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Sega To Form Joint Company With Nintendo?
JayBonci writes: "Sega has had a lot of competition lately, and while the Dreamcast is very cool, it has had some hard times lately. IGN brings up this piece of news from out of the blue that Sega is mysteriously teaming up with Nintendo. Why would such long time rivals team up all of a sudden? The IGN article does not give much in the way of details, except to mention that Sega is going to fall short of its earnings. How would this change the gaming industry with two major players working together?"
hate to point this out but aibos are sony products
A blog about stuff.
If you don't know what ballblazer is, allow me to explain. The game had better graphics than most NES games. If you haven't played it, go download the ROM.
I know I'm probably going to be moderated down for being offtopic, I just wanted to start an Atari revolution.
"It's the little touches that make a future solid enough to be destroyed" --William S. Bourroughs
Can anyone see the day when we have one company to entertain us?
We've already been there - in the dark ages, the only entertainment people had was church. We saw how well THAT worked.
On the topic of Best Platform 2000, my vote is for the PS2. Why? Gran Trouserismo. I know of several people who will be buying the PS2 just to play GT!
Jeff
This is more about Sega's admitting that it is much better at creating gaming software than it is at developing and properly support hardware... Expect to see more Sega games on future Nintendo systems, and perhaps on X-Box too.
thegeek.org has an article with a link that talks about how the PS2 may not be such a good deal. The PS2 has fewer games now, programing games to take advantage of the capabilities is difficult, the games currently available aren't much better than those from other console makers, also the PS2 does not come with a modem. The article rates the Dreamcast a better value. They actually compare the PS2 to the rather disappointing Saturn platform. But with Sony's PR machine in hyperdrive, who knows!?
"Open code, in other words, can be a check on state power." -Lawrence Lessig
Sonic the Hedgehog actually has a surprisingly strong fan following in the US. Archie Comics produces a Sonic the Hedgehog comicbook (which I liked a good deal but let my subscription run out) and some years ago DiC produced a Saturday morning cartoon (which was some of THE BEST animation and scripting I have EVER seen, even better than a lot of Disney flicks I've seen.)
In a different light, fans of Sonic comics wish he would be a more developed character with more insight, weaknesses, and strengths, but Sega apparently wants to keep him cool and vague, and kill off the other characters.
Fools. You cannot restrict art.
On a completely off topic strange twisted note, I do indeed wonder what this will do to the Sega reps who tell Archie comics what they can and cannot do with their hero.
I bet Nintendo's just as tough about character portrayal.
Angry IT woman in big clompy boots. And talking lint!.
Mortal Kombat was done by Midway not Sega.
If you look at the article, you'll see Sega, Nintendo AND famed Japanese music producer Tetsuya Komuro making up the JOINT company.
Sega DOES have a new console in development. While the Dreamcast has not been performing well in the Japan market neither has Sony. Sony has a terrible software ratio(1:1.8) which makes the $188 hit on each PS2 more difficult.And as you know, the $$$ come from software sales.
Why is Sony losing on the PS2? Easy, the PS2 happens to be one of the cheap(est) DVD player on the market.
The DC in North America (and Europe to an extent)is doing pretty good. There are no PS2 for sale making the DC the only console available for sales. And let me tell you, the managers of Electronic Boutiques and other retailers need to meet sale projections. They can't rely on Sony with no PS2s so the push goes to Sega. Just check your local retailer and see what's being pushed.
Same thing occured when the "Big Thing" was the N64. It was sold out and retailers pushed the little known Playstation( which was at that point doing pretty good.)
Anyway, it'll be tough to stop the DC when it has a strong established userbase, a superb software lineup, and a price point lower of the competitors.
A final thing, if you visit a retailer, see the difference between the DC and a PS2. It's not that great. You may find the DC has better graphics for most titles and Dead or Alive 2, which is on both platforms, looks much better on the DC.
The small amount of jpop stuff on the Evangelion soundtracks I have brough has been good, so it would be nice to hear some 'real' stuff....
Any links or suggestions?
Us kids would be lining up at the stores playing the latest games set up on demo. Sure, there were other systems around, TG16, Jaguar, 3D0, etc, but none of these were much of a threat.
Now , out of nowhere, comes these two giant companies, Sony, and Microsoft, both of which are slowly consuming every market out there.
Sega and Nintendo had their battles. Both lost and won a few. But here comes Sony and MS onto the battlefield that once belonged to Sega and Nintendo.
Its only natural that they become allies, for they have one common cause... "These fuckers are invading our turf! Something must be done! Something MUST be done!
Excuse me, but the Xbox hasn't shown a damn thing yet.
We live, as we dream -- alone....
Rare. Nintendo has Rare. Likewise Microsoft has their 20 or so internal develpoment teams.
Only those who dream can grasp reality.
