Sega Plans 2015 - Service Games Games

[Tani Coyote]

While just a few lines down are SEGA Europe's plans for licensing...

Games aside, it's looking like the Boom cartoon still has a lot of interest behind it.

[shdowhunt60]

Interesting I guess. Maybe the show's success is garnering some interest? Or maybe it's just the cynical ones that are wondering why in the hell they're making another Sonic Boom game? Who knows.

[Detective Shadzter]

SEGA Europe Appoints CPLG to Handle Sonic Licensing in Europe

http://www.sonicstadium.org/2015/07/sega-europe-appoints-cplg-to-handle-sonic-licensing-in-europe/

[Tani Coyote]

Contracting specialists is a brilliant business move.

Trying to do everything internally tends to not do so hot; specialization is better.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Trying to do everything internally tends to not do so hot; specialization is better.

 

Not sure on that, 3 years ago when Sega used MiPr we asked to be put on their list for media content which would have meant that we got PR material when released...

 

We got approved.

 

To date we have yet to receive 1 piece of information from them.

[Tani Coyote]

Not sure on that, 3 years ago when Sega used MiPr we asked to be put on their list for media content which would have meant that we got PR material when released...

 

We got approved.

 

To date we have yet to receive 1 piece of information from them.

 

Well, usually specialization is more efficient.

 

Kind of odd how that goes though. Not much point in a media list if you won't use it.

[Gatestormer]

SEGA learned about making quality games from Atlus, aim to regain trust from players.

 

 

Hajime Satomi recently sat down for an interview with Famtisu and speaks about plans for the future. Parts of the interview are translated in this article from Siliconera. 

 

Some particular points of interest...

 

"I’ve been talking to the employees about how we should start putting serious consideration into quality from this point on,” responds Satomi. “Especially in North America and Europe, where it’s always been more of a focus on schedules, I believe that if we can’t maintain quality, it would be better to not release anything at all.”

 

Satomi continues, “We did our best to build a relationship of mutual trust with older fans of Sega, but looking back, there’ve been some titles that have partially betrayed that [trust] in the past 10 years."

[Marcello]

We get this kind of talk every once in a while. I don't think it means much.

[redhellc]

Maybe they really are committing to it this time and maybe that's why the Sonic Game that might release next year possibly has a bigger development time.

 

I wouldn't count too much on it, but who knows.  

[Salamander]

That interview is hilarious.  The fact that only now is Sega putting "serious consideration" into the quality of their games speaks volumes about their output of late.  Openly admitting, without a hint of shame, that they hadn't cared about quality in recent years... it's like a satire.  I can't believe he actually said that.

[Detective Shadzter]

That interview also says we might be getting a new game announcement at TGS.

[Woun]

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/sega-we-have-partially-betrayed-our-fans-trust/0152289

“Since we’re seriously considering quality, I can’t make that promise for the time being, but I believe we will announce something for home console at Tokyo Game Show.”

 

We waiting.

[azoo]

I wouldn't put any hopes on it being a new Sonic game, but... oh screw it, here I am hoping for a new Sonic game. Gaaaah-dang it.

 

Also, I'd love to accept Satomi's statement if there's some content to back this up. Maybe that's what the planned appearance at TGS is for? Either way, it's nice to hear someone at Sega acknowledging they've really not been doing good the past several years.

[Milo]

We've seen and heard this same song and dance before every damn time.

 

"Sega is doubling down on quality!

Sega is releasing a Sonic game that has the quality of the originals!

Sega is removing low-scoring games from retail shelves and digital stores in an initiative to boost quality!"

 

Same shit, different day.

[Tani Coyote]

I'd give it some hope on the basis he focuses on deadlines.

Specifically, he says the Western branches focus too damn much on deadlines over quality.

Sonic is primarily a Western brand... ohoho.

Let's also note this isn't some PR guy or marketing guy. This is their CEO, the highest ranking officer in the company. Plus he also owns like 40% of the company last I checked, so when he says he's going to "suggest" something that really means "you either accept this or your ass is out of here."

[JayRaR]

Unless we don't get games like Colonial Marines, Sonic 06, and Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric again I'll take his words as a bunch of baloney. 

[Badnik Mechanic]

That interview also says we might be getting a new game announcement at TGS.

I for one can't wait to find out about the awesome game that they wont release in the west.

Or a sequel to Japan Horse Racing Extreme.

[MykonosFan]

Are we about due for another Yakuza announcement? That could be a safe bet.

[Komodin]

Speaking of games that don't get Western releases, I still can't help but wonder if we'll ever get an official Western release of Phantasy Star Online 2...

