Why sega should release another console [Archive]

Icarus Moonsight

05-23-2008, 01:44 AM

Hows about a synopsis or a link? On it's face, I'd have to say; Love the idea. However, it is VERY unlikely to happen as things are. Sega went "The Way of Atari" and Sammy is too worried about their shrinking pachinko revenues to even give this idea a cursory glance. Building a new boat is not a viable option when the flagship of your fleet is taking on water. Besides all that, the talent pretty much left in mass exodus with the residual finally parting ways within the last couple years or so.

CelticJobber

05-23-2008, 01:58 AM

Here's a link to the article otaku was referring to: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-9945007-17.html

The basic gyst is that Sega is incurring huge losses, nobody cares about anything Sega develops anymore, and the company is on it's deathbed. So they suggest that Sega should release a new console, and the older gaming generation (those 30-35) would embrace it and help pull Sega out of financial ruin.

Kamisama

05-23-2008, 02:03 AM

please not. modern Sega is not what it's used to be.

Downloadable Classics? I got Emu on PC for free. That's no difference. Emulated is Emulated.

Sweater Fish Deluxe

05-23-2008, 02:08 AM

Press_Start

05-23-2008, 02:12 AM

Let's not forget. Squaresoft was in the same boat as Sega when they released their first Final Fantasy game and look what happened. Sega isn't out for the count as it does have two appealing titles coming out: Sonic Unleashed and Sonic RPG.

Who knows what'll happen? Maybe, like the phoenix, Sega will rise from its ashes and soar high in everlasting triumph, or, like the sinking, rotten stone that it currently is, crash a hole in the earth lower than the devil himself.

As Sega saddling back in the console shootout, mostly like it will be for the next generation as right now the Wii is kicking butt and taking names. If Sega wants to get a leg up on the competition, it'll have to be something so great and unexpected and do a complete 900 degree turn.

That's my two cents.

otoko

05-23-2008, 02:29 AM

3) "older gamers (30-35)" will now embrace a Sega console when "older gamers (20-25)" and "older gamers (25-30)" failed to embrace that Saturn and Dreamcast, respectively?

Who knows what'll happen? Maybe, like the phoenix, Sega will rise from its ashes and soar high in everlasting triumph, or, like the sinking, rotten stone that it currently is, crash a hole in the earth lower than the devil himself.

As Sega saddling back in the console shootout, mostly like it will be for the next generation as right now the Wii is kicking butt and taking names. If Sega wants to get a leg up on the competition, it'll have to be something so great and unexpected and do a complete 900 degree turn.

That's my two cents.

Although it would've been nice to live to see Sega make one last run for the boarder, I cannot help but agree with Sweater Fish. I love sega, I've been playing their systems since my sister bought got her first game system, a genesis, at age 8 (she's 24 now that'd make it 1992 or so). I've come a long way with my first system being my Sega Dreamcast, I've then went on to collect a Genesis 1 and 2, Nomad, CDX, Game Gear, Sega CD, and Saturn respectively. Just like everyone else who has observed what has recently come out of Sega.. It's dieing if not dead already, I wouldn't be too surprised to see them go bankrupt in the next coming years.

On that day (hoping it won't come to that anyway) I will weep, because one of the last major things that defined my childhood will have died.

Edit: As for Push Start, Hmm that's true. From what I've seen it would be close to a miracle. Considering Sega's track record as not being the world's most mainstream since Genesis/Megadrive.. and basically only the Sega Genesis/Megadrive..

diskoboy

05-23-2008, 02:48 AM

I stand by my Sega rant, stated here:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=117069

Sega has really done some dumb shit since the demise of the Dreamcast.

gum_drops

05-23-2008, 02:57 AM

The article is really just one big pipe dream. Sega sold 5.7 million more software titles then last year.

"In particular, Sega Sammy seemed to suffer in its pachinko and arcade departments" - gamedaily article

So obviously there are bigger issues at play here then just a lack of revenue from the home console division.

"it needs to show off a console that's both more powerful than anything available, offers a Blu-ray drive, and has the kind of online component we're only seeing in the Xbox 360." - cnet article

I dont know where he is pulling this stuff from. Didnt we already find out that more powerful doesnt equal more sales. And what software titles are they going to sell this high-tec expensive system with, the Sonic franchise?

