Sega to downsize, axe certain games

[ChaosXVI]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/122/1222011p1.html

Rather strange that this would come out today...

[Carbo]

Why is this bad? It might mean they can have a bigger budget for Sonic games because they won't be losing as much money on their bad-selling IP's.

Actually, it can easily end up being the complete inverse.

It also means the "milking to death" argument will have been vindicated a thousand times over.

[Marcello]

Why is this bad? It might mean they can have a bigger budget for Sonic games because they won't be losing as much money on their bad-selling IP's.

I'd rather see other things than Sonic more often, to be honest.

[Balding Spider]

Why is this bad? It might mean they can have a bigger budget for Sonic games because they won't be losing as much money on their bad-selling IP's.

Nothing against Sonic but I've got more enjoyment out of the new IP's that Sega helped push out then I have with most Sonic games. When It comes to Sega I encourage them to bring about new IP's instead of just relying on Sonic yet again.

[ChaosXVI]

While this probably won't mean anything for the budgets of future Sonic games, hopefully they will get a bigger team so they can make slightly bigger games. I am sad that this means future SEGA franchise games are probably not coming (besides ports of older games), but honestly I haven't had much hope for awhile now.

[HunterTSF]

It's a shame to hear that SEGA's international branches are hurting so bad, but I can't say that I'm at all surprised. I'll definitely have to agree that poor marketing and showcasing is definitely a factor here; go to SEGA's website and look at all of their recently published titles that aren't either A) A Sonic the Hedgehog game, A classic re-release, or C) A Marvel movie title. Do you recognize any of them? Binary Domain and Shogun have gotten a tad of a limelight on Steam, but aside from that what else do you have? The official video game of the London 2012 Olympic Games? Crush 3D? House of the Dead 4 and Yakuza: Dead Souls, despite both being part of great franchises with built-in fanbases, hardly get any publicity whatsoever.

And to be frank? I don't see what they'd even cut here. It sure isn't their marketing committee or localization teams. SEGA localizes such a miniscule amount of their gaming catalogue as it is... most of their latest Western venues have been either just re-releases or movie tie-ins. They don't localize their Vocaloid titles (which positively perplexes me, seeing as weeaboos gush over Miku Hatsune enough to warrant having her face plastered all over Facebook ads and NASCAR racers), or their Shining series (RPG fans would just eat them up. Shining Blade is currently at the top of the charts in Japan right now, and loads of gamers have shown an interest in getting these games localized.) Same goes for 7^th Dragon and Valkyria Chronicles. If SEGA US and UK actually acknowledged that they were subsidiaries of a Japanese video game developer and acknowledged the demand for these titles, something tells me they would be faring somewhat better over here. (Hey, I'd buy them over their overtly "super-extreme-trying-too-hard-to-appeal-to-Westerner" games that they've been trying to shovel out.)

Translating these pre-produced titles would be cheaper (and probably more profitable) than commercial flops like Vanquish or The Conduit, at the very least.

Edited March 31, 2012 by HunterTSF

[Indigo Rush]

SEGA had so many awesome and new IPs back in the Genesis-Saturn-Dreamcast era. I am really at a loss to understand why they aren't going to try to market them more than an occasional and simple racing/sports cross-over. I know they tried with NiGHTS on the Wii and are porting many Genesis and Dreamcast games, but it's not quite the same as hearing news about, say, Ristar 2, another Burning Rangers, Shenmue 3, or heck, the return of Alex Kidd.

So as I understand this news, this means that aside from ports, cross-overs and maybe a rare sequel, we're not going to see these IPs in a new original game for a long time, if not ever again. I love me some Sonic, don't get me wrong, but I'd open my arms to another Crazy Taxi or Jet Set Radio any day of the week.

[Detective Shadzter]

I never did understand why SEGA hasn't put any marketing behind any of their games that don't have Sonic in the title. If they do, it's just a banner ad on a gaming news site or an ad in a gaming magazine, none of which most people are ever going to see.

[Blue Blood]

I never did understand why SEGA hasn't put any marketing behind any of their games that don't have Sonic in the title. If they do, it's just a banner ad on a gaming news site or an ad in a gaming magazine, none of which most people are ever going to see.

Especially games with massive potential, like BD and Vanquish. People just don't know they exist.

