So how many Development Studios do SEGA have now?

[Trippled]

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

[Deefy]

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.

[Radrappy]

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. 

[TimmiT]

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.

[George]

 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?

[Trippled]

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.

[George]

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.

[Sharky]

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.

[crackdude]

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.

[Aki-at]

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.

[Centrale]

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.

[Trippled]

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.

[Deefy]

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.

[Trippled]

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.