I think "reinforced" means more Sonic. More better Sonic. Runners sounds like it'll be decent, and hopefully this rumored PS4/XB1 game isn't another freaking gameplay change. I agree with what a lot of you are saying, though: I think Sega isn't worth having around anymore. Poor Sonic Team hasn't made anything not Sonic or Puyo Puyo since 2009, and they haven't made anything original since 2005. This is the same studio that made Ristar, NiGHTS, Burning Rangers, Samba de Amigo, Billy Hatcher, and we can't forget Phantasy Star Online. Imagine what they could be doing instead of Sonic every. Single. Year. But they can't because Sega depends on Sonic. I just don't see how Sega is supposed to make quality products when even their crutch just tripped a bit with Boom.
I know it's not recent and something not original but aren't they the ones who made PSO 2 and in charge of it?
That is a separate group from the other two teams if I'm not mistaken, that is unless SEGA decides to do another shuffle.
Yeah thinking about it now I think you're right actually. Sonic is still a lifeline to the company and a guaranteed multi-million seller at retail (when Sega isn't doing stupid exclusivity agreements on bombed consoles and outsourcing Sonic to Z-list developers) so I think the wording here is that Sonic should be secure on consoles for the time being. Every other franchise in terms of Western boxed retail releases is probably dead outside of maybe the Aliens franchise since Alien: Isolation did well and Sega's obvious PC efforts that are doing extremely well for them and they've now announced they're doubling down on. The thing is the PS4 and Xbox One game isn't just a rumour. Our very own Endri confirmed the existence of working prototypes that he'd even seen. There's a chance the game's been canceled but the franchise being "reinforced" makes that highly, highly doubtful. My guess is that Sonic is still secure at retail though quite heartbreakingly for Sega's other franchises the only series that's secure on consoles now. Well we're Sonic Retro and it looks like at this stage we're still getting more Sonic so I guess that's the silver lining to this tragic news.
It would be nice if all of this talk of greater emphasis on digital releases lead to a certain assured huge-selling title with "3" and "Knuckles" in the name (developed by a little team known as Stealth Tax) getting green-lit.
With an additional Hidden Palace-style zone, greater creative freedom allowed and a repeat of the excellent work they did last time. The news of Sonic's reinforcement and Sega's renewed digital focus does increase the chances of this happening and makes the potential for it more probable. All I'd hope for is that this time it gets ported to the digital services of the main consoles as I'd love to play this and Stealth/Taxman's previous releases on the big screen. Here's hoping.
SEGA America had a great team in some aspects but the management there just kept shitting the bed. How can you let something like Alien Colonial Marines happen on your watch? I think Sonic Boom franchise was the last straw, the games blundered hard and their marketing budget seemed huge. I think letting go of the staff is because of continue under performance in sales and management within the USA. It seems that SEGA finds it more appealing to work with console developers on releasing games. I think the only think I would consider a big success is SEGA America's mobile division and it seems that is going to continue. I wouldn't mind if SEGA America handled the mobile games for SEGA, while SEGA Europe and SEGA Japan made first party retail games. Honestly, name me 5 SEGA of America produced titles that where great? It does suck but that's facts. When I see the word 'reinforced' I see it as making the Sonic the Hedgehog brand stronger and with Sonic Boom basically being the new Sonic 06, that could mean retracting on that universe. But who knows, its a pretty vague word to use. That's just how I see it. It sucks that the SEGA America community team was let go. They where some of the nicest people and really where passionate about SEGA games.
I mean honestly if they're desperate for cash there's their golden goose right there. All the assets are already there, it's a port of a game they know people love yet choose to ignore, and it would complete the classic series and allow for bundled rereleases with extra content hamfisted in there. I would buy a Wii U physical copy of a Sonic Classic Collection if it included Taxman's Sonic 1, 2, 3K, and CD. I'd buy it in a second. And if it's about music then just make songs to place over the old ones. Or give people the option to play their own music over those levels. Just do something right for fucks sake. Play it safe for once. Stop reinventing the wheel and fix the one you fucking have because Sonic Boom was like deciding it'd be a good idea to shape a wheel like a trapezoid. You want money Sega? New Classic game, Sonic 3K Remastered, Generations 2. There, done. And if you're afraid of using too much nostalgia, well, 1, you already do, and 2, you cannot rely on nostalgia nearly as much as the Kirby series. I don't think that's possible. I wonder how the stock holders feel when every press release basically says "Lay offs"
This is pretty much my only concern; digital games and DRM, all that crap, I don't wanna go down that road. The moment a big company goes entirely digital is the moment I stop buying new games, period. Capcom came pretty close, I believe; I'm surprised they could afford devkits for producing next-gen content.
Again, they literally just announced a physical game less than 2 days ago for release. Maybe everyone should stop freaking out and coming to conclusions that aren't in the press release?
It's all MCV UK's fault. They reported the news with the headline "Sega cutting 300 jobs as it prepares for digital, non-console future" when that wasn't directly or explicitly stated in Sega's statement at all. The official line is that Sega are "streamlining" their physical retail releases in the Western hemisphere meaning Japan is immune to this change and physical releases from Sega will continue; just less so than before. Sonic remains completely unaffected if not stronger than before with the "reinforcement" line that indicates a greater emphasis on Sonic and more energy and backing given to Sonic games moving forward. All the sites basically took MCV UK's headline (who were the first site to report the news) and ran with it. They reported misinformation to draw in readers.
