SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - Will Sega ever make a return to the console market?

Posted: Dec 02 2011 07:34 pm

I have heard somewhere down the line that Sega has trademarked the names "Ringedge" and "Ringwide". There was some speculation to Sega using those names for stand alone arcade machines, but let's face it guys....the arcade business has been on a downward spiral for quite sometime.

This is a far cry but, is it possible that Sega could potentially make a come back in the console market?

Sega's Dreamcast is held in very high regard for me and for many people in terms of inventiveness. Dreamcast alone, jump started many things that have become a standard in modern gaming. It is my opinion that Sega's Dreamcast was highly underrated and overlooked, far surpassing many other consoles at it's time.

I do not know if Sega still has the resources or is even able to bring out a new console but if they, for some reason were too, how do you think it would fair against the modern day staples in gaming; Nintendo, Sony or Xbox?

Any thoughts or insights that I may not be made aware of yet?

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Dec 02 2011 10:32 pm

Short answer - No.

Longer answer - No fucking chance in Hell.

Sega's president, before he died, wanted to get out of the console business entirely anyways, and Sega's been pretty firm on that wish. Plus, there's no room in the market for it, they're making tons of money as a third-party developer, and their reputation as a console manufacturer is pretty much crap as it is (it would be a lot like Atari trying to release a console in the 90s).

I won't start on the Dreamcast.

Joined: Sep 25 2009 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 395

I would LOVE it if we could replace Sony and Microsoft with Sega and Atari, but there is no chance in hell of that happening. Sega nowadays is not even among the biggest publishers out there, and have such a tarnished reputation today that it would simply be impossible. One thing that could have been really cool though, if is Nintendo and Sega had decided to merge like Square and Enix did back in the late nineties when they both got their butt kicked by Sony. However, nowadays Nintendo is so much more valuable than Sega that there is not really a change for that either.

Posted: Dec 02 2011 11:12 pm

I can't see it happening either. The console market is pretty saturated as it is and trying to push themselves back into it would be a waste of money that could be spent for better returns. If they did try to do it they'd have to be pushing out something that blew everything else on the market away to overcome their reputation and get them their money back fast, because I doubt they have the kind of free capital they did back in the Genesis and Dreamcast days to be putting so much money into one thing.

Joined: Aug 04 2009 Posts: 2515

Were Sega not bought out?

Also it's not like back in the day...what could Sega offer now that no one else can't? Sonic is pretty much released on all platforms these days.

Posted: Dec 03 2011 04:45 pm

I wish they could come back into the console market, but I heavily doubt that it will ever happen. As previously mentioned by UsaSatsui, the late former president of Sega said that he wanted to get the company out of the console business before he died.

I still wish they could go back, though. If that day ever comes, I would reserve for a new Sega console in a heartbeat.

Posted: Dec 03 2011 07:23 pm

Yeah, Sega is now part of Sega Sammy, having been bought out by Sammy. Sammy is the dominant partner, and it is their executives that run the company.

Also, on another sad video game note, Hudson Soft may not exist anymore. Konami went from being majority owner of Hudson to 100% owner in January, and they closed Hudson's American offices in February. While the Japanese offices remain open, no future Hudson projects have been announced, and the handful of games that were announced (such as Bomberman 3DS) were cancelled. It is unclear if they developed the upcoming Mario Party 9 or not.

And the Atari company publishes games now? They're French, and they have absolutely jack shit to do with the company that gave us the Atari VCS and all those classic arcade games. The current Atari is a company once known as Infogrames. They bought the Atari name from Hasbro, who bought it from JTS, who bought it from Jack Tramiel - the founder of the Commodore computer company - who bought it in a fire sale.

Posted: Dec 03 2011 07:50 pm

who sells fire?

Posted: Dec 07 2011 06:50 pm

I just found that information on Ringedge pretty interesting. I mean, I know that it is near impossible for Sega to bring out a new console but I totally would not be opposed to it. I'd love for Sega to make a comeback.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Dec 07 2011 10:47 pm

TheDrumWorkshop wrote:

I just found that information on Ringedge pretty interesting. I mean, I know that it is near impossible for Sega to bring out a new console but I totally would not be opposed to it. I'd love for Sega to make a comeback.

Don't call it a comeback. They've been here for years.

They're doing quite fine right now thank you. There's no reason at all to become competition again with three well-entrenched rivals when they can simply play off of all 3 of them and still make money. And Steam in the process.

Why would they want to make another console?

Posted: Dec 07 2011 11:02 pm

There's always mobile and social gaming if those don't work out.

Posted: Dec 08 2011 09:30 am

It's also worth noting that modern console producers always launch at a tremendous loss. The companies making consoles now can deal with that, particularly those like Sony and Microsoft that have other ventures to fall back on.

Sega may be in good shape today, but is it in good enough shape to relaunch its console business at a $3 billion loss like Sony did on the PS3? I doubt it.

Posted: Dec 08 2011 07:40 pm

why would there need to be a 4th system out there? that doesnt make sense. and what would sega offer that the others couldnt? aside from sonic and some other IP's, they wouldnt survive.

Posted: Dec 09 2011 01:12 pm

They could start by turning Space Harrier into an FPS.

Posted: Dec 11 2011 01:29 pm

taterfyrings wrote:

One thing that could have been really cool though, if is Nintendo and Sega had decided to merge like Square and Enix did back in the late nineties when they both got their butt kicked by Sony.

The almighty conglomerate Ninsega, led by their twisted abominable genetic chimera, Miyanaka-san.

I don't see it happening, the capital required is too large. Honestly, I don't see ANY console being released by a company that's not Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo for at least a decade. This isn't the 80's, it's a massive investment and brand recognition is so vital, that an unknown doesn't have a chance in hell.

Apple is the only company that could try, but I don't see them able to come up with anything that isn't just something like a Wii-lite, at least in function.

Joined: Sep 25 2009 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 395

I think Apple and also Google have a chance, but I am not sure any of them will want to enter the video game market as its already pretty crowded and would require a huge investment. Will probably stay a three-horse race until eventually Sony or Nintendo drops out.

Posted: Dec 11 2011 02:36 pm

The-Excel wrote:

They could start by turning Space Harrier into an FPS.

Space Harrier makes perfect sense on the 3DS. even if they just get one of the old games & give it the 3D treatment like nintendo is doing to its old NES games.

Posted: Dec 11 2011 02:54 pm

Did anyone get the 3DS Shinobi game?

Posted: Dec 11 2011 03:33 pm

Syd Lexia wrote:

Did anyone get the 3DS Shinobi game?

No, but I bought Sonic Generations on the 3DS and I like it.

Joined: Sep 25 2009 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 395

I will get Shinobi when it gets down in price, looks awesome to me.

Posted: Dec 11 2011 07:28 pm

username wrote:

The-Excel wrote:

They could start by turning Space Harrier into an FPS.

Space Harrier makes perfect sense on the 3DS. even if they just get one of the old games & give it the 3D treatment like nintendo is doing to its old NES games.

YouTube doesn't show the option for old embed code anymore, so.

Posted: Dec 11 2011 08:10 pm

The-Excel wrote:

YouTube doesn't show the option for old embed code anymore, so.

Yes it does (at least for me it does) click share then click embed and then check the box to use the old embed code.

Posted: Dec 11 2011 09:22 pm

ProtoScott wrote:

The-Excel wrote:

YouTube doesn't show the option for old embed code anymore, so.

Yes it does (at least for me it does) click share then click embed and then check the box to use the old embed code.

not for that video it doesnt