Could this be the beginning of the end for Sega?

[gamevet]

I really like Sega Rally: Revo, sure it's not as great as Dirt, but it's still a great racing game.

I didn't buy Daytona on PSN, but I did pick up Afterburner: Climax.

[JRedmond3]

I honestly think Nintendo could make a better Sonic game than Sega's been making lately. Or at least one of their second-parties, like HAL or Retro.

Sacrilege!

[sheath]

I really like Sega Rally: Revo, sure it's not as great as Dirt, but it's still a great racing game.

I didn't buy Daytona on PSN, but I did pick up Afterburner: Climax.

Afterburner Climax is pure sex.

I did buy Daytona on XBLA and have played it a few times online with friends. I'd honestly rather play the original Daytona USA adaptation on Saturn, they did a lot to make the game play well on a control pad, and I just seem to struggle with this enhanced port. I can't seem to nail the power slides as well. Even the Dreamcast game was easier.

[Melf]

The first Iron Man and Golden Axe Beast Rider were the two games of the last five years that made me hope that we might see some progress in gameplay. I cannot see how they just plain sucked, and haven't seen that view adequately explained. Unfortunately for me, I was trained at an early age to expect new gameplay ideas rather than more of the same, and presentation just doesn't register with me.

I've already explained why I disliked BR, but Iron Man just had horrible gameplay and design. It was terrible to control, and the levels were just mind-numbingly repetitive and dull. I haven't played the sequel, but it's reportedly worse. If you expect new gameplay ideas, I don't see how you could like those two at all. They're perfect examples of uninspired design.

[sheath]

I've already explained why I disliked BR, but Iron Man just had horrible gameplay and design. It was terrible to control, and the levels were just mind-numbingly repetitive and dull. I haven't played the sequel, but it's reportedly worse. If you expect new gameplay ideas, I don't see how you could like those two at all. They're perfect examples of uninspired design.

I really don't think you have explained your opinion in this case. Disliking something is one thing, calling its gameplay torrid or horrible is another. One only requires a few viewpoints to support, the other needs substantial evidence, preferably from other similar games, to support.

I cannot think of any 3D games like Iron Man 1 (the second didn't impress me at all) that mix aerial combat like an Ace Combat game with ground based mech fighting. I mean at all, I cannot think of a game that does it, and Iron Man mixes the two very well. I can say that the game has failed to inspire me to keep playing, as I seem to continually get my ass kicked by the Russian Idea Mechanics guy (Dynamo prototype?). While I play Iron Man I find myself reminiscing about Space Harrier while enjoying the modern aspects of the two genres I just mentioned. AAA it is not, but I rarely like those types of games.

Golden Axe Beast Rider is really in its own league, nothing with a group fighting mechanic can even come close to touching its simplicity and complexity. It isn't perfect either, and I don't expect casual players, or gamers who focus on cinematics, to enjoy it, but the gameplay really did innovate.

[Melf]

I wrote a whole article about what I thought about BA. If that isn't enough to explain my thoughts on it, then there's not much else I can do there. Presentation was the least of that game's problems.

As for IM, I couldn't find the time to reminisce about other games while playing because I was too busy fighting the loose controls and cheap enemies. I really wanted to like it, but it just didn't mesh for me.

[Kogen]

You would swear some people do not know what AM2 is.

Must be nice spending all day posing as a 'retro SEGA fan', but not actually being one.

[m68k]

It is not a surprise to hear this news about Sega. What products have they made recently that entice buyers?
All I recall is rehashes of Sonic 1 and Sonic CD, but then again I am out of the loop. Things like Sonic Colors just sounded horrible.

Perhaps, Sega would be a bit better off if the Arcade business never died off the way it did. Its been years since I have seen any SEGA arcade machines outside of an actual arcade, and its been years since I have seen one of those.

I think Sega got themselves into the situation they are in. They made a string of horrid games in the mid-2000s (Sonic Heros bleh). How do you expect for your work to look quality when you release dud after dud?

Look at Valve. Portal 2 is a fantastic piece of work. The storyline, voice acting, gameplay, music, all line up and create a cinematic experience. When was the last time Sega did this? You could say Shenmue did this, but it never became a critical success.

