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Is Sega bad or just Sonic?

Jamie

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Wasn't citing modern success, was talking about the company as a whole. Whether or not they're making great games now is definitely debatable.

Also, Phantasy Star is still a thing. Most recent game was 2014.

The cultural barrier also comes into play too. SEGA seems to have a lot of games geared more towards the Japan audience that America/Europe never sees (See: The Hatsune Miku series). So while we can sit over in the west touting how much SEGA sucks, they might have a gigantic following over in Japan. Again, subjectivity comes into play.
We are talking about SEGA right now I imagine. No one would argue that Sonic was bad when it was first released. The OP implies modern SEGA.
 

BoxTar

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We are talking about SEGA right now I imagine. No one would argue that Sonic was bad when it was first released. The OP implies modern SEGA.

Was responding to a specific comment that implied that SEGA had NEVER made good games and was never a good company (comment by CrimsonCavalier), wasn't specifically referring to OP.

Also, plenty have argued that Sonic was **** when it was first released, myself included.
 

Cartoonmaniac

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I missed the video game era before 3D gaming, so I grew up with Sonic Heroes (which I know isn't great but I still love it) and Sonic Colors. Now, I don't really know what "good by Sonic standards" means, but for me, many of the 3D Sonics are genuinely good games, such as Generations.
 

Castle

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Sega isn't all that dissimilar from Nintendo, scarily enough given that Sega has been reduced to a mere software developer with the vast majority of its IP library abandoned and very few new IPs to speak of.

Sega failed because they released systems the market wasn't interested in, were woefully out of touch with their consumers, and released games that gamers were increasingly disinterested in. Sound familiar?

Valkaria Chronicles is Sega's Splatoon, that lone moment of cognitive awareness in a sea of derps. For whatever reason both companies just have trouble getting it, but somehow once in a blue moon they manage to stumble upon something that works. Both companies also fall short in terms of software development proficiency and their tentative understanding of game design is questionable at best more often than not. Obviously, Sega is still under the impression that Sonic is relevant and thus will continue to pinch out sh!tty 3D sonic games for the sake of. That's just ignorance. The gaming industry has it in spades. But as Nintendo IPs become increasingly marginalized, we're starting to see the same effect.

Nintendo is resembling Sega in many respects more and more every day.
 
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Nintendo is resembling Sega in many respects more and more every day.
Not really. Sega keeps pumping out ****ty Sonic games year after year. While their good games like:
  • Sega Soccer Slam
  • Ecco the Dolphin
  • Golden Axe
  • Mad World
  • Phantasy Star (Series)
All games made or published by SEGA. Where are they on modern Nintendo consoles (ie Wii/WiiU/Switch)? Nowhere. SGEA keeps making bad Sonic games instead of keeping their good IPs up wit new games. Also there has not been any new IPs from SEGA in a while. Nintendo keep making new IPs so if one of their old IP's bombs, like Star Fox and Metroid did, they can put those on the back burner and make an other IP game while they work out how to make the failed IP good again. Sega seem to think the solution to a bad Sonic game is another bad Sonic game.

Also most Sega games are the same thing. Run fast and collect rings. There's no change. At least Nintendo is willing to change up their IPs. BotW? SM Odessy? Two examples of many where Nintendo has changed up their existing IPs to prevent them going stale.
 
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CrimsonCavalier

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Was responding to a specific comment that implied that SEGA had NEVER made good games and was never a good company (comment by CrimsonCavalier), wasn't specifically referring to OP.

Also, plenty have argued that Sonic was **** when it was first released, myself included.

Well, to be fair, if you're going to quote me, you should actually quote what I said. I never said SEGA was NEVER good.

But I was a bit vague. SEGA is no longer good. They were good. But that was decades ago. What's good about them now? Their old IPs that they have all but abandoned don't make them a good developer today. Sonic games have been received very poorly in the last 10 years, and what else have they developed? Publishing Bayonetta for the PS360 isn't the same: they didn't make the game.

So my question again, what was the last good game that SEGA developed? Aside from Valkaria Chronicles, which admittedly, I forgot about (and I'm not even sure they developed it), there isn't a single one.
 