Cool. I was high most of the time I played Sega and Nintendo in college anyway.
"If you haven't heard Tetsuya Komuro's work..."
...then you are not a japanabee.
He did the music for Speed 2! He is better than all the boy bands! Wow he must be absolutly godamned amazing! But then I am drunk. What do I know.
"Freedom in cyberspace'd be fine and dandy if we happened to live there."
I used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead.
These days Nintendo is strong among younger kids with the Mario/Pokemon type stuff, whereas Sega commands a (somewhat) older audience because it has a more 'extreme', less family safe image (going all the way back to those "sega!" attitude commercials). Also, Sega has a lot of experience in simulator rides and location-based entertaiment, which is stuff that Nintendo is not strong in. So the companies seem to complement one another very nicely, actually, if you factor out the console war.
I find it kinda hard to belive. Anyway, a merge that big could take a while to complete.. in the mean time, PS2 shortages will give the dreamcast a good kick this holiday season. With that merge many things can happen. Lets not go that far as to think they will build a new console, or how are they going to compete with the XBox. We should worry about what they plan to do with our actual consoles. I own a dreamcast... bought it 5 months ago and really kicks ass... supposing the merger already took place,are they going to drop it in favor of the more advanced GameCube?.. sure they'll say "We will still support the Dreamcast", but being history an example, i certainly doubt it.
UgaBuga!
oops.. you're right, well, i sorta knew what i meant. :) thanks..
At the Playdium in Toronto (A Sega owned arcade) there are advertisements for the new Zelda games.. I thought that was rather odd.
Trolls, it must be cool to be that bored.
Submitted this story days ago. Was denied (no biggie, but there is some better, more accurate information here).
- I don't care if they globalize against free speech. All my best free thoughts are done in my head.
[Super Smash Bros. 2]? I see a box with Mario jumping in front of clouds.bmp, holding Pikachu (instead of a beet) by the tail. I also see licenses for some of Disney's, Capcom's, Sega's, and Hudson Soft's characters. (Read More...)
Will I retire or break 10K?
I'm not suprised. SEGA is losing money and their stock is crashing. But they have some well-liked products. That makes them a good candidate for an acquisition.
At last I can play a game where Sonic can kick that infernal plumber.
Or will Mario kick Sonic's butt, maybe we will finally know.
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Since Dreamcast was based on WinCE
The Sega Dreamcast console has several available operating systems. Wince is mostly used for PC ports; other games use a Sega OS.
Will I retire or break 10K?
As a musician, he sucks. He pretends to be the man to reinvent Japanese music, but it just sounds like disposable synth pop. As a producer, I can only say that he knows what Japanese teenagers like, since his stuff is immensely popular. IIRC, he is the best selling producer of pop music in Japan, which is the second-largest music market in the world.
But just try listening to the music from his performers. Globe is marginally tolerable, Amuro Namie is okay when she doesn't pretend like she can speak English (or sing), Hitomi is talented (for a whiner...the prevalent type of female singing style in Japan), TRF has only a few cool party songs, and Kahala Tomomi is the worst excuse for a singer I've ever heard. But the Japanese eat it up, as do foreigners who like to pretend they're Japanese.
IMO, there are only two TK songs worth listening to: Amuro Namie's "A Walk In The Park," and Shinohara Ryoko's "Itoshisato Setsunasato Kokorotsuyosato," which is the theme song to the original anime Street Fighter II Movie. The latter is quite a good dance song; it goes well with the final fight scene in the movie.
< tofuhead >
It is still the dark of night.
Oh god no. I give it 5 years for Aol-Time Warner- Microsoft to buy them. Can anyone see the day when we have one company to entertain us?
But think of the innovations in entertainment they could deliver without having to worry about those pesky competing entertainment companies!!
They could also claim that the web browser was integrated into (and part of) their entertainment, and therefore not illegally distributed.
I've grown sick of the world and its people's mindless games
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.-Franklin
dont get all excited, read the damn article. nintendo, sega, and EA are teaming up... but not to make a new console, instead to sue Yahoo, for hosting illegal auctions, and refusing to remove them after numerous requests, when they have the 'responsibility and capability'. just what id call the CGIAA, console game industry association of america. damnit, when are we going to see all of these organisations united, we're gonna need a SYAAA, sue your ass association of america. fuckin america, gotta love it.
Sonic Team seems to be pretty cool. They released Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, and Chu Chu Rocket. Phantasy Star will be an online multiplayer RPG game for the Dreamcast (awesome), coming out the begining of next year.
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I wouldn't be so quick to call it vaporware. The threat of Sony taking over completely has sent real shockwaves through the console industry. If anyone is likely to start supporting multiple systems with in-house developed software, it's Sega...They already have a history of porting many of their arcade/console titles to the PC, so its not as much of a leap of the imagination as it would be to see Nintendo supporting other platforms. (no, licensing out Mario for edutainment games doesn't count).