I hope they stick to working with developers to publish games and *cross fingers* start producing some quality in-house stuff like the good old days.
They have gearbox software (brother in arms) working on an Aliens FPS shooter and Obsidian Entertainment (KOTOR, Neverwinter Nights 2) working on an Aliens RPG.

classicb

05-23-2008, 03:03 AM

Since i'm in that 30-35 range and have played and bought every Sega system I'll give my two cents. If you don't have good games having a system won't make the games any better. I would love like many of you to see Sega regain ground but the truth is most games i loved on the Dreamcast weren't even made by Sega mostly by Capcom. I do think the market is ready for another gaming system maybe even a download only system which I would think Apple would do before Sega. In the end it will always be the games that matter and i know the wii has sold a lot with only a few great games but in the end even the wii will need more great games.

Half Japanese

05-23-2008, 03:51 AM

Sega can't even put out remotely decent third-party games anymore, I can't imagine trying to pass their recent works off as first-party titles. Sega love being what it is, I understand the sentiments of the people who want to see another Sega console, but I can't see anything Sega would release at this point even being fit to sit next to a Dreamcast.

Icarus Moonsight

05-23-2008, 06:51 AM

"it needs to show off a console that's both more powerful than anything available, offers a Blu-ray drive, and has the kind of online component we're only seeing in the Xbox 360."

:bullshit:

Replicating what's currently available (save maybe the part about eclipsing the PS3 in terms of hardware power, though still a bad idea IMO) on other platforms already is the recipe for success huh? LOL It would need something to set itself apart. I'm not talking Wii like set apart. I'm talking bigger than that. Perhaps even bolder. I'm surprised they didn't include motion control as a requirement. That article was poorly thought out, pointless drivel. If anything, this industry needs LESS redundancy and sameness, not more.

Wraith Storm

05-23-2008, 07:06 AM

I have always been a Sega fan. I still bleed blue and it's where my true allegiance lies. I can honestly say that I haven't really enjoyed a system since the Dreamcast. There is nothing more that I would like to see than a new Sega system. But even I know it wouldn't work...

I once heard the phrase; �I own Sega systems to play Sega games.� This could not be more true. When the Saturn was in its prime (did it even have a prime in the US?) I had around 25 games for it. Of those 25 games around 20 or so were Sega published games that were not available on any other console. With the Dreamcast around half the games I had for it were Sega games as well.

Most of those games however, were arcade ports. We all know how the arcade scene is currently and compared to the late eighties and early nineties it's pretty much gone. Sure, I believe that a Sega system could survive on original games, but it was Sega's exclusive arcade ports that defined it's consoles.

Unless the arcade scene has a resurgence, then I feel the entire reason of owning a Sega system would be pointless. Although desperation drives inspiration and if they were able to get a steady flow of original titles like Nights, Burning Rangers, Panzer Dragoon, Fighters Megamix (STILL THE BEST DAMN FIGHTING GAME EVER MADE), Jetset Radio, Shenmue, Dragon Force, Dark Wizard, Streets of Rage then it's quite possible they could succeed.

Hell, then maybe we could FINALLY get Eternal Champions: The Final Chapter. After all, that's the entire reason I bought my Saturn in the first place... but I degress...

Melf

05-23-2008, 09:19 AM

I don't particularly care to read the article, but how exactly does the author propose that:

1) a company on its death bed can finance the immense costs to develop and market a new console

2) a company that no one cares about anymore will suddenly be able to produce software that people will love just because it's doing it as a first party rather than third

3) "older gamers (30-35)" will now embrace a Sega console when "older gamers (20-25)" and "older gamers (25-30)" failed to embrace that Saturn and Dreamcast, respectively?

...word is bondage...

This is it right here. The article doesn't really make sense. The major losses are on the Sammy side's Pachinko business, not the video game side. Sega's "floundering" Sonic franchise has passed over a million units sold with both of its last outings (Sonic 2K6 and Shadow the Hedgehog). Sega may have lost money this year, but it's the first big loss after several years of being profitable, something it never was during the Saturn and Dreamcast days. If the older gamers didn't buy Sega's consoles in 1995 and 1999, why on Earth would they buy them now?

Moreover, Sega would be entering a race that already has 3 horses. As the Xbox has shown, even Microsoft's massive pocketbook can't guarantee success, and Sega has nowhere near the money MS has. The article opens with Sega's massive losses, but then the author proposes that the company would have to sell the console at a loss. And how would it make up for that, with its "floundering" franchises? And who told this guy that third parties are having trouble selling games on the Wii? Tell that to Capcom and Ubisoft.

