This just reminds me of how painful it is to look at Sega when I remember what once was.
Painful..? Hmmm...I feel pretty good looking at their console/handheld line-up and their arcade line up at the next expo
This just reminds me of how painful it is to look at Sega when I remember what once was.
Pales in comparison to what they used to be.Painful..? Hmmm...I feel pretty good looking at their console/handheld line-up and their arcade line up at the next expo
In what sense? Lack of western releases? We have arcade games in different genres (racing, gun game, rhythm, action rpg etc.), 2 mech games, online rpg and an open world brawler for consoles. Sure it is not revolutionary like with the dawn of 3d gaming and 16 bits, but like someone in the thread said, you feel like they are doing what theiir purpose is. Varied, interresting games. Painful is different.
Well Visual Concepts was western. And with AM2, it was 9 studios. You can also say 11 studios, if you count the music studio (which made 3 games), and the arcade cab engineering department (Sega Mechatronics).
At the beginning of the 6th console generation, even after the Dreamcast was over, Sega was at least twice as prolific as they are now and with quality titles, both on consoles and in arcades. That isn't even up for debate, it was just a reality. Yakuza wouldn't be a thing today if it hadn't been one of many experiments undertaken during this highly-prolific period.
Quick note but this was outsourced to Grasshopper Manufacture and Nextech. The main guy behind Shining Soul 1-2 (Akira Ueda) left GHM right after to form his own company Audio Inc where he developed the cult hit Contact on DS and went on to work on a bunch of other portable and mobile games as a contractor (KORG-M series, Paper Mario SS, Fantasy Life, Terra Battle, etc). Before GHM he worked at Square and Love-de-Lic too.
CS3 would be fully capable of it inhouse and it'd be awesome. I'd even settle for a Canvas Engine based SOA1 remake.
Lets's compare
...
Overall, yes the 2002 line up was pretty outstanding. But the 2018 line-up is no slouch either. I think - there is not that much missing to reach the greatness of 2002. And imo by 2003-2005, the line-up wasn't as good anyways. I think 2018 is almost equal there.
Me too, especially now. I wonder why they stopped to be honest, I thought they'd be relatively good money spinners
Maybe some people are bigger fans of Capcom, Square Enix, Konami etc. but there is an interresting JP wiki that highlights in-house structures:
https://www13.atwiki.jp/game_staff/pages/13.html
Very nice thread as always Dooble..Lets's compare
2002:
Console:
VF4
Panzer Dragoon Orta
GunValkyrie
JSRF
Space Channel 5 Part 2
Sonc Adventure 2 Battle
Sakura Wars IV
Monkey Ball 2
Crazy Taxi 3
Shinobi
PSO Ep1&2
Shining Soul GBA
Virtua Tennis 2 PS2
Arcade:
Lupin III The Typing
Initial D Arcade Stage
The King of Route 2002
Mahjong Arcade
Soul Surfer
Beach Spikers
Virtua Striker 2002
World Club Champion Football
Now, 2018, keep in mind, not everything has been announced, the year just started.
Console:
Border Break
PSO2 Cloud
Shin Yakuza
Shining Resonance Refrain
Hokuto Ga Gotoku
Valkyria Chronicles 4
A Certain Magical Virtual-On
Mobile games (they existed before, but now they are in actual scale)
Arcade:
Sega World Drivers Championship
House of the Dead Scarlet Dawn
Ongaki
Fate Grand Order Arcade
Soul Reverse
Updates to existing games...
Overall, yes the 2002 line up was pretty outstanding. But the 2018 line-up is no slouch either. I think - there is not that much missing to reach the greatness of 2002. And imo by 2003-2005, the line-up wasn't as good anyways. I think 2018 is almost equal there.
Hey guys, I just noticed this thread since it got floated up, and wanted to point out that some of the info in the OP is a couple years out of date and is more accurate for SEGA circa 2013 or so, not 2018 (going on 2019). Just hitting the broad strokes, CS3 doesn't exist anymore (absorbed into the other two studios), and the current heads of CS1 and CS2 are Sato-san and Kasahara-san, respectively. Online, while it does have some mobile related stuff, is not "the mobile studio", and it is headed by a gentleman named Segawa-san. SEGA Interactive (AM) studios are a little vague to me, but those are a totally different company than SEGA Games.
in their investor reports, they listed Sonic as a Sega of America product, so Sonic will probably be produced out of SoA from now on like some previous games were. whether that means they'll be made in Japan by the usual team is up in the air thoughGee, Sega changed it up again? Only 2 CS studios sends the message to me that Sonic is less of a priority in Japan internally now. (CS1 is RGG Studios, CS2 is the rest).
