Yeah, I know.
We all remember disasters like the 32X, the short-lived Saturn, and the downward spiral that was the Dreamcast. Sega has a long line of frustrated customers and bad publicity when it comes to their console years. I myself was a victim of every one of these fiascoes.
But...in the nearly 15 years since Sega became a dedicated software company, the industry has seen a lot of changes. Newer technologies, the advent of DLC, and the boom in the online MMO market has completely re-shaped the landscape of gaming. Now, it's the ongoing argument of Sony vs Microsoft vs Nintendo vs PC. You have companies like Nvidia and Steam getting into the mix, and Kickstarter letting the smaller, independent, companies reach for a piece of the pie.
Sega could really shake up the whole industry by releasing a new console. There are gamers now that have never held a Sega controller in their hands, as well as us old schoolers that remember what it was like to play games like Thunderblade and Revenge of Shinobi. No one, and I mean NO ONE, makes an arcade style game like Sega.
Their consoles, while having bad PR and short life spans, were always of superior make and design. "Welcome to the Next Level" was their catch phrase for a reason. Try looking up the specs on a Sega Saturn in comparison to a Sony PS1 sometime. You might be shocked at what you see. Hardware-wise, it blew the Sony machine away. Just a lackluster line of third party titles, and a poor advertising campaign, doomed the Saturn to obscurity.
The Dreamcast was revolutionary for it's time, and boasted what could be considered the first online RPG for a console with Phantasy Star Online (a game I sunk A LOT of hours into). It's use of the removable PDA in the controller was far ahead of it's time, and even now could be utilized on a whole new level.
When it came to exclusives, Sega had a library that was even larger than Nintendo's. Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Virtua Fighter, Virtua Cop, Space Harrier, the Shining Force series, and of course, Phantasy Star. I'd mention Sonic, but....well...he's kinda been dragged through the mud in the past few years. But the point is that Sega could hold it's own against the consoles of today when it came to exclusives.
Look, Sega made some mistakes. Some big ones. But it's been a long time, and as for myself, I'm willing to forgive. I think we need one of the all-time heavyweights to make a comeback, just to show the current contenders that there's still some surprises left in the industry.
Man, to just be able to play a new Phantasy Star on an actual Sega system again....
Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.
Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.
WTMG's Leo Faria: "The Switch version of Sticky Business is less of a game, and more of a very clunky and shallow creative tool with not a lot to entice players for long. The progression system is silly, the gameplay loop lacks any kind of excitemente, and the controls and interface are embarassingly bad, never taking advantage of the Switch’s touchscreen, or even giving us the bare minimum of a completely cursor-based interface. There’s just no sense of accomplishment while playing it. It’s just downright frustrating. If you really want to play Sticky Business, and come up with your sticker empire of sorts (hey, I’m not judging), just stick to the PC version."
We were expecting problems with mod support, but there are a lot of other issues.
Not accidental, they want modders to stop modding their older games to force them to mod Shitfield.
Over 14 GBs and doesn't change much at all? What? Taking up that much drive space for a pathetic 'remastering' is shameful.
Par for Bethesda.
LOL people are actually expecting massive improvements or something? From Bethesda?? the same people who released Skyrim multiple times and the all look like shit? THAT Bethesda? are people for real?
The ps5 version doesn't change a ton but from my small playtime it's enough to make me want to replay it just to have it running at 60.
A side note to this my PS4 version no longer boots after it's "update" so I guess that's what it feels like to own a Bethesda game on PC
"short lived" would be more akin to the dreamcast not the saturn. the saturn had quite a lucrative run especially in JP. I prefer it over the PS1 for SHMUPS and fighters but the PS1 was more capable for 3d rendering.
Saturn was a 2d powerhouse in an emerging 3d world. Saturn doesnt get enough credit (IMO).
Now as for them stepping back in....they had been rumored to be working on a system that was code named phoenix but that project was scrapped. It was a clever name though as just like with Genesis meaning a new beginning (aka the birth of 16bit), phoenix would have been the rise from the ashes in the console sense.
That isnt likely to happen no matter how much we wish it to be so. Much of their great internal talent that made great home translations of their arcade games have moved on. Sega isnt what it once was and will never be again but i personally enjoy the retro vibe from playing old school games on the master system, genesis, 32x, sega cd and of course saturn and dreamcast.
those days may be over but the legend will never die (sorry for the soul calibur pun).
SEGA won't return because they are making profit on software and pachinko machines.
Yes the flair of Sega is gone. The flair of the Japanese developed games is gone. Picking up titles with the character development and detail only the Japanese seem to achieve was awesome, unique. Games that achieved the purpose of to immerse you. Games today seem to not be distinctive as games were then.
What a fantastic read, and I totally agree. I run a channel on YouTube named "My Sega Journey" I'm putting a vid up tomorrow on how to play your Dreamcast online and yes people still play their DC's online :D Please if you have a chance check it out, I would love to see some of you guys on PSO :)
http://www.youtube.com/user...
'Look, Sega made some mistakes. Some big ones.'
Sadly they've burnt too many bridges to make any kind of return to the hardware market. Some of their games this gen have been the best i've played:
Binary Domain, Valkyria Chronicles, Yakuza
But in each instance, none of the above sold well in the west and the sequels for both VC and Yakuza are yet to be localised but seeing as they only really focus on the blue hedgehog they will most likely never be localised.
For every good decision they make, they also make bad ones. Why port Space Channel 5 over Shenmue despite YEARS of fan requests? On the flip side they release VF5:FS cheap as hell.
It's a love hate relationship for me, some level of consistancy would go a long way for me at least.