Interesting article at Cnet regarding new Sega console

[capncnut]

There's been a lot of rumours (mostly false) over the last year or so about Segas return to the console market. This week there's been a new spark to the rumours and a few reports have popped up on game sites.

Click (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10158267-17.html?tag=mncol;title) for article.

Sega Ringedge (:lol:)? Dodgy name but damn I'm buying that if it's true. I think with Nintendo running away with the current gen war, Sega could well follow suit.

[axlish]

It'd be ballzy of them to try after the titanic failures of the Saturn and the Dreamcast. The Dreamcast was actually a decent system if you didn't get a bunk one, which I did and had to haggle with the game store owner to give me a replacement.

[MinionZombie]

Blimey, a new Sega console?

Interesting ... especially considering the huge success of the Xbox360 and the Wii ... if the PS4 happens, is there room for a new Sega console, as much as my nostalgia chip would find that ever-so nice.

If the PS4 didn't happen, then maybe that would be worthwhile doing for Sega ... ... but if the PS4 does happen ... that's a huge-ass gamble, especially as they'd most likely be making a 360-beater (or trying to anyway).

Hmmm...interesting...

[slickwilly13]

It would be a bad move to jump into the console or handheld war right now. Nintendo has held an iron grip on the handheld market for nearly 20 years. They beat out 3 colored handhelds: Turbo Duo, Atari Lynxx, Sega Game Gear w/ spinach colored graphics. Booted out SNK's Wonderswan. And held their heads high above the water against the PSP.

If Sega jump into the console wars right now they would be competing against 3 other systems. How would they survive? Seriously. I do not see it happening. MS and Nintendo alone would bury them.

[axlish]

If Sega jump into the console wars right now they would be competing against 3 other systems. How would they survive? Seriously. I do not see it happening. MS and Nintendo alone would bury them.

There is no secret formula to Sega's success, it is actually quite easy. Sega should do exactly what they did for the Dreamcast, except this time, make sure all consoles are working properly before shipping out. If that first run of Dreamcasts were worth a shit, it would have been smooth sailing as the console was popular, and was the first 128 bit system out. They know a little more about what is required now (hard drives, internet access) so perhaps they can get lucky. Sony seems ripe for the picking.

On the other side of the coin, they seem to have a good relationship with Nintendo right now (Genesis, Game Gear and Master System games are selling on the Virtual Console on Wii) and jumping back into the console market could damage that and ruin a nice income stream for them. RISKY!

[capncnut]

Actually the Dreamcast was holding it's own against the PS2 initially with over 10 million units sold before it was unjustly discontinued. Not only that but games like Shenmue had graphics that killed anything the PS2 had to offer, even though the console was released sixteen months before.

Right now the PS3 and 360 both have little over 20 million consoles sold, not that impressive really. I think a new console from Sega would seriously stir things up in the next gen war. It would be a 'shit or bust' move but I think Sega intend it to be. They have learned from their mistakes and they have a huge dedicated fanbase, the Ringedge (:lol:) would make a mint in Japan alone.

In terms of all the deals they have with Nintendo and the rest, just imagine if Sega had all their own games exclusively for their very own console: Condemned, Crazy Taxi, Full Auto, House Of The Dead, Jet Set Radio (unfortunately a new game was proposed recently but rejected in favour of a Sonic title), Mad World, NiGHTS, OutRun, Panzer Dragoon, Phantasy Star, Sega GT, Shenmue (pretty please with sugar on it), Sonic The Hedgehog, Super Monkey Ball, Virtua Fighter, Virtua Tennis, etc. Not to mention all the old classics online.

It would seriously rock!

[Tricky]

I imagine sega have built up a fair bit of cash by now after touting loads of games & even their flagship characters across all formats in recent years,its probably put them back in good stead to have a bash at the console market again!I'd love it if it blew microsofts efforts out of the water & bill gates got bitch slapped :p

[MinionZombie]

In terms of the nostalgia factor, and the fanbase, it would make more sense to do it sooner rather than later ... but other factors make you think to the contrary.

We'll see I guess.

If they do come back, I hope they do well ... ... and I'd kinda want them to bitch-slap the Playstation, as it was the PS1&2 that bitch-slapped Sega back in the 90's.

[capncnut]

If they do come back, I'd kinda want them to bitch-slap the Playstation, as it was the PS1&2 that bitch-slapped Sega back in the 90's.
Damn straight, man. Bury those bastards once and for all. :D

[Tricky]

i'd much rather see "big brother" microsoft take the hit,they need knocking down a peg or two :evil:

[MinionZombie]

Damn straight, man. Bury those bastards once and for all. :D
:lol:

FIGHT THA POWAH!

[Andy]

Nothing like kicking a man while he's down eh? :lol:

It would be a very bad move for SEGA to try and make a comeback to the console market if you ask me, their position has been taken by microsoft and there is no space for a fourth competitor, also lets face it, SEGA havnt had a good console since the megadrive, plus as has already been commented on, they have a good thing going with nintendo at the moment, if they do attempt a comeback they risk blowing that.