Historically, there have really only been two console systems at a time. Nintendo and Sega had it for a while, then Sony entered the market, and Sega started getting rocked. They have no new system in development, and the upcoming systems from Nintendo, MS, and Sony are going to nail the coffin in the Dreamcast, which wasn't all that popular to begin with.
When MS entered in, that made it even more unlikely that Sega was going to be able to stay floating. Nintendo pretty much got whupped by Sony in the last round because of cheaper, better games, and its looking like MS is buying enough to ensure that they aren't going to lose.
Teaming up with Sega will give both companies an edge theat they are going to need to stand against MS.
After all, they bought out my ex-favorite video game company, Bungie. Those Bastards!!!!
Of course, Bungie can't be much better for selling out to M$... How could anyone possibly be any more of a whore?
Well hmm... just was thinking and wondering who would have initialized this suggestion of a merger. Nintendo? nah... Sega? I'm sure... I admit, I may be wrong, but working at CompUSA and seeing that Sony is killing both of them (even before PS2), Sega is almost out of the running and Nintendo is lacking in anything playable (a direct customer quote.) This hardly makes me a professional but... I think they have to get together to keep up with Sony's six hundred meter screwing.
No, it's sega.
Here's an article explaining Sega's release of the Aibo.
Sony makes car stereo equipment. Why would they be into robotics and stuff?
-- Periodically spray diskettes with insecticide to prevent system bugs from spreading.
You are partially right..Namco would be 'king' of the arcades, but Sega would be 'queen'... I'd assume, but can't say for sure, that Konami with its recent music-game-hits would even be ahead of Atari who don't have much of a showing these days other than some gun games (Namco's Time Crisis series is much better!!!) and the Rush driving games.
I've heard numerous things about this, from Sega going out of buisness (most likely an exageration from Sega's loss) to Sega becoming an "Internet company" (actually true, the head of Sega of Japan is an idiot). What's most likely to happen? Sega will become a third party developer.
The actual Sega compay is losing money from the Dreamcast, but with every software division being split into a seperate company, it's much easier to see if Sega is actually worthwhile as a hardware company.
I personally think that if Sega can survive the Dreamcast, they will be worthwhile again as a hardware company; Sega's name will be cleared of the SegaCD/32x/Saturn era. However, if they can't survive, Smile Bit, Sonic Team, Hit Maker, and all the other renamed and now independant AM divisions will keep on making "Sega" titles as third party developers.
Oh, and on a side note, I think X-Box is most likely to succeed next in the US.
I am a bad speler. Please ignore speling meestakes in me poast.
Sorry, bad link.t =http%3A%2F%2Feurope.branchez-vous.com%2FE urope%2Factualite%2F00-01%2F04-135303.html&lp=fr_e n
slashdot is adding spaces to the url for some reason. here is the real one.
http://babel.altavista.com/translate.dyn?urltex
-- Periodically spray diskettes with insecticide to prevent system bugs from spreading.
Heh, no.. The first response was correct. Sega didn't create the robotic dog named Aibo.
This makes some sense, but it will be years before it will actually take place (if it ever does).
Sega is known for quickly releasing new consoles that don't take advantage oft he latest and greatest in graphics/sound hardware, and making a ton of games. Nintendo is known for putting out good hardware, taking as much time as they want (eons), and releasing a few dozen games (each at near the price of the console itself).
If the hardware engineers get together, maybe something great can happen and a happy medium is found in power/release date for the hardware. They'd probably keep the Sega game division intact since they make some good games. I'm just guessing, but Nintendo must have 1 game dev team for all the Mario stuff. Flame me if I'm wrong. Nintendo is also notorious for not signing enough 3rd party developers, due to technical hurdles for the hardware, or license restrictions.
Anyways, these two companies are not going to grow. All their eggs are in one basket. Sony already has their hand in several other markets and they aren't going to go away if the Playstation fails (which it doesn't look like it will right now).
Specialized consoles WILL go away. Thats it. Anybody remember the days of the original Pong home game. Nothing but a console with two knobs and a power button. Got replaced by cartridge systems. New technology replaces old. New technology often makes things easier to do, and brings in new competition when a company sees that it won't be as hard to re-use existing technology, that have to develop everything from scratch. Nobody needs $10000 3D graphics cards developed anymore, just run down to local computer store and pick up the top-of-the-line for $300. It's getting easier to put consoles together, and the specialized hardware, that Nintendo and Sega develop just isn't needed, as shown by the X-Box.
Oh my..
Forty years of darkness! Rivers and seas boiling! The dead rising from the grave! Dogs and cats living together... Sega and Nintendo merging... mass hysteria
Who would have ever thought that day would happen? It's like Oracle merging with MS!
