Haruki Satomi apologizes for low quality games

[MadeManG74]

The kicker was SEGA America/Europe were more interested in Alien: Colonial Marines than Binary Domain. Absolutely awful thinking from the top people at the company.

Well to be fair, in their position wouldn't you be? A shooter made by a well known western developer based on a big name franchise compared to a shooter made by a team nobody knows outside Japan that had a horrible reveal trailer?

I know in hindsight we can see it was a blunder, and we can say that they should have been trying to build their own franchise for long term sick gains bro, but I can also understand them wanting Alien instead.

We also have Project Mirai 2, Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax and Yakuza 5 later this year too.

One out of three ain't bad. Well, considering Yakuza is more to do with Sony than Sega...
Okay it's not great.

Are these creepy Miku games any good? I can't believe AM2 makes them. Are they just 'press button when I tell you to' rhythm games?
What is going on!? (Should I play them?)

Well I follow this group: https://www.facebook.com/vfdotcom?fref=ts


Maybe I mis-interpreted things, but when news broke about SEGA shifting focus to Digital/PC/Mobile, I saw a lot of anger (in the comments at least) towards SEGA...then again, this was coming from the RocketNew24 article.

Eh, that's just Facebook. Facebook is just 4chan for normies now, with even less knowledge about video games. Half the people on that group probably don't even play the game but remember playing VF2 on Saturn and wanted to express their outrage that Sega is 'only making mobile phone games forever'.
But without the dry cool wit that I have when I do the exact same thing.

Pretty sure it also means how they do business with their outsourced projects and quality of released products. Atlus as a developer doesn't put out much titles, but they go around looking at indie games and pick them up for publishing and have become profitable this way as well.

Atlus has been really good at reconizing talent and games that could get a good following. For example they published Demon Souls in America, 3D Dot Game Heroes (300k in America alone, Yakuza does 40kish?) and a few others. There is a lot that SEGA can learn from Atlus to make their core fans happy, ask Atlus fans if their happy right now and most will rant about Persona 5 for hours. 

I always figured Sega knew about this but decided it wasn't worth their time compared to their other projects. I would like to see some 'love jobs' coming from them. Profitable, but not huge titles that make them look good.

[Aki-at]

Well to be fair, in their position wouldn't you be? A shooter made by a well known western developer based on a big name franchise compared to a shooter made by a team nobody knows outside Japan that had a horrible reveal trailer?

I know in hindsight we can see it was a blunder, and we can say that they should have been trying to build their own franchise for long term sick gains bro, but I can also understand them wanting Alien instead.

There are a few things you should consider:

- The reveal trailer wasn't made by Nagoshi's team, you should check the difference between every single trailer they've produced vs that reveal trailer. Even the Ryu Ga Gotoku: Ishin reveal trailer is more coherently directed than the Binary Domain.
- Nobody? Even if Yakuza was a flop, Monkey Ball and F-Zero were both successful for SEGA and this is their *premier* development team now, you should you know, push the brand. This is why SEGA lost their famous brand recognition, there was an element of shunning their Japanese roots by their Western branches.
- Gearbox's Alien game was in development for 4 YEARS at this point with nothing solid shown.

It reeks of short term goals and I don't think there's anyway you can defend it. The fact is they sent Binary Domain to die but were happy to market Alien: Colonial Marines by placing a giant facehugger egg somewhere in Central London. One got marketing support, why, despite being a tentpole title, did not.

That and they held the same high opinion of Alien right until release, the top brass couldn't understand why it was being ripped to shred by the press.

One out of three ain't bad. Well, considering Yakuza is more to do with Sony than Sega...
Okay it's not great.

He asked what Japanese SEGA games were released recently not the level of quality. There is also Stellaglow but Atlus is publishing that.

Are these creepy Miku games any good? I can't believe AM2 makes them. Are they just 'press button when I tell you to' rhythm games?
What is going on!? (Should I play them?)

If you find them creepy you should probably ignore them!

[MadeManG74]

There are a few things you should consider:

- The reveal trailer wasn't made by Nagoshi's team, you should check the difference between every single trailer they've produced vs that reveal trailer. Even the Ryu Ga Gotoku: Ishin reveal trailer is more coherently directed than the Binary Domain.
- Nobody? Even if Yakuza was a flop, Monkey Ball and F-Zero were both successful for SEGA and this is their *premier* development team now, you should you know, push the brand. This is why SEGA lost their famous brand recognition, there was an element of shunning their Japanese roots by their Western branches.
- Gearbox's Alien game was in development for 4 YEARS at this point with nothing solid shown.

It reeks of short term goals and I don't think there's anyway you can defend it. The fact is they sent Binary Domain to die but were happy to market Alien: Colonial Marines by placing a giant facehugger egg somewhere in Central London. One got marketing support, why, despite being a tentpole title, did not.

That and they held the same high opinion of Alien right until release, the top brass couldn't understand why it was being ripped to shred by the press.

I'm not putting blame on anyone for the reveal trailer, just saying it was bad. I think we agree on that! The initial impression the game would have received is a negative one.

I agree that Monkey Ball and F-Zero are successful, but Nagoshi's team wasn't and isn't as well known in the west as Gearbox, which is what I meant. And at the time, I believe they still had a good reputation (?)

