding US subsidiary, up to the last quarter Sega was doing very well over the last decade. Ditching hardware and selling software worked very well for them. The disasterous Sonic titles are far from the only thing they sell. Sega has produced and sold many noteworth titles since the demise of the Dreamcast. Their classic games are available and selling well on iOS, Android, and Steam. They've got solid modern franchises and hits like Alien.

[Hydro Thunder]

Sega will always be my favorite (former) game company. The Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast will always be beloved by me. I will be playing Streets of Rage, Gunblade NY, Golden Axe, Space Channel 5, Power Stone, Toy Commander, Virtua Cop, Nights, Crazy Taxi, Dragon Force, Die Hard Arcade, Guardian Heroes, Virtua Fighter 5, Daytona, and many others until I quit gaming (which will probably be when they feed me to the fishes!).

 

They made some of the best consoles and best games, IMO. And after the Genesis had the _worst_ US marketing imaginable. I seriously don't know that they could have made more / worse mistakes. Read the book Console Wars sometime (though it's a bit too heavy on Tom Kalinske fellating); it'll really give you a good perspective on how Sega was lost due to Sega of Japan's nonsense and idiocy. Starting with the whole 32X / Saturn debacle.

 

But even given that, the games stayed so great right up to the end of the Dreamcast. And for that we are lucky.

 

If they fade now and quit making...whatever it is they've been making for the last few years.... eh. Maybe someone (Disney!!! I kid, oh, I kid) will buy them up and finally release the Streets of Rage Remake and pay the maker handsomely for it. And high def that beeyotch up, and add options etc. And recode Panzer Dragoon Saga from scratch and release it. And finally make a home release of Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder. And other fleeting fantasies.

 

But for the most part, this isn't really bad news.

[Atariboy]

Despite the bleeding US subsidiary, up to the last quarter Sega was doing very well over the last decade. Ditching hardware and selling software worked very well for them.

 

Sega's business troubles extend well past just the last quarter. They've just about abandoned in-house development, have let go of hundreds of workers, and have tried to restructure themselves to limited success so far as a publisher of software for mobile devices as their success in traditional markets have faltered.

 

Too bad, too, since not only is their history a rich one, but they seemed to do quite well the first few years out the gate as a 3rd party developer/publisher. But it seems ages now since they did anything on par with titles like Outrun 2.

Edited February 12, 2015 by Atariboy

[UberArcade]

Sega isn't dead yet. Everybody said Nintendo was dead last year and look at the amazing games they put out. Sega has been making mediocre games and to be honest there are probably a lot of people that need to get the boot at Sega. Parts of their business still make money though. Their games do sell. Hopefully they bring quality games to mobile and still make a handful of great console games. the thing that worries me is their statements about committing more to Sonic. I don't see many fans asking for more Sonic games. I see fans asking for Shenmue, Streets of Rage, Crazy Taxi, etc.

[SumerNivek]

This is pretty apropos, since I am reading "Console Wars" right now on my commute to work in the morning and on the way back in the afternoon. Loving the book, and yes, it does focus a lot on Kalinske. But if any of you are wanting to remember the Sega of old, I recommend this book to you. Interesting to see the differences between Sega now and then (the early 90s).

[Torr]

I'm not sure exactly what the ratios are regarding PC gaming and tablet gaming and console gaming. However from my experience (as a PC gamer besides my retro-consoles) it seems that most people don't like to play games on PC. People seem surprised that I don't own a modern system or tablet/smartphone but know a lot about modern games. A lot of people seem to think that games that are on consoles just aren't available for PCs. They often seem surprised when I mention a game and their first response is "But you don't have a PS3/XBox!". Maybe that's just the people I know, but it seems like PC gaming is by far the least common. Then again, me and two of my PC gaming buddies are the only guys I know that actually still have towers and monitors. That's another thing to add to the list; I don't have a tablet, smartphone, modern system OR laptop... they think I'm a cave man! A small handful of people were surprised I still had one of those "Old" computers and couldn't believe I played modern games on it. They thought "Boxy" computers we obsolete! They honestly thought they ONLY made laptops nowadays! Young co-workers... *sigh*...

 

With this new revelation I hope that going digital will encourage them to make more "outside the box" style games as many indie publishers are doing. Something they would feel afraid to publish physically because of associated costs.

 

I know all of us "older" gamers want to see the old franchises restored, returned to, whatever... but really, so many great franchises have been ignored for so long many "new" gamers (as mentioned above!) don't know they ever existed and hence they don't carry the same weight as we feel they should... BUT, just as Golden Axe and Streets of Rage helped evolve/take over the beat-em-up trend of the late 80's/early 90's begat by Renegade & Double Dragon; as Outrun outdid so many other racing games of the era; as Space Harrier/After Burner/Galaxy Force gave us a new twist on the Shoot-em-up; it'd be nice to see them take an existing idea and make it "SEGA", know what I mean? Or even come up with something really original as they also did occasionally.

 

As well, Sega was really all about "Arcade Games". Games that were like a rollercoaster ride; amazingly intense and exciting the first handful of times, but sooner rather than later, you're looking for something else. Titles as mentioned above; many games that we all enjoyed in the 8-bit & 16-bit days PALED in comparison to leaning on an actual bike in Hang-On, sitting in a car in Outrun, rotating all over the place in Space Harrier/After Burner/Galaxy Force and they DID suffer as a result when being played at home. Games like Altered Beast that were arcade hits, were rather lackluster to play at home, not because of any the system's or the game's shortcomings, but because it just wasn't meant to be played for hours a day, for days at a time.

What I'm getting at is short-lived, thrill a moment (however fleeting those moments may be) kinds of games ARE the kinds of game people like to play on smart-phones or tablets, or buy on Steam for a $5-$10 dollars. It's a cheap thrill and, as long as it provides a couple good hours of play-time, you feel like it was worth it; like a blowing a roll or more of quarters at the arcade.

 

As long as Sega doesn't F this up, it COULD work very well for them.

It COULD...

 

I'm in your corner Sega, don't let me down... again...

Edited February 13, 2015 by Torr