How Is Sega Staying in Business?

I was looking over the walls the other day, and noticed how many games Sega has published/developed lately that (at least in our neck of the woods) haven't sold for shit.
Golden Compass
Alien Syndrome
After Burner
Phantasy Star Universe
Viking
Sonic
Sega Rally Revo
Nights
The Club
Universe At War
Sega Superstars Tennis
Sonic Riders 2
Virtua Tennis
Virtua Fighter 360-we did sell some of these, but far from what we expected.

Can Ghost Squad, Condemned 2, and House of the Dead 2/3 really be carrying the company? Are they bleeding money left and right, or are these games that I can't give away doing okay numbers in other parts of the world?

Plastics.

Sonic sells extremely well, despite its quality. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games in particular sold pretty crazy. Ryu Ga Gotoku (Yakuza) sells very well in Japan, as do the anime licensed games (Bleach, most notably) that they do. That beetle battling game of theirs is also a bit of a phenomenon there.

Don't forget Sammy's crazy pachinko money they have to back them up, too.

I think the Sonic games do pretty well because of kids. I know Shadow the Hedgehog sold a bunch.

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Originally Posted by YellerDog

Plastics.

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They make it possible. That's what I hear.

Think about how low the developments costs for some of that garbage must be. Shit like Mario & Sonic Olympics and Golden Compass have absurd profit margins.

the sonic and mario at the olympics games sold several million copies(EDIT: as of march 15, they sold 3.5 million copies, as per kotaku), for a while it was the best selling third party game on the wii,lt might still be, dunno. and psu is still out there, with minimal new development and a small but stable number of paying subscribers, its still probably paying some bills.

I thought Mario & Sonic Olympics sold alot of copies.... they are just Bandai now anyway.

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

Think about how low the developments costs for some of that garbage must be. Shit like Mario & Sonic Olympics and Golden Compass have absurd profit margins.

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i was just about to post this.

Alien Syndrome - shovelware
After Burner - shovelware
Phantasy Star Universe - rehash from the DC days
Virtua Tennis - same as PSO

any sales of these is pure profit.

Mobile phone games and other non-game games are probably what is keeping them alive.

I think it is maybe the dollar I give them every time I play After Burner Climax that is keeping them in business.

Where is there an After Burner Climax around here? Good Times?

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

Where is there an After Burner Climax around here? Good Times?

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Yes. Good Time Emporium has the only one I've ever played. And it is, in fact, a good time.

How are their Marvel games selling? I played the Iron Man movie game on PS2 and it was as bland and super-generic as games come.

Good to hear, as Good Times is, ironically, not typically a very good time at all.

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Originally Posted by Dolemite

How are their Marvel games selling? I played the Iron Man movie game on PS2 and it was as bland and super-generic as games come.

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Think back to when we were playing NES and Marvel was putting out games through LJN. great music, though

Things have gotten better, even if they are generic. Kids love 'em, I'm sure. :D

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Originally Posted by Dolemite

How are their Marvel games selling? I played the Iron Man movie game on PS2 and it was as bland and super-generic as games come.

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Ah, another one. We sold a few copies on PS2, PS3, and 360. The portables have yet to sell anything.

Also, something like Golden Compass may be shovelware, but Sega had to pay someone for the license yes?

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

Good to hear, as Good Times is, ironically, not typically a very good time at all.

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How can you say that?! Here's a guide to having a good time at Good Time. Which is singular, despite people insisting otherwise. I was there last weekend and this was a point we debated much while severely intoxicated.

1. Get one of those skanky bartenders to bring you two pitchers of the cheapest beer they have.
2. Sit down at the Derby Owners Club stations.
3. Dump all your money into the machine.
4. Drink heavily.
5. Smile.

Optional step 6 is to drive go karts while wrecked. Laser tag is also a good call. Or foosball or air hockey. Or Top Skater. Also fun is to amass a large amount of tickets and demand the men at the counter bring you 40 bouncy balls or perhaps a quantity of play money. Lighting cigarettes with play money makes you feel great. Excuse me, I just remembered that there's a dinosaur glider in my bag that requires assembly.

Now that you mention it, I haven't tried any of their ticket redemption games, and I've only been there maybe thrice since turning 21. Perhaps I have rendered hasty judgement!

Is Good Times in Boston area? Where?

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Originally Posted by Bacon McShig

Don't forget Sammy's crazy pachinko money they have to back them up, too.

