SEGA to re-enter console race?

From Spong:

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Through the haze of jetlag and madness that follows in the wake of each E3, an amazing revelation remains emblazoned in our minds. We were interviewing Sonic Team boss Yuji Naka on the public unveiling of his latest creation, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg - an event that was both good and bad.

It was good because, well, it's always nice to interview any SEGA executive, especially a luminary of Naka's calibre. It was bad because we had to share the interview with several other "news" outlets, some of which, though not all, had come equipped with The Big Book of Cliche Videogame Questions. Ho hum.

Anyway, we asked Naka-san if he missed making games for a proprietary SEGA platform. His response comes as some of the biggest news in recent gaming history: "I miss this very much. Back then SEGA was a little more idolised. When SEGA is ready to go with it's own proprietary hardware platform, I will really, definitely want to work on it." We were amazed, both at the revelation, and the fact that the Japanese press officer, officiously monitoring proceedings and having already vetoed a question about a possible merger, let the question slip. We pressed on, asking whether this might happen. Again, Naka-san was candid in his amazing answer: "In order to realise this, I am working really hard."

Just stop for a moment and think about what this means. At this moment in time, SEGA's board is having talks about the viability of releasing a hardware platform of its very own. What's more, one of its most important figureheads, Yuji Naka, the inventor of Sonic the Hedgehog, is "working really hard" to gain approval for the project.

It's worth bearing in mind that the research and development stage of any possible hardware is pretty much complete. SEGA could squeeze a version of its Naomi 2 arcade platform into a home console box, supply it with a disc media and hey presto! Dreamcast 2!

We'll keep you updated as this amazing story unfolds - of that you can be assured.

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This is pretty hard to believe. My guess is it's contingent upon them pulling off a merger with somebody BIG (Namco might've done the trick), which would then join SEGA in exclusivity to this hardware.

No, Naka says he _wants_ it to happen. Big difference. The chances of this happening are like Johnny Depp as a drug addict... less than zero.

I thought it was well known that Naka want's a new Sega console, good luck on that and getting out of debt.

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Originally posted by J2d
I thought it was well known that Naka want's a new Sega console, good luck on that and getting out of debt.

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I actually thought he was very happy with the GC, so it came as a surprise to me.

Needless to say, if it ever happens, I will be the first in line to drop my $300.

^^^What he said. A new Sega console would kick ass.

I'd sell a kidney for a new Sega console......maybe not my own kidney, but still.

Yeah, I'd LOVE to see Sega kill themselves faster than they already are. Bring on the console!

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Originally posted by Mairu
Yeah, I'd LOVE to see Sega kill themselves faster than they already are. Bring on the console!

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U R NOT E

Enos Lives.

But he has to but upside down to do anything and is covered in jaggies.

Sadly, I see something akin to this happening before the next Dreamcast comes out:

http://cdkenterprises.com/coloring/a.../pig-wings.gif

Unlike most of you, I sure as hell ain't going to rush out and buy a new sega console if they ever do another one. Fuck me if I bite that bullet again.

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Originally posted by LordPerrin
From Spong

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LOL

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Originally posted by Lordmrw
Unlike most of you, I sure as hell ain't going to rush out and buy a new sega console if they ever do another one. Fuck me if I bite that bullet again.

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Yea, I really think a new console will be the death of Sega. Their games really aren't selling like hotcakes on the new systems, what makes Naka think people would rush right out to buy a Sega CONSOLE??

Now, the list of consoles Sega cut short in the US include Sega CD, 32X, Saturn, and now Dreamcast. I don't think anyone trusts them, at this point.

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Originally posted by Lordmrw
Unlike most of you, I sure as hell ain't going to rush out and buy a new sega console if they ever do another one. Fuck me if I bite that bullet again.

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You'd have to rush because they'll probably abandon it a week later.

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Originally posted by Roufuss
Now, the list of consoles Sega cut short in the US include Sega CD, 32X, Saturn, and now Dreamcast. I don't think anyone trusts them, at this point.

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Did Sega pull the plug on Saturn prematurely like the 32X and Sega CD..?