The fact that you're comparing him to mainstream artists condemns him to my ears.
Last year the chairman of Sega, Isao Okawa, stated publicly that they were not planning to stay in the harware business. So they have been more-or-less openly using the Dreamcast as a cash cow to fund a move into software, and this latest comes as no great surprise. I don't like to think of any hardware as disposable, and the 1999 announcement definitely kept me away from their gear.
Despite Microsoft's continued insistence, it's a Windows PC in console packaging and as such is very easy to develop for, since so many people know DirectX.
No, it's a console which runs an embedded-NT kernel and Direct X. It doesn't have a motherboard in the traditional PC sense, but rather a mainboard like a console, with both the CPU and GPU sharing the 6.4 GB/s bus to RAM in a UMA architecture. Yes, the CPU and GPU share the same basic internal core as a PIII and NV20, but they are custom chips, not off-the-shelf. Alright, it's closer to a PC than any other console, but it's not just a Windows PC with different form factor.
And it's not just easier than PS2 for those who know Direct X already: to program the PS2 you need to essentially write balanced assembly code for 2 vector processors all while streaming textures into the tiny 4MB VRAM fast enough to keep up with the action. The libraries that ought to be around to help developers do basic tasks are apparently rather scarce. Meanwhile, Direct X, whatever one may think of it, is certainly a far superior solution, even for someone who has never used it before. That's why in addition to PC developers making the cross-over, there's a whole lot of console-only developers on that list.
The thing you're missing is that Sega is not a major player. They haven't been since the Genesis days. The Saturn was a complete flop. The Dreamcast is fairly nice system, but can't possibly compete with the PlayStation 2. In five years, Sony will still be a major player in the gaming industry, and if the XBox comes to fruition, Microsoft will be too. (Microsoft has the resources to be a major player in whatever they like.) Nintendo's future isn't quite as certain. The N64 was a great system, and complemented the PlayStation nicely with its different graphical style. But it's clear that they don't have the corporate and technical momentum they did in the past. A Sony-Nintendo merger could save the future of both companies, if they can release a system within the next two years comparable to the PSX2.
Many of you who have posted so far seem incredulous about the possibilities of this happening, but if public response to this is good, I definitely think this could happen, and would be good for the gaming industry.
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All generalizations are false.
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I like to watch.
Imagine Sonic and Mario games on the same console? It's impossible not to buy it if you are a videogame fan. It's a big thing for Nintendo either, as they don't have many good games avaiable for their systems. Mario getting rings? Sonic getting coins? Can't wait to see.
Just to let you know, Panasonic and Nintendo have a deal to release a version of NGC that has a DVD player. The only reason it won't be available on all NGC's is to keep the cost down for people that don't want a DVD player. NGC will start out at a price possibly as low as $150, which is unheard of nowadays as a launch price.
I least we'll beable to play mario/sonic without buying seperate platforms.
-- Hob - Java Spectrum Emulator
Bah Humbug
The next big thing is gonna be the ZX Spectrum console its gonna be huge (and its only £9.99 in the UK, including 2000 games!!!)
See this article in the register or this advertisement for the console (sold as the MegaJoy 2000
I heard several months ago that Sega was to start producing software for other consoles, including Nintendo. I think this is a wise business move on their part. Sega and Nintendo both come to mind when I think of excellent game producers, but the fact that they also have to produce hardware to play the games on is a severe hinderance in my opinion.
I personally think Dreamcast is an excellent console, and Nintendo's Gamecube is the only console I plan to purchase from this round of consoles, but my purchasing decision is only based upon the game choices Nintendo will present me with. If Sega and Nintendo were to give console options for their games, instead of providing only for their own hardware, their software sales would skyrocket, but their hardware sales might plummet. It's kind of a catch-22.
If Sega and Nintendo want to join up, I say more power to them. It gives me more gaming options for the future.
-agent oranje
-agent oranje.
According to this report dated january 1999 anyway. It's not unusual for corporate policy to change when the people at the top change, and he has been there since 1949.
Most unlikely. Sega would be further ahead making games for all of the systems out there to maximize their potential for earning money (which is the other rumor that is going around). Hell, I would love to play Virtua Fighter 3tb on my PS2.
Cogito, ergo sum.
Sega has announced that it will be making sonic(ie) games for nintendo for quite a while.
Ignore the "p2p is theft" trolls, they're just uninformed
The original Asahi Shimbun article mentions that Sega is hiring a guy named Tetsu Kayama as a consultant for their network operations, then goes on to list his previous accomplishments, including creating joint-managed companies with Nintendo and Komuro. This got interpreted as the things that Kayama is going to do for Sega, somehow.
VIdeo-Senki
Then I encourage you to do so. He's having the sort of impact on the modern music scene that others could only dream about, and his influence will remain long after the Backstreet Boys and boybands have been forgotten.