Hey. Sega promised a mad year for fans. Can we expect a final big announcement for December ? Or Panzer Dragoon Remakes were the last exciting partnerships of 2018 ?Hey guys, I just noticed this thread since it got floated up, and wanted to point out that some of the info in the OP is a couple years out of date and is more accurate for SEGA circa 2013 or so, not 2018 (going on 2019). Just hitting the broad strokes, CS3 doesn't exist anymore (absorbed into the other two studios), and the current heads of CS1 and CS2 are Sato-san and Kasahara-san, respectively. Online, while it does have some mobile related stuff, is not "the mobile studio", and it is headed by a gentleman named Segawa-san. SEGA Interactive (AM) studios are a little vague to me, but those are a totally different company than SEGA Games.
Edit: I use SEGA Retro as a quick reference from time to time and appreciate when it's accurate.
CS2 has producers at SOA now (they did Mania) and Izuka's often traveling back and forth overseas so I'd expect some oversight still. I believe they also took over production for Sumo's racers from SOE/West. That Sonic IR designation might be more an "ownership" thing, similar to how Capcom USA "owns" Street Fighter but Ono still produces and oversees everything from back in Japan.in their investor reports, they listed Sonic as a Sega of America product, so Sonic will probably be produced out of SoA from now on like some previous games were. whether that means they'll be made in Japan by the usual team is up in the air though
if that was the case, you'd think the trademark would list Sega of America, like Capcom USA is listedCS2 has producers at SOA now (they did Mania) and Izuka's often traveling back and forth overseas so I'd expect some oversight still. I believe they also took over production for Sumo's racers from SOE/West. That Sonic IR designation might be more an "ownership" thing, similar to how Capcom USA "owns" Street Fighter but Ono still produces and oversees everything from back in Japan.
Maybe they will now? We haven't had a new Sonic in awhile, Team Racing is the next one up.if that was the case, you'd think the trademark would list Sega of America, like Capcom USA is listed
it would have shown up on the website or in Smash Bros, so I guess Sega Japan legally owns it, Sega America just does a lot of the producing work with the Izuka and crewMaybe they will now? We haven't had a new Sonic in awhile, Team Racing is the next one up.
Looking at copyrights Smash just seems to credit "SEGA" but then so does egerything from Total War to Yakuza and so on, so this isn't really clear either. Perhaps this past FY Sonic was filed under Sega USA because Mania Plus was the only technically new release, or maybe with the last restructure (and Mania outperforming Forces) stewardship really has moved to the US production team? Maybe Izuka's moving over more permanently too given the apparent CS2/CS3 merger? Lots of possibilities here and I want know more!it would have shown up on the website or in Smash Bros, so I guess Sega Japan legally owns it, Sega America just does a lot of the producing work with the Izuka and crew
I mean probably there isn't a proper Sonic Team anymore. Maybe next games of the series will be developed in west like TSR?
Sonic Team has only existed as just a name for awhile now. I doubt anyone is fired, but it does seem like SEGA America will now call the shots with everything, which could mean no internally developed Sonic games for a few years.
I would say that after this a mainline 3D Sonic game is not something we will be seeing for many years. I would not mind seeing Sumo give it a shot, though.I thought that might be the case. I think it's for the best though, but it does raise the question of who could handle the development of 3D Sonic going forward. Maybe Sumo?
This.They should just give sonic to another team. Team Sonic clearly knows how to makes games. Just not Sonic games. Change their name, and move Sonic somewhere else.
Sonic has too much name recognition to not have a game come out. especially with a movie in the works.I would say that after this a mainline 3D Sonic game is not something we will be seeing for many years. I would not mind seeing Sumo give it a shot, though.
They are likely going to stick with the games that actually sell well for awhile. The racers and Mania have done better than anything else related to Sonic in a long time.Sonic has too much name recognition to not have a game come out. especially with a movie in the works.
and there's no reason to stick with 2D Sonic going forward. not when the problem isn't the perspective, but underbaked efforts. Colors and Generations weren't flukes
they're also the ones that had the most positive word of mouth. I have questions about Team Sonic Racing, but I trust it to be good. the last time 3D Sonics had positive WoM? Colors and Generations, both either matched or exceeded Mania's last known figures. since then we had Lost World, 3 Boom games of questionable quality at best, and the half-baked Forces.They are likely going to stick with the games that actually sell well for awhile. The racers and Mania have done better than anything else related to Sonic in a long time.
Só they are making 2 games? judgment and yakuza online?
On top of those they have Shin Yakuza and probably another project we are not aware of yet. They are very busy.
RGG Online is from the Online R&D group I thought? Or did you mean Shin Yakuza?
And Shin Yakuza/Yakuza 7
What is Shin Yakuza? Mobile?RGG Online is from the Online R&D group I thought? Or did you mean Shin Yakuza?
Next full main yakuza game with a new protagonist, some sort of Yakuza 7 / reboot with a new story