Segacom born, plans to ship new console by 2008

[Zadoc]

Source (http://users1.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?mg=wsj-users1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB1143 43240932508852-1-1-06.html%3Fmod%3Dhome_sammy_capcom_asia)



Segacom born, plans to ship new console by 2008

Tokyo, March 27th 2006 in a surprise move Sammy Holdings (news|quote|link)has announced that it has acquired floundering dame publisher and developer Capcom, Inc. (news|quote|link). Combined with the company’s 2004 acquisition of SEGA Enterprises (news|quote|link), a new came company has been formed: Segacom.

Sammy (news|quote|link) CEO Hajime Satomi will be taking the reigns of the new company. “With amazing Sammy properties such as Guilty Gear and established Sega (news|quote|link)brands in the names of Naka-san’s Sonic the Hedgehog, Suzuki-san’s Virtua Fighter combined with the famous brands of Capcom (news|quote|link) like Megaman and Resident Evil, Segacom will be an international dominating force,” said new Segacom CEO Satomi in a press release.

Former Capcom (news|quote|link) CEO, Kenzo Tsujimoto, resigned in protest of the merger. Tsujimoto declined to comment on the merger. Sammy (news|quote|link) scheduled a Friday press conference to reveal addition details about the new company. Tsujimoto is on that roster.

In a separate Sammy press release following the announcement, the company revealed plans to market a new game console by 2008. “With exclusive brands and franchises that only Segacom can provide and offer, fans will purchase our console before a Sony one.”

Following the Sammy announcement Nintendo Co. (news|quote|link) have scheduled a Wednesday press conference. Sony (news|quote|link) and competitor Microsoft (news|quote|link) have yet to react to the news.

About Sammy Studios, Inc.
Sammy Studios was founded in 2002 as the global videogame development and publishing subsidiary of Sammy Corporation. Sammy Studios is responsible for internal and external videogame development and publishing business in North America and Europe. The company’s headquarters is a state-of-the-art development complex in Carlsbad, California, with an office in Los Angeles handling licensing and business development. Later this year Sammy Studios will release its first internally developed videogame, along with the biggest portfolio of externally developed games ever to be published under its brand. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sammy Corporation of Tokyo, Japan, an entertainment and amusement conglomerate that is one of the top-rated companies traded on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.sammystudios.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Meelad Sadat
Sammy Studios, Inc.
(760) 448-3061
meelad@sammystudios.com
Rannie Yoo
Kohnke Communications
(415) 777-4000
rannie@kohnkecomm.com

About Sega Corporation
Tokyo, Japan-based Sega Corporation is a nearly $2.5 billion company, responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Sega video game systems and video games in the global market. The company is recognized as the industry leader in interactive digital entertainment media, offering interactive entertainment experiences both inside and outside the home. Sega Corporation’s official web site is located at http://sega.jp.

About Capcom

As a worldwide leader in the gaming industry, Capcom is on the forefront of this new cutting-edge technology, and is proud to have produced a number of hit products such as Mega Man, Street Fighter, Onimusha, Devil May Cry and Resident Evil. Capcom will continue to provide customers with the best possible forms of innovative entertainment in this new and exciting media.

*
For additional information about the product, please contact Capcom's support center at (+81-6-6946-3099) or visit www.capcom.co.jp.


Press inquiries may be directed to:

Capcom Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Office (Tanaka or Tamoto)
(Email) ir@capcom.co.jp
(Address) 3-1-3, Uchihiranomachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 540-0037, Japan
(Tel)+81-6-6920-6923 (Fax) +81-6-6920-5108

Translation provided by Tetsuo Yu
[/url]

[SirDrexl]

It's not April Fools' Day just yet.

[njiska]

It's not April Fools' Day just yet.

No but it's here in spirit. Just look at those amazing spelling errors. Dame Company, ha.

[Oobgarm]

This is fucking ridiculous. That's all I have to say on the matter.

[Ed Oscuro]

Hmm, now I see that Konami was considering the possibility of buying Capcom back in the last quarter of '05.

"Segacom" didn't bring up any relevant hits for me (at least not on the first page), but we might see the term soon...

[AB Positive]

is there a source without signup? Otherwise this does look like an early prank.

-AB+

[Darren870]

Sammy just invested in the atomiswave, they wouldnt do this so soon.

