Sega Was Quite The Prolific Contributor!

Sup super brothers, this wasn't meant to showcase new material/opinions but I've got stuff to share anyway.  So here's a new IGN article that has sprung up lately which is surprisingly flattering towards Sega!  Sega: A Soothsayer of the Games Industry.  What a lot of you noobs didn't know about Sega so I'm gonna recap any achievements thus far whether it was a hit or miss.  I'm going to do this in timeline format and add a few things of my own so here goes:

1976: Let's go ride some bikes!  Fonz was not the first racing game Sega released (that would be Moto-Cross, a game relatively identical to this) but it was the first game to feature force feedback controls and also the first to be based off a TV character.

1985: Let's go ride some bikes...again!  Hang-On was a motorcycle game that boasted the world's first full-body experience gameplay (steer by leaning left & right on the special bike cabinet).

1986: Embark on a beautiful journey!  OutRun was the first racing game to combine multiple soundtracks and non-linear routes.  Most of the landscapes were derived by memories accrued by the eclectic Yu Suzuki during his European tour.

1987: Early attempts at lousy 3D gaming!  Sega revealed an add-on for the Mega Drive...a pair of black 3D glasses with LCD shutters that would project 3D full-color images from the screen.  It was a flop, of course.

1989: HOOOOOOO!!!  Sega released the arcade version of Moonwalker, an isometric beat-em-up featuring none other than music legend Michael Jackson.  A 1990 version was released for Genesis that featured drastically different gameplay (2D action sidescroller).

1990: Go buy some DLC!  Sega released a network system exclusive to Japan dubbed the Sega Net Work System.  Download games using a modem attached to the MegaDrive for a sizeable monthy fee (unfortunately, you had to redownload the games after you shut the console off).

Also that year, you could now watch TV on your handheld system!  The Sega Game Gear came with a backlit color screen and a TV tuner.

1991: Save your files on internal console memory!  The Sega CD (of all consoles, geez) was the first to include this feature.  The Saturn in 1994 also did the same thing as well.

Also this year, Sega released the very first Sonic the Hedgehog game which would later become Sega's official mascot and spawn one of the most largest game franchises in history.

1992: Play racing games in 3D!  While Virtua Racing wasn't the first 3D racing game (predated by Namco's Winning Run and Atari's Hard Drivin' by '88 and '89 respectively), it was the first of the Model 1 arcade series and the beginning of Sega's 3D arcade dominance.  It was also the first racing game to feature multiple view points--cockpit, bumper, chase, and far chase views.

1993: Play fighting games in 3D!  Virtua Fighter was the first 3D fighting arcade game.

Also that year, we said screw the Kinect--let's play hands-free gaming Sega-style!  The Sega Activator was an octagon-shaped Genesis controller that was placed on the floor and read player inputs as they waved around like idiots.  It was a piece of crap but kudos for trying.  Over a decade later, the Kinect has no excuse to suck.

And yet again for that year, Night Trap was released for Sega CD, an abysmal game that was presented during US Senate hearings which eventually ushered in the ratings system.

1994: Highest grossing arcade game of all time!  Well, at least the highest-grossing arcade racing game of all time.  Daytona USA, ladies and gentlemen.  It requires no introduction.

Also, Sega would continue their online exploits by releasing a similar online service for the Genesis known as the Sega Channel.  This time, it was available in North America.  Pay the subscription to download games, cheats, manuals, unreleased content, and demos off the server hosted by Time Warner Cable.

1995: Play Mega Drive & Genesis games outdoors!  The Sega Nomad was a portable Genesis/Mega Drive system with a 3.25 inch color LCD screen and an A/V out plug for connecting to another TV (you could watch a video game on two screens).  Also came with AC adapters and battery packs (with abysmal life, of course). Was supposed to have a touch screen but Sega ditched that feature due to a high price tag (over $250).

1997: Play more games online!  Sega released the 28K NetLink attachment for the Sega Saturn, complete with keyboard and mouse compatibility.  Unfortunately, only five games were playable online, one of which was a special version of Daytona USA: Championship Edition.

1998: Carry your saved games around with style!  For the Dreamcast, Sega ditched internal memory in favor of those "evil memory cards" that Sony profited from.  But the Dreamcast memory cards (Visual Memory Unit or VMU) also functioned as a second screen during gameplay AND as a mini handheld gaming device elsewhere.  Everyone knows this but it's a neat idea that's so clever it's worth mentioning multiple times.

