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SEGA DESERVES TO ROT - by Mr Biffo

11/2/2016

36 Comments

 
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I got a big surprise yesterday, when I learned that Sega is now a part of a thing called Sega Sammy - who, frankly, sounds like a mid-90s games magazine character (you can probably picture him in your mind: baseball cap, wraparound shades, skateboard, Mega Drive joypad...).

Apparently, Sega Sammy has existed since 2004, which shows you how much attention I've been paying to things.

However, what's far more interesting than stuff I never knew about, is the revelation that Sega Sammy turned a profit in the last nine months of 2015, despite the faltering performance of its video games division.

You see, Sega Sammy is a holding company that not only publishes video games according to the apparently random coin-toss whims of its gaming division, but also has greasy tendrils draped over pachinko pinball machines, the management of amusement parks, commercial resorts, casinos and tourism facilities.

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Indeed, speaking about the company to The Worldfolio this week, Sega Sammy's CEO, Hajime Satomi, inevitably focused on the latter businesses.

Beyond the announcement of a Sonic the Hedgehog movie, he seemed more than a little vague when asked about how the company would rebuild the Sega gaming brand.

Here are the words he allowed to emerge from his mouth: "The Sega brand first became famous as an arcade machine and then with the home video game consoles. The Sonic character was largely popular with those machines and consoles.

"Unfortunately, we eventually withdrew from the home video game console business. However, our name and brand is still out there because of the famous characters from people’s childhood. We would like to change, adjust or shift our product, brand and business with the current era to be a leader again in the future."


Obviously, that has about as much specificity as a Donald Trump campaign speech, but you can hardly blame Satomi for preferring to focus his company on more profitable areas. Inevitably, Sega - along with Nintendo and Konami - is adjusting its games business in line with Japan's shift towards mobile gaming. However, that doesn't stop what's happened to Sega being borderline criminal.


CRYING SHAME
I honestly think Sega's mismanagement of its own IPs is one of the greatest tragedies in the history of gaming. The company hasn't known what to do with its biggest asset, Sonic, for decades. The rot set in there as early as Dreamcast launch title Sonic Adventure - not a catastrophic game, but certainly an odd one...

"What should we do next with our cartoonish corporate mascot Sonic, sir?"

"Hmmm... I'd really like to see him wandering around a photorealistic town square... Also: let's chuck some sort of half-baked virtual pet thing in there."


Of course, Sonic Adventure arrived the same day as the Dreamcast, by which stage Sega's weird strategies had started driving away its once fanatical customer base. Remember: the predecessor of the Dreamcast, the Saturn, got through its life without any sort of bona-fide Sonic game (Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic R, and the compilation Sonic Jam don't count). Can you imagine a Nintendo console launching without a Mario game?

Since Sega dropped out of the hardware business, Sonic's other adventures have consisted of various flaccid stabs at recapturing past glories, assorted retro remakes, and a bunch of pity handjobs from Mario. If Sonic was a band, he'd be T'Pau - endlessly playing the hits on the 80s nostalgia circuit.

However, throttling Sonic is not the worst thing Sega has done.
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BRAND MISMANAGEMENT
Look at the list of brands on Sega's website, and it's crushing: Total War, Aliens, Football Manager, Company of Heroes, and - yes - Sonic.

And that's it.

What about Golden Axe, Hang On, Panzer Dragoon, Bonanza Bros, Altered Beast, Crazy Taxi, Daytona USA, Eternal Champions, Ecco, Jet Set Radio, NiGHTS, Out Run, Phantasy Star, Space Harrier, Shinobi, Streets of Rage, Zaxxon, Thunderblade, plus Virtuas Cop, Fighter and Racing...?

If you don't read that list and weep upon the realisation that Sega has squandered the potential of all of those franchises - far more, even, than they have Sonic - then you have no soul. It would be like Disney buying LucasFilm, deciding to make a new series of Radioland Murders sequels, and ignoring Star Wars altogether. What would you rather have: a new Total War game, or a brand new Jet Set Radio? Or Crazy Taxi? Or a Streets of Rage?

Sega helped to build the games industry as we know it today. It's a fact that is all too often overlooked (read this if you don't believe me). We have a lot to thank them for.

But these days, the company is a hollow shadow of itself, and it simply doesn't deserve whatever goodwill it might've earned. Weak management, weak decision making, and weak games have put paid to that. At one point Sega had the world at its feet, and it chose to defecate all over it.

​The best thing it can do now is concentrate on the ponced-up resorts it seems so interested in, and sell its gaming division - and its gaming brands along with it - to someone who might have half a clue what to do with them. Someone who deserves them.

​Because Sega sure as Hell doesn't anymore.

FROM THE ARCHIVE:
SEGA: LIFE BEFORE THE MASTER SYSTEM - A HISTORY
THE GAMES OF MY YEARS: SEGA MASTER SYSTEM - PART ONE BY MR BIFFO
THE GAMES OF MY YEARS: SEGA MASTER SYSTEM - PART TWO BY MR BIFFO​


36 Comments
Will
11/2/2016 08:05:30 pm

See also: SEGA Rally, one of the best of its type ever . And Virtua Tennis while I'm at it.

