http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/01/sega-cuts-hundreds-of-jobs-in-pcmobile-focused-restructuring/ Don't know how I feel about this. Sega is one of my favorite companies but with there new focus on "digital games, centered around smartphone and PC online gaming" I probably won't have a lot to look forward to any more. If they still do cool games like Sonic All Star Racing Transformed on steam then I'll be good, but if everything is headed in the direction of Sonic Dash then count me out.
Lets hope they still make console games for current and next gen consoles. I have hopes that they will.
They just fired 150 people to stop US console AAA game development and to focus on the mobile and internet markets. This is most likely going to affect Sonic releases and American centered properties. Other japanese centric games like Yakuza are all developed in Japan and most likely won't be affected. I think this translates to no US console releases unless you want an android or iphone game. Console releases for Japan will probably continue.
I'll never undestard why Sega doesn't understand their main problems. They have a lot of great franchises, but they don't seem to care. Even without AAA costs, most of these franchises could return. Who wouldn't want a remake / new game of Alex Kidd, using a 2.5D style HD graphics? Same would be true for Shinobi and many others. They could do other things as well, like re-release Daytona USA on PS4, Xbox One and Steam Just look at how succesful was the Valkyria Chronicles release on Steam. Just focus on making good games instead of publishing crap like Aliens Colonial Marines and Sonic Boom
Sega did make some of the better games of 2014, Alien: Isolation seemed generally beloved (I haven't played it though), and I saw Bayonetta 2 (not published by Sega, but I think it's a Sega brand?) topping a few game of the year lists. Unfortunately Sega seems intent on remaking Sonic over and over (the Wii U is 2 years old and has 2 Sonic games already, why?) instead of fostering a lot of their old franchises. The worst part is that they had a perfect springboard to do it, with the Sonic All Stars Racing games. I just about bet thousands of people saw franchises like Burning Rangers, Billy Hatcher, Skies of Arcadia, and Golden Axe for the first time in those games. So here, I'll make a list of Sega franchises that should get a new game Shenmue Burning Rangers Crazy Taxi Golden Axe Vectorman Alex Kidd Panzer Dragoon Shining Force Space Harrier Streets of Rage After Burner Clockwork Knight Ecco the Dolphin Any of those deserve a new game.
Sega just needs to get Yu Suzuki on board at AM2 for a conclusion to Shenmue along with a proper sequel to Virtua Fighter 3 that isn't just a further dilution of the series, as has happened under the more recent guidance of Hiroshi Kataoka, Makoto Osaki and Daichi Katagiri - the last truly great revolution was back in 1996, since then every new supposedly evolutionary jump being more of what made VF2 so successful. As for Sonic Team, I don't even think bringing Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima back could fix what Takashi Iizuka has done with the franchise now. The best thing to do with Sonic would just be for Sega to concentrate more on resurrecting other classic IP, giving their mascot a rest for a while until the creativity truly returns... even the "back to basics" approach couldn't work forever, though with Sonic 4 it was more a case of the physics system not working at all!
So more VC remakes like the last several years? Because that was working out so well for them? Brilliant!
We're talking about true revivals, not just porting some Genesis games to PSN/XBL/Nintendo eshop. Sega has pretty much thrown away their unique identity by letting those IPs die. More or less, it's killing them. Although throwing out games asap even if they aren't done is the bigger culprit. Whoever is in charge of Sega won't freaking learn.
I reread the article a few times and can't find any reference to this. Just their mobile ports which are more or less identical to the originals.
I'd love a new Outrun and Daytona USA or better yet Scud Race. Instead some cock is completely ripping them off..
Honestly Sega just hasn't touched any of their arcade classic IPs. Though they're not as bad as some other companies (*cough, cough* UBISOFT) at releasing half-baked games to meet some deadline.
I would absolutely love a port of Daytona USA 2 to next gen with online support, it's the only arcade driving game I was good at.
All they had to do is a Sonic 1, 2 or 3K style of Sonic game with heaps more levels and secrets or even a game that connects Sonic 1, CD, 2, 3 and Knuckles with the the ability to choose graphic styles of each game (e.g sonic 3 graphics in sonic 1 or vica versa) and monitors and ability of original, remixed or even remastered soundtracks. I realize that IOS and Android ports of the first 3 games is out with some of those awesome features. I'm still awaiting my Sonic 3 and Knuckles port lol!
Oh c'mon guys, Sega has already remaked a lot of their old IP's........... Outrun, After Burner, Phantasy Star (2), Altered Beast....... ... But yeah, for some reason Alex Kidd still isn't remaked as far as I know... As well as Galaxy Force, Thunder Blade and Streets of Rage..... T.T Anyway you should try Kingdom Conquest 2, it's Sega's primary mobile game and it's half decent. It's 1/4 Action RPG, 1/4 City Building, 1/4 Card Game and 1/4 Army (Heroes of Might and Magic) game. So yeah it really can't decide what game they want to create. And is one of the most complicated mobile games I've seen yet. I'm sure it's making Sega a lot of mucho dinero (Especially Japan) so it's not suprising they're focusing on it.
Are you talking about 90s Arcade Racer? I think that game is intended to be more of an homage than a rip off. And really, they're just doing what Sega themselves should be doing. If Sega did it themselves, then the need for such a project wouldn't exist. What I've seen of it so far looks pretty cool. It's just taking a really long time for it to be released. I also think that game takes some inspiration from Midway arcade racers too, not just Sega games - though that's just a guess.
By SEGA logic, "focusing on PC and mobile" could explain why they don't have any time to release Phantasy Star Online 2 for PC/Vita/Android/iOS outside of Asia. It just makes sense to release an English language version of a game, but only in Asia even though you have legions of fans across the world waiting to play it. It's been at least 3 years now that they could have been enjoying some success from a western release and they choose to ignore it.
I don't understand why most companies don't release English Localization of the Japanese games to Asia Hong Kong instead? So that way most publishers won't have to waste their time trying to bring a game outside to America.