I thought Saturn had run it's course and was unplugged it from life support when the system could not sustain itself (ie. make a profit) any longer.

But yeah, as much as I love Sega, a new Sega console won't go very far. It would have sparse third-party support (even less than DC), so that's a mark against them before they even get started.

I'd buy it. I don't care how long it lasts for.

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Originally posted by 88mph
I'd buy it. I don't care how long it lasts for.

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Certainly.
Forgot to mention that in my previous post..

Sega didn't kill the Saturn Prematurely, Sony did.

I can recall at least 3+ years of new content on the system in the US.

hahaha

a new sega console?!? it would bomb so hard and so fast. sega games sell like crap and what third parties will invest in the console after the debacle that was the dreamcast?

I'd buy it also, but I would wait a month for it to drop down to $50.

I like Sega better as a third party. Honestly, since when has any of their systems, for whatever reason, NOT come in last in sales, market share, etc.?

How it is now, they can make games where ever the most money is at, or where ever individual teams feel like. If we had another Sega console, you could bet there would be nothing interesting like a Sega-developed F-Zero.

I can't see them doing this. 3rd party support would be the real stinger. A handheld Dreamcast would be cool tho, maybe they could make it interactive with the Xbox since MS hasn't mentioned anything and the PSP is on its way to compete with the GBA. *That* would be interesting.

--Scourge .

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Originally posted by Hero
I like Sega better as a third party. Honestly, since when has any of their systems, for whatever reason, NOT come in last in sales, market share, etc.?

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Two generations. Nintendo may be working on equalling that feat very soon.

isn't it only one generation thus far for the gamecube and it's not even over yet

The n64 too.

If you count the saturn during the 32-bit era, then nintendo came in second on that one.


And 88, you're a real bastard. I wonder how long before you have to change that avatar.

don't forget the n64 beat the dreamcast

N64 was kicking BOTH Saturn and Playstations ASS untill FFVII came out

it wasn't just ffvii, but that discussion is for another thread

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Originally posted by Lordmrw
And 88, you're a real bastard. I wonder how long before you have to change that avatar.

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I personally like it.

Heh,
And this is where the true test of brand loyalty comes into play. Some people would love to get a brand new home system from Sega while others are still getting over the bad taste of Sega's killing of their home systems over the years.

Of all the console systems out there the Dreamcast was probably the best piece of hardware devloped by them in years for overall quality gaming entertainment. You rarly heard of the Dreamcast have Disc reading problems *PS1* & of course that Sega even provided a modem for online access was a bold step for any console maker out there in the U.S.

I'd love to see a new piece of hardware come out but of course I'd love a chance for them to advance their thinking of the hardware and pull a Sony like they did with the PS2 making it backwards compatiable for previous games that were on the Dreamcast.

There are so many wonderful options with which Sega could make a new console but 1st and foremost they need to stay committed to the console and not drop it like a hot potato. This is what killed a lot of their fanbase more than anything.

This is so not going to happen.

Imagine the next console race featuring XBOX2, GC2, PS3, and DC2. What will Johnny Mainstream buy? Certainly not the Dreamcast2, and Sega knows this.

I think it's possible a new Sega console can succeed, but it has to be marketed differently than previous Sega consoles. And by "succeed" I mean be profitable, I don't mean become a market leader. They shouldn't even bother competing with other "mass market" consoles like PS2/XBox/GC.

Perhaps they can cater the console specifically to "hardcore" Sega fans, ie make it obvious what you will be geting with the console is a lot of Sega games, and not much else. And they can price it high enough to not sell it at a loss, hardcore Sega fans will buy it anyway.

Hmmmmmmm! A new Sega console? Let me think about it...NO! Why? So that Sega could backstab their loyal fanbase again at the last minute like they did with the Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast? No, thanks! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I rather they remained a third-party company.

How did Sega backstab their fanbase with the Genesis?

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Originally posted by Johnny Undaunted
So that Sega could backstab their loyal fanbase again at the last minute like they did with the Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast?

