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Sega Merges With Pachinko Company Sammy

Posted by timothy on from the such-nice-names dept.

conform writes "The New York Times reported today that Sega Corporation (the Japanese parent company) has merged with Sammy Corp, a vendor of pachinko machines. The Sammy side of things are expected to dominate post-merger operations, and will likely shift Sega operational focuses back to the arcade market. Also, the end of the article notes in passing that SquareSoft has been aquired by rival RPG manufacturer Enix."

7 of 233 comments (clear)

  1. Nice! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Maybe we'll see a Dragon Warrior vs Final Fantasy RPG. That would be awesome.

  2. Arcade Dead? by muzzynat · · Score: 5, Interesting

    From what I've been hearing the past couple of years, arcades are about dead(true from what I've seen too). I really don't think it would make sence for Sammy to push Sega tward the Arcade again. Especially when Sega is establishing itself as a third party developer for counsels. On the other hand, Sega does make a few games that would be cool in arcades(Panzer Dragoon, anyone?). Just curious if anyone else thinks arcade develpment is dead (whimpers, remembering "killer instinct" machines)

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    1. Re:Arcade Dead? by briancnorton · · Score: 5, Interesting
      Arcades are FAR from dead, they are just in a state of transition. If you think they arent making money, go into a "Dave and Buster's" or a "Jillians" or another adult themed entertainment establishment. The arcades of the past were killed by the home consoles, no doubt.

      The arcade of tomorrow (today) offers an experience that one cant get at home. They offer FUN, short multiplayer games that are more suitable to social situations than vegging on your couch, and they offer large expensive Virtual-reality systems that jimmy nintendo could never afford. You walk in and see motion capturing games like 911 Simulator or mocap boxing. You see racing games with wheels, force feedback, and motion simulation.

      Most importantly, you see BEER. Adults can walk in and blow $100 on food, drink, and games and not bat an eye. Arcade kids had to bum $5 off dad. It's amazing how much money the nintendo generation now has control of. There is a VERY bright future in arcades, as there is going to be a big demand for very large, very expensive multiplayer gaming rigs. I'm glad sega has more insight than Atari.

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    2. Re:Arcade Dead? by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      "Just curious if anyone else thinks arcade develpment is dead (whimpers, remembering "killer instinct" machines)"

      I think it's in a depression, bout I wouldn't say it's dead. The problem is that home consoles have caught up to what Arcades can produce. As a result, arcade games were no longer premium experiences. This has caused arcade game manufacturers to do things consoles can't.

      That's where games like Dance Dance Revolution (hope I got the name right...) changes the variables. DDR is technically feasible in the home, but not really all that practical. Not to mention the social implications of playing it in a public place. Then there's a cop shooter game.. grr I can't remebmer the name, I think it had 911 in the title though. What's different about it is that there are motion sensors that can track your body movement, so if you duck out of the way you can avoid being shot. I have difficulty imaginging that game being faithfully ported to a Playstation.

      I honestly believe that we'll see a reniassance in arcade gaming. A theater near my house has a small arcade, and every single game they have there would be difficult to port to a home console without a seperate hardware add-on. That place is constantly busy despite not being in a mall or being an official 'arcade'. It's just a matter of getting a new round of creativity brewing up new types of games.

      So, in short, I think arcades are in a slump right now. They will pick up, though.

  3. Um hey... by TerryAtWork · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Aren't the Yakuza deeply mixed up in the Pachinko business?

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  4. What happened to the Microsoft merger? by grungeman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Wasn't Sega supposed to be bought by Microsoft? I could imagine that some Keiretsu decided that the Microsoft/Sega merger would be a major threat to the Japanese consumer electronics industry (Sony/Nintendo), so in order to prevent that merger they made Sammy to merge with Sega.

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  5. Re:Enix and Square? Foretold in FF 1 by bludstone · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In the new version of FF1 (coming soon as final fantasy origins) the gravestone reads "Here Lies Link."

    Hmmmm.

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