1999: Show the Wii who's boss!  Sega released the Dreamcast Fishing Controller which was quite versatile for a mere fishing game peripheral.  It could be used to play other games...such as Virtua Tennis or Soul Calibur!

Also that year, Yu Suzuki released the most expensive game ever produced for its time, Shenmue, at $47 million (in 1999 money).  This and its 2001 sequel Shenmue 2 both cost $70 million (in 2001 money) to make.  It was also the first game to use Quick Time Events and also spawned one of the most delayed yet anticipated threequels in history (Shenmue 3).

2000: Play with even more fun Dreamcast toys!  Shake the maraca controllers to Samba de Amigo.  Also talk to Seaman the fish with your microphone.

Also this year, SegaNet (or Dreamarena in Europe) was released for Dreamcast consoles.  The Dreamcast was the first online-ready console which ran over a 56K dialup connection.  It also had its own built-in web browser with keyboard & mouse support.

2002: The legend will never die!  First game company ever (to my knowledge) to survive a total loss of over $1.5 billion (from 1998 to 2002) and still survive.  Partially due to one of the greatest altrustic moves in gaming history--former Sega Chairman Isao Okawa donated $695 million that same year just before his death.

2003: Listen to video game music LIVE!  The infamous Takenobu Mitsuyoshi performed the Shenmue soundtrack at the first Symphonic Game Music Concert in Leipzig, Germany--the first video game music concert held outside of Japan.

2004 onward: Sega did nothing worth noting (except a few racing games).  Cause they suck and are an embarrassment to us all.  I give them props for staying alive this whole time but that's it.

2012: The Dreamcast homebrew scene still forges ahead.  Sturmwind was the most recent Dreamcast game released this very year, thus proving the Dreamcast is still "alive."

What a damn shame.  To see all these achievements go to waste after the post-Dreamcast era.  Seriously, listen to the New Sega Theme Song--it sums up everything perfectly.  This post has gone on way much longer than it should've so I'll end with a few choice quotes from the IGN article that sums up Sega all too well:

Unfortunately for SEGA, offering future tech in the present is expensive, and I would chalk up a majority of Sega’s commercial failures to prohibitive price tags with minimal returns. This is in stark contrast to the company’s ancient rival, Nintendo, which is historically quite content to sit on emerging technologies until they become affordable, and by extension, profitable.

It is little wonder SEGA was the prime mover for video games for so long: with teams AM1 through to AM7 during the 1990s, surely SEGA burned through an insane amount of money in research and development alone. Like a dog digging holes in the backyard, SEGA leapt from the Mega CD to the 32X to the Saturn within the span of three years. This did nothing to build up consumer confidence in the SEGA brand, but in retrospect, it’s hard not to admire the excitement for the medium that SEGA so clearly shared with its fans, and demonstrated with its business decisions. Its devil-may-care attitude towards game development in the Saturn and Dreamcast eras is something that we simply do not see outside of the indie scene today. The Dreamcast read like a love letter to gaming itself.

Even stranger for Sega, a retired prize fighter sitting on the sidelines. Watching Nintendo grapple with the internet; watching Sony outfit handhelds like Swiss Army knives; watching Microsoft struggle to make full body control viable; and being able to say, “been there, done that.”

Yeah, that's right.  Sega kicks ass and now you know why.  Yes, they were a very foolish company but when they did something right, it was awesome.  The end.

If you have any Sega "firsts" that I forgot to mention, please let me know cause I want to learn more too.

Daytona USA Championship Edition: That Other Daytona Game...

Alright, so there's quite a few Sega racers out there I've barely scratched the surface of.  Well here's another one for you: Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition (1996, also known as Daytona: CCE) for the Sega Saturn and its PC cousin, Daytona USA Deluxe (1997).  Both games are nearly identical in terms of source material, though the PC version has one additional track, better graphics (of course), and LAN play.

So here it is.  It's one of those wonderful "Windows 95" CD-ROM games.  You know you're in for a treat here.  Since I never owned a Saturn, I'm much more familiar with the PC version.  It was around 2002 and "Daytona USA Fever" was here.  Since Daytona USA 2 never got a home port and I didn't own a Dreamcast at the time, I bought three overpriced copies of this game off of eBay (charged me S&H three times, bastards).  Fired this bad boy up on the computer and here goes.

