Do you still like Sega? - Redux (Post E3 2013 Edition)

[MadeManG74]

For those who missed it the first time:
http://segabits.com/forums/index.php?topic=2051.0

I figured I would ask this question again for a few reasons:
1) E3 just finished and people actually had the misguided belief that Sega might do something interesting or otherwise cool.
2) We've had some Sega news and controversy recently since the last thread (Aliens Colonial Marines, Purchase of Relic, Nagoshi loves DRM etc)
3) I feel like kicking the hornet's nest.

Much like last time, I'm finding it hard to think of myself as a "Sega fan". I'm a fan of some games that Sega publishes, but to be honest, I'd be getting CoH2 if EA published it, or if Activision published it. Ditto the Total War Series. I liked the games before they were with Sega and I wouldn't care in the slightest if Sega sold them off tomorrow.

I still love Virtua Fighter, which is old-school Sega and something I wouldn't want to see go to another publisher, but that's mainly because I don't trust anyone with the game other than AM2. Apart from that I can't think of much that is associated strongly with 'Sega' that I still give a damn about. Yakuza, but that series seems like it'll never see the light of day outside of Japan again.

Please note I understand a lot of this stuff makes sense from a business standpoint. But that's not what I'm asking, if I was a fan of companies because of their business sense, I would be posting on 'Forbes500bits.com'. Having said that, I find it hard to argue 'Business Sense!' when they won't publish Bayonetta 2, but went ahead with Anarchy Reigns which had 'Bomb' written all over it in bold, capital letters. They also translated Yakuza Dead Souls, which was like an amalgamation of the worst things of several games put into one.

As I said in the last thread, every time I hear something is coming from Sega, I'm looking forward to the fallout from fans saying 'wtf is this!?' rather than the game itself. Take a look at Hero Bank which just got announced for example, or that soccer management game. I mean they are probably good games for what they are, but I would estimate the interest from us on this forum is about 0.1%.

This post might be kind of a mess, it's been written as a stream of thought, and i'll likely be posting more later or go back and read this and feel it's a mess. I do want to kick-start a discussion though, because I'm finding it harder and harder to consider myself a 'Sega fan'.

And yes, I still believe that Sonic will never, ever be good again.

[George]

Honestly as a blogging point of a view, SEGA is getting boring. I mean, a few titles. This is what I bitched they should have done a couple of years ago, go with fewer titles but push them hard.

They are doing it, but now its leaving me wanting more.

[jonboy101]

I like to imagine that with a solid stream of revenue, they can afford to let their Japanese studios on a longer leash.

[Barry the Nomad]

Shame you think that about Sonic. Lost World is probably my most anticipated game in the franchise since Sonic Adventure 2. Looks great to me.

Aaaaaanyway, I'll post a longer proper reply tomorrow. I'm on an ipad at the moment and they're not fun to type long posts on.

[MadeManG74]

Shame you think that about Sonic. Lost World is probably my most anticipated game in the franchise since Sonic Adventure 2. Looks great to me.

I saw a very little bit of footage for the game, where he's running on some 3D worlds that looked very much like Mario Galaxy stages. I might give it another look, but honestly, people went mad over Sonic Colours and I couldn't be arsed playing beyond the second level before I got bored of that game so...

I don't think it's that I'm not into platformers anymore either, since I really adored Rayman Origins.

[Mengels7]

Western Sega is boring. There's none of the awesome quirkiness that Sega Japan just freaking bleeds. Sega's image here consists of Sonic and the western studios they have make games for them. It's boring. I expect that out of the other western third parties like EA, but not Sega. Sega's supposed to make their own games. Their relationship with Platinum was a healthy balance, as Platinum really had that absurd "Sega" vibe and really seemed to get Sega. That's gone. Gone are the days where Sega ports over these awesome Japanese games they make for us to play. Speaking of which, where's that early 2013 release of PSO2? Who knows when we'll hear anything about that again. Save for the rare gems out of Japan that we somehow manage to get, Sega's dead to me.

[George]

Tho you can't deny this is probably the highest rated, 'hot selling' line up in a long time. Total War will do over a million, Company of Heroes did over 4 million (sequel will be bound to do some) and Sonic Lost World is getting good reception

[jonboy101]

Fair, but then it's also the case that of these hot-selling and received games, only one is Sega Japan. The rest is just stuff Sega bought.

[Happy Cat]

disappointed with them at the moment, but I don't hate them or anything. They still make cool games, just mainly disappointed with the western branch. Castle of Illusion HD remake is looking pretty good though. Project Diva F is fun, although that's just a late localization, lol but it's nice to be getting a SEGA Japan game regardless.

