Sega: Fallen From Grace

[Nester the Lark]

Here's a fascinating article from Advanced Media Network called "Sega Scream" about how Sega went from grade A game developer to shadow of its former self. The article places the blame squarely on Sammy's acquisition of Sega and the mess that followed. The author rants occasionally, but it's a good read.

We talked about the decline of Sonic Team in the "Sonic and the Secret Rings" thread. I think I now have more sympathy for their position, as well as the departure of Yuji Naka.

[Fryguy64]

Interesting article. I think it looks at the problems within Sega quite well, but it doesn't take a look at the context. Sega's hardware was doomed. Nintendo adapted and survived the onslaught of the massive multimedia corporations stepping on its toes by focusing on fostering development teams, ensuring it put out a good balance of licensed and all-new games each year, and making sure their hardware stood out.

Sega did not do this. They panicked. They cut costs. They didn't adapt to the marketplace. It's sad really.

But yes, I think the biggest thing to come out of that article is that Sega failed to protect their integrity, or show any pride in what they had built up over a couple decades. And I shall remain sceptical of NiGHTS into Dreams because of that.

[wanderingshadow]

I'm with Nester on this one. I feel more sympathy towards SEGA after reading the article. Anyway, it's not over until it's over. SEGA can pull out of it's slump.

[Deleted]

I disagree. I feel nothing but rage for Sega, now more than ever; the Sega/Sammy "merger" was essentially their fault, first for ditching Sammy so suddenly (the article cites that as a severe business insult in the Japanese market), then for ignoring Sammy when the company bought a 22% stock out of Sega. Sure, Sega's being forced to eat crap and like the taste of it, but it's self-inflicted. I'm pissed that two of my favorite franchises (Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi) are being relagated to Sega Limbo, and I'm enraged by the fact that it's Sega's fault, more than Sega's choice.

Yes, this is a lot about fanboyism, but Jet Set Radio was my niche. I had only seen a commercial for it and I knew I wanted it. Got it for my birthday in 2000 and since then it has shown me a new aspect of my life that I never new existed. Granted, I was younger and much more impressionable: a fifteen-year-old boy with sexuality issues and stuck in the typical highschool doldrums, awkward and not fitting in amongst all other groups, thus being relegated to the outcast table at lunch. But JSR showed me that I didn't need to fit in, that it was okay to be a bicurious, artistic loser. To a fifteen year old, that kind of knowledge is sage and incredible, like hitting an epiphany. It continues to help me even to this day, now that I'm more sure of my identity. I know who I am, and that brings me a certain level of peace I would not have had, were it not for SmileBit's brilliance.

Hence, the rage. Jet Set Radio had so much potential, but now it's never going to see another sequel because Sega are business assclowns. The only options left open to me are Jet Set Radio Future being patched to the XBox 360, which happened last week, and Jet Grind Radio becoming available either on XBox Live or the Virtual Console--which is why I hope so fervently the Dreamcast becomes one of the Wii's emulatable consoles.

Goddamnit, Sega. I wizzleing hate you XD

[Fryguy64]

Haha, you got swear-replaced! Wizzle. ;D

[Deleted]

admin said:

Haha, you got swear-replaced! Wizzle. ;D

Yeah, I knew that would happen. XD If I wanted to have, I could have swear-dodged using asterisks, but I felt that after such a heartfelt rage against the Sega machine, a little lightheartedness was in order

[Wildcat]

After playing Phoenix Wright, that site's tag line of "World's Best" made me chuckle. Thanks, Larry!

That was an interesting article. I did see some resentment (it's hard to strip away all emotion from a piece like that), but I can understand it. Sega is not the company it once was. Skies of Arcadia is my favorite game of all time, yet I don't have any other Sega title in my Top 30. Why? Partially my lack of Sega systems (I only own a Dreamcast) and partially my knowledge of their later work being somewhat shoddy post-Dreamcast/Sammy acquiring. In total, I think I've purchased 3 Sega games for the Gamecube and 1 for the GBA (the two Sonic collections and SoAL for GC, Astro Boy: Omega Factor for GBA). It's sad. The innovation is gone, it would seem. I concur with Tei: Jet Grind Radio is very, very innovative. The controls got me a bit bugged from time to time, but on the whole JGR is one of the most unique games I've ever played. Crazy Taxi reinvented racing games ina whole new way, making it quite entertaining (yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!...for those who have played it). Skies of Arcadia is unlike any other RPG I've played in its depth of exploration and its airship battles (plus more, but I've already made that argument elsewhere). But, I can't think of many Sega games, outside of the Virtua Fighter series, that Sega has been praised for lately. And that's quite a shame. I hope that this Wii-boot of NiGHTS will be a good one, but given the track record...it's easy to remain skeptical.

[Nester the Lark]

I think it's worth noting that Sega had made sloppy decisions for years preceding the Sammy incident. I think the Saturn fiasco is probably the centerpiece.

