Oh Sega, My Sega, What Has Happened?

You know, when Sega dropped the hardware idea and became a third-party developer for other consoles, I thought it was a darn good idea.

I really wasn't the biggest fan of the Dreamcast, anyway, and I had no real hope that Sega's glory days in the hardware business would return. Besides, we could enjoy their games on multiple consoles now; what could possibly be the downside to that? That's win-freakin'-win.

After all, this is a company that had quite the impact on my life, as it did for just about any gamer who grew up in the 80s and 90s. Not enough people gave credit to the Sega CD and Sega Saturn in my estimation, and the Genesis is just a historical icon. I still remember the recesses in school where fights would almost break out over which system was better: SNES vs. Genesis. For my part, I thought it was the SNES, but only by a very slim margin (and mostly because of Final Fantasy, Mario, and Zelda). No, I could never really get into Phantasy Star.

Still, their classics were memorable. Now, though, I really can't remember the last time Sega made something that could be considered top-notch in this highly competitive market. I mean, Sonic Generations was a great homage to the past and reminded me of the company Sega once was, but that only made the current situation all the more depressing. And now, Sega's financial outlook isn't good, and there's really nothing on the horizon that anybody seems to care much about. That's sad on a number of different levels, isn't it?

We can all take solace in the fact that Nintendo continues to thrive, but it would've been nice to keep the Big Two around forever. I'm not saying Sega will go out of business; I'm just saying I wish Sega could've stayed at Nintendo's level in terms of software. But Sega...my Sega...something bad has happened to you. And it hurts to talk about.

3/30/2012 Ben Dutka

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Comments (61 posts)

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frostface
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 9:42:32 PM
Reply

"I really can't remember the last time Sega made something that could be considered top-notch in this highly competitive market."

So you don't think the Yakuza series is top-notch? Or you just forget? Also Valkyria Chronicles although they certainly dropped the ball not releasing the sequel on PS3 rather than just PSP.

Last edited by frostface on 3/30/2012 9:46:35 PM

9 up, 0 down

frostface
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 9:59:37 PM

Also forgot to mention the Master System. Loved that machine.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:11:02 PM

Yakuza and Valkyria are sweet, but I wouldn't call them -as Ben tends to put it- "elite" games. They certainly didn't compete with their bigger brothers.

0 up, 3 down

frostface
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:19:10 PM

I guess what I'm really saying is that they can still pull the rabbit out of the hat from time to time. I wouldn't call them consistent but every so often they produce more than just Sonic.

2 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 11:23:52 PM

Come on. You're just being arbitrary.

You're not going to compare Yakuza and Valkyria Chronicles to what Sega was with the Genesis. You're just not. That's...I mean, I don't even have a comment for that. The only people who would say that are people who weren't around for when Sega and Nintendo ruled the world.

3 up, 8 down

frostface
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 5:01:37 AM

I grew in the era of Sega versus Nintendo. Had the Master System 2, NES, SNES, Genesis ( I may be mistaken but it was called The Megadrive here), I'm sure a Dreamcast is still floating about somewhere here.

But your comment doesn't try to compare new Sega games to old ones, you merely said you couldn't remember the last time Sega released a top notch title, so I gave you two.

But yeah I do miss the old days of gaming when everything was so new and exciting, Sega were a huge part of that no question.

2 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 9:49:27 AM

Considering that I never gave any Yakuza or even Valkyria Chronicles a 9+, then I'd say no, you didn't name two.

0 up, 7 down

frostface
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 10:52:39 AM

You're really reaching there mate. Just another thing we'll have to agree to disagree on.

3 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 12:21:27 PM

Agree to disagree that Sega isn't the dominant, AAA-producing company they once were?

All right.

2 up, 5 down

frostface
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 12:27:25 PM

Sure Ben, if it makes you sleep better at night, why not! :)

3 up, 1 down

Lotusflow3r
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 2:20:27 PM

Absolutely, frostface.

Seeing that Yakuza is arguably the biggest Playstation game over in Japan and seeing as the game is so detailed, so well made, so addictive, so engrossing....and not only that, but is based on another ground breaking Sega game, Shenmue, i think your comment has far more sufficient ground than, i don't know, arrogantly saying it doesn't compare because one didn't score it a 9+ lol.

Yakuza may not be perfect, but it's one of the best franchises out there with more creativity than most other games and EASILY gets put on that same pedestal that the old Sega games do.

Infact, i'd probably prefer Yakuza and Shenmue over the old.

Once again someone looks ridiculously, arrogantly deluded here.