BoxTar

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Well, to be fair, if you're going to quote me, you should actually quote what I said. I never said SEGA was NEVER good.

But I was a bit vague. SEGA is no longer good. They were good. But that was decades ago. What's good about them now? Their old IPs that they have all but abandoned don't make them a good developer today. Sonic games have been received very poorly in the last 10 years, and what else have they developed? Publishing Bayonetta for the PS360 isn't the same: they didn't make the game.

So my question again, what was the last good game that SEGA developed? Aside from Valkaria Chronicles, which admittedly, I forgot about (and I'm not even sure they developed it), there isn't a single one.

Appreciate the clarification!

As I said in a prior comment, subjectivity is obviously a factor that comes into play. It also depends on what you mean by "recently". If you mean games that came out last year, yeah, their releases were severely lacking (only 3 games have their names attributed to the company). One of the main games that seem to be on their plate nowadays, aside from the Sonic series, is the Hatsune Miku series which is more likely targeted towards people in Japan. For reference:

"The [Hatsune Miku] series has been popular among fans in Japan, having sold over 1 million copies as of April 2012 in Japan alone. In July 2014, Sega announced that the franchise has sold a total of 2.5 million games within Japan. As of November 2014 the franchise has sold 4.5 million units at retail and downloads."

So at this point, that series is one of the main things, aside from Sonic, that keeps the company afloat. I don't get the appeal of Hatsune Miku, but Japan does, so eh.
 
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So at this point, that series is one of the main things, aside from Sonic, that keeps the company afloat. I don't get the appeal of Hatsune Miku, but Japan does, so eh.
If SEGA put more effort into their other good developed or published IPs then they would not have to rely on this and Sonic.
 

BoxTar

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If SEGA put more effort into their other good developed or published IPs then they would not have to rely on this and Sonic.

Well yeah, obviously. But why would a company need to put extra effort into things that they don't need to when they can bank on what already works?
 
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Well yeah, obviously. But why would a company need to put extra effort into things that they don't need to when they can bank on what already works?
Well sure if you make bank on your cash cows then you stay in business. But it does nothing for your reputation. SEGA and EA survive by this method easily but people don't exactly like them anymore as game developers. You need to think outside the profit and loss bubble to understand this. many game developers can't do this.
 

BoxTar

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Well sure if you make bank on your cash cows then you stay in business. But it does nothing for your reputation. SEGA and EA survive by this method easily but people don't exactly like them anymore as game developers. You need to think outside the profit and loss bubble to understand this. many game developers can't do this.

Pretty sure their reputation is just fine in Japan. Again, think like the company and where their profit margin is coming from. They're making bank off their Japanese consumer base, and apparently don't really need to cater internationally anymore. Should they appeal to international audiences? Of course! They make even MORE money if they do that, and please more people across the world. But are they inherently a bad company for catering to the demographic that appreciates their games the most? Maybe to us, but not to Japan.

I'm not saying that SEGA couldn't do better. They totally could. Don't let this come off as me saying I love SEGA. I definitely don't. Not one of their games has ever appealed to me, aside from maybe Kid Chameleon (I don't even know if they personally developed this game) and Sonic Generations, and even then those aren't even high up on my favorites lists. I'm just bringing in some devil's advocate here is all lol. Its fascinating to study the company and try to figure out why they do what they do.
 
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Maybe a little off-topic, but out of the mega drive/genesis sonic games, don't you think that Sonic 2 is by far the easiest? I played through them all recently, and Sonic 2 posed absolutely no challenge, plus the fact that you get so many extra lifes and continues (whereas those are very rare on Sonic 1).
 

FrozenDragon

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I don't think it's the franchise's fault, and only partially Sega's fault.

Sonic games currently suck because the teams making them, particularly the current Sonic Team, suck awfully. Sega sucks right now for hiring these teams.

Just my 2 cents.
 

DekuNut

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While were on the topic, when is it you think the Sonic franchise really started to fall apart?
For me, it was with the Boom reboot. I liked Generations a lot, and Colors was pretty great too. From what Ive heard, Lost World was just kinda meh. All right gameplay, not great story. But Boom Flanderized all the characters and I feel like Stick is just trying way too hard to be funny. You guys?
 

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