Tei isn't the only one who's been stung by Sega. For years (and even a little now) I was bitter over the cancellation of the North American Dreamcast release of Shenmue II. Where did the DC sell better than anywhere else in the world? North America. What was the only region in the world that didn't get Shenmue II on DC? North America. I don't mind that it went to X-Box, but canceling the DC version a month before release just made me feel sick. I really wanted to play it, but not for $350. I felt totally shafted.

Tei, the only consolation I can offer is that NiGHTS is finally getting a follow-up after almost 12 years, so anything is possible. Of course, if it turns out to be awful, then we might've been better off without it. Considering Sega's (or Sammy's) current quality standards, maybe you should be glad they're leaving the Jet Radio series alone rather than defacing it.

[Deleted]

coreywoods said:

Tei, the only consolation I can offer is that NiGHTS is finally getting a follow-up after almost 12 years, so anything is possible. Of course, if it turns out to be awful, then we might've been better off without it. Considering Sega's (or Sammy's) current quality standards, maybe you should be glad they're leaving the Jet Radio series alone rather than defacing it.

Yeah. If Jet Set Radio Future was any indication, the series would only have gone downward from the first installment. But still, it isn't a 100% guaranteed happening, and I'd like to think JSRF was only a hiccup in the proper direction Jet Set Radio would have taken.

Maybe in 2014, we'll see a JSR3. Fingers crossed; if it can happen to NiGHTS, it could happen to JSR.

[Wildcat]

True, I forgot the Saturn. I'd say the 32X/Sega CD add-on shenanigans beats the Saturn, though. That got the ball rolling downhill from a retail perspective.

[Smashchu]

I read the articel, finally. But I am confused as the Sammy incident doesn't seem real, and I kind of want another source. You'd think we would have heard more about this.

Now, I know it's an insult to step out of a deal, but this doesn't mean Sammy was being a comeplete fuck. Really. I know it was a big shift but I doubt it put a dent in their profits that they didn't. So now your going to have a hissy fit and savagly take over a comapny. Real mature. Sammy, ever heard of buisness ethics?

[Fryguy64]

I've heard the same thing elsewhere. What you need to remember is that neither Sega nor Sammy is an American company, and they operate on quite different principles. Honour is more important to Eastern cultures than ethics. And like "ethics" it too is a flawed system that doesn't cover every eventuality.

Basically, Sammy has its own agenda, and if it had enough money to buy a majority share in a massive international company like Sega, even if Sammy is a primarily Japan-based affair, that won't stop them usurping Sega's ambitions for their own.

It's how business works, I'm afraid, and not always for the better.

[mrmolecule]

I think Sega overplayed Sonic way too much. Companies make games featuring mascots. Besides all the animal platformers of the 90s, Sega had Sonic and Alex Kidd and a few others in the 90s, but not much beyond that. Nintendo had Samus, Mario, and Link, with much more. Sega made bad long-term choices when they chose celebrities over long-term mascots. Samus Aran never molested children later in her life.

EDIT: Back to Mr. Whiskers!!

[Smashchu]

admin said:

I've heard the same thing elsewhere. What you need to remember is that neither Sega nor Sammy is an American company, and they operate on quite different principles. Honour is more important to Eastern cultures than ethics. And like "ethics" it too is a flawed system that doesn't cover every eventuality.

Basically, Sammy has its own agenda, and if it had enough money to buy a majority share in a massive international company like Sega, even if Sammy is a primarily Japan-based affair, that won't stop them usurping Sega's ambitions for their own.

It's how business works, I'm afraid, and not always for the better.

Can't argue there, but(and this may be my individualist western culture talking) but ethics is a bit more importaint. The two(honor and ethics) seem to hand in hand. If you are ethical, then you are honerable. But if you are honerable then you may not be ethical, and thus making it blind idiotic pride.

Sammy may have a lot of money to be able to buy out a company, but buying out a company is still a lot of money. So basiclly, they ignored the welfare of the company and their ennployees infront of their own retarted ambisions and vengful game.

Not only that, but if Sega is doing bad, then this may not work for Sammy, and making them the biggest loss. If Sega goes under then either Sammy has to fork up the money top revive it, or let it fall and take the massive hit on the stock loss. And even if it just loses profits, then the share holders take the hit, meanging you spent money only to lose money. So, they have to hope that their ambisions help Sega, or they take the hit.

It think that, even in the cutt thought buisness world, you can't try to get revenge. Sure a company spit in your face, but would you sacrifice your own companie's well being just to give your self psychological releif?

[Deleted]

About the ethics and honor thing, the two aren't necessarily like salt and pepper. Ethics is more Western, honor is Eastern; what seems like a big slice of Ludicrous Pie to you makes perfect sense in the world of Japanese business.

The SegaSammy merger did happen--as Fry told you, Sammy's a Japanese business and not the international giant Sega is/was, so it wasn't that widely recognized, except on some game websites. I remember hearing about it back when it happened on The Sonic Foundation.

I think what Sammy's trying to do is exactly what you said--run Sega into the ground, to break them. Eventually if Sega screws up enough, they'll probably go bankrupt, and Sammy will pump life back into them on the condition that they do exclusively what is asked demanded of them. Of course, it's still Sega's own fault for pushing crap like Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog out the doors...