9 up, 0 down

Spanky
Sunday, April 01, 2012 @ 6:49:30 PM

I still have a Master system stored away with several games. :)

0 up, 0 down

mehrab2603
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 9:46:26 PM
Reply

Valkyria Chronicles is a damn good game and is in my top 5 this gen. Would be a shame to see them closing down :(

2 up, 0 down

Fox hounder
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 9:50:00 PM
Reply

They need bayonetta 2, scratch that. I need bayonetta 2 :)

3 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:12:13 PM

Platinum games will see to it, and after Sega made a bad port for PS3 it would be surprising to see Sega on the label.

0 up, 0 down

JackDillinger89
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 7:43:24 AM

Hell ya, Bayonetta was a badass game. Bayonetta 2 count me in :)

0 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 9:58:27 PM
Reply

It's a shame that Sega seems to have fallen out of grace.

I still love my Dreamcast even today. Mater of fact, I was playing on it just last week(and Seaman says "HI")!

As for my genesis, I'll always favor it over my SNES for the rest of my life, I still go back now & then to play Sonic & Knuckles with that big fat flip-top cartridge.
And even though they wasn't made by Sega, I spent tons of hours playing EA's Desert Strike, Urban Strike & Soviet Strike on my Genesis console.

Last edited by BikerSaint on 3/30/2012 9:59:24 PM

3 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:12:47 PM

I always wanted to screw around with that fishman but I didn't want to pay a ton for that microphone.

1 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:41:25 PM

Leornard Nemoy, World. Leonard Nemoy. A microphone should not be an obstacle

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:47:13 PM

It is these days, they are more rare than Sasquatch.

1 up, 1 down

BikerSaint
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 11:07:56 PM

Hey World,

I just so happen to have 2 of those Dreamcast mic set-ups(which came with Seaman, & the AlienFront Online games).

And since I'm always looking for more PS3 games to play and/or collect, I'd be willing to swap one of them for a PS3 game(complete & good shape) you no longer play, if you'd like.

If so, just make a list of any games you're willing to part with & PM me from my sig in the forum.

Then if there's any you've listed that I might want, I'll give you my email addy & we can go from there, LOL

BTW, In case you're wondering about getting scammed, Limited Vertigo can vouch for my honesty as we've already shipped a couple games back & forth.

Just let me know.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 11:28:35 PM

Sorry Biker, I wouldn't worry about any scam coming from you because I know you're legit as a gamer comes but I just sold off all the games I could part with so I can afford more. (Like 15 of em went out via ebay) but thanks for the offer. I think I'll let Seaman be for now.

0 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 11:47:50 PM

World,

OK, no problem.

If maybe later on you have any games you decide you might swap for, just let me know. And since I've got 19 VMU's too, I'll throw a clear blue in free too with any DC deal.

BTW, I also have 2 extra DC keyboards I'm willing to part with too(no original boxes though)

Last edited by BikerSaint on 3/30/2012 11:49:33 PM

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 3:36:16 AM

I'll keep it in mind, it's a shame the VMUs go through their batteries so quick.

1 up, 0 down

Geobaldi
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:01:16 PM
Reply

The Football Manager and Total War series have been hugely successful for them, Valkyria Chronicles was great, Yakuza 5 is upcoming as well as Aliens, and Binary Domain has been received pretty well too. Sega is doing pretty well nowadays. Sad to see them cutting jobs, same as THQ seeing how well their games have sold too.

Last edited by Geobaldi on 3/30/2012 10:02:42 PM

3 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:12:07 PM

No they're not doing well nowadays. Have you missed the news about extraordinary losses?

0 up, 0 down

Geobaldi
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:32:42 PM

Who hasn't had losses with the economy as it is? Gaming as a whole has been seeing losses.

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:39:35 PM

Yes, but "extraordinary" losses?

=p

0 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 11:25:20 PM

They're really not doing well at all. Not sure why you think all game companies are slashing their profit forecasts by 50% and proclaiming company-wide restructuring.

0 up, 1 down

Temjin001
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:07:01 PM
Reply

I lost a lot of respect for SEGA long ago.

Back when they transitioned to multi-plat I think they needed first to give their existing base a home to transition to without fear of having core Sega franchises segmented between rivaling platforms. I think splintering off ventures like JSRF, Gunvalkyrie, Crazy Taxi 3, and Panzer Dragoon to Xbox exclusively was a mistake.
Cutting down on quantity and focusing more on quality I felt was real important for fans to feel the company was still a quality pub/dev despite not having their own hardware. I think many people and critics wanted to like Sega's games at the time, but too many of them were dissapointments, including their flagship Sonic games. I remember games like Virtual On Mars for PS2 being complete failures. I also think Phantasy Star just wasn't handled right. I was one of the few DC guys to get a keyboard and spend a great deal of time with PSO on DC. It was cool, and quite revolutionary for me at the time, but after DC's death I never went back to PS. I just got this sense of not managing their properties real well in general. Poor execution, poor follow-ups to existing franchises...Golden Axe? The gamer hype was there, they just couldn't deliver the quality.

