SEGAbits Forums
Gaming => General Gaming Discussion => Topic started by: Sharky on March 22, 2015, 04:16:51 pm
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Including SEGA West and SEGA Japan, how many and what are they?
I actually find it harder to keep track of the Japanese ones these days, AM2? Sonic Team? is Phantasy Star Crew a developer?
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Wiki lists 13 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_development_studios#2009.E2.80.93present).
Japan
CS 1-3 R&D
Sports R&D
AM R&D
Sega Networks
Atlus
Western
Creative Assembly
Sports Interactive
Three Rings Design
Hardlight Studios
Relic Entertainment
Demiurge Studios
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That seems wrong, Atlus are Western?! Also didn't SEGA pick up two other developers at the same time as Demiurge?
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That seems wrong, Atlus are Western?! Also didn't SEGA pick up two other developers at the same time as Demiurge?
That was my bad. (They are actually under acquired). So that is my fault not wiki's
As for the second part, I believe only Demiurge was acquired and the two others you speak of were merely investments.
Edit: http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/sega-networks-acquires-demiurge-studios/615561
SEGA’s mobile division, SEGA Networks (http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/sega-networks-brings-dragon-coins-to-ios-google-play/548409), has announced its acquisition of Massachusetts-based developer, Demiurge Studios (http://demiurgestudios.com/). In addition, SEGA Networks has made investments in two additional developers: Ignited Artists and Space Ape Games.
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There is an Atlus USA, but they don't really do game development. But aside from localizing Atlus games, they localize and publish in the US other Japanese games as well like Lost Dimension. They also publish various indie games. And while they usually don't publish games in Europe, their English translations are used for European releases.
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Wiki lists 13 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_development_studios#2009.E2.80.93present).
Japan
CS 1-3 R&D
Sports R&D
AM R&D
Sega Networks
Atlus
Western
Creative Assembly
Sports Interactive
Three Rings Design
Hardlight Studios
Relic Entertainment
Demiurge Studios
I'm working on that Wiki page to be more detailed and accurate currently (i retooled it before, tbh the very first version was awful it was by a forum member called Cube3 I believe), since I found that nifty site that documents japanese companies internally.
According to Sega Sammy reports https://www.segasammy.co.jp/english/ir/library/pdf/printing_annual/2014/all_ar2014_e.pdf, Sega has about 10 development lines simultaneously
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by the way, speaking about SEGA studios, a couple of days ago they change they Careers oficial page:
http://careers.sega.co.uk/
They are looking for people in a lot of their studios including SEGA themself. I suggest to read this kind of thing, that was they way i found out a couple of months ago that CA was working in a new console project.
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by the way, speaking about SEGA studios, a couple of days ago they change they Careers oficial page:
http://careers.sega.co.uk/
They are looking for people in a lot of their studios including SEGA themself. I suggest to read this kind of thing, that was they way i found out a couple of months ago that CA was working in a new console project.
It's interesting that they used a Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising cover art for their 'About SEGA' page, when that game was published by THQ... No new Dawn of War game has been published under SEGA yet, perhaps a hint at things to come?
http://careers.sega.co.uk/about-sega
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Technically all the Dawn of War games are published by SEGA, they changed on Steam after they bought the developer.
Example:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/15620/
Its sad that SEGA doesn't invest in more Japanese talent.
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Which AM* teams are still around apart from AM2?
I lost track of most when they changed names and beyond that it got really confusing. I'm glad AM2 still stayed the same all these years.
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Which AM* teams are still around apart from AM2?
I lost track of most when they changed names and beyond that it got really confusing. I'm glad AM2 still stayed the same all these years.
Around 2003-2008, they had three AM studios.
From 2008 onwards, they have 2. R&D1 have an Internet presence even: http://buzz.sega.jp/ (http://buzz.sega.jp/)
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Around 2003-2008, they had three AM studios.
From 2008 onwards, they have 2. R&D1 have an Internet presence even: http://buzz.sega.jp/ (http://buzz.sega.jp/)
Hmmm this makes the lack of work going on at AM2 seem quite bizarre. I'd have thought at least one of Sengoku, Code of Joker or Wonderland Wars might have kept them busy but seems they really have been working on Miku and updates.
[spoiler]Clearly they've shifted all their resources in developing Shenmue 3.[/spoiler]
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^They put all their resources into Virtua Fighter 6.
Which will be an endless runner on mobile phones.