[unwinddesign]

I don't think the WSJ really is something that pulls April Fools jokes.

The reason there are spelling mistakes/grammatical errors is due to it being translated.

[Rabid Peanut-Butter]

Don't toy with my feelings.

[Ed Oscuro]

Sammy just invested in the atomiswave, they wouldnt do this so soon.
I don't believe the Atomiswave is terribly relevant outside of arcades, and even so a decent hardware platform won't go very far if you don't have development on it. There's maybe two dozen games on it (a few of those planned) since 2003. One of those, cancelled, was Sammy vs. Capcom...

As for whether this would benefit Capcom, I think that the consolidation could make things simpler for them. For being a company that's far smaller than Konami, Capcom has put out an impressive number of A-rank titles, and many of their games I've liked better than their Konami counterparts.

With Sammy, I think it's a simple desire to survive in a world without arcades. They haven't had much at all to release on consoles, but that's where the money is headed so they need to have a showing.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Im gonna go crawl into a sock drawer and sleep for days..I'm depressed already :( Shame on teasin' Sega like that...

[SNKFan75]

I think Sammy is going to be dropping the AW soon. In the arcades it is not doing all that well. I heard that Sammy was shooting for nearly 100 games by this point and all I have seen are a mere 21.

SNKFan75

[Push Upstairs]

I'll believe it when i see it.

[n8littlefield]

If this does end up true, it would be a hard console to pass up. I mean, all the Capcom/Sega games exclusive to one system could certainly shake things up a bit.

[Poofta!]

not sure if this is true or not, im always up for any new competition or anything exciting happening in general.


that being said, ive been contemplating a similar scenario for quite some time (and why it hasnt occured yet). ive been thinking why wouldve a large software publishing company, merges with a couple others, and makes their own console.

i think an EA/Ubisoft merger with a new console for them will be a very interesting developemnt. although im positive all the big boys have thought about all of this already, and the reason we're not seeing anything happen is because they dont consider it viable, although with this new news, heres to hoping.

[Fighter17]

Can't be true, because why I didn't herd of the Capcom take over? :roll:

[Darren870]

I think Sammy is going to be dropping the AW soon. In the arcades it is not doing all that well. I heard that Sammy was shooting for nearly 100 games by this point and all I have seen are a mere 21.

SNKFan75

Doubt it, they do very well over in japan...

[MrRoboto19XX]

Hm, weather this is true or false, its got me thinking...

In this current generation companies are trying their best to make sure third parties only produce games for their system, or at least make certain games totally exclusive. Weve also seen the rise of very powerful third parties, namely EA.

Makes me wonder if sometime in the future, there will be so many buyouts and mergers that consoles will be incredibly specialized, by genre.

EA could very well make a console with nothing but their own games and be successful because theyve bought the rights to every national sports league.

Oh and if sega in fact makes a new console who knows what will happen, flames from the sky, dogs and cats getting along, pure madness.

In all seriousness it seems more power is in the hands of third parties than console makers themselves. Who knows.

[SNKFan75]

Very good point Mr.Roboto19XX. I have high hopes that SEGA does make a console comeback. I would hope they use the lindburgh hardware though this time.


SNKFan75

[GaijinPunch]

The reason there are spelling mistakes/grammatical errors is due to it being translated.

Translators know how to spell... even more so if they work for the Wall Street Journal.

Anyone else not remember that mergers don't happen overnight? What's the last big merger nobody knew about until after it was done?


Doubt it, they do very well over in japan...

Not really. Sega's hardware crushes everything, including AW. I think they've found if they don't put a trademark title on it, it's not going to do well.

[meancode]

Thats a shame. You really should have held it for a couple more days, as in four more.

[Cobra Commander]

Is Capcom really floundering? Seems like things were/are going well for them.

[Oobgarm]

If GI.biz doesn't have something on it right now about this merger, then I call shenanigans.

*checks*

Shenanigans, says I.

[Satac]

If Sega is planning to get back into the console business, why are they bringing their old games to the Nintendo Revolution?

[n8littlefield]

If this story was actually true (which it isn't), Sega would still let others use their games prior to the console, why?

Because Sega lets ANYONE use their games that wants to. There is an MP3 player in Europe that will have Gamegear games, Gametap has tons of their games, the Revolution will have them, heck I have a McDonald's Happy Meal Sonic game.