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Sammy's been losing money hand over fist on its Pachinko business lately, and it's been the games part of the company that's kept it from going under. That's not going to last much longer.

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Originally Posted by Nash

I think the Sonic games do pretty well because of kids. I know Shadow the Hedgehog sold a bunch.

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Sonic 2K6 sold about 600k, and just about every other Sonic game released in the last four years has sold over a million copies.

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Originally Posted by portnoyd

Mobile phone games and other non-game games are probably what is keeping them alive.

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Sonic The Hedgehog just celebrated its eighth million download late last month.

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Originally Posted by Melf

Sonic The Hedgehog just celebrated its eighth million download late last month.

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http://lolbots.com/wordpress/wp-cont...7/06/yarly.jpg

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Originally Posted by kingoffighters

Is Good Times in Boston area? Where?

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Yeah, Somerville, MA. It's not too far of a walk off of one of the the T stops. Green line, if I recall. Hayward Square, maybe?

I still haven't been there. I wanna try the horse game. :D

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

Yeah, Somerville, MA. It's not too far of a walk off of one of the the T stops. Green line, if I recall. Hayward Square, maybe?

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Sullivan Square on the Orange line. Kind of a sketchy walk, but not that sketchy. I mean, I pissed on a fire hydrant on the way once and nobody made trouble.

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Originally Posted by YellerDog

I still haven't been there. I wanna try the horse game. :D

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Yeah you do! I got a new horse last time, and it happened to be a female. The training has been going awesome so when my stats are super good and when my previous horse (King Horse Master) runs out of steam, I am going to mate them and produce THE WINNINGEST OFFSPRING OF ALL TIME. DOC is life.

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Originally Posted by Dyne

i was just about to post this.

Alien Syndrome - shovelware
After Burner - shovelware
Phantasy Star Universe - rehash from the DC days
Virtua Tennis - same as PSO

any sales of these is pure profit.

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Alien Syndrome was on multiple platforms, at least PSP and Wii, so they spread the dev costs out. And didn't they charge full price for the Wii's straight PSP port?

Sonic keeps selling well. They also leverage the Genesis games, especially Golden Axe, Columns, Flicky, etc. in collections and VC.

The quality has gone to the crapper, but they're probably doing okay financially.

I still laugh when Sega dropped out of the console business and proclaimed that they would be the #1 third-party publisher in, like, a year.

Basically, they're the new Acclaim.

#1 in crap titles.

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Originally Posted by Dolemite

I still laugh when Sega dropped out of the console business and proclaimed that they would be the #1 third-party publisher in, like, a year.

Basically, they're the new Acclaim.

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In fairness they probably weren't planning on a hostile takeover by a megalomaniacal pachinko company.

wtf is pachinko anyway?

It's like slot machines mixed with tentacle rape.

Yeah, I remember seeing people playing those over there. They are like fucking zombies with buckets of fake gold tokens.

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Originally Posted by Biff

wtf is pachinko anyway?

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Think Japanese slot/pinball machines, but not really. Or you could just use Wikipedia. Like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko

Let me know if you need me to come over and cut your meat for you.

Ok Mr Smart guy, here is japan

http://www.tropicalisland.de/japan/t...03008x2000.jpg

Locate what you know for sure is a pachinko shop.

Sorry I didn't stop to ask this question, next time I'm there I'll txt bbobb for 14,500 yen

nice hotlink, Mr. Smart Guy.

no hotlinking, buddy.

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Originally Posted by Biff

Ok Mr Smart guy, here is japan

http://jpns.remotedb.earlham.edu/stu...0Tokyo_jpg.jpg

Locate what you know for sure is a pachinko shop.

Sorry I didn't stop to ask this question, next time I'm there I'll txt bbobb for 14,500 yen

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Japan is a failed image link?

Also, Shenmue III would solve all of Sega's problems. Release it now.

Not really, but I still want it.

WHY CANT YOU PEOPLE JUST LET YOUR DREAMS DIE?!?!

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

Good to hear, as Good Times is, ironically, not typically a very good time at all.

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There's just too much everything there.

"you wanna play pool? Pick a table 1-345 please."

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Originally Posted by UrielSynthesis

WHY CANT YOU PEOPLE JUST LET YOUR DREAMS DIE?!?!

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1. Who are "you people?"

2. I'll never let the dream die. Besides, I really need closure.

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Originally Posted by squall_vb

Besides, I really need closure.

