The Future of SEGA (A Nintendo fanboy rants incoherently)

[FlareHabanero]

Sadly, I've found their games lack any imagination and people just seem to adore them for throwing out the same bread and butter games over and over with Splatoon being the only exception in years. It's been easy for Nintendo for years, but with the Wii and Wii u, they've hit the rocks.

When they make a new IP (which is a lot more often then you think) people ignore it.
When they try something new people hate it.
When they try to play it safe people hate it.


Nintendo can't win because gamers are unreasonable brats.

[Tad]

That's completely not true. I don't care if Nintendo do make the same games over and over. They don't personally interest me, but there's no denying they're fun. But don't come on here bad mouthing other studios etc for trying something else.

Yes, SEGA have made mistakes, but so have every other company. Nintendo are just as guilty, but the difference is, everyone seems to worship them due to having great memories from their childhood it seems.

[Team Andromeda]

What 'quality' are you talking about? Mario Power Tennis Wii U? Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival? Animal Crossing Home Designer? Mario Party 10? Devils Third? Or are we talking about their poorly emulated classics on 3DS? Or perhaps that terrible looking new Star Fox?

I agree, but then you have Mario and Zelda main games  . I mean I could do a list of sub bar SEGA games and the likes of the new Star Fox show what happens when you outsource a IP sometimes . And Nintendo only publish Devils Third it's not a NCL In-House game or a NCL
IP.

But you reckon Nintendo would make use of Yakuza? Dawn of War? How shit would it be if Total War or Football Manager were Nintendo exclusive? No... just no. Especially if their next console is as shit as their last two

Well Sharky the way SEGA Japan is going the likes of Yakuza will be on the mobile after SEGA Japan turns their back on the consoles . Still that's what you want right, its way the money is after all ?

[Sharky]

I agree, but then you have Mario and Zelda main games  . I mean I could do a list of sub bar SEGA games and the likes of the new Star Fox show what happens when you outsource a IP sometimes . And Nintendo only publish Devils Third it's not a NCL In-House game or a NCL
IP.

Mario fair enough, but I never understood what people see in Zelda... It has had the same formula since the 90's, never brings much new to the table, never cutting edge because of Nintendo's hardware limitations... Bare bones story. I mean when you play a game like The Witcher and compare it's world/gameplay to the recent Zelda games there is no contest.

Well Sharky the way SEGA Japan is going the likes of Yakuza will be on the mobile after SEGA Japan turns their back on the consoles . Still that's what you want right, its way the money is after all ?

Why are you such a passive aggressive asshole? I've never said anything of the sort. I'm more than happy for SEGA to have a mobile division if it's going to keep them profitable, yes...

But I want console and even more so, PC games just as much as anyone.

[Artwark]

Mario fair enough, but I never understood what people see in Zelda... It has had the same formula since the 90's, never brings much new to the table, never cutting edge because of Nintendo's hardware limitations... Bare bones story. I mean when you play a game like The Witcher and compare it's world/gameplay to the recent Zelda games there is no contest.

Why are you such a passive aggressive asshole? I've never said anything of the sort. I'm more than happy for SEGA to have a mobile division if it's going to keep them profitable, yes...

But I want console and even more so, PC games just as much as anyone.

While we haven't seen Sakura Wars in the west except one game, they have announced a mobile game of sakura wars....and its horrible.


We're not here to talk about Nintendo's future here because while they have their own problems, it isn't anywhere as problematic as how SEGA is facing here because they can last very long.


Right now there are a few things that pop into mind?


1. How can SEGA win back its audience? Abandoning strong IP's like Shinobi, Phantasy Star etc isn't a smart move because the audience for those games are still strong in demand. Western Studios that SEGA owns are not going to be owned by SEGA if they keep making losses.


2.How can SEGA make profit if nearly every game they make is niche to begin with? There's some argument that their franchises aren't niche but seeing as how they keep many of their IP's sell less than more, they are still niche market.

[Sharky]

While we haven't seen Sakura Wars in the west except one game, they have announced a mobile game of sakura wars....and its horrible.

What has Sakura Wars got to do with anything? They have loads of great mobile games available.

We're not here to talk about Nintendo's future here because while they have their own problems, it isn't anywhere as problematic as how SEGA is facing here because they can last very long.

If you want to discuss SEGA, then at least listen to what others have said... As others have said SEGA are not at risk of going bankrupt, they're profitable, even with the very few games they released in 2015 because most have been pushed back into 2016, and a 90% drop in profits they're STILL profitable. And if they weren't, SEGA Sammy have load of money and a hell of a lot of assets to sell off before they go bankrupt... So you can put that dream to bed.