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Actually I'll disagree with this seeing as I personally felt Tom Kalinski's support of the Genesis was damn good over the years. We got so many great games out in the U.S. thanks to his undying support of the system during that period that even Nintendo got beat out in Sales with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog among a few other titles.

The Genesis was a shining example of how to do it right. Of course that terrible addon the 32X is what totally left a bad taste in everyone's mouths.

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Originally posted by Johnny Undaunted
Hmmmmmmm! A new Sega console? Let me think about it...NO! Why? So that Sega could backstab their loyal fanbase again at the last minute like they did with the Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast? No, thanks! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I rather they remained a third-party company.

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How did Sega Stab gamers in the back with the Genesis...? It was supported with new software from like 1989 to what 1995/96.
Do you mean the limited support of the 32x, and to some degree the Sega CD?

Geez I have to be quicker, by the time I got my question posted I was beaten to the punch by two people. :)

Heh I felt i got my money's worth out of the SegaCD once Lunar, Snatcher, Shining Force CD, & SonicCD among other titles came out and made the system rock.

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Originally posted by Shin Johnpv
N64 was kicking BOTH Saturn and Playstations ASS untill FFVII came out

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Yeah, but the Saturn was kicking the N64s ass in Japan until OOT came out from what I can remember. Sega had alot of the big Japanese franchises back then.

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Originally posted by xS
Yeah, but the Saturn was kicking the N64s ass in Japan until OOT came out from what I can remember. Sega had alot of the big Japanese franchises back then.

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You have to remember tho that for most joe blow gamers in the U.S., this didn't mean dick. I'm still mad at Sega for not releasing all 3 parts of Shining Force III in the U.S. along with the most stupidest of moves by never bringing out the Capcom 4 Meg cart here.

Those were 100% guarenteed sales and Sega just fucked themselves on that one.

I don't think it is going to happen.... That's how sega put themselves in the hole in the first place, why go back there? I love Sega games, I would love to have another Sega console BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE of killing off Sega for good... I rather have them stick around and make great games for other systems, even if I can't get to play them all. :(

Sega's new proprietary console will be called the Xbox.

As soon as Sega mergers with Microsoft, the Xbox will be Sega's hardware.

Two words: Wishful Thinking.

I don't see how a new Sega console that is sold at a profit instead of a loss, would hurt Sega or kill them off.

RoleTroll makes a somewhat interesting point, I wouldn't be suprised to see Sega start working with Microsoft on their hardware...

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Originally posted by Box Drink
RoleTroll makes a somewhat interesting point, I wouldn't be suprised to see Sega start working with Microsoft on their hardware...

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didn't microsoft help design the dreamcast?

Well the Sega CD was alright since it brought us Snatcher and Lunar, but the 32X was totally unneeded and ruined any chance of Sega coming out 1st-place in the console wars. Even if you avoided the 32X, you still had to pay overprice for regular Genesis games such as Phantasy Star IV.

Then there's the whole Shining Force III and Shenmue II fiasco with the Saturn and Dreamcast respectively.

and look how that turned out! easiest system ever to pirate games for! :lol:

i don't think sega would team up with microsoft. there aren't enough money hats in the world...

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Originally posted by Gutsman
I think it's possible a new Sega console can succeed, but it has to be marketed differently than previous Sega consoles. And by "succeed" I mean be profitable, I don't mean become a market leader. They shouldn't even bother competing with other "mass market" consoles like PS2/XBox/GC.

Perhaps they can cater the console specifically to "hardcore" Sega fans, ie make it obvious what you will be geting with the console is a lot of Sega games, and not much else. And they can price it high enough to not sell it at a loss, hardcore Sega fans will buy it anyway.

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You know, one of the arguements for getting a GC is it has Nintendo-brand games. You wouldn't buy one for much else. So if Sega tried adopting that kind of stance, all they do is draw people who like their games, but undercut everyone else. Not a good thing.