-- Anne Marie
________
Does anyone actually have a Java program designed to control air traffic, or for the operation of a nuclear facility?
A) That better be a Dreamcube 256
B) God can you imagine those 2 trying to come up with a name for a merged company?
On a more serious note, it's just a JV, not a merger. I always thought that if S & N could ever get over their mutual hatred of each other, they'd make an AWESOME merger.
God, the games they'd produce!
To compete with the big bad giant, perhaps creating your own giant is a good pre-emptive move. After hearing how much $ M$ will be putting into XBox, I imagine these two would have a lot to gain (such as survival).
I can't help but wonder if this move won't mark Nintendo's possible entry into the world of modern arcade gaming. A quick visit to any large arcade will show that Sega is clearly king of the ring there. It would be interesting if Miyamoto or someone equivalent at Nintendo started focusing their energy on arcade games.
another huge corporate monopoly. That seems to be the trend these days. Large Company A merging with Large Company B, creating a massive corporate organization and its inevitable result on end users and government. It's all about the bottom line nowadays.
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I pledge allegiance to the flag...
of the Corporate States of America...
I wonder how many more responses you can get...Next, I suppose you have to suggest that Atari created the Aibo but sold the rights to Hasbro.
> I have to say that as a sega employee this
> really wouldnt surprise me... their 1st aprty
> games and our network and we'll beat every other
> company out there...it is definitly a huge
> advantage.
I wonder how the higher-ups in each company feel about this. Are they all for it, or do they see it as a necessary evil?
A few years ago, when a Nintendo-Sega merger was a ridiculous idea, that very thing became a topic of discussion among my friends. I had this mental picture of the big announcement in Electronic Gaming Monthly. The cover art would feature Luigi and Tails all smiles and shaking hands, while Mario and Sonic stood off to the sides, with backs turned and arms crossed...
--LordEq
Actually, lots of developers have signed up to develop for XBox. Despite Microsoft's continued insistence, it's a Windows PC in console packaging and as such is very easy to develop for, since so many people know DirectX.
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All generalizations are false.
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I like to watch.
I'd like to see the gamecube succeed just because of Ninetendo's games. Of all the computer games I've played, I've liked Nintendo's games best. As does my wife. It's nice to have games we both like (my wife has started to see the humor in gibs, though ;-).
Adding Sega's games to the mix would be nice. Again, Sega's games are 'more fun' for my wife and me than those that appear on PCs and the Sony boxes.
-Paul Komarek
When I was in Japan a year ago, I must say Sega was the absolute King and Queen of the arcades. They have their own Arcade chain called Sega World, and they are more common than McDonalds here in the States. In their version of a mall, they sometimes have three or four different arcades in different parts of the mall, and they are always packed. Games like Crazy Taxi had massive lines formed behind them. (I loved the game so much, I purchased a Dreamcast when I got home just so I could play it.) If you have been to any major arcades in the States, like Gameworks, Sega is still the obvious victor. Sega is almost exclusively multiplayer gaming, and those games are what kicks arse. Those are the games you see lines forming to play, not watch. Konami's Dance Dance Revolution games' crowds are formed by viewers, not players. The crowd is their to see someone, usually Asian, bust a move, not to embarass themselves. Like the Sega employee's post above mentioned, Nintendo's in house games are the best. Look at their 1 million+ copies sold list. Very few people can say they didn't love Mario 64 and spent hours trying to find the nonexistant Luigi, or smiled when they found Yoshi at the top of the Castle. Who didn't rush to the store to buy The Ocarina of Time? Or what about getting all nostalgic while racing on the LONG Rainbow Road course in Mario Kart 64 from viewing the neon character signs in the distance, or from hearing the stock "Good Luck" voice sample in StarFox 64? Though these companies were rivals in the eighties, both have *evolved* in very different areas, to the point where a merger would be excellent for the consumer. My God, the games these two companies could produce together as a team, along with the musical talent of Tetsuya Komuro, would be worthy of drool that would otherwise go towards Natalie Portman. Now, a little off topic, I do not understand why any ./er would buy a PSX2, or PSX anything, and still be capable of living with themselves. If you ask me, Sony is a much larger monopoly and more consumer damaging company than M$ could ever hope to be. They make money off of alot of the movies we watch, the movie houses we go to, the tv shows we watch, and the tv shows we watch them on. Every monitor that was attached to the macs we used in highschool were Trinitrons. Nearly every one's VCR, home stereo, personal CD player, personal cassette player, headphones, DVD player, and Surround Sound decoder sports the Sony logo. How can people who do everything they can to keep Microsoft out of their computers, and are disgusted when they see MSNBC logos be so willing to accept with open arms and embrace products and content from Sony?
