Sega Europe talks frankly about the Sega brand

[Trippled]

http://www.marketingweek.com/2015/10/12/sega-europes-marketing-director-on-the-transition-from-sonic-to-smartphones/?nocache=true&adfesuccess=1&ad_562e3db5868f3=562e3db586997

Now my biggest challenge as marketing director is to make sure people are aware that Sega isn’t just this heritage brand that made all the Sonic games but we’re making cutting edge adult narratives such as Alien Isolation too. Not a lot of people realise we make Football Manager either – that has to change.”
“We’ve had some great successes on mobile – our Sonic Dash game has over 100 million downloads – but mobile is an overcrowded market and being truly innovative in that space isn’t easy,” he adds. “The strategy at Sega is to focus on producing great content first and then decide which platform it works best on afterwards.”
Admitting that Sega has not done a “great job over the last four years” in communicating its brand values and “Yes, we want to innovate and back smarthphones and virtual reality but our key purpose is to go back to what the brand used to stand for and I think the buzz around Shenmue 3 shows that people love our legacy,” adds Rooke, who says Sega is exploring ways to re-release the original two Shenmue titles.
“Sega was an innovator, the Dreamcast was offering online gaming as early as 1998. But perhaps back then we were pushing boundaries a little too soon. Nowadays we know what we’re good at and the strategy is to be more gradual. Over the next few years, we want to use engaging content and marketing to remind the public why they fell in love with Sega in the first place.”

[EnternalHope]

http://www.marketingweek.com/2015/10/12/sega-europes-marketing-director-on-the-transition-from-sonic-to-smartphones/?nocache=true&adfesuccess=1&ad_562e3db5868f3=562e3db586997

“Now my biggest challenge as marketing director is to make sure people are aware that Sega isn’t just this heritage brand that made all the Sonic games but we’re making cutting edge adult narratives such as Alien Isolation too. Not a lot of people realise we make Football Manager either – that has to change.”

“We’ve had some great successes on mobile – our Sonic Dash game has over 100 million downloads – but mobile is an overcrowded market and being truly innovative in that space isn’t easy,” he adds. “The strategy at Sega is to focus on producing great content first and then decide which platform it works best on afterwards.”
Admitting that Sega has not done a “great job over the last four years” in communicating its brand values and engagement has subsequently “died down”, Rooke says Sega is interested in refreshing its heritage.
“Yes, we want to innovate and back smarthphones and virtual reality but our key purpose is to go back to what the brand used to stand for and I think the buzz around Shenmue 3 shows that people love our legacy,” adds Rooke, who says Sega is exploring ways to re-release the original two Shenmue titles.
“Sega was an innovator, the Dreamcast was offering online gaming as early as 1998. But perhaps back then we were pushing boundaries a little too soon. Nowadays we know what we’re good at and the strategy is to be more gradual. Over the next few years, we want to use engaging content and marketing to remind the public why they fell in love with Sega in the first place.”

I just gotta put this Youtube video on here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdzYULyIdq8




SEGA is going back to its roots. Its reminding people who they are and where they came from and letting the older,veteran gamers like me who remember their glory days know that they have NOT forgotten where they came from.




This is why SEGA is expanding its Arcade business and why SEGA is moving more and more towards PC and Mobile development.

[Trippled]

Hideki Okamura is an important Sega executive as he was marketing director for the Saturn and Dreamcast in Japan, and as we know that was pretty memorable.

I feel that he should know effective Sega marketing the most...(aside from good old Kalinske of course)

[Sharky]

I love to see SEGA talk big game like this, they're saying all the right words... I'm just worried that, it's all words.

Hideki Okamura is an important Sega executive as he was marketing director for the Saturn and Dreamcast in Japan, and as we know that was pretty memorable.

I feel that he should know effective Sega marketing the most...(aside from good old Kalinske of course)

What has this got to do with him?

[crackdude]

Funny how this news ties up nicely to my opinion on the WIPO thread. Probably just coincidental, funny funny none the less.

"Perhaps back then we were pushing boundaries a little too soon. Nowadays we know what we’re good at and the strategy is to be more gradual."
This reeks of some fantasy idea of bringing back Sega's online services.

[Randroid]

Sega is exploring ways to re-release the original two Shenmue titles.

That is all I needed to read from that.

[EnternalHope]

Funny how this news ties up nicely to my opinion on the WIPO thread. Probably just coincidental, funny funny none the less.

"Perhaps back then we were pushing boundaries a little too soon. Nowadays we know what we’re good at and the strategy is to be more gradual."
This reeks of some fantasy idea of bringing back Sega's online services.

Sega Net was reincarnated as Sega ALL.Net in 2005. They did file JTO Trademarks for online service brands like "Sega Online" and "Sega Gateway" in 2012.


Using any of those brands for use worldwide would be neat.(SEGA having Steam service compatibility would be even cooler).

I love to see SEGA talk big game like this, they're saying all the right words... I'm just worried that, it's all words.What has this got to do with him?[/quote]

Okamura is the Japanese equivalent to Tom Kalinske. Crackdude is saying Okamura has similar marketing talent to Kalinske's.