Personally, I don't see making a console as a goal to turn a profit anymore. If Sony and MS demonstrate anything, it's that game sales go a long way, and to get those sales, market share is what matters - even at the cost of profit. Because if all you go after is just bottom dollar, you wind up like Nintendo - yeah, they make money, but how much will they remain memorable to the public? And that's considering that Nintendo has a household name to run off of. Sega isn't as recognizable, and if they jump in being as being a 1st party option, and only aiming to make money, they'll just slowly burn off whatever 'brand name' they have left with the mainstream.

If they found a way to make so much money that, they could afford to take a loss for the sake of building up their popularity, then they could be long-standing in consoles. And really, that's what matters most - you don't make a console for sake of making a profit year to year. You make one because you want to be a long-standing 'presence' in the gaming world, and so, you have to think ahead like that.

I wonder how it would have turned out if Sega didn't release the 32X, but instead released the cartridge version of the Saturn for $200.

Making the 32X a scapegoat doesn't make much sense. How many 32X's were sold? Less than 300K? Even if everyone of those people felt "betrayed" by Sega, that's a very small portion of the overall gaming market. And if you didn't buy a 32X, why would you care either way? I never bought a Virtual Boy or Sony MiniDisc, so why should I let the failure of those formats influence my opinion of the overall company?

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Originally posted by Johnny Undaunted
Well the Sega CD was alright since it brought us Snatcher and Lunar, but the 32X was totally unneeded and ruined any chance of Sega coming out 1st-place in the console wars. Even if you avoided the 32X, you still had to pay overprice for regular Genesis games such as Phantasy Star IV.

Then there's the whole Shining Force III and Shenmue II fiasco with the Saturn and Dreamcast respectively.

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For a time, Sega was in first place in the 16 bit console wars, in late 1991 (SNES was new to the scene in Sept. 1991, so Sega had nearly a 2 year head start and used that to their advantage) and 1992, and even into 1993 when Sega was still capitalizing on the popularity of Sonic, and the success of their other franchises. It was not until the later years of the 16 bit war when the SNES surpassed the Genesis with the likes of DKCI,II, and III.
All cartridge games were high prices back then, that was the nature of the industry. I believe SNES games were more expensive on average than Genesis games back then.
In America, Sega saw its best success during the 16 bit wars, and certainly didn't stab gamers in the back, quite the contrary.

Just to make something clear:

Nintendo's current situation is NOTHING like that of Sega. The N64, while not selling nearly as much hardware or software than the PSX, still managed to be very profitable for Nintendo.

The same holds true for the GCN, #3 in the US and #2 in Japan, it still is turning a profit.

Sega has seen very little in terms of profit since the early 80's (when it ruled the arcades). Sure, there have been a few good years with the Genny, but nothing sustained...


Sega console = no chance in hell

Nintendo going 3rd = not anytime soon

I sure wish there was yet another console for me to piss $300 away on.

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Originally posted by Scourge
I can't see them doing this. 3rd party support would be the real stinger. A handheld Dreamcast would be cool tho, maybe they could make it interactive with the Xbox since MS hasn't mentioned anything and the PSP is on its way to compete with the GBA. *That* would be interesting.

--Scourge .

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Good point Scourge! A handheld based on the Dreamcast-on-a-chip technology and that is interactive with the Xbox to compete with the PSP and GBA is a good idea! Maybe that's where MS's interest in SEGA lies?

--Scourge .

Johnny, singling out Phantasy Star IV isn't fair. The entire RPG genre was overpriced back then.

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Originally posted by Gutsman
I don't see how a new Sega console that is sold at a profit instead of a loss, would hurt Sega or kill them off.

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You can only sell hardware at a profit if people have a reason to buy it. A few thousand rabid fans are not enough to support a huge videogame company.

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Nintendo's current situation is NOTHING like that of Sega. The N64, while not selling nearly as much hardware or software than the PSX, still managed to be very profitable for Nintendo.

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Nintendo saved alot by not spending as much as Sony back then. I bet they saved quite alot by not spending on R & D relating to the CD Drive.

well nintendo spent a lot of money on r&d back in the snes days looking into a cd drive. so i don't think sony would of had to invest as much since they were working for nintendo on that project.

