Western or Japanese Sega publishing...which do you prefer

[Trippled]

Which do you think till now had a better history in publishing? A lot of of the Japanese of course is support of the main in-house dev team at Sega of Japan, but still.

The question comes most likely down to if you rather liked Ecco and ToeJam and Earl or Shining Force and Treasures games

[Kori-Maru]

Japan. Though there are a couple of western titles that are good from Sega.

[inthesky]

Japonais.

[Trippled]

Honestly I rather disliked ToeJam and Earl, Ecco and Vectorman...as a 6 year old Sega fanboy I tried so hard to like them, but they never clicked with me in comparision to Streets of Rage, Shinobi and Sonic. When I found out that they were not Japanese games, it all made sense...Comix Zone was something I liked tough

[crackdude]

Japan.

I like ToeJam and MSR and all that sweet stuff, but just look at those nippon games. Can't beat them.

[Truesonic]

I'll also say Japan, the US division really only publishes most of their titles and most of them didn't help Sega's iffy rep. Though I liked Sega US back in the Genesis era when they had the Sega Technical Institute. It's really no contest.

[Nameless 24]

Is there really anyone who will say "Western" SEGA who's a SEGA fan?

It's like asking how likely Japan or Germany are going to win next years World Cup. Anyone who's a football fan would say Germany.

[CrazyT]

No doubt japan. I'd even go so far saying that if I had to define myself as a fan, it's the japanese side that sold me over and is still the only part I apreciate the most.

There will most definitly be some western published games i liked, but none of those would have made me a fan.

[George]

I think one of the issues with publishing in the west is that its not, SEGA Western publishing. I wish SEGA would try to do more... interesting games. I don't mind Total War and Company of Heroes, but they need to some in house studios creating stuff like Vectorman and Comix Zone.

Out of that list, obviously SEGA Japan.

[jonboy101]

In its heyday, Sega West was most definitely on par if you consider the difference in output because of the number of studios in Japan.

Sonic 2, 3 & Knuckles, Kid Chameleon, Star Wars Arcade, Etetnal Champions, Die Hard Arcade, Comix Zone were all great. Not into Sega Sports, but they did well and were critically acclaimed.

There was also Sega published editions of games like Lion King, Aladdin, etc., licensed games like X-Men, Jurassic Park, The Amazing Spider-Man vs Kingpin, and great second party efforts like Vectorman, Ecco, ToeJam and so on.

It also be noted that Sega West actually did a great job marketing in the 1990s, heavily advised against the 32X, protested the early launch of Saturn and built hardware that was passed over in favor of Saturn and DC.  Sega Japan ran the company into the ground and then started digging.

[mylifewithsega]

In its heyday, Sega West was most definitely on par if you consider the difference in output because of the number of studios in Japan.

Sonic 2, 3 & Knuckles, Kid Chameleon, Star Wars Arcade, Etetnal Champions, Die Hard Arcade, Comix Zone were all great. Not into Sega Sports, but they did well and were critically acclaimed.

There was also Sega published editions of games like Lion King, Aladdin, etc., licensed games like X-Men, Jurassic Park, The Amazing Spider-Man vs Kingpin, and great second party efforts like Vectorman, Ecco, ToeJam and so on.

It also be noted that Sega West actually did a great job marketing in the 1990s, heavily advised against the 32X, protested the early launch of Saturn and built hardware that was passed over in favor of Saturn and DC.  Sega Japan ran the company into the ground and then started digging.

Sega of America didn't advise against the 32X. At least, if they did, they had a really odd way of showing it. According to Sega Retro, Hideki Sato of SOJ had gone to SOA to propose a new Mega Drive console with more colors and a 32-bit processor. However, SOA's Joe Miller had the bright idea of making it an add-on instead, thinking gamers wouldn't want to buy a new Mega Drive/Genesis. The 32X was born in America. It received the best marketing here and sold better than in any other market.

[Radrappy]

Sonic 2, 3 & Knuckles,

Only sonic 2 was made as a joint effort.  Sonic 3 & K, although made in the states, was made with a completely japanese development staff (apparently naka forbade foreigners based on his experiences with Sonic 2).  It can hardly be considered Sega West's accomplishment in that context. 

[jonboy101]

Sega of America didn't advise against the 32X. At least, if they did, they had a really odd way of showing it. According to Sega Retro, Hideki Sato of SOJ had gone to SOA to propose a new Mega Drive console with more colors and a 32-bit processor. However, SOA's Joe Miller had the bright idea of making it an add-on instead, thinking gamers wouldn't want to buy a new Mega Drive/Genesis. The 32X was born in America. It received the best marketing here and sold better than in any other market.

32X was born in America in the sense that Nakayama mandated that Sega would have a 32 bit cartridge console by Christmas 94 while he was physically in the United States. Joe Miller did propose it being an add-on, but only in the context that the original Away Team demonstration was supremely underwhelming. The ultimate design on the 32X, as I understand it, still came from Sega Japan, and was chosen in no small part because it would acclimate programmers to a certain other console with dual processors just around the bend.

I didn't articulate what I meant as well as I should have. Sega America didn't object to the 32X as a machine, but, rather, to how it was handled by Sega Japan and where it fit in the great scheme of things. Nakayama mandated the system, then forgot about it, and for all intents and purposes, left Sega America with its dick in its hands. It became a pariah of a console as far as the Japanese were concerned, and they never bothered to make killer apps for it. Sega Japan turned a console that could have given them breathing room to improve the Saturn and build up a great launch library into a flash in the frying pan that fucked up their reputation in America.


Of course it got the best marketing and sold best in the States. The USA was the biggest market, and was still a successful one for Sega. That doesn't make it an American device, anymore than the MasterSystem was European. The only thing American about it was it being an add-on, and I assure you, that was a better idea than the Jupiter concept.


Rapdaddy:

There were most certainly Japanese people working in STI, which made them a part of Sega America. Wasn't the score also done by westerners? I'll concede the head honchos were Sonic Team members, and was mainly a Sonic Team production.

I think my overall argument stands. From 1991 to 1995, Sega America was every bit the peer of Sega Japan. They had a better sense of what needed to be done and how to do it

[Centrale]

I think my overall argument stands. From 1991 to 1995, Sega America was every bit the peer of Sega Japan. They had a better sense of what needed to be done and how to do it

I think this is correct. From what I've read, it was a matter of some embarrassment in Japan that SOA was able to make the Genesis a huge success while SOJ couldn't get the MegaDrive to sell nearly as well in its native market. SOA knew they already had a loyal fanbase in the U.S. and knew that the fans, mostly adolescent boys at the time, wanted to see Sega aggressively calling out Nintendo as an inferior platform. I don't think that type of marketing would occur to the Japanese as being acceptable or even possible.

[Radrappy]

Rapdaddy:

glorious