SEGA Australia

SEGA Australia’s crazy pitch for remaking SEGA classics

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GoldenAxeSEGAReborn
[Above is SEGA Australia’s pre-alpha prototype pitch for Golden Axe remake under their label ‘SEGA Reborn’]

SEGA Australia isn’t known as the type of studio that had too many hits, but it seemed that the team was finally hitting their stride with the Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse remake that is coming out in early September. Sadly that will be the studio’s last game, since it was announced that they will be closing by the end of the year.

Seems that the studio pitched for a series of remakes, most notably ‘Golden Axe’ and all to be in a new label called ‘SEGA Reborn’. That’s not all though, the company thought that all these classics should take place in the same universe. Yes, we are talking about Marvel movie treatment with retro games. That would mean that a game like Out Run takes place hundreds of years after Golden Axe.

Much like its remake of Castle of Illusion, they where open to going in and adding new content and fixing issues the originals had. Some of the other games they talked about remaking included Streets of Rage and Shinobi. Hit the jump to see video of the ‘Golden Axe’ remake that the studio pitched to SEGA. 

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SEGA closes European and Australian offices

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Another sad day in SEGA land folks, SEGA has announced today that they will be closing their European and Australian offices. Koch Media will be the distribution partner for the European territories, except for Benelux, which will be handled by Level03 Distribution. Australia territory will be handled by 5 Star. SEGA UK will remain open as the European HQ. So it isn’t all that bad.

“SEGA is entering a new and exciting phase that will position the company as a content led organisation maximising sales with strong and balanced IP such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Total War, Football Manager and the Aliens franchise. The company will benefit from a clear focus and realigned strategy for our digital business and packaged goods and we are confident that this will lead to a successful future.” – COO of Sega Europe Jurgen Post

This goes with the rumor they sort of predicted during E3, only that the rumor wasn’t 100% right. Actually still think the guy just guessed and happen to hit some of the mark. What do you guys think? Is this ‘new and exciting phase’ for SEGA or is this bad?

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SEGA Australia lays off 37 people

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If you guys recall, SEGA was hiring and opening studios in SEGA Australia like they were giving them away. Their SEGA Australia team sadly didn’t deliver hits, releasing the low selling Stormrise. SEGA is restructuring SEGA Australia to focus on digital releases.

“The rise of digital gaming provides an opportunity to align the studio with a rapidly growing market at a time when the games industry is undergoing a significant transition. To this end, we can confirm that SSA has signed a multi-product deal focussing across the digital marketplace. We have commenced development on these titles and will announce more details in the near future. As part of this focus on digital avenues, there is a requirement to re-structure the studio resources accordingly and regrettably, we are announcing the loss of 37 staff. The decision to downsize was not taken lightly but this strategic re-structure will ensure we have a more effective and agile team that will enable us to quickly adapt to consumer needs and deliver strong content across multiple digital platforms. We thank those team members affected for their contributions and wish them well in their future endeavours.” – SEGA to Kotaku

SEGA Studios Australia is the developer doing the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games. They stated that the development on that title is nearing completion. The studio has signed a mutli-product deal that will mean releasing games for a digital marketplace. The details and titles are yet to be revealed.

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SEGA is interested hiring recently fired THQ employees

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THQ today announced that they will be closing two of its Australian studios, resulting in close to 200 people losing their jobs.
SEGA, who has been hiring recently for their Australian studios, have two positions open. Art Director and a Senior Engine Programmer are what they are looking for, but the studio has confirmed that they are talking to SEGA Executives about getting more positions filled.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of yet another great Australian developer, and are sorry to see THQ’s studios close their doors after so many years of game development. We will be speaking to the SEGA executives to explore our short term hiring strategy to reflect the sudden influx of talent in Australia. We hope to be able to announce the potential for taking on more staff soon.” – Marcus Fielding, Studio Director at SEGA Studios Australia

SEGA now owns the largest studio in Brisbane, SEGA Studios Australia. Now lets see if all the new talent will mean an amazing title!

[Source: MCV]

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SEGA Australia gets new junior product manager

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SEGA Australia has a new junior product manager. Khiet Chu, who has 3 years of experience. He’s previously worked with Corporate Express Ltd as product coordinator.

“We are pleased to have Khiet on board and his passion for gaming and previous work experience will make him a strong addition to our team.” – Neroli Baird, marketing manager at SEGA Australia

It is good to see SEGA expand, especially in countries like Australia. Let’s hope they get more studios.

[Source: MCV]

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