Bojay1997

05-23-2008, 09:30 AM

I personally don't think we need yet another console in the marketplace, Sega or not. I feel like my PC, Wii, Xbox360, PS3, PS2, DS and PSP cover every possible technological niche I need to have covered as a gamer and frankly, the Xbox and Xbox 360 seem like a natural evolution of the Saturn and Dreamcast to me anyway. Intentional or not, the Xbox advanced what Sega did with online gaming, embraced four controller ports, hosted a lot of the post Dreamcast Sega library and generally made it unnecessary for Sega to jump back into the hardware business. The fact that the Wii now exists and is super successful and includes more of the family/youth oriented Sega library is even more evidence that we don't need a new Sega console.

Greg2600

05-23-2008, 09:31 AM

Sega is a nobody now. They are like Atari, a brand in name only. SEGA as we knew it, like Atari, Commodore, Mattel, Hudson, SNK, Activision, etc., is dead.

Xian042

05-23-2008, 09:39 AM

Yeah, whoever wrote the article is crazy.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a long time Sega fanatic. It saddens me to see Sega repeatedly fail. Another console would put them under for sure. We all had high hopes for the Dreamcast, and it did quite well out the gate, but the second the PS2 came out it was neglected. The Dreamcast was cheap enough for people to pick it up to pass the time until PS2, and thats about it. People havnt forgotten about being burned by 32x and Saturn, no matter what old franchises they ressurect, the system will fail.
Sega needs to focus on games, and focus HARD. They need some magic weilding developers that can bring the old Sega magic back. NiGHTS Journey of Dreams should have been incredible, it should have made everyone wide eyed and awestruck. It failed to do so. Dreamcast or Gamecube should have had a NiGHTS game, heck, the DS could have handled a port of the Saturn original. How cool would it have been to control NiGHTS with a stylus?
Sega ruined Phantasy Star, yeah PSO was cool, but did nothing to turn people on to the original games, and sorry, PSU sucks. Phantasy Star could have been as well loved as Final Fantasy if they just kept up on it. Or even Panzer Dragoon Saga, There was no excuse to not have more PDS games on the past generation of consoles. PD Orta was great, but it was an unpopular genre, and went overlooked.
Sega has had bad timing and luck, Sega needs to come out with a new great magical game. It can't be THAT hard, they just need to take the time and spend the money. They can do it, the HAVE to do it. If Sega gets swallowed by another company I give up. MAYBE if they merged with Nintendo I'd be ok with it.
I have high hopes for Sonic Unleashed. Thats the direction they should have take with Sonic a LONG time ago. Unleased is what Sonic Adventure should have been. Again, bad timing.

I'm done.

Melf

05-23-2008, 11:57 AM

I just kept thinking about this article and how the writer ignores history completely, so I had to go and write a retort (http://sega-16.blogspot.com/) in my blog. Comments are appreciated!

Sweater Fish Deluxe

05-23-2008, 12:32 PM

Most of those games however, were arcade ports. We all know how the arcade scene is currently and compared to the late eighties and early nineties it's pretty much gone. Sure, I believe that a Sega system could survive on original games, but it was Sega's exclusive arcade ports that defined it's consoles.
I think this is the crux of Sega's problems. Sega were always the masters of the arcade, no other company could ever compete with their brilliance at executing simple and playable game concepts. Even games that were console exclusives were generally more arcade like in their gameplay style and presentation, like Streets of Rage or Panzer Dragoon.

However, Sega's problems actually go beyond the death of arcades as such, I think, and to the death of arcade style gameplay. For a long, long time now, there has been a trend in console video games away from arcade-style gameplay. I think it goes back even to days of the C64 and NES when Sega and their arcade-style games were still competing, but with the Playstation and especially the Xbox and PS2, the general popularity of arcade-style games have just taken a shit. Anything arcade-like is instantly niche nowadays.

Sega has tried numerous times over the years with varying degrees of success to restructure and reform themselves into a company that produces games with a more linear, console-like style. To me, though, that's just not Sega, so even if they could become a big success today with that strategy, it wouldn't matter one bit because they wouldn't be the company I love producing the games that I love.