Naka's a fucking idiot because he won't make NiGHTS 2. Seriously though, I highly doubt Sega's planning on entering the hardware market again. This is their first profitable year since 1997.

But then again it's Sega and we all know how stupid their way of thinking is ;)

they had a profitable year?!? woah. i did not know that.

nights 2 wouldn't sell. people don't like those kiddie 3d games anymore. just look at jak and daxter or mario sunshine or any of those other recent games that bombed.

I thought Jak and Daxter sold pretty well.

once sony made it a GH it sold much better than the $40 prie point. i don't even think it met the criteria to become a GH.

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Originally posted by Delta
they had a profitable year?!? woah. i did not know that.

nights 2 wouldn't sell. people don't like those kiddie 3d games anymore. just look at jak and daxter or mario sunshine or any of those other recent games that bombed.

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Mario Sunshine bombed???, this certainly is news to me, I thought it sold rather well in Japan, and the U.S.

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Originally posted by Delta
they had a profitable year?!? woah. i did not know that.

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well there's a lot more that you don't know. Just see below.

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nights 2 wouldn't sell. people don't like those kiddie 3d games anymore. just look at jak and daxter or mario sunshine or any of those other recent games that bombed.

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see what I mean ;)

sms may not have bombed when just looking at it alone, but when you look at mario 64 it sure did bomb. people don't care for these games anymore. they like gta and doom and what not.

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Originally posted by Gutsman
How did Sega backstab their fanbase with the Genesis?

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pretty simple, they had 32X (which was a crappy add-on) and anyone who bought it found out there was a better system that they should have waited for, not too mention they also kept many of their good games in japan while pulling out US support because psx and n64 was kicking their ass.

Since sega stopped supporting dreamcast as well, you wouldn't have to figure out why fans are still not willing to buy their games...

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Originally posted by Scourge
I can't see them doing this. 3rd party support would be the real stinger. A handheld Dreamcast would be cool tho, maybe they could make it interactive with the Xbox since MS hasn't mentioned anything and the PSP is on its way to compete with the GBA. *That* would be interesting.

--Scourge .

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Originally posted by Scourge
Good point Scourge! A handheld based on the Dreamcast-on-a-chip technology and that is interactive with the Xbox to compete with the PSP and GBA is a good idea! Maybe that's where MS's interest in SEGA lies?

--Scourge .

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You don't actually think a SEGA handheld would be able to compete with Nintendo's installed base and Sony's hype machine do you? What an idiot.

--Scourge .

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Originally posted by Mr_Furious
Naka's a fucking idiot because he won't make NiGHTS 2.

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Originally posted by Scourge
You don't actually think a SEGA handheld would be able to compete with Nintendo's installed base and Sony's hype machine do you? What an idiot.

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Don't be so quick to flame. Let's look at the situation.

- Sega has the DC-on-a-chip technology. No R&D costs here.
- It's probably rather cheap to make if they make lots of them.
- The NGPC had 5% of the US market by the time SNK closed. Reference the recent interview with the SNK guy on gaming-age (cross-posted here).
- Sega knows any new hardware move it takes would have to be low-key. They can't afford to put alot of money into it. Again, reference SNK -- they didn't have to put alot of money into it. It sold itself, even with the limited releases it had.

Now, tell me -- if SNK can survive with that small a market share (no, the NGPC was not the reason they closed shop -- that was Aruze's fault), why can't Sega? Granted, this is probably what Sony's thinking, but I don't see why there can't be more portable machines on the market.

unit:
But how about the 99% of Genesis owners who didn't buy a 32X? How were they backstabbed?

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You can only sell hardware at a profit if people have a reason to buy it. A few thousand rabid fans are not enough to support a huge videogame company.

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Well maybe not 1 or 2 thousand...but I think 10,000-20,000 rabid fans can make a platform viable.

Maybe Sega can go the 3DO route, make the hardware an open platform, so that other companies can help sell the console too.

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Originally posted by Lhadatt
Don't be so quick to flame. Let's look at the situation.

