Bits of info from an old live online conference with the Former Ceo and President of Sega Tom Kalinske

[8th lutz]

I also posted the following at dp. This for those who don't go there.

 

I got a small part of that conference from Game Informer's Jan. 1995 issue. According that issue in the What's Hot section in Gameinformer in that issue mentioned Sega launched a forum on Compuserve and a home pageon the Interent's World wide web. That was started off with a Live conference with Sega's Ceo and President at the time, Tom Kalinske. Gameinformer printed 4 interesting fact from that conference.

 

"Sega is currently working on a fighting game and some sports games that will utilize "Lock-On" Technology like that was used in Sonic & Knockles."

 

"More then $25 Million has been spent in the development of over 30 32x titles."

 

"There should be 100 or more 32x titles by next Christmas."

 

"there will be a stand alone 32x/genesis Available {this} year for about $199.99."

 

That is all the facts I got from that info and it shows what sega was planning and doing at the time. I think the conference took place in Nov. 1994, dec. 1994 or early Jan. 1995.

 

I looked at that info from that conference now thought sega wasted too much money and how bad Sega of Japan was in management for allowing this to happen since most of the stuff that money went to never come out along with it felt that small part of info shows that Kalinske had no idea that the Saturn's release date was going to be in May 1995.

Edited June 1, 2006 by 8th lutz

[Bruce Tomlin]

I looked at that info from that conference now thought sega wasted too much money and how bad Sega of Japan was in management for allowing this to happen since most of the stuff that money went to never come out along with it felt that small part of info shows that Kalinske had no idea that the Saturn's release date was going to be in May 1995.

I guess the early Saturn release took people inside Sega by surprise too.

 

That was a stupid, stupid idea. Not just because of the boost that Sony got from "Two hundred ninety nine dollars", but because there wasn't enough software ready to release it early. It would be as if Sony suddenly decided to release the PS3 tomorrow, instead of this fall.

[NovaXpress]

Sega was dead with the 32X. That debacle ruined the rep that Sega had worked so hard to build.

[8th lutz]

Sega was dead with the 32X. That debacle ruined the rep that Sega had worked so hard to build.

It did. I remembered being forward to the saturn in 95. I didn't expect that when I got a new system in 1997 it was the ps 1. When my parents bought it for my brother and I for Christmas in 1994. I didn't put it on my list. I recalled by fall of 95 my dad was wondering what was going on with the 32x with the lack of games coming out. The 32x debacle made my brother and I not want a dreamcast a right away. The 32x made me bitter at sega at the time. As consumer know the 32x was short lived, but not that short. I saw the Dreamcast as a good system, but wanted to make sure the dreamcast was not doing down right away. I would of got it in 2002 instead of 2001 for Christmas.

[Ferris]

Poor little sega. One little fcukup and everythings gone. So much like atari.

[MCHufnagel]

Poor little sega. One little fcukup and everythings gone. So much like atari.

The trouble was it wasn't little. I had bought a Genesis, Sega Cd and 32X in a four year period. I couldn't justify spending the money on a Saturn when it came out. When I was financially able to get a next-gen console, the Saturn was pretty much dead here in the USA. I ended up buying a N64, my first Nintendo console. Same thing with the Dreamcast, when I was ready to upgrade, it was dead too.

For me at least Sega's timing on releases sucked. They didn't keep them out long enough. And looking at their sales figures, I wasn't the only one this happened to.