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Mr Biffo
11/2/2016 08:06:55 pm

YES! At least Virtua Tennis has had some games out in relatively recent times, though.

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stef
12/2/2016 11:14:55 am

Sega rally revo was pretty good as well

Voodoo76
11/2/2016 08:13:51 pm

Awe as someone who grew up a Sega fanboy this upsets me and frustrates me equally. At their peak both Sega and Nintendo had more original ideas in a few games then what's been released on xbone and ps4 since launch. I know which era I'd rather be playing games in. I'll never forget buying a Saturn on launch and getting pretty much arcade versions of Sega Rally and VF2, oh my word. Please bring those days back Biffo, plllleeeeeeeeaaaaase..................

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Kelvin Green link
11/2/2016 08:21:16 pm

Ye gods yes, I miss the Sega of old. It's such a shame that all that brilliance of the past has been squandered.

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Nick Thorpe
11/2/2016 08:22:15 pm

When I did the stats for Retro Gamer's top 150 games of all time feature, Sega was just behind Nintendo as the most represented company on the list. That was with games like Crazy Taxi, Daytona USA, NiGHTS, Jet Set Radio, Out Run, Sega Rally and of course Sonic.

Weirdly, there weren't any Alien games there. Dunno why.

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Dr Kank
11/2/2016 09:22:41 pm

To be this good takes AGES (it is SEGA backwards)

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Dangleberries
11/2/2016 11:39:36 pm

I don't really know why, but I'm laughing so much I'm crying at that comment. Made my day

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gaijintendo
11/2/2016 09:31:52 pm

If only Nintendo had the money to buy Sega, then something might actually be developed. I never thought it would even be plausible. Eesh. Feel irrelevant.

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optimark prime
11/2/2016 09:47:21 pm

The article is spot on. Unfortunately.

I'll always have love for the company, because they're the reason I'm a gamer. Their games are some of my all time favourites.

The biggest problem they had, was... during the Saturn and Dreamcast years, no matter how many fantastic games they released - nobody bought them! The sales figures for stuff like MSR, JSR and Shenmue are genuinely depressing.

Even the early days of multi format they were releasing amazing games (Super Monkey Ball, JSRF) - can't imagine they sold well either.

Samba de Amigo is probably the best thing ever, and thankfully Sega were crazy enough to release a maracas game for a home console. So, I'll forever be grateful to them.

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Sir_LANs-a-lot
11/2/2016 10:18:25 pm

I would *love* a VR Remaster of Space Harrier.

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sunteam link
11/2/2016 10:30:03 pm

The lack of any type of Burning Rangers update/sequel alone shows SEGA's utter cluelessness.

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Spiney O'Sullivan
11/2/2016 10:33:33 pm

Where's my Burning Rangers 2, Sega?

Actually, given what they'd probably do to it, better not.

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xanderten50 link
12/2/2016 08:45:55 am

I think you want Planet Harriers... unfortunately you'll need an arcade board to play it :(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXVbaWJbSKM

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Larry Bundy Jr link
12/2/2016 01:42:47 am

I've known Sega have been lousy with their heritage just from how quickly they dumped Alex Kidd all those years ago. Vince McMahon levels of dumping him back to the 8 bit consoles before quietly dumping him.

Then deciding to reject ANY Mega Drive game made in Japan, just at a whim. Rejecting sequels to big brands as the head had never heard of them.

Even now theyre doing stupid shit, like not capatilising on the Shenmue craze, by refusing to re-release ports to the PS3/XB1/PC

IMO the biggest mistake was refusing to sell the company to Microsoft in 2001.

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Optimark prime
12/2/2016 07:29:33 am

Looking at what's happened to Rare, maybe MS ownership wouldn't actually have helped Sega.

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James of the North
12/2/2016 07:44:02 am

Sir_LANS-a-lot: So would its creator!

http://www.seganerds.com/2016/02/08/yu-suzuki-thinks-space-harrier-vr-would-be-a-fun-game/

(Sorry, my phone wouldn't let me reply inline.)

And Larry, you're spot on about Shenmue.

#SaveShenmueHD

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Sir_LANs-a-alot
12/2/2016 08:20:26 pm

Woah!, thanks for the link fella - I had no idea about that! - I *really* hope that's a thing that can happen.... Yu Suzuki is one of my all time arcade heroes.

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stef
12/2/2016 11:16:44 am

This is what annoys me when people say Nintendo should but them, and if they did a little research they would know they are owned by someone else who had very deep pockets

Oh well off to play more outrun 2

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Euphemia
12/2/2016 03:05:26 pm

They stopped leading and started chasing. Hubris, pure hubris!

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optimark prime
12/2/2016 06:49:53 pm

I get the Shenmue love, I really do, but I just don't see Sega remaking the first two games in HD for current gen consoles.