[Ferno]

Gotta admit that I'm sad that this means no chance at all for a Billy Hatcher sequel ever.

you know you all wanted it

[Tornado]

And to be frank? I don't see what they'd even cut here. It sure isn't their marketing committee or localization teams. SEGA localizes such a miniscule amount of their gaming catalogue as it is... most of their recent venues have been either just re-releases or movie tie-ins. They don't localize their Vocaloid titles (which positively perplexes me, seeing as weeaboos gush over Miku Hatsune enough to warrant having her face plastered all over Facebook ads and NASCAR racers), or their Shining series (RPG fans would just eat them up. Shining Blade is currently at the top of the charts in Japan right now, and loads of Westerners have shown an interest in getting these games localized.) Same goes for 7^th Dragon and Valkyria Chronicles. If SEGA US and UK actually acknowledged that they were subsidiaries of a Japanese video game developer and acknowledged the demand for these titles, something tells me they would be faring somewhat better over here. (Hey, I'd buy them over their overtly "super-extreme-trying-too-hard-to-appeal-to-Westerner" games that they've been trying to shovel out.)

Translating these pre-produced titles would be cheaper (and probably more profitable) than commercial flops like Vanquish or The Conduit, at the very least.

How much of that is SoJ being SoJ and how much of this is those subsidiaries' fault, though? Because I won't lie: It has been rather distressing in the past, say, 5 years or so to see Sega as a whole starting to look more and more like Sega as a whole circa-1997.

And if that is actually the thing at fault, they can cut costs as much as they want and it won't really change anything.

[Scott]

you know you all wanted it

I didn't, I thought the game was terrible.

[Indigo Rush]

I didn't, I thought the game was terrible.

Morning Land's the best place to pick up chicks, what're you talking about bronik?

(see what I did there?)

But no, really, Billy Hatcher was awesome.

Edited March 30, 2012 by Indigo Rush

[Chaos Warp]

Also to consider, all these IP's may not be permanently gone, just taking a long break until the financial situation becomes better.

[Tails spin]

Also to consider, all these IP's may not be permanently gone, just taking a long break until the financial situation becomes better.

Considering how the economy is here in the United States that might take a very long break

[ChaosXVI]

http://games.ign.com/articles/122/1222024p1.html

Massive layoffs have hit North America...

[Tails spin]

The QA department? Anyone know if this is the department where Aaron Webber and Ken work in.

[Tornado]

QA is game testing, so no. Unless SoA is set up really weird.

Edited March 30, 2012 by Tornado

[Tails spin]

QA is game testing, so no. Unless SoA is set up really weird.

Ah yeah QA = Quality Assurance.

So out of all the departments to axe SoA has to axe the department that gauge the quality of games.

[HunterTSF]

*glances over at Sonic 4*

You say that as if they were doing their job to begin with. :v

[Tails spin]

*glances over at Sonic 4*

You say that as if they were doing their job to begin with. :v

Well it probably met their quality standard, *trollface*

[Agent York]

I only read a little bit, I knew about this last night from NeoGAF.

Stuff like this happens in business, but I want people to also know this will not be good for a while. If Anarchy Reigns doesn't sell well, it is doubtful that thety will make many more games with Platinum. The games don't sell. Things like future Yuzuka games may not be translated to America. If there is another Hyperdimension Neptunia they likely won't translate it over and publish it outside Japan. The future of Valkyria Chronicles looks very grim. SEGA said they were working on bringing back an old franchise. That may not happen now.

Probably no new Billy Hatcher, NiGHTS, Shenmue, new IPs, or a lot for a while. I understand the need for optimism but I also think it's good to realize what's going on. A loss of 7.1 billion yen is a terrible, TERRIBLE loss. It's something like 86 million dollars.

[Tornado]

Probably no new Billy Hatcher, NiGHTS, Shenmue, new IPs, or a lot for a while.

And, let's be real here for a second: Outside of new IPs, what were the chances of any of those things happening in the first place?

[Tails spin]

And, let's be real here for a second: Outside of new IPs, what were the chances of any of those things happening in the first place?

and lets also be real: Other than Sonic what other IP would the general public know that Sega creates.

Edited March 30, 2012 by Team Chaotix

[Agent York]

They were examples, but my point being some things likely won't be happening for a while.

http://finance.yahoo...+Key+Statistics

Exact statistics. They have $2 billion, $720 million in debt, lost $96 million this year.

And this likely means Seaman for the 3DS will be cancelled. ;_;

Edited March 30, 2012 by Agent York