They say 'Western' and when I hear that I think specifically SEGA America trying to do boxed releases. Like I stated in my last comment, when was the last SEGA of America created franchise/reboots that worked out? How about business move. Secret Level? Fail, along with the games they blotched up. Marvel License? Inferior products that didn't sell a quarter as well as they could have if they where just decent. Alien franchise? Outside of the Creative Assembly made game (a UK studio) it was a disaster. Not only that, Isolation sold worse in America than Europe, but a margin. How about the Sonic Boom franchise with the biggest marketing push in SEGA America's history (for their own 'franchise')? Well, fail. Yeah, I don't think telling SEGA America that they shouldn't do retail games anymore isn't a bad thing as long as they continue their SEGA Europe/SEGA Japan retail games.
Agreed on all points. Sega tried and Sega tried very hard but their incompetence from the Saturn days was so clearly evident in their attempts to become a number one EA-like publisher. In addition to your examples there's also the partnership with Platinum and whilst the games Platinum made were all amazing; every single one of them under performed commercially. Bombed even. Going back even further through time you have the eleven-game deal Sega made with Microsoft for the original Xbox (Jet Set Radio Future, GunValkyrie, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Crazy Taxi 3 and so on) and every single one of them bombed. I believe at the time they were referred to as the X-bombs. I mean seriously Crazy Taxi sold over a million on the Dreamcast. It even sold extremely well on the PS2 when it was ported there. So why the hell is the exclusive sequel on the damn Xbox that had barely any install base? Sega eventually did abandon the Xbox but by then it was too late. To this day I firmly believe had Jet Set Radio Future been released on the PS2 or at least seen a port (granted it would have been downgraded graphically but still) the franchise would still be around now. Sega realised their mistake far too late; killing so many franchises before they realised they needed to support the PS2. From what I remember the Microsoft deal happened because 1) Microsoft offered them a load of money when Sega was struggling financially and 2) Sega's developers had a disdain for the PS2 and Sony believing that they had killed the Dreamcast. So there's your explanation for such a poor decision. Sega's efforts to become this superstar mega American publisher was a catastrophic failure. I think in well over a decade they've had zero success outside of the odd Sonic title breaking a million. I'd love to see Sega up there with EA but there's an intrinsic incapability and flaw in their management that runs deep that was always going to prevent that from happening. Almost every move they've made since the Dreamcast has failed. The entire industry post-Dreamcast was telling them to go fully multi-platform with their releases and they just wouldn't do it until it was too late. So ultimately this might be for the best if it secures Sega's future. I'd rather see them do this than continue like before and go bankrupt/be sold off by Sammy.
I agree. Not only that the bad part of SEGA America is that their SEGA Europe counterpart is doing so well. They have big established studios that are top sellers on the PC market like Football Manager and the Total War series of games. While the Europe branch would stumble before finding success, like opening that SEGA Racing Studio that only lasted a game (at least it was a old SEGA IP and didn't suck like Golden Axe Beast Riders). Actually almost all Sonic titles have passed a million (world wide). Thats the thing though, SEGA Europe still has Sonic Generation charting. Way low, around 80th best selling game this year in the UK. But if you think about it, moving chunks like this and having legs helps a company and its more than what SEGA America can move. I think this is a smart move, if its what I think its happening. Basically having SEGA America slim down and focus on what they are good at: delivering digital content with Hardlight, which has been one of the best moves SEGA America has ever made when it comes to managing and creating a project with a US studio. Of course Sonic stuff is still going to get huge attention due to it bringing in the $$$.
This wouldn't be happening if they put out quality products with more heart put into them than the fast cash grab using broken unfinished games. The more broken games they release the more it will dissuade people from buying more games, In turn reducing future profits... If you sell burned food 80% of the time how many costumers come back to buy more? Also what ever happened to that Sega Seal of quality or whatever it was called on the Genesis Cart Boxes? I think Sega needs to get the quality bar set higher before releasing a product! With any more downsizes like this, we will most likely see the closure of SOA. A real shame so many will suffer a job loss. Maybe the next Sonic game we see will be named SONIC PC. Or I-Sonic. Personally I'd like to see a Sonic with MMD sound technology consolidated game.
They do turn out good games (again localizing a few them and getting them to sell is the big issue), Sonic Boom was the only notable release last year that was broken, and what's more their other notable releases have actually been doing well. also Seal of Quality doesn't amount to much these days, it was pretty much a marketing thing.
Sega has a history of bad management going back to the Genesis/Mega Drive, and the mindset that put them in their current position will continue so long as their existing corporate pillars do. It doesn't matter how streamlined they make their processes, the problem doesn't lie there. Their corporate heads need to be gutted from the company before any true return to form could even be dreamed of. Sammy needs to fire the entirety of Sega's corporate division. Bring in some fresh blood that is aware that besides that brief moment with the Saturn, Sega never has nor ever will truly flourish in Japan. If anything, SoA and SoE should be given new focus and made the tentpoles of the company. Bring Sonic Team back to the US where almost all of the best Sonic titles were developed. Reinstate STI. Demand Atlas actually take advantage of some of the legacy franchises they have access to. I don't act like I know the logistics behind these changes, but what is clear is Sega's leaders are incompetent and have run what's left of the company to the ground. That tumor has to be cut off for Sega to have a chance at being healthy again.
Pretty much this. SEGA has had poor management for the longest time and due to this have kept digging themselves into a deeper hole. I'm practically reiterating that TheKazeblade said but I feel that this point needs to be emphasized. The higher ups at SEGA need to go. The company needs new management. I've been tired of how this company has been working since the day I started to pay attention to stuff like this (2007). SEGA is broken to an extent, and it needs to be fixed. Is this re-localization a bad thing? Yes and no. Good people lost jobs and it shows that the company (at least SoA) is having problems and they need to figure themselves out, and they have addressed that. I just hope that now they will actually look in the mirror and figure out what the devil it is they need to really do.
Moving Sonic Team to America isn't going to make their games better or have them make another Retro style game.