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Hippie Logger Jock
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Hippie Logger Jock
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Sega crossing over to other systems has been happening for some time now.
Yes, I know it looks like an 1337 hax0r's site, but it's the real deal. Most of their stuff hae been ports of Virtua Cop and Genesis Sonic games to the PC.
end communication
I just want to know what the appeal is in backwards compatibility in a CONSOLE. Quite honestly, it means shit. The PS1 will not be developed for in 12 months, and then who will even want the old software anymore? Only people that have a PS1 already.
The Genesis/Mega Drive and the GameGear both had an add-on to make them backwards compatible with the Master System - it was hardly a huge selling point for them.
The ability to play obsolete games on a home console just isn't a selling point. People that have games for the old console should just use it to play them, and people without games for the old console OR the old console should buy games for the new one - simple.
And don't even get me started about the PS2's incompatibilites with some PS2 games.... poor programming of games on Sony and their 3rd parties behalf have made things a nightmare for Sony.
The only company that has done cosole backwards compatibility right was Nintendo, with the Game Boy to Game Boy Color (the GB Pocket was hardly new hardware), and soon to be the step from the Game Boy Color to the Game Boy Advance. Why has it worked for them? Because the GBC is pretty much a beefed up version of the original Game Boy chipset, and the Game Boy Advance includes the majority of the GBC's chipset on it alongside its new stuff.
Backwards compatibility is not important on a home console. In PCs yes, in handhelds maybe, but the home should buy new games for new generations. Home consoles don't need Windows/MacOS like problems trying to keep compatible with 15 years worth of crap.
I'm thinking Super Smash Brothers with Sonic & crew... now that'd be fun!
I don't think turning consoles into mini-PCs is what most console gamers want. The whole beauty of the console is a fixed hardware setup. This lets you buy a game, pop in it the tray, and be ready to play in appromixately 3 seconds.
For my PC, it's great I can expand it as new hardware becomes available. It's good that I can install any kind of software I want. But for my PS2/XBox/DC/NGC I don't want to mess with that. I love my console because it functions like a toy, or even a DVD player -- it always works for any title.
The last thing I want to invade my console is patches *cough* Diablo II *cough*, illegal operations, or not enough RAM on my video card.
Umm... Spyro the Dragon is a Sony PlayStation beastie. 'tis my younger sister's favourite PSX game series...
Besides Rare, Nintendo also has Retro Studios, Left Field, and the recently acquired Silicon Knights.
They already have the ability to play a PS1 game, the PS2 offering it won't seriously affect them.
Scenario 1:
Joe walks into his local game store. There, sitting in all their glory, are a PS2 and a Gamecube.
Joe owns a PS1.
Joe wants a next-next-gen console.
Putting aside the DVD/Cost/Power/Software factors (basically, everything else), why would buying a PS2 be more appealing just to Joe because of PS1 compatibility then buy a Cube? He already owns a PS1, and he's checked, all his PS1 games work on the PS2. PS1 games on PS2 would be a fancy trick, but he already has the ability to play his PS1 games.
Joe is back to choosing the better console though more 'traditional' methods.
Scenario 2:
Joe walks into his local game store. There, sitting in all their glory, are a PS2 and a Gamecube.
Joe owns a PS1.
Joe wants a next-next-gen console.
Putting aside the DVD/Cost/Power/Software factors (basically, everything else), why would buying a PS2 be more appealing just to Joe because of PS1 compatibility then buy a Cube? He already owns a PS1, and he's checked, but some of his PS1 games won't work on the PS2. Joe has no choice, he has to keep his PS1 to play all his classic games.
Joe is back to choosing the better console though more 'traditional' methods.
Basically, the way I see it, either way, backwards compatibility is either is a useless tool, or doesn't work.
If Sony has actually done something useful with it, and improved on the PS1 games with the PS2 hardware (as Bleemcast does to PS1 games on a Dreamcast), then it would enhance the original games, and be a selling point. As it stands, the PS2's backwards compatibility is a gamble to the comsumer - hopefully your software will work.
I put this to you - how often do you use your PS1 to listen to Audio CDs? Probably rarly, if ever. That was the PS1's 'version' of backwards compatibility. The PS2 'version' is being able to play PS1 CDs.
I doubt you will use the PS2's 'version' much either...
With Sony making the real advances and Microsoft shifting the spotlight to themselves, Sega's had to do something!
"Why are these Dreamcast and X-Boxes freezing up?" Shhh... They're Thinking! ;-)
...I thought it was a hoax.
This story comes up every few years... and it's not happened yet. Don't hold your breath. Sega is bucking to become the Atari of the late ninties/early zeros, and it's not because their hardware is bad -- it's because their software consistently doesn't keep up with that hardware, combined with a crappy and inconsistent marketing scheme. They should have quit while they were ahead with Genesis.