Right now there are a few things that pop into mind?
1. How can SEGA win back its audience? Abandoning strong IP's like Shinobi, Phantasy Star etc isn't a smart move because the audience for those games are still strong in demand. Western Studios that SEGA owns are not going to be owned by SEGA if they keep making losses.

None of those IP's are abandoned, there was a new Shinobi on the 3DS a couple of years back and Phantasy Star is in active right now... SEGA have revived series after a decade before, I don't think SEGA have ever said a series is abandoned...
Secondly all of SEGA's western developers are incredibly profitable, so why on earth would they sell them off? They wouldn't, all of their series are critically acclaimed, million sellers which sit in the charts for weeks on end.

2.How can SEGA make profit if nearly every game they make is niche to begin with? There's some argument that their franchises aren't niche but seeing as how they keep many of their IP's sell less than more, they are still niche market.

Just because a series is niche in one region doesn't mean it's niche world wide...
Sonic isn't niche
Phantasy Star Online isn't niche
Yakuza isn't niche
Company of Heroes isn't niche
Total War isn't niche
Football Manager isn't niche
Dawn of War isn't niche
Chain Chronicles isn't niche
Persona isn't niche
etc etc

Also I don't think you know what niche means, it doesn't mean not profitable, it means small audience... Which isn't a problem, plenty of companies survive on only niche titles and are still profitable. SEGA have both niche and popular titles... And they still regularly turn a profit.

SEGA are in no trouble financially... And the REASON they've lowered their profit forecast this year is because they've delayed most of their games into 2016 to promote quality while Nintendo this season have released a looooaaad of trash.

[pirovash88]

Pretty sure he doesn't know the difference between SEGA and SEGA Sammy..

Anyways, if SEGA is niche, then so is Nintendo. How would Nintendo not be considered niche at this point? 11 mil Wii U's sold in 3 years. The only people buying Wii U's at this point are fans, which means that's a pretty niche install base.

[ribbitking17]

That's not true that only fans buy it. I have parents and "normal" people buy Wii U's all of the time at the target I work at.

[EnternalHope]

Shenmue, Phantasy Star Online 2, and Yakuza 5 are also niche.

How would sega bankrupting benefit you? What is the positive to hope for that?

They're not going bankrupt anytime soon.


http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/6460/financials/cash-flow


So we don't have to worry about that.

[Pao]

When they make a new IP (which is a lot more often then you think) people ignore it.

Splatoon is selling like hotcakes, so that's not true.

[EnternalHope]

I mean yeah they've really screwed up a lot and I would share your stance after sonic 4's first reveal. But that was me in an emotional/angry/irrational state. I'd expect all SEGA fans to kind of be in a fase where its accepted that SEGA is trying to find its way up again after screwing themselves so hard. Id rather just find good content somewhere else in the meantime instead of still being invested to the extent of wishing people to lose their jobs for not meeting my demands... I mean come on... Isnt that a bit too much?

Having said that, anyone could have seen this coming from miles away. The community managers not taking fans serious and shrugging off a lot of passionate fans has blown them back real hard. I know it was them just doing their work. They're obviously not going to hire someone who questions the products that are created by the company. But I think of the community mangers as people who reflect the mentality of the company as a whole. At a lot of times it did feel like they were condescending and confident about the fans just being dumb and stupid. For all the defending and rediculing theydid, a lot of them actually ended up losing their job so it didnt help them either.

Julian "Clumsyorchid" Mehfield the former Community Manager of Sega of America was dismissed from his position on May 31,2015 by Sega Holdings.


For a REASON.

[Trippled]

Just because companies dont make money the way you like does not mean they are in danger of existing.

[Barry the Nomad]

Julian "Clumsyorchid" Mehfield the former Community Manager of Sega of America was dismissed from his position on May 31,2015 by Sega Holdings.


For a REASON.

Nope. Keep personal attacks on former staff of these forums. Julian, Kellie and the other CMs are friends to the site and I will not sit back and allow people to freely attack them here.

[Tad]

Nope. Keep personal attacks on former staff of these forums. Julian, Kellie and the other CMs are friends to the site and I will not sit back and allow people to freely attack them here.

Clever man, how much do you charge?

[Barry the Nomad]

Clever man, how much do you charge?

The SEGAbits $¥£ Karma store opens in 2016.