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When a statement's followed by "Seriously though" it usually means it's joke. Just FYI ;)

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Originally posted by Gutsman
unit:
But how about the 99% of Genesis owners who didn't buy a 32X? How were they backstabbed?

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The Sega CD's another. Not to mention that Sega's R&D had to be split between the 3 platforms which meant that they weren't confident with their initial Genesis platform anymore and that resources had to be divided up to devote dev time to make games for the add-ons.

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Originally posted by Mr_Furious
When a statement's followed by "Seriously though" it usually means it's joke. Just FYI ;)

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Heh. I was talking to Scourge. I quoted you out of agreeance -- vB just merged my two posts.

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Originally posted by Gutsman
unit:
But how about the 99% of Genesis owners who didn't buy a 32X? How were they backstabbed?

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the real backstab came from having to buy the hardware, only to see a better system and realising the $150-$200 you paid could have been invested with the saturn.

As for everyone who passed, they had nothing to be pissed about! :p

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Originally posted by Scourge
You don't actually think a SEGA handheld would be able to compete with Nintendo's installed base and Sony's hype machine do you? What an idiot.

--Scourge .

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Well, I don't think SEGA would care if their handheld could compete if Microsoft was funding it.

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Originally posted by Lhadatt
Don't be so quick to flame. Let's look at the situation.

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Heh, I was flaming myself. Nobody was responding to my points but me, so I took the Devil's Advocate approach. You made good points, thanks for supporting my position.:D

--Scourge .

For everyone who passed on the 32X, they saw Sega splitting their efforts two ways and dooming both the 32X and the Saturn. Also, the Genesis owners who believed they'd get backwards compatibility (like the PowerBase converter) may have been ticked with the Saturn. And the Sega CD also burned many.

But yes, the Genesis was a great system. No regrets.

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Originally posted by Gutsman
Well maybe not 1 or 2 thousand...but I think 10,000-20,000 rabid fans can make a platform viable.

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Maybe if Sega had 12 employees.

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Maybe Sega can go the 3DO route, make the hardware an open platform, so that other companies can help sell the console too.

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Yeah, cause that model worked so well for 3DO.

How about renaming the Xbox in Japan? In the U.S., it's the Microsoft Xbox. In Japan, it's the Sega Xbox or the Sega GigaDrive. Same internal hardware but optimized for the Japanese.

The Japanese don't really care about Sega, either. Maybe the Square/Enixbox would sell.

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Originally posted by RoleTroll
And the Sega CD also burned many.

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The only way anyone got burned by the Sega CD is if they didn't know which games to buy. If they were dumb enough to pass on Snatcher for Night Trap, they deserved whatever they got.

Chihiro (Xbox) blows away the Naomi 2 spec-wise, except for the RAM (64 MB on Chihiro, 32MB Main + 32MB GX + 32MB Model Data + 8MB sound = 104 MB total on Naomi 2).

Bringing out a Naomi 2 home system would be akin to having Sony produce a System 12 console and call it the PlayStation 2.

I think the 32X should not have been released- it was coming out way too close to the release date of the Saturn. Rather than release the 32X at all, Sega should have made the original Sega CD a 32-bit (by using a 16 MHz 68020 instead of the 12 MHz 68000) while also adding a special GPU to allow all 512 colors to be used at once.

Although I would be tempted to buy a new Sega console, I do feel that Sega should remain a software developer.

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Originally posted by Roufuss

Now, the list of consoles Sega cut short in the US include Sega CD, 32X, Saturn, and now Dreamcast. I don't think anyone trusts them, at this point.

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How long have you been posting on a videogame message board? Must not be long if you feel that stateing this is at all important, lends to your unique view on things, or is in anyway informative. People have said this as long as the Saturn was going out, people said this throughout the entire life-span of the Dreamcast. I will wager that something like that has been said on every gaming and some non-gaming message boards ad naseum since 1997.

So thanks for your informative and unique perspective. Next time, try to fit in "M$" into one of your posts. I'm sure people will be astounded at your clever juxtaposition of the letter S with the Dollar Symbol.

I just don't want to have to buy ANOTHER system just to play Sega games... to be honest. I get it in 3 now, why 4?