[Ben]

“Yes, we want to innovate and back smarthphones and virtual reality but our key purpose is to go back to what the brand used to stand for and I think the buzz around Shenmue 3 shows that people love our legacy,” adds Rooke, who says Sega is exploring ways to re-release the original two Shenmue titles.

So now after ignoring Shenmue fans for over a decade, forbidding their staff from speaking about the series and hardly acknowledging its existence, Sega's of course suddenly eager to cash in on it now that they see that someone else's game (Shenmue 3) has gotten so much attention.


Hate to let my hardcore Shenmue fan roots show, but am I the only one who has a problem with this? (Sigh.)

I have a problem with that in the same way that I had a problem with Sega cancelling Bayonetta 2 but then having no issues whoring the character out in a Pachinko machine after its release.

Still just feels a little gross to me. Am I glad to know that new versions of Shenmue and Shenmue II are probably coming? Most definitely. I just hate knowing that it's all about the money, not the fans.

That said, regarding these quotes, good to hear. It's nice to see that Sega's become internally aware of how much they've faded from gamers' consciousness over these past few years. Like Sharky said, it's hard to be sure right now whether they're genuine or not. I guess time will tell.

[EnternalHope]

So now after ignoring Shenmue fans for over a decade, forbidding their staff from speaking about the series and hardly acknowledging its existence, Sega's of course suddenly eager to cash in now that they see that someone else's game (Shenmue 3) has gotten so much attention.

I have a problem with that in the same way that I had a problem with Sega refusing to publish Bayonetta 2 but then having no issues whoring the character out in a Pachinko machine.

Still just feels a little gross to me. Am I glad to know that HD versions of Shenmue and Shenmue II are coming? Most definitely. I just hate knowing that it's all about the money, not the fans.

That said, regarding these quotes, good to hear, but like Sharky said, it's hard to be sure whether they're genuine or not. I guess time will tell.

Why do "fans" think they are justified into chastising Sega for not releasing Triple A titles like Shenmue when it was virtually ignored back when it came out?


Why do you think its justifiable to berate SEGA for not publishing Bayonetta 2 when it sold even worse on Wii U then it did on PS3/360?




And why should SEGA, "NOT" care about making money? Game companies are ALL about making money.



I just don't understand the "entitlement" attitude of gamers now in days. Did they ever stop and think that maybe they're the one's who are wrong and are demanding too much?

[Ben]

Why do "fans" think they are justified into chastising Sega for not releasing Triple A titles like Shenmue when it was virtually ignored back when it came out?

A new IP selling 1.2 million copies on a system with a 10 million userbase is not it "being virtually ignored." It was the 4th best-selling game on the Dreamcast.

The Shenmue fanbase has been incredibly vocal over the years about a 3rd installment and/or digital re-releases of the first two. They were the ones who were virtually ignored until Suzuki took things into his own hands and got the game made elsewhere.

Why do you think its justifiable to berate SEGA for not publishing Bayonetta 2 when it sold even worse on Wii U then it did on PS3/360?

Well you're comparing the sales of a Wii U exclusive game with the sales of its predecessor on the PS3/360. It's a very different thing.

Had Sega published Bayonetta 2 I'm almost positive that it would not have been exclusively on the Wii U. Regardless, it's another series which has sold over 1 million copies, was very prolific, and which had a definite fanbase, whose future prospects were ignored by the company until another publisher stepped in.

For the record it wasn't even that Sega "refused to publish it." Evidently they did agree to publish it, but they cancelled it mid-development. That's what happened.

And why should SEGA, "NOT" care about making money? Game companies are ALL about making money.



I just don't understand the "entitlement" attitude of gamers now in days. Did they ever stop and think that maybe they're the one's who are wrong and are demanding too much?

All publishers care about money, of course. But there has to be a balance between caring just about the money vs caring about the fans who give them the money.

You can't mistreat the fans and continue to expect them to give you money. Other Japanese publishers somehow manage to keep the fanbase happy while at the same time being profitable. Sega, somewhere along the line, lost their way. On both counts.

Articles like this one are hopefully signs that Sega's finding their way back. But I'm still hesitant to get my hopes up.

[EnternalHope]

A new IP selling 1.2 million copies on a system with a 10 million userbase is not it "being virtually ignored." It was the 4th best-selling game on the Dreamcast.

The Shenmue fanbase has been incredibly vocal over the years about a 3rd installment and/or digital re-releases of the first two. They were the ones who were virtually ignored until Suzuki took things into his own hands and got the game made elsewhere.

Well you're comparing the sales of a Wii U game with the sales of its predecessor on the PS3/360. It's a very different thing.

Had Sega published Bayonetta 2 I'm almost positive that it would not have been exclusively on the Wii U. Regardless, another series which has sold 1 million copies whose future prospects were ignored by the company until another publisher stepped in.

For the record it wasn't even that Sega "refused to publish it." Evidently they did agree to publish it, but they cancelled it mid-development. That's what happened.

All publishers care about money, of course. But there has to be a balance between caring just about the money vs caring about the fans who give them the money.

