Yu Suzuki Leaves Sega-AM2

[Johnny Nighttrain]

From Polygon:

Sega's recently inaugurated president Hisao Oguchi has confirmed that famed producer Yu Suzuki will leave Sega-AM2 to establish his own development studio. Under the terms of the separation, Suzuki-san will head a new Sega subsidiary which will focus exclusively on popular software brands including Shenmue and the Virtua Fighter series. The establishment of the new company is part of a major restructuring effort that will reduce Sega's development studio group from 9 to 5 companies by the end of the year. For reference, another new subsidiary will be established this fall to focus solely on developing sports games.

works for me.

[Captain Vegetable]

Me too.

[cka]

As long as VF keeps coming out, good luck to him.

[Jeremy]

Awesome. More freedom for him is a good thing.

[Nikorasu]

From Polygon:

For reference, another new subsidiary will be established this fall to focus solely on developing sports games.


works for me.

Surely they're better off leaving that to Visual Concepts? If you're going to axe four of the best dev. studios out there you don;t stick them on freakin; sports games. Sheesh.

So who's for the axe?

Hitmaker
Am2
Amusement Vision
Wave thingumy
Smilebit?
Rosso - my moneys on them


Oh yeah, and is AM Annex still going?

[Johnny Nighttrain]

well, this is how it's being rumored to go down...

SONIC TEAM + UGA

HITMAKER + SEGA ROSS

WOW ENTERTAINMENT + OVER WORKS

AMUSEMENT VISION + SMILEBIT

AM2

NEW GROUP #1
- concentrate to SPORT GAMES

NEW GROUP #2
-YU SUZUKI's own group

for the most part, everything seems cool, although i wouldn't want Sonic Team messing around with UGA. as for Amusement Vision and Smilebit, makes you wonder were all athe love is gonna go, GameCube or xbox? im sure it'll go both ways. well, maybe...

Hitmaker and Rosso sounds good, although im not quite sure what's gonna go down at WOW/Overworks.

gonnna have to wait and see what goes down. hopefully it all works out for the best.

[Tain]

Well, this works for me.

[kabuki]

Holy crap I thought Yu Suzuki was leaving Sega!
Whew!
Had me scared there.

[kabuki]

A new group to concentrate on sports games?
This could only make sense if by sports games they mean the ever popular "Let's Make A" series and stuff like that, which seem to make good money for Sega.

[Kinopio]

Surely they're better off leaving that to Visual Concepts? If you're going to axe four of the best dev. studios out there you don;t stick them on freakin; sports games. Sheesh.

Their japanese-developed sports games sell well in Japan. Their 2 best selling games in the first half of the year were both sports games.