I agree it was short term thinking and that they should have seen the game was in trouble, but I'm trying to see it from their side. I don't think it was the 'right' decision.

He asked what Japanese SEGA games were released recently not the level of quality. There is also Stellaglow but Atlus is publishing that.

I know you were just listing games that got released. I'm just speaking my thoughts on these titles. If it just means more Dengeki and Miku then I'm not clamouring for more. The one game I find interesting is Yakuza which Sony is responsible for, not Sega.

I understand I don't speak for everyone of course.

If you find them creepy you should probably ignore them!

But are they fun!?
(I don't own handhelds anyway, so it's kind of a moot point for me)

[Aki-at]

I'm not putting blame on anyone for the reveal trailer, just saying it was bad. I think we agree on that! The initial impression the game would have received is a negative one.

I agree that Monkey Ball and F-Zero are successful, but Nagoshi's team wasn't and isn't as well known in the west as Gearbox, which is what I meant.

I agree it was short term thinking and that they should have seen the game was in trouble, but I'm trying to see it from their side. I don't think it was the 'right' decision.

I don't think you should try to look it from their side, I know you play devil's advocate but sometimes you just have to go "This is madness" and the fact is, a lot of the cock ups in promoting Binary Domain was done by them, not the developer.

Even if Nagoshi's team isn't as well known, this is thanks to SEGA America/Europe botching up Yakuza and turning it into a true niche franchise. Besides like I said, after 4 years of waiting (Alien: Colonial Marines was announced in 07 or 08) the Western branches should have seen it was a disaster incoming.

I know you were just listing games that got released. I'm just speaking my thoughts on these titles. If it just means more Dengeki and Miku then I'm not clamouring for more. The one game I find interesting is Yakuza which Sony is responsible for, not Sega.

I understand I don't speak for everyone of course.

That's cool and all, whatever floats your boat but this was what games from Japan made it through to here.

I think Satomi's quotes means more of their Japanese titles releasing in the West and I'm not surprised if that includes Yakuza but I don't think you'll like the other stuff they'll plan to bring over. Shining Waifu is up next.

But are they fun!?
(I don't own handhelds anyway, so it's kind of a moot point for me)

I enjoyed them and I usually don't like rhythm games. But I don't think you'd like it, no.

[Trippled]

Are these creepy Miku games any good? I can't believe AM2 makes them. Are they just 'press button when I tell you to' rhythm games?

Hey Suzuki-san made this game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyJLAlCbF3A

Also appearently this interview wasnt by Hajime Satomi but rather his son Haruki Satomi, which makes more sense.

[fernandeath]

Sega should take the hype on FF VII Remake and deliver us Phantasy Star IV Remake
That's a good start to regain our trust

[Aki-at]

Also appearently this interview wasnt by Hajime Satomi but rather his son Haruki Satomi, which makes more sense.

Funny enough for some reason this makes me less confident in his words haha

[Trippled]

Funny enough for some reason this makes me less confident in his words haha

I believe Hajime cares about the trivial things like resorts and gambling now after Sega failed to become among the Top 3 publishers worldwide


First they want to beat EA. Then they want to top 3. Now they want to be top 3 in mobile.


Totally wrong approach

[Radrappy]

I'm not sure Binary Domain was ever going to be a big hit regardless of marketing.  It's a solid game but it looked so woefully generic when it came out in 2012.  Gears of War had more flavor than it which is really saying something.  Coupled with the fact that it's KEY FEATURE (voice activated team responses) didn't even work properly and you've got a game that was always destined to be forgotten. 


It's the epitome of a 7/10. 

[MadeManG74]

I thought the game was a snore-fest as well, but I think it could have had potential to be a decent hit. The later trailers got me excited for the game at least. It certainly had enough moments to cut together a good cinematic trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp1SGtosGI0




Having said that, I don't know if it would have been worth the amount of money they would have had to dump into getting enough exposure for it to be a hit. But if it wasn't, why make the game in the first place?



EDIT: What's with the formatting related to Youtube videos recently?

[Aki-at]

I'm not sure Binary Domain was ever going to be a big hit regardless of marketing.  It's a solid game but it looked so woefully generic when it came out in 2012.  Gears of War had more flavor than it which is really saying something.  Coupled with the fact that it's KEY FEATURE (voice activated team responses) didn't even work properly and you've got a game that was always destined to be forgotten. 


It's the epitome of a 7/10. 

I don't think we're going to see eye to eye on this especially after the Gears remark and I don't think it's a game destined to be forgotten.

But 7/10 games sell a lot these days.

[Trippled]

A rare peak into the Sega Sammy board.

[MadeManG74]

I don't think we're going to see eye to eye on this especially after the Gears remark and I don't think it's a game destined to be forgotten.

Which game?

[Aki-at]

Which game?

I don't think Binary Domain is as generic or more so than Gears and I don't think it'll be forgotten. It's the definition of a cult following.

[MadeManG74]

I don't think Binary Domain is as generic or more so than Gears and I don't think it'll be forgotten. It's the definition of a cult following.

It was meant to be a joke

But I agree it'll have a cult following. It seems a lot of people who played the game really loved it, I'm still wondering if I'm missing something.