You can't mistreat the fans and continue to expect them to give you money. Other Japanese publishers somehow manage to keep the fanbase happy while at the same time being profitable. Sega, somewhere along the line, lost their way.

Shenmue had a $70 million dollar budget and had been in development since before the Saturn. 1.2 million is a very dissapointing number for a game with that high of a budget. In order to recoup that, it would have had to sell GTA 3 levels and it didn't.


Sega didn't publish Bayonetta 2 because the first game didn't sell well. Bayonetta 2 was a Wii U exclusive because Platinum Games asked Nintendo's investors to fund it. It had absolutely NOTHING to do with SEGA the IP holder.


And, I'm frankly tired of the blame game. The gamers should blame themselves for setting the bar so high with such extreme expectations. Triple A games are no walk in the park and cost a fortune to make. Why don't ask these "fans" WHY aren't they buying the games even if they're good. Why didn't "Alpha Protocol" sell? What about "Sonic Generations" why did people buy Modern Warfare instead? Why did Valkyria Chronicles underpeform on PS3 way back in 2008, yet the Steam port last year become a success?


And the spin regarding Japanese publishers is conjecture at best. Square Enix posted a loss, and Capcom isn't doing too well either.




It doesn't really matter though regarding SEGA. They aren't some tiny publisher, and they'll soon show the world what type of brand they REALLY are and where they came from. SEGA is going in the right direction, PC gamers seem to respect them and seem to be the ones who CARE about them and their games but the so called "fans" your referring don't. They are ungrateful,disrespectful, little misers who act like they know everything. Why don't they try to run a corporation? And develop a Triple A game with investors? And then they can see what its like walking in SEGA's or other game companies' shoes?


Frankly, I'm glad SEGA is no longer listening to the so called "fans". They have proven that they don't care about Sega and want them to remain stuck as a publisher forever and ever and never succeed at anything else.

The issue is, Shenmue's budget was so high that even breaking a million was not enough to make it a financial success for SEGA.

Exactly. Titles have to sell a certain amount to recoup their budgets. Shenmue had started development in late 1993 when the Saturn was nearing its final stages of development. By 1999 and 2000, it had been under development for over 5 years and had been moved to another console, and because of the marketing, the localization, Research and Development and because it didn't become Dreamcast's killer app even in Japan, it had an extremely large budget of $70 million, which in 1999 for a game was astronomical.


Shenmue III itself is only 1/3 of that.($6.5 million is like a dime to that) So in actuality, you'll only be getting a small experience of the original game.


Like I said, Shenmue needed to sell GTA3 levels and sell Dreamcasts to be considered a success.

[Barry the Nomad]

A new IP selling 1.2 million copies on a system with a 10 million userbase is not it "being virtually ignored." It was the 4th best-selling game on the Dreamcast.

The Shenmue fanbase has been incredibly vocal over the years about a 3rd installment and/or digital re-releases of the first two. They were the ones who were virtually ignored until Suzuki took things into his own hands and got the game made elsewhere.

The issue is, Shenmue's budget was so high that even breaking a million was not enough to make it a financial success for SEGA.

[crackdude]

Ben, Sega is under new leadership. That's why the focus is on pleasing the fans right now with great games

[Ben]

Shenmue had a $70 million dollar budget and had been in development since before the Saturn. 1.2 million is a very dissapointing number for a game with that high of a budget. In order to recoup that, it would have had to sell GTA 3 levels and it didn't.

Not disputing the high cost of the game (much of it being due to a number of things of no fault to gamers, like a previous version on the Saturn) but to say that the game was "ignored" at launch wasn't a true statement. It was one of the best-selling games on its system.

Sega didn't publish Bayonetta 2 because the first game didn't sell well. Bayonetta 2 was a Wii U exclusive because Platinum Games asked Nintendo's investors to fund it. It had absolutely NOTHING to do with SEGA the IP holder.

The situation's fairly murky, but Bayonetta 2 had been in development before the deal with Nintendo. There were even reports of a planned cover story announcement for a PS3/360 version before Sega pulled the plug on the game.

The gamers should blame themselves for setting the bar so high with such extreme expectations.

Clearly their expectations weren't so extreme, as Shenmue III is, as we could see, possible with mostly Kickstarter-funded money for a cost that Sega (at any point in the past 15 years) could have afforded. And Sega is now (evidently) at work on ports of the prior two games, so these don't seem to have been such astronomical requests from the fanbase all these years.

I'm of course not saying that Sega should have been expected to spend another $70 million on a Shenmue game. But they wouldn't have had to.

Ben, Sega is under new leadership. That's why the focus is on pleasing the fans right now with great games

I definitely hope so.

[Draikin]

I think the key thing to take away from this interview is that the CEO's strategy of rebuilding the Sega brand is clearly not meant for only Sega of Japan (as was too often the case with Sega) but for Sega worldwide. It's one thing for Haruki Satomi to say something in a Japanese interview, but it's another thing to see it being repeated by the people at Sega Europe. Seems like it might actually be just more than words this time around.