[EnzoSangiorgio]

I still think all of the old school companies, Nintendo, Sega, Capcom, hell maybe even SNK/Playmore (even though they haven't released much worthwhile stuff, they still own the good properties) should release a console.
I did hear about a Sega + Sammy home console rumor months ago but nothing like this. I don't buy "Segacom" but I can definitely see Sammy taking a chance at some point in the future

[diskoboy]

I'm beginning to have my doubts about this article being an April fools joke. But I still don't see it happening. Sammy isn't well know enough to have a console competing with Sony, MS, and Nintendo. And no one would dare use the name Sega on a console, now. It's the kiss of death.

I've been hearing the Sega/Sammy console rumors for a few months now. Are they still talking about a Holographic Versatile Discs as the propritery format?

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=78341

[njiska]

Can someone give me a good reason why we need another console from Sega?

I mean i get the whole Sega love thing, but come on a console is a console. Games were what made Sega great, not consoles.

Sure i love the dreamcast, but we've already got 3 consoles on the market do you really want things to get more divided?

[Kid Ice]

Can someone give me a good reason why we need another console from Sega?

I mean i get the whole Sega love thing, but come on a console is a console. Games were what made Sega great, not consoles.

Sure i love the dreamcast, but we've already got 3 consoles on the market do you really want things to get more divided?

I'm not too happy about the new console that's out, the Nintendo controller looks goofy, and it sounds like the PS3 is going to be megabucks. This is 2/3rd speculation, but I sure wouldn't mind seeing a fourth console.

I agree that Sega made great games for their own systems, but I haven't been too impressed by their output on other consoles. Yeah, there are a few good ones in there, but IMO their DC games were far better than anything they've made since.

As for making things more "divided", presently I think the problem is the games are too homogeneous. Many games are made for two, or even all 3 systems. I never even got an X-Box because those I can get those games on PC or on the PS2 or Gamecube. I'm not sure this will continue with the new systems, but who knows.

[unwinddesign]

The reason there are spelling mistakes/grammatical errors is due to it being translated.

Translators know how to spell... even more so if they work for the Wall Street Journal.

Anyone else not remember that mergers don't happen overnight? What's the last big merger nobody knew about until after it was done?


Not necessarily. If a publication is printed/posted quickly, it can have small errors in it (i.e. omitted words, incorrect grammar, mispellings). I see them all the time in the local papers (Philadlephia, so no small time rags here). Just part of the time frame.

Doesn't mean it's real by any stretch, just pointing something out.

[Zadoc]

Translators know how to spell... even more so if they work for the Wall Street Journal.


LOL. Anyone who works for the Wall Street Journal is a conservative. Bush is a conservative. Bush can't spell his own name, therefore no one who works at the Wall Street Journal knows how to spell.

[AMG]

I hate April Fools Day. :angry:

[Zadoc]

Oh, by the way....


APRIL FOOLS!

LOL

[GaijinPunch]

The reason there are spelling mistakes/grammatical errors is due to it being translated.

Translators know how to spell... even more so if they work for the Wall Street Journal.

Anyone else not remember that mergers don't happen overnight? What's the last big merger nobody knew about until after it was done?


Not necessarily. If a publication is printed/posted quickly, it can have small errors in it (i.e. omitted words, incorrect grammar, mispellings). I see them all the time in the local papers (Philadlephia, so no small time rags here). Just part of the time frame.


Right, but that's for any publication, no? It's source being a foreign langauge should have no bearing on it.


Oh, by the way....


APRIL FOOLS!

Yeah, nobody saw that one.

[dreamcaster]

Sure i love the dreamcast, but we've already got 3 consoles on the market do you really want things to get more divided?

GOD YES!

I have this romanticism for the mid-90's era, where there were just way too many consoles on the market.

Mega Drive/Genesis, 32X, Sega/Mega CD, SNES, Amiga CD32, Atari Jaguar/CD, 3DO, Saturn, PlayStation, CDi, N64, Virtual Boy, TurboGrafx/PC Engine (and it's add-ons/derivatives) - not to mention the handheld Game Boy, Game Gear, TurboExpress/PC GT, Atari Lynx etc.

It was an exciting time and there were just so many choices to spend your gaming dollar.

True, it probably wasn't good for the industry (although there's been nothing but growth since 1983).