I hope they got some cool games at TGS. E3 was really uneventful.

I know there is people upset with their Japanese side too though, like STORM!, he says all they make is Smartphone games now and he hates it.

[Trippled]

I do. And you can still be a fan, even if you don't like what they do currently.

They are just sitting on too many games waiting to be loalized or ported.

At this point it would make more sense to let Sega West implode, and lend publishing/localization rights to Xseed or something. On the other hand stuff like Binary Domain woudn't be possible with a strong western counterpart.

[George]

Fair, but then it's also the case that of these hot-selling and received games, only one is Sega Japan. The rest is just stuff Sega bought.

Yeah it seems that SEGA Japan can't decide what its stredgy is and there happens to be a fragmentation. Like the first All-Stars game never came out over there, even though it would totally fit with audiences there.

While we don't get all the Japanese games we hope for (honestly, we got more this last generation then normal, considering all the stuff SEGA left behind during Genesis, Saturn etc.

I hope this means that SEGA West is having more of a say in what time of 'Japanese' games are being in develop to make them more 'world wide titles', and SEGA doing the same thing in the West. Not that it would be a bad thing, I think SEGA West telling SEGA Japan what fans here (me/you) want will light a fire in them to go that direction. Honestly, that new 'RPG' and even stuff like 7th Dragon aren't as great style wise as a Japanese game, like 'Skies of Arcadia' or 'Jet Set Radio'.

Though that is just wishful thinking. Though this is the first start of a console generation since SEGA has gone 3rd party and not have announced a game for it. We shall see.

Though I think Gamescom will probably have the Creative Assembly Aliens title, if they do a good job it should be something.

[Trippled]

I think Sega Japan still can decide well on their own, what games they make should be worldwide marketed and what not. Valkyria Chronicles, Feel the Magic and Rhythm Thief are examples of that.

[George]

I think SEGA America (can't speak for the rest of the world) needs better marketing on any titles they decide to bring over. I play some games and love them, then they sell bad.

Then they market the shit out of terrible games, like Aliens: Colonial Marines, Iron Man etc. Its like, why not just market your good games? You know, the IPs you own? Not the franchise a big movie studio owns, that they will turn around and take from you when your done. Why build a game franchise for Marvel? Why not build your own game franchise that everyone wants, you know, more big names like Sonic is.

[inthesky]

It would seem that they are relatively prosperous after their downsizing and decisions not to localize some of their titles.

Yet I find it pretty boring. In spite of some pretty big announcements (showcasing of Sonic Lost World and Bayonetta 2, Project Diva F localization) E3 was still flat for me. I'll admit that I come from a pretty narrow school of Sega "fan": I'm generally a fan of the Japanese output, and I only really started playing Sega games consistently about a year ago. Calling myself a fan is a stretch.

But I mean, if I want to recapture the phenomenally unique feeling of Skies of Arcadia, where do I go with Sega? Or Jet Grind Radio? What about NiGHTS?

Or, think of the franchises that are alive by some interpretation of the word. Valkyria Chronicles and Yakuza....I don't have much options there right now. A lot of the Japanese output has just withered away.

I mean, I was excited and came to this website a lot to keep up on Rhythm Thief (valiant effort posting articles on the game, by the way) and I loved it in spite of the controls pissing me off at times and the busted ranking system. At least that felt Sega-ish to me, I saw a sort of Sega quintessence in that. Aliens and Company of Heroes or whatever just aren't for me. Now Rhythm Thief is dead, Resonance of Fate is likely dead (though that's also because of things like tri-Ace losing its lead programmer or whatever), who knows when Shinobi's going to get a sequel after the apparently lackluster performance of Shinobi 3DS.

Sega bothers me, but the gaming industry at large bothers me too. The market is crowding out a lot of games that don't need to be sent for immediate execution by judgment of the market, like Rhythm Thief. I really don't think that Rhythm Thief was an utter piece of shit, it most assuredly did terribly and I can't help but feel it didn't entirely deserve that. Regardless of whether or not they are going to be crashes in either console or iOS gaming, a space must be created for the output of niche titles.

I actually agree with the strangeness of marketing other properties. I mean, Sega's going to do it because they expect it'll sell well, but the games end up turning out bad and companies like Marvel are disgustingly prosperous, they can do that shit themselves.

It's absurd that they don't have a more broadly recognized library right now.

[Trippled]

I think SEGA America (can't speak for the rest of the world) needs better marketing on any titles they decide to bring over. I play some games and love them, then they sell bad.

Just saying that they do give every new IP Japan makes a chance worldwide. Stuff like 7th Dragon doesn't, but imo it's appropriate.