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A Sega fan's wishlist to bring the big blue back to power

Posted Sep 27, 2007 at 11:04PM by Nicolo S. Listed in: Opinions & Analysis Tags: Shigeru Miyamoto, Sega, North America, Dreamcast, Yu Suzuki, Suzuki
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Originally posted Sept 27, 2007 at 01:30PM

There was a time when Sega had 65% of the gaming industry's market share in North America - the time when Sonic the Hedgehog was a lot cooler than an Italian plumber, the time when Yu Suzuki was comparable to Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto. Arcade fans spent countless hours getting the fastest time in Hang-On, perfecting the act of not killing civilians in Virtua Cop, and trying to beat Dural in Virtua Fighter.

It's sad to see one of the most influential companies in video game history struggle in today's tough competition, but we have to admit that Sega's presence is not as strong as it was before - not as strong as it should be. Some credit this to the losses that came with Dreamcast's fall, while some point fingers at lackluster games in recent years. What we can be certain about is that fans want to see Sega in its former glory.

A quick look at Sega's upcoming and recent games line-up reveal familiar titles for young and old, most on multiple platforms. Where's the problem, then? Pretty much every gamer is part of their target market, especially since most of Sega's established franchises are aimed at the biggest audience possible, so why is the company not doing as well as other publishers?

Without having to nitpick on quality of particular titles that didn't experience warm reception, let's just put up a battle plan that would rile up Sega fans while giving the former champ a good chance of propelling to the top. In other words, a Sega fan's wish list.

Shenmue - Image 2Shenmue - Image 1


Shenmue

Let's start off with Sega's groundbreaking project, the Dreamcast's last hurrah: Shenmue. The project, according to producer and director Yu Suzuki, took US$ 70 million to make. It was ahead of its time in terms of production values, and attempted to introduce an entirely new genre called Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment (FREE) by Suzuki. Unfortunately, it was also a wild gamble that didn't pay off. To break even, Shenmue had to sell two copies to EACH Dreamcast owner - something that never happened.

Sounds like a disaster, you say? While the early demise of Sega's console and Sony's dominant PlayStation brand suppressed whatever success Shenmue could've received, it still created a following of fans who were blown away. Interest was also there, as news of a third game for the series surfaced not long ago. Shenmue Online, which was canceled for reasons unknown, is a clear statement that Sega's got some love remaining.

You should get the drift by now; If Shenmue III (a direct third sequel, not a spin-off) sees the light of day, Sega will not only prove that they listen to their fans, but also possibly make a blockbuster hit amidst the craze of FPS, RPG, and casual games that seem to dominate the market. If the next Shenmue game follows the spirit of its predecessors, which touched as much genres as possible offered so much immersion like never before, then Sega's going to have a hard time counting the greens.

Jet Set Radio - Image 1


Jet Set Radio
The original Jet Set Radio never attempted to joust Tony Hawk's Pro Skater off its throne, but it was still in a league of its own. Sega proved to be ahead of its time once again as the game introduced, or at least popularized, cel-shading to mainstream gaming. It also offered online service, allowing players to upload or download user-created graffiti tags.

Beyond all the gimmicks, Jet Set Radio was a solid skating game that had all the right elements. It would take some effort to find remotely bad reviews from credible critics.

Players had to put graffiti all over town while avoiding the police and nailing tricks. Jet Set Radio Future appeared on the Xbox, but it was more of a refurbished version of the original than anything. There was also Jet Set Radio Advance which was a good handheld distraction.

What we from Sega needs is a full-blown Jet Set Radio sequel utilizing the power of today's consoles. Either they decide to put the game on the most powerful machine, or create a brand new experience by using the Nintendo Wii's motion sensing controls, another one of this classic could sway gamers away from big skateboarding titles in the market.

Skies of Arcadia - Image 1Skies of Arcadia - Image 2


Skies of Arcadia
Much lauded as the best RPG on the Dreamcast, Skies of Arcadia was hit or miss; either you love it, or you hate RPGs. Reviews were so favorable that it was rare to find anyone tagging Vyse's adventure a score below 90%. Pure hype, you say? Not if you experienced what the game had to offer.

Finding flaws in this classic is like the worst scavenger hunt - even much effort won't lead to anything substantial. On the other hand, a lot of good things can be said. Characters full of personality, various places to explore, well-paced combat, outstanding graphics, lengthy story that never feels repetitive; what more can you ask for, especially from a game that isn't Final Fantasy?

Calling Skies of Arcadia Legends for the GameCube a full sequel doesn't do the original justice, but it was still among the best RPGs Ninty's cube can offer. As if a remake gathering spectacular remarks isn't good enough, Sega should take the hints from fans and make that sequel.

There are enough consoles available in the market to choose from - Xbox 360 for Achievements, allowing players to gain prominence as pirates; PlayStation 3 for the most processing power, bigger storage format to pack more islands in; Wii for innovative controls, unique gameplay and mini-games that the original had in good numbers.

Panzer Dragoon - Image 2Panzer Dragoon - Image 1


Panzer Dragoon
The last time we saw Sega's masterpiece in flying colors was in Panzer Dragoon Orta for the Xbox which garnered much praise from critics. From its humble beginnings in 1995 on the Sega Saturn, Panzer Dragoon has become one of the best rail shooters we've seen.

With all the consoles available today, another installment to the series with high production values could give Sega a better footing. Aside from Lair, there really isn't much alternative for those who want to take control of a dragon and engage in epic battles.

Orta didn't put thousands of soldiers on the screen in real-time or put other elements to push for realism, but like its predecessors, it was packed with fast-paced action in every turn. Without the plague of abysmal controls, a Panzer Dragoon done well could be a smash hit. Motion sensing could also lead to player immersion, but classic buttons coupled with outstanding game design to revitalize series will make people look up to Sega again.


