Sega, Sammy, Namco soap opera continues

[Sqoon]

Namco issued a statement today requiring that Sega respond to their merger proposal by May 9th. This has been confirmed by Sega and they are continuing to discuss their course of action.

"What the two companies should do now is to clarify what each party is planning to do," Namco said in a statement.

Sammy has been rather offended that Sega is considering the merger with Namco, even though an agreement had come up between Sega and Sammy (though not yet official).

"(Sega) has betrayed and embarrassed us," an un-named senior executive at Sammy told reporters. "We don't really care (if the deal goes through or not) anymore."

In the meantime, Namco continues to insist that a merger is in both of their best interests since, as a Namco official said, “Namco is Sega's best partner because we are in the same industry."

"We have to do something, or Sega will go under," a Namco official said.

"At that time, we didn't know what was going on. But Sega has apparently come back to the negotiation table after seeing its stocks fall," a senior Namco executive said. "We are serious about this and we wouldn't even mind Sega acquiring us."

Source: GamerFeed and Asahi

[bahn]

Sega: We will not commit to any of your demands!!! Get em Soniku!

Microsoft: Submit to us...gak! *gets BSOD*

Sonic: SONIC BOOM!

Guile: Heyyyyy... O_o

Namco: Merging with us is the only way!!! (Because we care...)

CareBears: What's with the copyright infringements?!?!

Namco: ENOUGH!!! This ends now!

Namco summons Inferno.

Sega/Sonic: Gulp...we're going to need some help...


To be continued...

[Blaine]

Namco seems awfully nice.

"We have to do something or Sega will go under" ?

Now, I know the Japanese have different business practices than we but, why exactly would Namco give a shit?

[gamevet]

They would'nt mind Sega acquiring them? What's going on in Namco's camp?

[bahn]

Yeah. this whole tale sounds backwards.

[Almaci]

Yeah Namco makes REAL sense, Sega needs us so urm we hope they will aquire us and we will cease to exist.

[Clash!]

Namco cares because it eliminates their main opponenet in the Arcade industry. I think Sega is pretty nervous because of poor decisions in the past, Namco seems extremly willing to Join or Be swallowed by Sega. I say merge, it would be neat. As for Sammy, well I don't care about Pachinko, and Guilty Gear games will still be made.

[Blaine]

Originally posted by Clash_Master
Namco cares because it eliminates their main opponenet in the Arcade industry.

That...reallly....doesn't make sense.

Namco is panicing like "What are we gonna do? We HAVE to save Sega!".

Wouldn't they be IN FAVOR of thier competition being eliminated?

That's what I'm trying to say. Why do they give a shit, other than the fact that they want to use the Sega name to make Namco better known worldwide.

Hey, who's up for baseless conjecture? I am...here goes:

Maybe Namco doesn't want Sega to get bought up by Microsoft for whatever reason. That they're willing to save another Japanese company or have them eat them up, so they're stronger or to a point Microsoft isn't AS strong should they own the Sega name and properties.

Why Microsoft? Who else has showed an interest that would cause Namco panic. Not Sammy.

[Almaci]

Urm, Namco needs Sega more then Sega needs Namco at this point.
The only Namco arcades that are turning a profit are the ones that came under sega managment in a 2k1 deal.
Namco has asked Sega to merge since then, Sega always declined.
Namco has now decided to give Sega a better deal by foregoing their name in case Sega agrees to.
In other words, if this goes trough there will be no Namco anymore and they will be just part of the Sega company as sonic team or AM2 are.
Namco´s future at this point is more uncertain then sega´s has ever been thats why they are desperate for this to go ahead, they fear that if they weaken further in the coming years they might be swallowed entirely by a company they dont like and they dont have suitors lined up for them since everyone wants sega so the only solution is to go with Sega while Sega can pick and choose.

This is intresting from another standpoint as well, iff sammy and Sega were to merge they would still not be the biggest Japanese games publisher, that honour would still belong to Konami(even Square Enix doesnt come close to the Konami juggernaut), iff however namco was to become part of Sega, Sega would become bigger then Konami.

[Blaine]

Originally posted by Almaci
Urm, Namco needs Sega more then Sega needs Namco at this point.
The only Namco arcades that are turning a profit are the ones that came under sega managment in a 2k1 deal.

Neither one is in spectacular condition. But if you look at the wording and how they're approaching the situation Namco seems...worried about Sega. Are they just seeing them as a life saver? I guess that's possible.

Originally posted by Almaci
This is intresting from another standpoint as well, iff sammy and Sega were to merge they would still not be the biggest Japanese games publisher, that honour would still belong to Konami(even Square Enix doesnt come close to the Konami juggernaut), iff however namco was to become part of Sega, Sega would become bigger then Konami.

Nintendo is the largest game publisher in the world. Japan included. They significantly out sold even Konami last year. I'm lazy, but the numbers are on the-magicbox somewhere.