Sega restructuring in US, Europe

[Lyric]

This...may be prudent considering a lot of people are hoping for a US release of PSO2. Sega is re-thinking their western business strategy evidently, and cancelling a few games (unnamed as of yet) stateside. This could possibly impact phantasy star releases in the future.

http://m.ign.com/articles/1221993

[CelestialBlade]

Certainly foreboding; we'll just have to wait and see. Fortunately the article states that they want to focus on digitally distributed content, which is what PSO2 has become, so there's no reason to begin condemning anything. I'm not sure just how much localization can cost a company, but at least distribution and packaging won't be potential financial losses for a region 1 release.

[Ithildin]

Yeah I read that earlier. It is worrying. Let's just hope They still think they can make money from a Western PSO-2 release.

[Rizen]

I'm pretty sure they know they can have some success with PSO2 here seeing that there is demand for it over here. The major problem with SEGA in the US is that they do not advertise their best games other than Sonic. I'm sure if more people saw gameplay of PSO2 after it's release, a new player base would show up.

[CelestialBlade]

I'm pretty sure they know they can have some success with PSO2 here seeing that there is demand for it over here. The major problem with SEGA in the US is that they do not advertise their best games other than Sonic. I'm sure if more people saw gameplay of PSO2 after it's release, a new player base would show up.
I think the other side of it is how western gamers, on average, have different expectations and desires from video games now. It's certainly changed a lot since PSO. Western gamers are more into 3D action combat and shooters, prefer storylines more akin to a CYOA book, require impressive graphics and effects, desire an open sandbox world, and enjoy a more mature art style. I think PSO2 hits on a lot of these, fortunately. I think the DMC-like combat of the Hunter class is attractive to western gamers, as is the more engrossing TPS and FPS Ranger combat. The art style has grown and the graphics certainly aren't bad. It has potential to succeed here, far more than PSU and its derivatives did, but you're right in that it needs a small amount of advertising to get attention. And I think you really have to market the features above.

[EvilMag]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=468412

Guess this explains why PSO2 is gonna be F2P with a Cash Shop.

[Griffin]

There you have it.

[BIG OLAF]

"Aliens" is one of the franchises that's expected to post solid earnings? Hahaha.

[Zarode]

Guess this explains why PSO2 is gonna be F2P with a Cash Shop.

There are more reasons to that then this, I'm sure.

I hope that Rhythm Thief still comes out on the 3DS. I have that on preorder. Seems like it is complete, though, so I don't see why it won't. I need my Space Channel 5 fix.

Also, hate to say it, but too bad so sad really. Producers and publishers need to remember that we aren't in the golden age of games anymore. People want quality games at a cheaper price point. Nobody is willing to jump ship to a sixty USD game anymore if its new and/or uninspired. Or Call of Doodoo.

[Akaimizu]

And this is why Advertising is extremely important. Funny how their main *sellers* tend to be just the very games they advertise for. Yeah, it might cost you a million or so yen; but it'll save you from a "billions of yen" loss.

Still, it definitely explains why their support has gone down quite a bit. I think the biggest difference between Sega and Nintendo, is that one of them knows how to properly maintain and reinvigorate all of their big franchises instead of backing just one horse and not doing much of anything for the rest.

If the cycle continues, all that will be left is all those fans, who cry out for why Sega sleeps on their favorite series, (who they didn't listen to) simply saying, "I told you so."

Why do I have the feeling that we may be looking at a future "mobile" company? Seems to be the new big place companies run to in order to gain revenue using the smallest development costs. (Used to be PC)

[Retehi]

not good

[Dragwind]

"Football Manager, YESSS."

Seriously, I never hear anyone talk about that game. Ever.

[CelestialBlade]

I don't think I've even heard of it o_O

Well, I guess either they kill off PSO2 for region 1, or they try to market it as the game that saves them. Hoping for the latter extreme.

[DayDreamer]

Sega has never made the best business decisions in its history..specially when it still made hardware e- e

[Griffin]

"Football Manager, YESSS."

Seriously, I never hear anyone talk about that game. Ever.

Meh. Sports are for nerds. >:U

[Dragwind]

Meh. Sports are for nerds. >:U

I have a lot of friends that are into sports. I'm just not one of those people, except for the occasional hockey season. The point is, none of them even have mentioned that game, despite being heavy into football, Madden, fantasy football, etc. I've never heard one mention of that game.


Furthermore, the Alien series? That doesn't seem too popular anymore imo.

[blace]

Wait, Aliens is popular? Football Manager?

I can see why they're at such a loss.

[Griffin]

Keep in mind April Fools' is around the corner. I'm not implying anything. Just reminding you guys.

[blace]

Keep in mind April Fools' is around the corner. I'm not implying anything. Just reminding you guys.

It's a bit early to make an April Fools joke, just saying.

[Griffin]

The potential joke hasn't happened yet.

[Ezodagrom]

"Football Manager, YESSS."

Seriously, I never hear anyone talk about that game. Ever.

Wait, Aliens is popular? Football Manager?

I can see why they're at such a loss.
Football Manager and Total War are some of the most played series on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/stats/
They're usually among the top 20 or even top 10 played games on Steam.

The Aliens series though, those don't seem to be that popular.

[yoshiblue]

Lots of nice mods for the Total War Games.

I liked Rome Total Realism and Europa Barbarorum. Only mod I have for Medieval II is Hyrule Total War(kinda like an open beta).