All in all, it would be a very bad move for SEGA.

[Tricky]

Nothing like kicking a man while he's down eh? :lol:

It would be a very bad move for SEGA to try and make a comeback to the console market if you ask me, their position has been taken by microsoft and there is no space for a fourth competitor.


Thats not to say that microsoft are now going to hold the console market from here to eternity though,that would be pretty shitty if thats the case!i just think microsofts ambitions & size are bad for the gaming industry

[capncnut]

Thats not to say that microsoft are now going to hold the console market from here to eternity though,that would be pretty shitty if thats the case!i just think microsofts ambitions & size are bad for the gaming industry
Well the Wii has sold over 20 million units more than the 360 so Microsoft don't really hold the console market.

I think it would be refeshing to see a new console from Sega but damn, they gotta change the name.

[krakenslayer]

Nintendo Wii
Sega Ringedge

What next? The Sony Turdstar!? :lol:

[Danny]

ringedge sounds like a handheld name to me.

much as i love my psp its for damn sure no competition for the ds. if they can fill the handheld niche' the psp should have, to release action and rpg games and stuff that plays like a console one but on the go then they'll do fine as long as they release stuff regularly and advertise. two things the psp fails at.

it aint a dreamcast 2 but ill take it.

[ProfessorChaos]

What next? The Sony Turdstar!? :lol:

that's actually the ps3's original working title.

if sega does come up with a new console, i hope it puts the ps3 out of its misery, given how badly sony shot themselves in the foot with this gen's console and how lamely they've been limping along since...

[MinionZombie]

that's actually the ps3's original working title.

if sega does come up with a new console, i hope it puts the ps3 out of its misery, given how badly sony shot themselves in the foot with this gen's console and how lamely they've been limping along since...
I'd purely just like to see that happen because Sony shafted SEGA off the market, so it'd be hilarious to see SEGA bitch-slap them back in revenge. :p

"Ringedge" though ... ... that just sounds like butt-hole-play, like running your pinky around a bungpiece like you would a champagne glass to make it do that high-pitched whine ... ... but with a butt, it'd just fart at you.

[krakenslayer]

ringedge sounds like a handheld name to me.

much as i love my psp its for damn sure no competition for the ds. if they can fill the handheld niche' the psp should have, to release action and rpg games and stuff that plays like a console one but on the go then they'll do fine as long as they release stuff regularly and advertise. two things the psp fails at.

it aint a dreamcast 2 but ill take it.

In all fairness, the reason the DS is more popular than the PSP is because the DS is pretty much a "non-games" console - literally 50-60% of the DS's titles are self-help and/or educational software aimed at people who, by-and-large, don't like computer games. The remaining 40-50% is made up primarily of Japanese 2D RPGs, kids' puzzle games, "cyberpet" games, kids movie franchise licenses and "grown-up" console titles remade into a series of mini-games.

Now, I'm not dissing the DS at all. I think Nintendo were very smart to do what they did and there are a lot of people out there who love the DS and I can see why.

On the other hand, the Sony PSP is a (successful, IMO) attempt to condense a "grown-up" console into a handheld, delivering an experience comparable to that of the PS2 in a form that can be carried anywhere. Now, the console's primary drawback is the somewhat more limited range of titles in comparison, as well as not featuring the same kind of uber-flexible, newbie-friendly control scheme as the DS. Unlike the DS, the PSP is specifically a gaming device, and is utterly committed to that one goal at the expense of a wide market share.

The PSP was never destined to fill the same niche as the DS. The PSP is made for gamers and the DS is made for everyone else. In spite of it's more limited market share, the PSP actually does pretty good business - far better than any non-Nintendo handheld has ever done before - specifically because they don't target themselves at Nintendo's handheld market (whereas the likes of the Atari Lynx and Sega Game Gear tried to go head to head with the Gameboy and either lost outright or struggled seriously to make a profit). The PSP is enough of a financial success that Sony will probably replace it with a PSP 2 when the time comes.

Which begs the question - is there room for a new Sega handheld (or a Microsoft one for that matter) in today's handheld market. Either they're gonna have to target the hardcore gamers and compete with the PSP's successor (I don't think Sega are still "hardcore" enough to satisfy the PSP's audience) or go head-to-head in the "gaming lite" world with the DS (which has such a huge market share I don't think anyone can seriously challenge them).

[capncnut]

Which begs the question - is there room for a new Sega handheld (or a Microsoft one for that matter) in today's handheld market. Either they're gonna have to target the hardcore gamers and compete with the PSP's successor (I don't think Sega are still "hardcore" enough to satisfy the PSP's audience) or go head-to-head in the "gaming lite" world with the DS (which has such a huge market share I don't think anyone can seriously challenge them).
I think there will always be room for a new console/handheld and I truly think this is Sega's last shot. In March, they will be bracing themselves for a loss of over 235 million dollars and in Japan 110 Sega arcades will be closed/sold off with a possible 500 employees laid off.

A successful new console/handheld could sort all that.