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The ending of Shenmue

Ryo finally realized that Lan Di didn't kill his dad. He looked in the mirror and realized he is the real killer. If he hadn't been such a pussy, he would have put up with more of a fight instead of having his ass handed to him on a silver platter. Nozomi also came to the realization that Ryo is a closet fag and dumped his sorry ass for Johnny Cage.

Ryo, being rejected by his girlfriend and unable to master the skills necessary to beat Lan Di, decided to become a male porn star in the Japanese porn industry. He became quite famous later on when he exclusively did gay midget bestiality porn.

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Originally Posted by kingoffighters

The ending of Shenmue

Ryo finally realized that Lan Di didn't kill his dad. He looked in the mirror and realized he is the real killer. If he hadn't been such a pussy, he would have put up with more of a fight instead of having his ass handed to him on a silver platter. Nozomi also came to the realization that Ryo is a closet fag and dumped his sorry ass for Johnny Cage.

Ryo, being rejected by his girlfriend and unable to master the skills necessary to beat Lan Di, decided to become a male porn star in the Japanese porn industry. He became quite famous later on when he exclusively did gay midget bestiality porn.

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But WAI R HE POOP BANANS?

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Originally Posted by kingoffighters

The ending of Shenmue

Ryo finally realized that Lan Di didn't kill his dad. He looked in the mirror and realized he is the real killer. If he hadn't been such a pussy, he would have put up with more of a fight instead of having his ass handed to him on a silver platter. Nozomi also came to the realization that Ryo is a closet fag and dumped his sorry ass for Johnny Cage.

Ryo, being rejected by his girlfriend and unable to master the skills necessary to beat Lan Di, decided to become a male porn star in the Japanese porn industry. He became quite famous later on when he exclusively did gay midget bestiality porn.

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You're going to Hell for such blasphemy. Realize that now.

squall, don't judge Ryo. After all, his new career is better than stacking books or driving a forklift all day.

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Originally Posted by Biff

Locate what you know for sure is a pachinko shop.

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There are no pachinko shops that I can see in that picture.

I just don't want to think about the Quick Time Events if a sequel should happen...

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Originally Posted by kingoffighters

The ending of Shenmue

Ryo finally realized that Lan Di didn't kill his dad. He looked in the mirror and realized he is the real killer. If he hadn't been such a pussy, he would have put up with more of a fight instead of having his ass handed to him on a silver platter. Nozomi also came to the realization that Ryo is a closet fag and dumped his sorry ass for Johnny Cage.

Ryo, being rejected by his girlfriend and unable to master the skills necessary to beat Lan Di, decided to become a male porn star in the Japanese porn industry. He became quite famous later on when he exclusively did gay midget bestiality porn.

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Originally Posted by bbobb

There are no pachinko shops that I can see in that picture.

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Thanks for proving my point.

What exactly was your point?

That you rule man!

Anywhay, Yakuza 2 ftw, stop hating.

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

Where is there an After Burner Climax around here? Good Times?

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There was a thread discussing this topic a while back. A lot of Chuck E Cheese's have them and for only 1 token. :)

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Originally Posted by Grave

How can you say that?! Here's a guide to having a good time at Good Time. Which is singular, despite people insisting otherwise. I was there last weekend and this was a point we debated much while severely intoxicated.

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You went there instead of TGA? Fail! See you in August when they get SF4?

No booze at TGA, booze at GT. Also, the smell of a thousand lit Camel Lights at GT is traded for the oniony smell of unwashed nerd.

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Originally Posted by Mikhal

You went there instead of TGA? Fail! See you in August when they get SF4?

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I WANT THAT. I'll probably be out of the state for most of August, but assuming I find an apartment I will be back shortly after to play the hell out of this.

Anyway, I had to say goodbye to a friend who's leaving town for good. I didn't even want to go to Good Time... plus nobody I know has a car available to them regularly. If you're driving, I'm game whenever. :p

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

No booze at TGA, booze at GT. Also, the smell of a thousand lit Camel Lights at GT is traded for the oniony smell of unwashed nerd.

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The smoking ban was in 2003 or 4, right? I couldn't drink then. If I could smoke and drink while playing Derby Owners Club I'd probably just be so happy that I'd pop a bone and shit myself at the same time. Maybe it's better that I have to go outside to smoke.

I'll tell you how SEGA is staying in business...BY BRINGING BACK SEGATA SANSHIRO! And they gave him an UZI! :O

http://www.the-nextlevel.com/board/a...1&d=1212700692

That is fail.

You are fail if you don't like Sanshiro. The man is pure awesome.