Might get the Rome Total Realism II mod for medieval when it comes out.

[Neith]

Football Manager is a huge game in Europe.

This is worrying, but I don't know how it'll affect PSO2. I mean, we don't even know if PSO2 is coming yet, so it can't technically be cancelled for the west if it's never been confirmed... :wacko:

[Ezodagrom]

Football Manager is a huge game in Europe.

This is worrying, but I don't know how it'll affect PSO2. I mean, we don't even know if PSO2 is coming yet, so it can't technically be cancelled for the west if it's never been confirmed... :wacko:
Well, they want to focus more on digital releases, so I doubt this will affect PSO2.

[Magitek_X]

This sounds bad.



@RubyEclipse

We lost a huge number of valuable and hard working people today. May this be the last time for a long time.


https://twitter.com/#!/RubyEclipse/status/185897563193475073

[Emp]

Certainly foreboding; we'll just have to wait and see. Fortunately the article states that they want to focus on digitally distributed content, which is what PSO2 has become, so there's no reason to begin condemning anything. I'm not sure just how much localization can cost a company, but at least distribution and packaging won't be potential financial losses for a region 1 release.

Exactly. The market is slowly going digital only. Expect discs to become obselete very soon and game box, if any are made, to become smaller and smaller. Just look at how small the Vita game boxes are. XD

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

Dang, I'll get 2 Anarchy Reigns then. Or that and Binary Domain, a newer one already out even though I favor the Action RPG modern Japanese street life of the Yakuza games, rather than their try to engage western markets with Gears-esque, 3rd person shooters. Skippable yet more intimate cutcenes on auto walk are a fresh take on the scripted story events - usually a wall coming down from an explosion, everytime.


For the record, not going near SF x Brokken Disc Locked Content. [spoiler-box]Where's your one series for casuals, one for hardcores, train em up so they might appreciate a smaller, varied cast built from the ground up to be strong, like SF3? DIMPs really didn't seem up to the task, and Ono's gone for now to be replaced by a stuffy suit temp.[/spoiler-box]

Remember the layoffs from not that long ago,

http://www.1up.com/news/sega-switches-focus-downloadable-games

Same migration to downloadables noted,

which would be good. Take the ATLUS route and get those PSP versions up there to PSN, pronto. That should cut marketing and distributing costs, with room for possibly getting JP versions up for worldwide consumption instead of pricy imports even for old stuff like 'Greatest Hits' Yakuza Black Panther, or Valkyria Chronicles 3. Stuff we would like translated and voice acted dubbed or not, but know is not that feasible in a PSP UMD weaned out market, so we're at a stalemate.

Jet Grind Radio & if they are looking to do it too, Shenmue Chapters, were long awaited and are going to be up for consumption, full priced most of the time, 24 hours a day on those marketplaces. At a good price point for newer folk to check em out, and with Sega's track record of sales every so often, will convince people to pull impulse buys or holdouts that were waiting on the price drop with an even better deal.

[chaos-shadow]

Unfortunately, this is not an April Fool's Joke. :<

From what I am gathering, it sounds like SEGA is tending to make it's move towards mobile gaming and digital gaming.

Rhythm Thief I'm sure is un-affected as it's already about to release.

It would be serious folly for SOA to not bring out PSO2. If PSU is still making them profit (amazingly) than I can't not see PSO2 doing the same. If not, let's all go riot Edward, ha ha.

[Ithildin]

"Football Manager, YESSS."

Seriously, I never hear anyone talk about that game. Ever.

I presume you are American?

In Europe it is pretty popular.

EDIT...

Yeah, ok, someone already said that. Maybe its called Soccer Manager in the US??

[blace]

I presume you are American?

In Europe it is pretty popular.

EDIT...

Yeah, ok, someone already said that. Maybe its called Soccer Manager in the US??

Nope it's called Football Manager still. The sport itself isn't as widely popular in the states than it is everywhere else, even though each state has its own team.

[Sexy_Raine]

The only thing Sega cares brings over to NA is Sonic #1000. I've never played any Yakuza, Im not interested in that series. Sega cowered out on PS3 after the first Valkyria Chronicles and moved it to the PSP. Any developer that uses the excuse consoles are too expensive are lazy and pathetic. There's nothing wrong with supporting portables but don't outright ditch iconsoles. Altus supports consoles and portables equally with no problems, why can't Sega?

That's one of the reasons I'm not that excited for PSO2. Sega doesn't seem to put much effort outside the JP audience. It might not even make it over here. I'm getting too old for this type of gaming anyway and I wouldn't be suprised if PSO2 will take till 2014 to be done. By that time all the old-school fans have moved on with their life and it's not going to win over modern gamers. It's too late for PSO2 in my opinion.

[Keilyn]

As it stands I dont care about Sega's localization, but I'll forgive them if they simply closed down SEGA OF AMERICA and SEGA OF EUROPE and hired staff to translate games into different languages while keeping original language in all FMVs and make their games digital download and global-online component.

[Outrider]

Hopefully everybody who has lost their job manages to get back on their feet quickly and hopefully Sega can find a direction in which they can take their company and become more successful.

[Merumeru]

As it stands I dont care about Sega's localization, but I'll forgive them if they simply closed down SEGA OF AMERICA and SEGA OF EUROPE and hired staff to translate games into different languages while keeping original language in all FMVs and make their games digital download and global-online component.XD god, how I wish this would happen