I wish there was a choice that said "Factually Wrong -1" when I mod.
anytime soon, unless of course they choose to be. Sure there wasn't all this mad hype for the DC as there was for the PS/2 but Sega still has the largest group of hardcore fans. Nintendo had a loyal fan base once upon a time but they shooed them away, instead appealing to runny-nosed kids who wont remember the companies name when they finally turn 7. Nintendo knows branding better than anybody, but they directed this branding toward a fickle audience that change their loyalties quicker than they change socks.
Sega however still maintained their core fan base despite the notorious 32x fiasco. But let's face it, Sega has always been the first on the block. They had cds first, had the net first and were always first to step up to the next round of console wars. Sega has come through for their loyal base of fans time and again - and even if they do fail the masses at large they'll survive as a company...
The only reason Sega and Nintendo would be in bed together is as a huge marketing scheme where the two blue blood game companies rally together to fight the bad sheriff, (kinda like the dukes of hazzard).
SEO Copywriter. Just Say ON
Perhaps this is an attempt to circumvent the XBox and Sony's Playstation. Sega knows that their console business isn't going anywhere, but their network is valuable. Nintendo has a new console coming up, but they don't have a network infastructure in place. The deal makes sense -- each one provides what the other lacks. In the long term, things will be back to normal: Three console developers duking it out for the hearts of gamers and developers alike.
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Natural != (nontoxic || beneficial)
Grandia II, Shenmue, and Skies of Arcadia all come out in the next month or so. Sega should see at least 1 DC acquisition, followed by 3 games, giving them a respectable 1:3 software ratio in my segment.
I disagree. Actually, I think the GameCube has great potential. If it came out now, it would greatly outsell ps2. The specs are better, and the internal makeup of the NGC is much neater (so I hear) than that of PS2, making it much easier to develop for. Not to mention the online gaming capabilities. Dreamcast didn't get off to a good start, which ruined sales despite the fact that it is a good system. It would be a good merger if Sega and Nintendo joined up. The quality of the games would be better than PS2. The only advantages that I think the PS2 has are the release date and the backwards compatibility with PSX (NGC could possibly have backwards compatible controllers, but not games).
Now the X-box is a different story. That should be a great system too, the only doubt in my mind about that is whether developers will test out a new gaming company or stick with proven ones. Of course, Bill Gates' money could help things, but the consumers would face the same problem. I guess we'll just have to see how things shake out.
I just want to know what the appeal is in backwards compatibility in a CONSOLE. Quite honestly, it means shit. The PS1 will not be developed for in 12 months, and then who will even want the old software anymore? Only people that have a PS1 already.
--Xenex
Not quite true. Take a hypothetical scenario or two.
A person who has neither a PSX nor a PS2 comes across a PSX game they think sounds really great, and they decide they want to play it. Which system will they buy? Assuming they have enough money and the game will run on it, the clear choice is the PS2, since it not only lets them play PSX games but also PS2 games and DVDs. Without backwards compatibility, a person who wanted to be able to play games for both systems would have to buy both systems - a considerable difference in expense, especially when such a person might not want to play more than one or two games on the older system.
A person who has a PS2 hears about a PSX game they think sounds really great. Without backwards compatibility, they would have to buy either a PSX or a functioning emulator (and nice as they may be, such emulators also have their limits); with it, however, all they need to buy is the game, at considerably less expense.
Either of these situations (and yes, I admit they're actually pretty similar) would be enough to make the backwards compatibility look fairly good. I expect that such situations may actually crop up fairly often, at least within a certain time frame after system release - i.e., after no new PSX games are being made, but before they become utterly obsolete (at which point they'll probably be thoroughly emulated anyway). There are surprisingly large numbers of people out there who haven't played, say, Final Fantasy VII* (and whatever someone may personally think of it, they have to admit that huge numbers of people loved the game), who may eventually decide to have a go at it and run into such a problem as I describe above.
Regardless, if it means one less game system up above my TV to worry about (I have four there already, and at least two to go), in my opinion it's probably worth it.
I do agree with your final (unquoted) sentence, on the problems with attempting to maintain backwards compatibility. I say, when it reaches the point where you're sacrificing progress to maintain it, dump the old stuff; but as long as it doesn't hurt, why not keep it?
*Used as an example only. There are many other wonderful PSX games out there, many of which are far less known and popular than they by rights should be; if it makes you feel better, feel free to substitute any one of these in the same spot. You'll get mostly the same result as far as the scenario is concerned.
-- The Wanderer
This is simply not true. Nothing official of this sort was confirmed, though there were rumors that the Sonic team may develop for the Gamecube (some truth to that I'm sure).