Honestly, Sega has been doomed since the mid-90s. They had plenty of chances, they had talented people. What do they have now? Really? What do they have? Just a bunch of old IP and people who have no clue what to do with it. (If I recall most of the famous game designers like Yu Suzuki or Yuji Naka have since left Sega)

I can see Nintendo getting into this same situation in the 201x decade. Rapidly. I dont hear people praising the Wii, Wii U, or 3DS. Nor do I hear about fantastic must-have games from Nintendo any longer. The market is changing around them. Hardware will soon no longer be the deciding factor.
Its clear we are entering the converged information era.

Its clear hardware will no longer sell games. Games sell games. Names no longer sell games too.

[Kogen]

It is not a surprise to hear this news about Sega. What products have they made recently that entice buyers?
All I recall is rehashes of Sonic 1 and Sonic CD, but then again I am out of the loop. Things like Sonic Colors just sounded horrible.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/company/1432.html

Look at Valve. Portal 2 is a fantastic piece of work. The storyline, voice acting, gameplay, music, all line up and create a cinematic experience. When was the last time Sega did this? You could say Shenmue did this, but it never became a critical success.

Both Binary Domain and Shogun 2: Total War: Fall of the Shogunate are just as good as Portal 2, both released last month by SEGA (published and developed by).

Shenmue was also received well and sold enough to warrant a sequel. It obviously has a cult following and is very well known in 'gaming culture'.

Honestly, Sega has been doomed since the mid-90s. They had plenty of chances, they had talented people. What do they have now? Really? What do they have? Just a bunch of old IP and people who have no clue what to do with it. (If I recall most of the famous game designers like Yu Suzuki or Yuji Naka have since left Sega)

They have new IPs. The Yakuza franchise has had 10 games since 2005; reviewed well and selling well, especially in Japan.

Both Total War and Football Manager - while not initially created by SEGA as franchises - have the same appeal in Europe and America. Some of the best selling and reviewed games in the industry. Both franchises are well active with yearly releases at the minimum.

SEGA of America/Digital made 'duds', yes, but they are gone now (which is why I do not see the news as negative). SEGA of Japan has mixed results, although every large publisher has that. Valve does not even come close to SEGA, or others, considering volume and expansiveness of the publisher. The Sonic Team logo is really what is holding SEGA of Japan back, along with weird/Japanese-only titles (likely what they cancelled in mass). The Sonic Teams (HD, Nintendo, DIMPS [co-developing handhelds and other Sonic titles]) have all been improving, however, and could potentially be on their way to solid 8/9 out of 10 games soon. DIMPS is the only one making questionable games right now. All three of them have good sales in the millions globally. AM2 is just as good as they were in the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Yakuza Team split into two, one for new IPs, one for the Yakuza franchise.

While the negatives are obvious, I think many people are ignoring the positives, how large SEGA actually is, and the benefits of this restructuring (it is not Doomsday, it is an improvement).

Also note how bad others are doing, as other posters mentioned. SEGA is faring well for an international Japanese publisher.

I do not share your view with 'clueless people', either. Many have been with SEGA since the 80s and 90s, and are just as good now. Not looking at their work does not make them clueless, it makes the ignorant complainer clueless for not knowing the talent these developers have and their successes.

Yuji Naka is a baka and quit to make Prope, a terrible developer. He was questionable in the mid-90s and lost any purpose in the 2000s.

Yu Suzuki is an on old man and is practically retired. What do you expect out of him?

Its clear hardware will no longer sell games. Games sell games. Names no longer sell games too.

Duke Nukem's recent 4/10 selling millions disagrees with you.

[xelement5x]

Yeah, the lack of release for some of the Japanese exclusives kills me. I loved Valkyria Chronicles for the PS3, bought VC II for the PSP, and was really hoping that VC III would make it stateside just to be disappointed.

Hopefully these "trim the fat" measures they're taking wont get rid of creativity and make them a common denominator, whatever sells to the best audience developer. Though, maybe they should actually make SEGA Bass Fishing of the Dead

[Gogogadget]

I thought the same about Iron Man, i'm never excited for movie tie-ins because alot of time rushed development usually ruins them, and it wasn't a terrible game but it was definately one that suffered from being repetitive and having control issues, definately one that wasnt fun for any longer than an hour at best.