SEGA’s E3 line-up was undoubtedly its best in years. SPOnG cannot remember being genuinely excited about SEGA at E3 since the glory days of the Dreamcast launch.
Updated classics such as new versions of Monkey Ball, Sonic and a stunning-looking new Virtua Tennis stood proudly alongside groundbreaking new titles such as The Club and Chromehounds.
SPOnG interviewed a number of SEGA’s key developers last week at E3, and we’ll be bringing you those interviews and all the SEGA info you need in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you might want to click on the individual game links at the top of this story for all the relevant info and assets on each of the aforementioned titles.
SEGA’s UK managing director, Alan Pritchard, told the BBC this week that: "We need our key heritage brands like Sonic, like Virtua Tennis… But we also need to bring new IP [intellectual property], new creativity, different types of gaming experiences, to the marketplace.”
It’s a winning strategy, and can only serve to strengthen SEGA’s market position. Speaking of the recent acquisitions of a number of leading western developers, Pritchard said: "[this] is part of our future strategy. We can present SEGA as a global publisher. We can demonstrate success. That was very difficult to do three years ago."
"We've rekindled the SEGA brand successfully and plan to revisit the SEGA branding to take it into next generation and beyond," he added.
The company announced earlier this week that yearly net profits rose by 31%. Go SEGA!
Updated classics such as new versions of Monkey Ball, Sonic and a stunning-looking new Virtua Tennis stood proudly alongside groundbreaking new titles such as The Club and Chromehounds.
SPOnG interviewed a number of SEGA’s key developers last week at E3, and we’ll be bringing you those interviews and all the SEGA info you need in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you might want to click on the individual game links at the top of this story for all the relevant info and assets on each of the aforementioned titles.
SEGA’s UK managing director, Alan Pritchard, told the BBC this week that: "We need our key heritage brands like Sonic, like Virtua Tennis… But we also need to bring new IP [intellectual property], new creativity, different types of gaming experiences, to the marketplace.”
It’s a winning strategy, and can only serve to strengthen SEGA’s market position. Speaking of the recent acquisitions of a number of leading western developers, Pritchard said: "[this] is part of our future strategy. We can present SEGA as a global publisher. We can demonstrate success. That was very difficult to do three years ago."
"We've rekindled the SEGA brand successfully and plan to revisit the SEGA branding to take it into next generation and beyond," he added.
The company announced earlier this week that yearly net profits rose by 31%. Go SEGA!
Companies:
SEGA
People: Alan Pritchard
Games: Chromehounds Sonic and the Secret Rings Sonic the Hedgehog Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz The Club Virtua Tennis 3
People: Alan Pritchard
Games: Chromehounds Sonic and the Secret Rings Sonic the Hedgehog Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz The Club Virtua Tennis 3
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Comments
Dreadknux 19 May 2006 12:54
1/1
Well, this gives me a warm and happy feeling inside. Being the SEGA fanboy that I truly am (although I probably don't act like it), the company really are in a position now where their third party status can mean something.
A few years ago when SEGA first kicked the hardware bucket, their rollout of third party titles hadn't been anything stunning. Ports, really. But they needed those to survive - unfortunately many saw that as a lack of innovation, inspiration and a case of doing money grabbing things.
Well, of course. SEGA were going down the pan financially. I've always said that this coming generation will be where we really see SEGA as a third party to be acknowledged, the second half of this generation (I still consider the DC as current-gen) has been merely a build-up.
Well I really do hope that the upcoming SEGA projects are worth buying each console for. Condemned, despite its length, was reason alongside one or two first party titles to get a 360 come launch. Virtua Tennis 3 for PS3, and Super Monkey Ball for Wii.
What I don't want people to say in all this good news (because I hear enough about it from one or two die-hards on my own forum) is how SEGA should come back into the console market because of it. SEGA going back into the console market when they're just about to rock the proverbial house is sheer madness. The company still has something to prove, really.
Anyone remember the heady days of the Dreamcast? SEGA Europe was simply awesome then, with its non-TV marketing (the TV ads were s**te, let's face it) - London cinema screenings for Shenmue and Space Channel 5? Giving away ChuChu Rocket for free when the rest of the world had to pay for it? Releasing AAA titles a week before its official release date? I'd like to see some more of that, wouldn't you?
Whoops, I've rambled. :) I'd go and play OutRun2 now... if I wasn't stuck at Uni.
A few years ago when SEGA first kicked the hardware bucket, their rollout of third party titles hadn't been anything stunning. Ports, really. But they needed those to survive - unfortunately many saw that as a lack of innovation, inspiration and a case of doing money grabbing things.
Well, of course. SEGA were going down the pan financially. I've always said that this coming generation will be where we really see SEGA as a third party to be acknowledged, the second half of this generation (I still consider the DC as current-gen) has been merely a build-up.
Well I really do hope that the upcoming SEGA projects are worth buying each console for. Condemned, despite its length, was reason alongside one or two first party titles to get a 360 come launch. Virtua Tennis 3 for PS3, and Super Monkey Ball for Wii.
What I don't want people to say in all this good news (because I hear enough about it from one or two die-hards on my own forum) is how SEGA should come back into the console market because of it. SEGA going back into the console market when they're just about to rock the proverbial house is sheer madness. The company still has something to prove, really.
Anyone remember the heady days of the Dreamcast? SEGA Europe was simply awesome then, with its non-TV marketing (the TV ads were s**te, let's face it) - London cinema screenings for Shenmue and Space Channel 5? Giving away ChuChu Rocket for free when the rest of the world had to pay for it? Releasing AAA titles a week before its official release date? I'd like to see some more of that, wouldn't you?
Whoops, I've rambled. :) I'd go and play OutRun2 now... if I wasn't stuck at Uni.