I dunno about all this no way talk. I thought the DC almost made it big. It sold quite well, all it really needed was EA and Square and bam it would have kepted selling and would have been where the PS2 is now. Except the third parties would be making more profit and sooner.

I think Sega is talking about WAY DOWN the line. When they have no debt and are one of the bigger publishers like EA. They might even change their name if they think no one would buy a Sega console again. The sad thing is that it would work on most people that buy game systems. Only the people that go on message boards would probably know it's really Sega.

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Originally posted by Hero

If we had another Sega console, you could bet there would be nothing interesting like a Sega-developed F-Zero.

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A game that is fantastic, yet plays exactly like the Nintendo developed F-Zero X ??

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Originally posted by Captain Canuck
I dunno about all this no way talk. I thought the DC almost made it big. It sold quite well, all it really needed was EA and Square and bam it would have kepted selling and would have been where the PS2 is now. Except the third parties would be making more profit and sooner.

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I disagree. The DC sold "okay" in the U.S. and Europe, and was effectively ignored in the land of the rising sun. Yes, the DC would have sold more consoles with Square's and EA's support, but it certainly wouldn't have put it where the PS2 is now, like you indicated.
EA means shit to Japanese gamers, the bigger loss was the near exclusivity Konami granted Sony. Remember MGS2, and all the crazy hype?

The most significant reason why the DC had a short life span was because mainstream gamers (who unfortunately decide the way the market goes) were waiting for the PS2, and bought all the hype Sony fed them. Many early PS2 owners weren't even aware that the DC existed. Sony convinced the casual gamer that their system was the only game in town.
The DC unfortunately had little chance to succeed, especially with the XBOX and GC looming on horizon, near its untimely demise.

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Originally posted by Captain Canuck
Only the people that go on message boards would probably know it's really Sega.

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Or the thousands of EB/GS/Funco employees that feel it's their "duty" to inform the consumer ;)

Knowledge is power :rolleyes:

The whole Sega failure syndrom is a self fulfilling prophecy. People keep avoiding their products because they expect them to fail. I'm not sure how they can get out of this cycle, even if they do everything humanly possible to fix their image.

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Originally posted by Scourge
Heh, I was flaming myself. Nobody was responding to my points but me, so I took the Devil's Advocate approach. You made good points, thanks for supporting my position.:D

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Hah! I guess that's what happens when I stay up til 4 AM coding and go into work at 8 AM...

I could see a SEGA system working, but it'd have to be marketed totally differently than the systems of Sony and MS. Something like the NEO GEO, but with standard console prices. Having all SEGA games on one system would probably cancel out the small userbase because the userbase would be all SEGA fans.

I won't even comment on some of the uninformed comments I've seen throughout this thread, but I will say that I would buy a new SEGA console without hesitation.

It needs to be cheap. Stick with the DC or Naomi 2 hardware if they have to. $50 should be the max any new Sega platform should go for. Games should be $15-$30. True, the games won't look the best, but if they can get sufficiently large market penetration at a low price point with guarenteed new content, who cares about the graphics? Offer Sega's traditional gameplay quality and it will sell itself.

Take the budget for a standard 2D GBA game and apply that to classic-style platformers, puzzlers, etc. Maybe port over some older stuff like Puyo Puyo. Have some fighters on it too. In essence, it should be a revival of the DC -- but with more emphasis on 2D and non-flashy games. Backwards compatability with the Dreamcast would be a good idea.

Buy cheap advertising. Local paper ad runs, late-night TV commercials, website ads, etc. If it's positioned as a cheap alternative to more expensive platforms and properly market it, I don't see how it wouldn't be profitable.

What I'd rather have is a Sega console that plays every previous Sega format.

It could have a GD/CD-compatible drive and two cartridge slots (one for SMS/Genny/32x, the other for Saturn expansion stuff). It could come boxed with a new controller that works for all formats, but also with adapters for any previous Sega controller you wish to use. It could also be either region-free, or easy to play imports on (using the Saturn cart port), and it could output S-video, component, RGB and VGA without modification.