I think the success of the Wii and XBLA have recently shown that there is indeed still a market for the kind of simple, playable games Sega was always so great at and I think that if the Sega of yesteryear were to devote themselves to that particular subarena, they could dominate it and make plenty of profit. Unfortunately, the most recent attempts at restructuring and reforming have probably destroyed whatever chance there was of that. So the irony is that Sega have squandered their birthright at just the time that it mnight have started paying off for them again. And they haven't even managed to get their foot into the door of modern mainstream games with the proceeds form that sell out.

...word is bondage...

segagamer

05-23-2008, 01:16 PM

I agree wtih otoko and the others who have said that the article is not a good one and that SEGA should not release another console. I am a SEGA fan and also have all of their consoles released in the States, but I am also aware of the reality in today's marketplace.

PDorr3

05-23-2008, 07:04 PM

I really don't there there is any way that a new Sega system could compete with whats available right now, it could not survive on 1st party titles on it's own as they would generaly only appeal to hardcore gamers only, like basicaly anyone on this forum. It would not be a system that most casual gamers who already own a Wii woud want. Really the only way I could see a new Sega system possibly having a chance is if it came out with graphics better than what the best looking PS3 and 360 games can push, then atleast it's graphics could possibly sell it.

7th lutz

05-23-2008, 11:20 PM

I played about every Sega System released in North America except for the Sega CD and the Sega Pico.

I thought the author is clueless.

Sega's problem is Sammy owning the company. Sammy is hurting in the pachinko side right now.

Having a new Sega game console would be the wrong thing to do for them. Sega basically ended the dreamcast's life due to the fact Sega had money problems. Sega had money problems before releasing the Dreamcast. It would be the same thing all over again if Sega releases another system. That is also the reason why Sammy is owning Sega now.

Sega changed under Sammy's leadership. I recalled some major development teams of Sega leaving after Sammy took over like Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Visual Concepts was sold to take two interactive.

Those changes would hurt the next Sega system. Sports games is nolonger Sega's strength and that genre was one of the reasons people bought a Sega game Console a first place.

Sonic Team went downhill. Part that was caused by a good amount of the orginal Sonic team leaving Sega shortly after the merger with Sammy.

The other problem with having another Sega System is Sega ruined or is ruining other frachises they created like Phantasy Star and Shining force. Shining force series was changed into an action rpg.

My theory is the next Sega Sega system would be a bigger flop than the Saturn was in North America due to the reasons I mentioned.

swlovinist

05-24-2008, 12:01 AM

It is good to be with some sega fans here, and I agree with what many have said. When arcades died, so did some of Sega. Many of their greater games are now in the past. I am a huge sega fan, but the Sega I grew up with is dead. Making a high end console would be a mistake. Making maybe a flashback style console could be interesting as a collectable, but I dont think it would take off. For me, with such a huge arcade library, they should do more compliation discs of different consoles/arcade periods on current systems. If the prices were right, along with some great extras and unlockables, these might sell well. I am not talking one or two games here, they would have to do a compliation disc of 15 to 20 as a budget title(Like SNK classics). Obviously SNK is making some mula off of milking classics. Sega should do the same.

Leo_A

05-24-2008, 01:46 AM

I've enjoyed more Sega releases since they died than I did with the Dreamcast and Saturn, guess I'm the only one that likes the direction they've taken. Lets see, I've bought and enjoyed all but one of these games released since the Dreamcast died.

Sega Arcade Gallery (GBA)
Sonic Gems Collection (GCN)
Outrun Coast 2 Coast (I enjoyed it so much I bought it for the PSP, PS2, and Xbox)
Outrun 2 (Xbox)
Sega Genesis Collection (PS2 and PSP)
Sega Classics Collection (PS2)
Sonic Mega Collection Plus (PS2)
Space Channel 5: Special Edition (PS2)
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe (Xbox)
Taito Legends (Xbox, published by Sega)
The King of Route 66 (PS2)
18 Wheeler (Dreamcast port, but I didn't play it until the GCN port)
The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return (Wii)
Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox)
Sega GT 2002 (Xbox, the only one out of all of these I didn't enjoy)
Shenmue II (Xbox)
Condemned: Criminal Origins (Xbox 360)

And I've purchased and enjoyed all their XBLA releases, and several of their Virtual Console releases.

Haven't even gotten everything I want yet, like the 2d Sonics for the GBA and DS, Panzer Dragoon for the Xbox, Sega Rally for the GBA and Xbox 360, Gunstar for the GBA, the Sega Rally PS2 bonus disc with the original arcade title from Japan, Condemned 2, etc.