[ChikaBoing]

Let's also note this isn't some PR guy or marketing guy. This is their CEO, the highest ranking officer in the company. Plus he also owns like 40% of the company last I checked, so when he says he's going to "suggest" something that really means "you either accept this or your ass is out of here."

 

Yeah this. Previous comments were by the american and european arms that didn't even know what Japan is releasing.

[aos10]

http://www.sonicstadium.org/2015/07/sonic-motocross-iphone-game-proposal-discovered/

[Milo]

Let's also note this isn't some PR guy or marketing guy. This is their CEO, the highest ranking officer in the company. Plus he also owns like 40% of the company last I checked, so when he says he's going to "suggest" something that really means "you either accept this or your ass is out of here."

 

I fail to see how the words being spoken from the CEO's mouth suddenly makes things that different, especially given the quality of the games as of late. Even the recent ones that are actually good hardly anyone knows about either due to them having a niche status, obtaining little promotion, or just plain don't see any Western releases/localizations.

 

That and its not like top brass officials in corporations and businesses aren't prone to this in general. Nintendo's Iwata is on record for stating that the company will make sure their consoles and handhelds won't experience software droughts for years.

[Marcello]

Stealing from NeoGaf

So the Spanish website Gamespek did a small interview with Tony Cabello, boss of Barcelona-based BlitWorks, which as you may know has been working on porting a ton of games, like Jet set Radio, FEZ or Spelunky.

They basically tell us to keep asking Sega if we want more ports from them.

Thanks a lot for your time. Any final message you'd like to share with your followers?

Thanks to you! We would like to tell SEGA games fans that they don’t cease to ask for ports of great games like Shenmue or Jet Set Radio Future, we are the first ones that would like to port these games. In change.org or similar webs there are several requests about that.

They actually say a Shenmue prototype was shown to Sega, as I myself leaked a year and half ago...but apparently, Sega wasn't that interested...

Then we thought it would be a good idea to showcase Sonic CD, Jet Set Radio and Shenmue working on the emulators to Sega, with the prospect of a commercial release for the consoles of that time. They showed interest in Sonic CD and Jet Set Radio

They also explain why JSR was retired from the iOS store...

You receive a lot of feedback from social media like Twitter or forums as NEOGAF. How well received where the games you've been working on? Any positive or negative surprises?

Yes, we receive a lot of feedback, and it’s a pity that we are only hired to make the port, and then if there are problems, we don’t have a support contract so we can cover this problems. Luckily we haven’t experienced big problems.

An example of this is what happened with JSR for mobiles. In order to port JSR, we used a emulation trick, that worked on all platforms. But with when iOS8 appeared, this trick stopped working as is, so in order to make JSR continue working, we would need to modify the game, and it was not an easy change. Finally, SEGA decided to remove several games from iOS and Android stores, and JSR was among them. We don’t know the exact reasons to take this decision, but we are sure that this unexpected incompatibility influenced it.

The full interview: http://www.gamespek.com/2015/07/14/e...recientemente/

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1079501

It's not much, but these guys do seem interested in doing the games. What with Shenmue 3 coming, I could see at least that happening. Jet Set Radio Future would be wonderful. I prefer it over the first game, but I think I heard the HD port didn't perform all too well sales-wise?

Also,

Screw you, I liked Birthday Cake.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Marcello

[Tenko]

So uh..don't want to get to many peoples hopes up if it turns out to be a bug or an error. But PSO2 seems to have had its USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand IP bans lifted. UK still seems to be having a few login issues tho. You can now register, download and play PSO2 in English in all the countries listed above. Voice work is all still in Japanese however, so it must be using the Taiwanese (?) version released earlier on when the whole "it's in English already so why haven't you released it in the west yet" thing was going on.

 

People reporting to have been getting in no trouble are using this page to download and register.

http://pso2.playpark.com/en

[NoirSuede]

So uh..don't want to get to many peoples hopes up if it turns out to be a bug or an error. But PSO2 seems to have had its USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand IP bans lifted. UK still seems to be having a few login issues tho. You can now register, download and play PSO2 in English in all the countries listed above. Voice work is all still in Japanese however, so it must be using the Taiwanese (?) version released earlier on when the whole "it's in English already so why haven't you released it in the west yet" thing was going on.

 

People reporting to have been getting in no trouble are using this page to download and register.

http://pso2.playpark.com/en

Whoa...

So i guess everyone on Youtube would stop going all WHERE"S PSO2 SEGA FFFFFFFF now ?