Yeah right, the machine would be freakin' huge (unless they use emulation, yuck) and they'd have to re-release a backlog of thousands upon thousands of games. So much for that dream.

The NEO-GEO was succesful, because it had arcade background. Arcades were still viable and the userbase succeeded because of this. Arcades are pretty much dead now!


As far as Sega even making a system that is backwards compatible with the DC, that would'nt even be viable. This worked with PS2, because there was still a Playstation userbase with readily available software at retail. Can you even find DC software at stores like Walmart, Best Buy or Circuit City?


Sega would be best suited as a 3rd party publisher. As much as I, or any Sega fan would love to see hardware from Sega, this would not be a smart move by Sega anytime in the near future.


As I've stated in other threads, Sega would be better suited, to focus most of their 3rd party support to GBA, with ports of Genesis games and making updates to great Sega brandname titles, on hardware like that of PS2, Gamecube and Xbox.


Maybe by the middle of the next gen console race, Sega could pull a coup with a release of better hardware than what's available and make a substantial move, instead of releasing hardware a year before better hardware arrives.

Quote:

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Originally posted by xS
Yeah, but the Saturn was kicking the N64s ass in Japan until OOT came out from what I can remember. Sega had alot of the big Japanese franchises back then.

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no it wasnt and OOT was after FFVII

the saturn took almost 2 years in Japan to sell a million units
PSX took something like 16 - 18 months

N64 hit 1 mil sold in about 5 months

Id say thats fucking PWNIN!!! the saturn

If I'm not mistaken, the Saturn sold almost 6 million in Japan. Thats pretty good.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Orta
If I'm not mistaken, the Saturn sold almost 6 million in Japan. Thats pretty good.

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I heard it was 5 million. Still, it had a good 5 year run in Japan. :cool:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Gutsman
How did Sega backstab their fanbase with the Genesis?

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How did they stab us in the back with the Dreamcast? Do you guys remember how many amazing games came out on the DC during its relatively short lifespan? The DC's library stacks up well against the library of any other modern system - what's odd is that 5 years' worth of good games came out for the DC in a two year period.

Quote:

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Originally posted by gamevet
As far as Sega even making a system that is backwards compatible with the DC, that would'nt even be viable. This worked with PS2, because there was still a Playstation userbase with readily available software at retail. Can you even find DC software at stores like Walmart, Best Buy or Circuit City?

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No, but I can find over 200 DC games staring back at me from my entertainment center. Backwards compatability would definitely be a large selling point for some people.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Lhadatt
It needs to be cheap. Stick with the DC or Naomi 2 hardware if they have to. $50 should be the max any new Sega platform should go for. Games should be $15-$30. True, the games won't look the best, but if they can get sufficiently large market penetration at a low price point with guarenteed new content, who cares about the graphics? Offer Sega's traditional gameplay quality and it will sell itself.

Take the budget for a standard 2D GBA game and apply that to classic-style platformers, puzzlers, etc. Maybe port over some older stuff like Puyo Puyo. Have some fighters on it too. In essence, it should be a revival of the DC -- but with more emphasis on 2D and non-flashy games. Backwards compatability with the Dreamcast would be a good idea.

Buy cheap advertising. Local paper ad runs, late-night TV commercials, website ads, etc. If it's positioned as a cheap alternative to more expensive platforms and properly market it, I don't see how it wouldn't be profitable.

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You should be running Sega. Seriously. Just wait three months for the new president to be fired to cover over Sega's latest incompetence and take over.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Ammadeau
You should be running Sega. Seriously. Just wait three months for the new president to be fired to cover over Sega's latest incompetence and take over.

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Thanks. Perhaps one day... ;)

It just amazes me that Sega hasn't again attempted what they did with Majesco when the Genesis was discontinued. Hell, when the NES hit it big, Atari (or whomever was controlling them) re-released the 2600 and probably made a nice bit of pocket change off it. It was $50 when the NES was $200 and the games were cheap. Why not go the budget route? It can't be pride -- Sega's been through some pretty humiliating times lately...