Segata Sanshiro
Ever heard of this Japanese martial arts master? If you're a bit younger, chances are you've never seen Segata Sanshiro scare children to play video games instead of baseball. Actually, saying such doesn't do him justice - he also crashed parties in nightclubs to send adults home for some quality Sega Saturn playtime.

Unfortunately, he died a hero to save Sega's office where development for the Dreamcast was being discussed. We last saw him exploding in space as the Sega Saturn's life ended to give way for the more powerful machine. Segata Sanshiro was a Japanese pun telling people to play the Saturn, which won't make sense if used today with the console nowhere in sight.

What Sega could do, however, is do a marketing push similar to Sanshiro. He wasn't Mario, but seeing amusing TV spots actually work. If we could gather testimonies, we'll get plenty of stories about how gamers back in the day bought something under the Sega brand after Sanshiro commanded them to stay home and play nice.

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16 Comments


Sort by:
   by theTick197 - 2007-09-27
 » HellYes!!
I absolutely love SEGA! Games, consoles, everything! Dreamcast is the best console in existence. 'Nuff Said.


   Re: Stealth! - 2007-09-28
 » It was
But now its just a part of history, if sega actually marketed there system better ithey would still be in the gaming market, making consoles.
   by Big Daddy - 2007-09-27
 » :D
And that's why it died. :(

But seriously, SEGA needs to get their heads in gear. The quality of their games come pretty close to that of EA...

   by Mattroid - 2007-09-27
 » umm
While yes, I'd love to see these franchises revived, one thing bothers me about this article...

"Jet Set Radio was a solid skateboarding game that had all the right elements."

Have you ever even played JSR? Skateboarding? Are you kidding? Ummm, no...

   by Binary - 2007-09-27
 » If they make a new console
If they make one, with cheap price tag, I'd buy it!

   by Laexerias - 2007-09-27
 » LOL
YEAH BRING SEGATA BACK WITH A NEW SHENMUE AND JET SET RADIO PLZ! Xddddddddd

and btw.

Jet Set Radio is one of the greatest DC games ever. even Shenmue lol.

   by BrendanL - 2007-09-27
 » What didn't help the Dreamcast...
One thing that didn't help the Dreamcast is pirated games. You didn't need to mod your Dreamcast to play burnt games. You just needed to put a boot disc, then the burnt game after that. The Dreamcast did have a selection of great games though. Powerstone 1 and 2, Street Fighter III Double Impact/Third Strike, Skies of Arcadia, Sonic, Marvel vs Capcom 2. The Xbox killed the Dreamcast. When SEGA got wind of Microsoft's new Xbox, SEGA discontinued the Dreamcast. You can't blame them though, they were just losing money with the Dreamcast. And four consoles is one too many.


   Re: MitchenX - 2007-09-27
 » speaking of which...
my friend has a dreamcast, and i can't seem to make a boot disc that works!! i wanted to let him play NES on there, but i gave up after he got a PSP. :)

   Re: Advertising -


   Re: Shentok - 2007-09-28
 » yeah
It wasn't the xBox that killed the dreamcast, it was the PS2. The only reason the PS2 killed the dreamcast was the ability to play DVDs.

   Re: andreo - 2007-09-28
 » Dreamcast death
The PS2 killed the Dreamcast long before it even came out. The same that the PS1 (helped) kill the Saturn.
I was a Sega fan from the Master System days. And even I couldn't choose a Saturn over a Playstation. But the Dreamcast was good and no matter how much hype Sony was putting out I still loved my Dreamcast. But everyone else wanted to hold out and save their cash for the PS2. And who could blame them, Sega made some huge mistakes with hardware starting with the Sega CD. People didn't want to shell out cash on what seemed like a loosing company. Sony came in when they were ready and took over the market.
Now I can't think of one current Sega game that I would want to add to my collection. And that's just sad.
   by Mooshywooshy - 2007-09-27
 » hmm
This article lacks Space Channel 5age

   by whitelightnig - 2007-09-27
 » um..
guys, I dont want to scare you, but.....
I hella have to piss

   by whitelightnig - 2007-09-27
 » um..
guys, I dont want to scare you, but.....
I hella have to piss


   Re: whitelightnig - 2007-09-27
 » sorry
I didnt mean to post it twice. QJ just went the way of myspace, and *****ED up!
   by Mister Common Sense - 2007-09-28
 » .
Sega's games were always best when they had a strong console supporting them. The 32x of 1993 ruined their reputation because they released the Saturn shortly afterward and basically dropped support for it. Then their consoles' popularity slowly went down after that until they no longer had one, now the games aren't so hot anymore.

   by mrkoq - 2007-09-28
 » money
Why spend more money on developing a new console that will possibly fail again against the Xbox360/Ps3 just because of their quantity, if you can an already to producing games for these consoles.
Segas majority in making money atm is obviously ports to other consoles.
Why not put money into developing new or port old games to the PS3 f.e?
The PS3 lacks lot of really Quality games that you really look forward to buy. Fancy Jet Set Radio and a Shenmue remake would make their way to the PS3 definitly. Same for Skies of Arcadia and all those other games that made the dreamcast creating its own fanbase.

off topic now, my favourite dreamcast game ever should have been Seamen because of its originality that sega provided and a japanese game i atm dont know the name of it. It was the one were you started as a simple lifeform and adjusted and changed your own DNA in order to change your appearence and power. Even though im not japanese nore can read it, it was hell of fun being a giant Squid walking on huge muscular feet with a huge powerfull clam that was your arm. You were like ripping your opponents.

Imagine a game with this depth and customizablity in some kind of online game.
woho, blew your head.



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