Anyway, I think after having re-established themselves as a strong developer in one spot, it would've been safe to slowly branch out and try to secure markets in other areas.

2 up, 0 down

jaybiv
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:12:37 PM
Reply

I was a huge Sega fan back in the day. I still have my genesis, Sega CD and Saturn. I bought an SNES and sold it at a loss two days later. I even held off on the PS1 to get. Dreamcast until EA stated it would only appear on Sony's console. Sega has been irrelevant to me for several years. It would suck to see them go, however, maybe some employees will leave to start other gaming companies and bring some new ideas to market.

0 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:18:34 PM
Reply

Who the heck like's Sega Football Manager?

World, I remember when Nick was trying to get me or anyone to review that, and I was like... oh no, could there be a game more boring to review than Sega Football Manager? I mean for goodness sakes it might as well have been Stock Market Watch with Peter Jennings.

1 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:22:59 PM

haha, yeah I'm not even qualified to review that sort of thing.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:18:56 PM
Reply

SNES always looked better, had the extra buttons to handle games that needed it, and pleased the fans of NES over and over again. However, Sega was more cutting edge in making games that were more "cool" and less cutesy. They really brought out the market for stuff like Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, and Altered Beast.

Now, they've lost some of that ability to be a step ahead of the current trends. I think they have to stop being conservative and make some bold moves after restructuring.

1 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:48:49 PM

True that. But SNES games also sounded way WAY better.
I remember Actraiser had mind blowing music.

And Genesis's Street Fighter 2 voice audio just needed to stay off.

oarjkoaHAkojroaDOknfsnfnKEN!

Is pretty much how Ryu sounded while throwing a fireball

Last edited by Temjin001 on 3/30/2012 10:49:24 PM

0 up, 0 down

cLoudou
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 11:05:58 PM

Sega had blood for MK on default while the SNES version required a code to unlock blood.

3 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 11:31:00 PM

MK1 needed a code on Genesis and there was no blood on SNES (though some used a gameshark to turn the sweat red) but when Nintendo found out that the market was starved for blood they changed their rules for Mortal Kombat 2 and then the gory floodgates opened.

0 up, 0 down

dmiitrie
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 10:28:24 PM
Reply

I was never a huge Sega fan. I had a Genesis back in the say, but only ever played Sonic and Sonic 2. That said, I'm sad to hear they're doing so poorly right now. At least Total War won't be affected by the cuts.

Last edited by dmiitrie on 3/30/2012 10:29:03 PM

0 up, 0 down

cLoudou
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 11:02:45 PM
Reply

Maybe if they made VC2 for the ps3 or a shenmue 3 or anything else instead of crappy Sonic titles, maybe things would have been different.

1 up, 0 down

CanadianGuy420
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 11:15:53 PM
Reply

i still have my old genesis me my brother and cousins used to play so much. i still hook it up now and then for kicks. not alot of games for it though sonic 1 and 2 mortal kombat and starfox

0 up, 0 down

CanadianGuy420
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 12:15:53 AM

D'oh! i wasn't thinking straight i said starfox i have that for SNES wasn't on genesis. xD

Last edited by CanadianGuy420 on 3/31/2012 12:16:59 AM

0 up, 0 down

Zen_Zarab
Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 11:50:47 PM
Reply

Three Words, Jet Set Radio. V.V

1 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 12:06:47 AM
Reply

BTW, some weeks ago I snagged Sonic Generations for PC for dirt cheap. I gotta stick up for the game, it's pretty awesome. I'm actually one who prefers the 3D levels. It just feels more fitting to be able to see towards a horizon while running real fast. That and Sonic literally has more abilities during those levels. But I do like the levels that blend the 2D and 3D play most, like several I've played so far in Generations. Anyway, good stuff.

0 up, 0 down

xnonsuchx
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 2:05:09 AM
Reply

If they had just stuck w/ the Dreamcast, they would still be on top. ;-)

2 up, 0 down

Rogueagent01
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 2:56:00 AM
Reply

The Dreamcast is still the console I have the most feelings toward. It was the most mind blowing piece of tech I had ever played at the time. Mind you I never played PC games, and still don't. All but one of my friends had the NES and me and him would laugh at them, they couldn't figure out why. All of them wanted to hang out at our houses and it wasn't becuse of us it was that Genesis they wanted to hang out with, lol. I still laugh at the people that claim console wars didn't exist back then, well my friend either use all liked the same console or you had no friends, because the wars back then were brutal albeit not public.