Apparently every Dreamcast owner would have had to buy two copies of Shenmue for Sega to have made a profit.

Although Shenmue III raised a lot of money due to it's Kickstarter (I pledged $175 myself), there's only about 80 thousand backers, maybe.

Would it be financially viable for Sega to pour resources into a HD remake (I'm no programmer, but I can't imagine it'd be too straightforward to do), to then only sell 80 thousand copies, if every Kickstarter backer were to buy it.

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ChorltonWheelie
12/2/2016 08:12:14 pm

So, we're arguing for more franchises to last longer?
Can you imagine the tiresome monstrosity Sonic would have become?
Let it go lads.

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Captain Whoops
12/2/2016 08:21:52 pm

What do SEGA do? Make their original style games for the 1,427 people who'd buy them? No one bought OutRun 2 not because of the games media but because they were more interested in gritty urban driving games where you earned "street cried" with your bredren.

No one would buy a new Jet Set Radio, not many people would buy a Virtua Tennis. SEGA were ruined by mass tastes.

As long as SEGA Sammy fund SEGA home games division then you can expect this current clusterfu** of football management games and war simulations.

Move on people, move on.

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PeskyFletch
12/2/2016 08:28:48 pm

Ah, streets of rage. The only game i can legally let my 8 yr old foster son play where he can bottle a woman.

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dab88
12/2/2016 08:41:02 pm

Hahahahahaha! I have a lot of love for SoR... probably some of my finest gaming memories in the 16 bit era were created on those SoR games. Goodtimes. Shame it all went bad

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Dirty Barry
12/2/2016 09:03:53 pm

The Nights sequel, journey of dreams, broke my heart. Their inability to make a new Sonic that plays like Sonic 2 smashed my soul. But I still miss Sega.

The Dreamcast deserved to do well, but by then it was too late. The ignorant masses had already gone off quirky, arcadey fun and gravitated towards the self-conscious "cool" of Sony's consoles.

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Spiney O'Sullivan
13/2/2016 01:08:53 am

There was no sequel to Nights.

If I keep saying it, it will eventually feel true.

There was no sequel to Nights.

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RetroPlayers link
12/2/2016 11:20:01 pm

Great read. It is a dying shame at the demise of what was once a huge brand and force in the games industry. By the sounds of things its a ship that sailed now and the primary focus has well and truly shifted on to other markets.

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Jareth Smith link
13/2/2016 07:01:54 am

I always considered Sega a long way behind Nintendo in game quality, but they certainly brought a lot of fun to the industry and were innovative. They weren't scared to try new things, which Sony and Microsoft seem terrified of doing.

The Dreamcast (which I still own) had some radical ideas but was also so massively flawed. I'm chuffed to see you highlight Sonic Adventure here as I had major problems with the game at launch. It was such a bizarre setup for, and the orca section at the start was all style and no substance. This theme ran through the game. I remember the VMU pet thing riffing on the recent success of the Tamagotchi. Neat idea badly executed. As for the console's controller... oh dear sandwiches!

Since then it's all been downhill for Sega, but I'm not at all impressed with the PS4 and Xbox One in contemporary gaming either. I stick to Steam (sticky Steam) for Indies and Nintendo's awesome output.

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darbotron link
13/2/2016 02:55:13 pm

IIRC GC, Wii, & WiiU all shipped with no launch Mario game.

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Spiney O'Sullivan
13/2/2016 06:19:16 pm

Two of those three didn't really work out...

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Alex Darby link
13/2/2016 03:03:16 pm

I have to say I'm in complete agreement with this article. I loved my dreamcast, but mostly because of the 3rd party stuff like powerstone & bangai-o.

Even back then Sega's approach to their own IP was embarassing & with himdsight it's easy to see why the DC failed horribly. Almost all Sega's DC games were lazy arcade ports that were finished within an hour or two.

Maybe I'll pop over to their offices (I live where their UK headquarters are) and offer to reboot space harrier for them...

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Random Reviewer
13/2/2016 11:55:15 pm

Oh Sega. King of hubris. To be this good takes AGES - remember that marketing line?

Speaking of old memories, UK: Resistance was a comedy gaming site that practically bled Sega through it's pores. As horrible as it was to watch Sega stink up its properties the UK:R guys always managed to make me smile:

http://ukresistance.co.uk/ukr/pics/blinkerssmall.jpg

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Ssslithe
14/2/2016 05:08:59 am

Here in Japan Sega does extremely brisk business with the Yakuza, Project Diva and PSO series, all of which are excellent games and big sellers domestically. It also makes arcade games and operates a popular chain of arcades. So you shouldn't write Sega off as a games company. Its games may no longer appeal to Western tastes, and it has definitely dropped the ball on many of its classic IPs, but at home it's still just about relevant.

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colincidence link
15/2/2016 01:42:07 pm

"Here in Japan Sega does extremely brisk business with the Yakuza"

wait, what...

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Col. Asdasd
15/2/2016 07:51:37 pm

Who else do you think has the scratch to hang around in pachinko parlours all day?




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