If this is sucking, I hope they keep it up. :)

OldSchoolGamer

05-24-2008, 01:49 AM

I'd love to see it personally BUT they should not attempt it unless the can lineup a shitload of commited developers including Capcom and EA!

DeputyMoniker

05-24-2008, 02:14 AM

Besides all that, the talent pretty much left in mass exodus with the residual finally parting ways within the last couple years or so.

Which makes it no more Sega than "Atari" was Atari in 1995. Names don't make games, programmers do. Sega is just a name. So they'd either have to hire a kick ass crew, just like any other name could, or go back in time, in which case they wouldn't have the technology to create a competitive console for today. I guess Sega could go into the future and bring a kick ass console back in time for us. Maybe with Blast 2. I wonder why they haven't thought of that.

Vroomfunkel

05-24-2008, 12:27 PM

It. will. never. happen.

The only possible way this could come to be is if the other three bankrupt themselves in the mad fight to produce the next generation of consoles, leaving Sega and Atari to scrap over the shattered pieces of the console gaming market.

otoko

05-24-2008, 01:16 PM

leaving Sega and Atari to scrap over the shattered pieces of the console gaming market.

And that will introduce the Atari urstukwitit.

Rob2600

05-24-2008, 08:01 PM

"Why sega should release another console"

Sega should release another console so that it'd fail miserably, proving to everyone once and for all that, sadly, the Sega magic we all grew up with is gone.

Besides, Sega doesn't need to release another console. It's already releasing many of it's classic series on the Wii (House of the Dead, Sonic the Hedgehog, Nights, Ghost Squad, Sega Bass Fishing, Samba de Amigo, Super Monkey Ball, Alien Syndrome, supposedly Shenmue, etc.)...not to mention all of its Virtual Console games and backwards-compatible GameCube games (Crazi Taxi, Beach Spikers, NFL 2K, NBA 2K, 18-Wheeler, Billy Hatcher, Sega Soccer Slam, etc.).

It's also too busy making tiny pianos to release another console. :)

Poofta!

05-24-2008, 08:33 PM

Why Sega SHOULDN'T release another console:
-32x
-SCD
-Saturn
-Dreamcast
-all software after sonic & knuckles.

otoko

05-24-2008, 09:36 PM

Why Sega SHOULDN'T release another console:
-32x
-SCD
-Saturn
-Dreamcast
-all software after sonic & knuckles.

Poofta, everyone! =D

I was wondering when you would find this topic. xD

modest9797

05-24-2008, 10:51 PM

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was a pretty crappy game. They need to get their games right before they worry about making a console.

kainemaxwell

05-24-2008, 11:04 PM

A console alone will not save Sega. Don't console manufacterers actually incure losses on consoles the first few years and make most their money on the games?

Rob2600

05-24-2008, 11:07 PM

Don't console manufacterers actually incur losses on consoles the first few years?

Usually, but not the GameCube or the Wii.

7th lutz

05-24-2008, 11:25 PM

Why Sega SHOULDN'T release another console:
-all software after sonic & knuckles.

Sorry, that Statement is off. You didn't say what Sega development team.

Here are good or great games developed by Sega after sonic & Knuckles:

Beyond Oasis
Vectorman 1 & 2
Typing of the Dead
Nights
Pinball of the Dead
Shining Force CD & Shining Force 3
House of the Dead 1 & 2
Skies of Arcadia
Panzer Dragon
Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei
Sega Rally Championship
Virtua Fighter 2-Saturn, arcade versions
Fighters Megamix
Crazy Taxi 1 & 2

Quality of Game development went down after Sega discontinued the Dreamcast, not after Sonic & Knockles.

Poofta!

05-24-2008, 11:58 PM

Sorry, that Statement is off. You didn't say what Sega development team.

Here are good or great games developed by Sega after sonic & Knuckles:

Beyond Oasis
Vectorman 1 & 2
Typing of the Dead
Nights
Pinball of the Dead
Shining Force CD & Shining Force 3
House of the Dead 1 & 2
Skies of Arcadia
Panzer Dragon
Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei
Sega Rally Championship
Virtua Fighter 2-Saturn, arcade versions
Fighters Megamix
Crazy Taxi 1 & 2

Quality of Game development went down after Sega discontinued the Dreamcast, not after Sonic & Knockles.

im sorry i meant pretty much everything after the genesis. however, you do bring up a good point however, yes, there are like 15 or so good sega developed games since, maybe a couple more. good job.