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^They put all their resources into Virtua Fighter 6.
Which will be an endless runner on mobile phones.
I'm sorry Mang but you are absolutely wrong on this.
It's going to be a special campaign for Sonic Runners to pick up Akira Yuki skin plus five other characters.
The Virtua Fighter Six campaign.
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Where do the Ryo Ga Gotoku team and Sonic Team fit into this list? They have different official names?
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Where do the Ryo Ga Gotoku team and Sonic Team fit into this list? They have different official names?
RGG studio is 1st department
Sonic Team is the 2nd department
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As far as I know, there is also the Yokohama based studio, which should be called "N professional R&D department", whose field of development is mainly the arcade machines.
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RGG studio is 1st department
Sonic Team is the 2nd department
what about the phantasy star team? They're their own entity now as far as I know.
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RGG studio is 1st department
Sonic Team is the 2nd department
Going by the Wikipedia article, Sonic Team can be kinda confusing. Like while the department can work on games that aren't Sonic related without the Sonic Team logo on it, the brand can also be used for games with little involvement from the department. Like a lot of people who worked on Sonic Runners are actually from Sports R&D, and there are also all of the games by DIMPS.
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Basically SEGA needs to restructure the studios into smaller teams that make sense. I personally thought the post console restructure (that pissed off talent and made them leave) hurt them. UGA into Sonic? Why?
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Basically SEGA needs to restructure the studios into smaller teams that make sense. I personally thought the post console restructure (that pissed off talent and made them leave) hurt them. UGA into Sonic? Why?
From 1998-2002 Sega lost a whole bunch of money, partly to having 9 indepedent units making games. Sega has been the most profitable when simply having a uniform R&D structure like any company, and it's not gonna change.
UGA and Sonic Team shared the same producer (Mineko Okumura, left since), 2003 was bad times for Sega, 6 teams instead of 9, lots of fiscal losses. Card arcade games in Japan saved them.
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Was it the studios that lost money or the hardware lost (or all). I wonder if structuring the studios like that actually helped with the quality of games or not.
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what about the phantasy star team? They're their own entity now as far as I know.
I think those teams like Sonic Team, AM2, Ryo Ga Gotoku guys, and Phantasy Star Crew are comprised of groups of developers within SEGA Japan who come together out of the R&D teams. They 'form' when they are needed. Or at least that is the impression I am getting.
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I think those teams like Sonic Team, AM2, Ryo Ga Gotoku guys, and Phantasy Star Crew are comprised of groups of developers within SEGA Japan who come together out of the R&D teams. They 'form' when they are needed. Or at least that is the impression I am getting.
Sounds like some Power Ranger shit.
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Was it the studios that lost money or the hardware lost (or all). I wonder if structuring the studios like that actually helped with the quality of games or not.
All. Stuff like Nightshade, Gunvalkyrie and Space Channel 5 lost them money and games like Billy Hatcher and Astro Boy never met targets.
The problem with giving their studios freedom was that it meant that most of these teams designed games they wanted to make, rather than games that were going to turn SEGA a profit. Personally I don't see a problem with keeping everyone inhouse but you must always have a good management and producers inplace to ensure the best possible quality.
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The problem with giving their studios freedom was that it meant that most of these teams designed games they wanted to make, rather than games that were going to turn SEGA a profit. ...
That's probably why that is such a classic era. The teams were exalting in their freedom, business considerations be damned!
What about that system that Game Freak uses, in which their developers get 2-3 months per year to do experimental/creative/dream projects (of which Tembo is one)? That seems like a very healthy way to let developers avoid burnout and make some fun stuff. Of course, it's an opportunity standing on the foundation of a major cash cow like Pokemon.
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As far as I know, there is also the Yokohama based studio, which should be called "N professional R&D department", whose field of development is mainly the arcade machines.
Really, where do you know it's in Yokohama, I thought Sega's Japan studios are all located in Tokyo.
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Really, where do you know it's in Yokohama, I thought Sega's Japan studios are all located in Tokyo.
I became aware of the existence of that one studio, situated in Yokohama, by translating job vacancies available on the official website of SEGA of Japan, section recruitment. In some of the job offers, there is explicitly written the name of the department and its location.
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I became aware of the existence of that one studio, situated in Yokohama, by translating job vacancies available on the official website of SEGA of Japan, section recruitment. In some of the job offers, there is explicitly written the name of the department and its location.
Ah..that makes sense, haven't checked those so much.