And I'm with you Frostface Valkyria Chronicles is "top-notch". I would personally claim the Yakuza series as top-notch series, but those I have loved for 2 generations now so that one I can admit to being biased on.

1 up, 0 down

___________
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 4:14:31 AM
Reply

exactly whats happening to all the japanese studios out there!
ninty are the only japanese studio who are releasing just as good games now, then what they were generations ago.
its sad, the best game sega has released this gen would be vanquish.
and that was not exactly what you would call a AAA game.......
same with $E, the best game they have released this gen would be neir and that was not exactly what you would call AAA.
i would say deus ex but i just cant, its not a game you would expect from the studio.
same goes for crapcom, best game they have released this gen would be lost planet 2.
and thats not exactly what you would call a AAA game......

0 up, 0 down

raptassassin
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 6:34:41 AM
Reply

RIP sega another bites to dust. *sigh* I hope they dont cancellel Aliens: Colonial Marines & Anarchy Reigns. I was really looking forward to these 2 titles.

0 up, 0 down

PC_Max
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 8:11:34 AM
Reply

It's a bad sign when a company that has a strong history in the gaming business to start letting people go. Its about survivial. I cannot remember when I actually played my last Sega game, one that was memorable, but they down but not out... yet.

Sega can still rally itself for next round, if its downsizing is taken seriously and still serious in mind, restructures themselves with a good development/design team. Evolution or extinction. I am hoping for evolution.. maybe a bit of revolution but that might be asking too much in the game industry.

Viva la Sega. Keep Playing!

0 up, 0 down

Looking Glass
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 8:21:25 AM
Reply

Zipper closes and Sega is having problems. Could it be that the video game industry is starting to shrink due to it being too crowded and having too much competition?

1 up, 0 down

PC_Max
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 8:46:30 AM
Reply

I stand corrected. Last Sega I played was Valkyria Chronicles and as much as the gameplay felt odd to me, it was fun and visually artistic in style. :)

1 up, 0 down

oONewcloudOo
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 9:41:21 AM
Reply

Aren't they doing the new alien's? that game looks pretty good.

0 up, 0 down

Laguna
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 10:03:05 AM
Reply

perhaps Sega should give the fans what they want?

0 up, 0 down

firesoul453
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 12:08:28 PM
Reply

I loved the dreamcast. It seemed to have so much potential.

And if you ask me Sega's quality has been downhill ever since they went multi platform

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 3:04:30 PM

The only thing that held it back was a lack of third party support and the GD-Rom

0 up, 0 down

Laguna
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 9:54:27 PM
Reply

Anyone think Valkyria Chronicles II would have sold better if it was on the ps3?

I thought it was ironic that the move to psp actually backfired, despite the psp having strong support in japan

2 up, 0 down

Underdog15
Monday, April 02, 2012 @ 2:18:32 PM

I would have got the second and third on PS3. Don't play enough PSP to be interested in every title.

0 up, 0 down

Mr_Sterg
Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 10:09:42 PM
Reply

Just get Shenmue 3 out and your pots will be filled with gold.

0 up, 0 down

unnavigated
Sunday, April 01, 2012 @ 2:02:51 AM
Reply

I had a Master System. I spent hours with Out Run, Space Harrier, Safari Hunt (remember the gun?), Formula One, and of course After Burner ("a four-mega game!"). Good times...

0 up, 0 down

dork02840
Sunday, April 01, 2012 @ 7:09:36 AM
Reply

@ ben i feel your pain. i look at the sega logo and wonder what happened to them. they went from producing AAA titles like Shenmue and Sonic and virtua fighter virtua racing fighting vipers streets of rage phantasy star...to being what i would term a japanese niche company. where i once looked to sega for quality, i now look to them for a uniqueness...rather then looking for modern warfare or battlefield 3 i went looking for binary domain the other night. i was disappointed by its price and cheesy voice acting. sega still provides a breath of fresh air when they do action games right in the same vein that MGS4 scratches that itch for other gamers...but i do not equate there games with best sellers or elite. sadly, now i associate them with bargain bins and marked down niche games.

0 up, 0 down

Laguna
Sunday, April 01, 2012 @ 9:53:57 AM
Reply

is it really that hard to make an amazing sonic game after all this time?

I hear every now and then that they made a good sonic game, but it seems drowned out by other games.

0 up, 0 down

Qubex
Monday, April 02, 2012 @ 4:07:38 AM
Reply

Down she goes baby...

Q!

"play.experience.enjoy"

0 up, 0 down

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