Once again, i have to plug my favorite nintendo game ever- spyro the dragon. I don't own a game console of any sort- so if these company's merge and it becomes possible for me to maybe play it on dreamcasts too (so i can exploit both my nintendo and sega loving friends) i would be very happy!...and if i could play Sonic the Hedgehog anywhere too...! (like how i go for the hightech games!?) :)
I have to say that as a sega employee this really wouldnt surprise me, just the frintic pace of everything around here lately. Half of us aren't sure what our jobs are, and they seem to not want to tell us til whatever is going on is over with. all in all a joint venture with Nintendo seems a damn good idea. their 1st aprty games and our network and we'll beat every other company out there, especially considering that we already have narrowband net gaming down, not everyone will have broad band even by the time xbox and NGC come out, so it is definitly a huge advantage.
Sony has SquareSoft, Sega has Capcom, Nintendo has... well, I don't even know if they have a devotee. Anyway, any kind of merger would cause a shakeup in the developer devotion category.
"Ancillary does not mean you get to rule the world." --U.S. Circuit Judge Harry Edwards, speaking to the FCC's lawyer
Ah, the Turbo Grafx 16...man, that was a great system. In fact, I consider it to be the best system of all time. Sega ported several titles over to NEC's powerhouse...Fantasy Zone and a few others. I wish the system would have stayed afloat though, because it truly was a wonderful piece of equipment.
back to my original train of thought, however, Nintendo's Systems and Especially Sega's systems seem to get worse and worse every iteration. Even if we saw a full Sega/Nintendo Merger, the system would still go down in flames, soon. I say that because They continuously fail to impress me.
I think Sony and MicroSoft will be the big players over the next few years for console systems.. Microsoft because the DirectX API is already used in many systems, so developers are a dime a dozen, And Sony because the systems do so much more.
To repeat: Since the genesis/SNES, nintendo and sega's systems are going downhill. hell, i still play The old Genesis Sonic Games as well as quite a few old SNES games. but the only game i've seen on n64 that REALLY impressed me was waverace64. And I can't think of a single 32x/SegaCD/Saturn game that made the price of the 32x/SegaCD/Saturn even REMOTELY worth it. It seems that the playstation was designed (as well as the xbox) with new ideas in mind. qnd that's what success is: Being different.
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I just came back from my local Fry's Electronics and they had a display set up with a PS2 and a Dreamcast. Knowing that they were going to sell all of the PS2's they could get their hands on. (There we none left when I got there, surprise.) They set up a Dreamcast vs. PS2 display. The PS2 got a shitty used display TV set and they hooked the Dreamcast up to a nice Trinitron monitor and uped the resolution. (They were both about 19 inches.) This is pretty damn sweet, I didn't know you could do that with the Dreamcast so it was cool they did it anyway.
That aside my point of this whole damn thing is, I wouldn't count Dreamcast dead yet, the more people that have Dreamcasts the more people that are going to want games. With PS2's shortage this holiday season there are going to be a LOT of people *settling* for the Dreamcast. Especially being so much damn cheaper.
-Art-
Sega has also always had a strong arcade presence in the past decade or 2. I've never been a big fan of most of their home systems, but their arcade games are some of the best.
While the sales of the Dreamcast have been less than spectacular, many of the well known and more popular Dreamcast games (that are by Sega) are also arcade games. The could still make a lot of money if they ditched the home hardware market altogether, in theory at least.
Dark Nexus
Dark Nexus
"Sanity is calming, but madness is more interesting."
does this mean Sonic is gonna be italian and become a blue collar worker like Mario? Crazy shit indeed.
Chaos, Mayhem, and Destruction: Not
Not the launch date, but the success of the system out of the starting gates.
If Sega comes on board with Nintendo as a 3rd party developer, it could give a larger release library of games, some of them being ports of some of Sega's well known and popular arcade games.
Notice how one of the biggest complaints about the PS2 so far has been the lack of games? Sure, it's got all of the PSX games, but most people who rushed out to buy a PS2 already have a PSX.
Dark Nexus
Dark Nexus
"Sanity is calming, but madness is more interesting."
Great...now we cross Pokemon with Sonic the Hedgehog...Mortal Kombat with Super Mario Brothers...this will get interesting! 8:o)
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I've been hoping that something would happen with Sega. I was trying to get the first Aibo's when they were released, but there were not enough produced for the demand. Nintendo has a much larger operation and a good history of meeting demand, perhaps this problem won't reoccur as the next Aibo's are released.
Unfortunately, it looks like the new Aibos will have less features in order to keep their prices down.
-- Periodically spray diskettes with insecticide to prevent system bugs from spreading.
--kwerkey
Sega and Nintendo may also be amenable to changing their stances to something that's somewhat more free, although I wouldn't hold my breath.
All indications of the past few months point to Sega ditching the home hardware market altogether and focusing on software for other people's platforms...Why not Nintendo's?