The weak arm becomes the weak finger: 300 Jobs cut at Sega America

[Shigs]

Kellie Parker has confirmed that she is leaving. I wonder if we're gonna have a community team at all anymore?

[JRcade19]

More or less as far as I'm seeing, anyone who ever did anything for SoA is gone or leaving.

Can't say I blame them for the latter.

[CrazyT]

Kellie Parker has confirmed that she is leaving. I wonder if we're gonna have a community team at all anymore?

Man that sucks. When I used to regular the SEGA forums, she was always really cool. Man...

[George]

Yeah it sucks. Though if I was in Kellie and Julian shoes, even if they weren't fired, I dunno if I would move to the other side of California to continue to work at a company like SOA that continues to shrink. Especially after all the fault is management for what I hear. Especially when these people have significant others to think about who probably have a job in San Francisco.

Best of luck to Julian and Kellie. Both of them are leaving from I gather on social media. I know they'll find a job a even better job!

[pirovash88]

I'd say they just about did this to themselves, Sonic Boom was a disaster. Such a bummer that they're going to concentrate on PC and Mobile more, but it makes total sense.

I almost feel an obligation to help this Company out more with sales at this point.

[Sharky]

I don't care for mobile but if Sega wants to focus on PC I'm all for it...

[JRcade19]

I just hope Clumsy and Kellie will still be able to keep in touch with us one way or another

[Kuronoa]

Not too fond of PC or Mobile.  However, if they release Sakura Wars to Steam, for example, I would buy it.
They have plenty to take from my wallet this year with Dengeki Bunko, Project Mirai, 3D classics, Yakuza 5...  I hope people buy them too.

And it sucks all these helpful, friendly staff who been talking to us at Sega forum lost their jobs.  I wish them luck.

[SuperSonicEX]

Sad to hear about Kellie and Julian leaving, but I totally understand their reasons, I wish them the best of luck in their future.

[George]

Julian posted about his time with SEGA here:

http://forums.sega.com/showthread.php?521263-Sega-of-America-downsizing-relocating-to-Southern-California&p=8939459&viewfull=1#post8939459

[pirovash88]

So does that mean Cochrane is gonna lose his job? Are the forums closing down?

[Team Andromeda]

Guys relax.  SoA's projects were consistently awful and it's not like they were ever going to bring PSO2 over here anyway. 

Sigh.... This is far more to do with job losses at SOA . Its SEGA Group complete focus on mobile gaming . Which means to any console gamer SEGA is now all but dead to them and even in the Arcades SEGA is nothing like the SEGA of old It's sad to see . It may be great for profits but for any serious gamer mobile is not your platform of choice. Ahh well at least SEGA gave me some nice times and memories back in the day.

[Trippled]

I just don't if you can take corporate speak for granted. The last few annual reports they barely mention console games. Yet, they released things like Phantasy Star Nova, Shining Resonance, Dengeki Climax and the RGG games.

[Barry the Nomad]

I foresee 2015+ to feature more PC releases and more digital titles including localizations, the usual amount of mobile releases, no more SEGA of America third party crap, more use of old IPs in merchandising and visual media, and the pillar IPs of Sonic, Miku, Aliens, Total War, Football Manager, and Company of Heroes to continue in the West with the usual digital and boxed releases.

[Happy Cat]

Major over reactions from lots of people. but understandable. most people can't be bothered to keep up with an actual companies structure unless they really care.

Press release said increased focus on PC and mobile.. and well. that's kinda already what they've been doing. SEGA West is a PC Powerhouse developer. That's basically the only kinds of games SEGA Europe makes, ignoring hardlight and alien isolation.

Increased focus on mobile is SEGA Networks. Traditional SEGA developers will continue to make console games. They aren't going to scrap Yakuza, Miku, or big Sonic games. I imagine we will continue to see new IP on consoles too every once in a while.

The only cuts are SEGA America and Arcade. SEGA America gutted so they can no longer publish games, the branch has been a mess and SEGA Sammy have finally decided to put it to rest. They will only exist for the mere purpose of distributing the few physical games SEGA has in NA and maybe dealing with some other business like merchandise or localizing. The arcade division got cuts too because apparently arcades are starting to die in Japan.

There was some really cool people at SEGA America and I wish nothing but the best for them. They have done a great job. It's too bad things had to go this way. Thing is though. the writing has been on the wall. Sonic Boom was SEGA America's last chance after all the crap they have been responsible for. It's time to move on and destroy SEGA America in it's current form. They've done nothing but hold SEGA back for many years now. Also, if Sonic Boom the videogame was really a 20 million dollar budget, they've also been wasting a ton of SEGA Sammy's money.