Here's the breakdown.  This game has eight cars and five tracks (six if you're on PC version).  The draw distances are farther than that of the original Daytona port.  There's split-screen and LAN play (PC-only, unless you have the rare Saturn net version).  You can also choose from a couple of options, such as the time of day to race and suspension stiffness (not as spectacular as it sounds), but that's about it.

This game was brought to you buy the folks who ported Sega Rally Championship (AM3 aka Hitmaker, I think).  Now this presents a conundrum--it's like Sega Rally and Daytona USA had a bastard child.  Don't get me wrong, this game's good but it feels a tad bit off compared to Daytona USA 1 and 2.  I'll explain why.  But here goes.

And now, I present to you, the CAR LINEUP...

So here's the eight cars in the game as seen in the game's menus.  They all have their hokey one-word names like the "Phoenix" or the "Oriole."  The cars have various stats which affect top speed & handling but that's about it.  The Max wins the honor of being the "Easy Level Car" (slow but good handling) while the Phoenix wins the honor of being the "Hard Level Car" (fast but poor handling).

Nevertheless, I like where AM3 was going with this but the car designs are a bit bland for my taste.  If Sega were to remix this game someday, I say go all-out with the crazy with it.  If there's a white car with the word "Balance" on it, I say it needs to look a lot more spiffy.  Also really strange how they changed the Hornet number & design, as such...

Oops, mirrored textures.  What's wrong AM3, too lazy to make right-side versions of the car textures???

If you zoom in enough, you'll see there's a "TacoBay" sticker on that car.  

The #19 Hornet still getting some love from the fans.

MUSIC

Believe it or not, the game (the US version at least) doesn't have the Mitsuyoshi vocals.  Every original Daytona song is a remix or a Richard Jacques ditty.  So that's lame.  But you get an all-new Daytona song which is called "Sons of Angels."



That's Jun Senoue on Guitar...the Jun of Crush 40.  And that's Eric Martin on Vocals...same Eric Martin from Mr. Big.  Now I wouldn't know about Mr. Big because lousy-ass Harmonix never released any Mr. Big songs for Rock Band until last month (just one song) so thanks Harmonix, this is all your fault.  But anyway, it's a rockin' song like the Winger band on Daytona USA 2 but not as memorable (for me, anyway...this game didn't get as much playtime as Daytona 2).

EDIT: Also worth mentioning this is the only song in the series that mentions the phrase "Daytona USA."  Let's Go Away doesn't count since the lyrics go "Daytona Let's Go Away."  Doesn't count.

Playing the game on WINDOWS 98

Operating my pirated copy en Español.

It's ass.  I've played both Daytona original and Daytona CCE on the PC and it's just not as fun with a keyboard.  In Deluxe they smoothed out the controls so you can turn reasonably well with keys but the car handling feels so bland that way--there's no "oomph" whenever you turn which way.  Get yourself a joystick/steering wheel and wrestle with the damn menus/graphics settings.  Oh well, you wanna play on the Master Race PC, it's not gonna be easy...

Track Selection (with Gameplay Footage!!!)

Three of the tracks are Three-Seven Speedway, Dinosaur Canyon, and Seaside Street Galaxy.  Holy cow, the three tracks from the original Daytona, how convenient.  Two are Desert Canyon and National Park Speedway which also made an appearance in Daytona USA 2001.

I had a crazy conspiracy theory once--it's that the roller coaster in National Park Speedway were the same ones in the Gameworks Amusement Park--hence both courses were in close proximity of one another.  But from the pics, they aren't even the same coaster so forget it.

...but what about the sixth track???  It's otherwise known as Silver Ocean Causeway.  It doesn't appear in any other racing game.  Here it is (thanks buddy for the Daytona USA 2 music!):

Shoot through the neon-lit tunnel before weaving down-hill as you drive across bridges and green hills.  Then take a sharp U-turn as you drive up-hill through the city and to the finish line.  It's not a fantastic course but it's nice to see some new scenery for once.

Secret Cars

Believe it or not, you can unlock the ACTUAL ORIGINAL #41 HORNET is in this game.  However, it is called the "Daytona" car and it has max stats--208 mph top speed and able to corner on a dime without drifting.  Now that's seriously OP, nerf this car now.  BTW, another Eric Martin song (at 3:12), sweet.

There's also two versions of Uma the Horse in this game too.  It looks pretty much like the horse from the original Daytona...so yeah, here's the best clip I could find (notice the original Sky High version with Mitsuyoshi lyrics...much much better).

BEAUTIFUL AI CARS

All the AI/drone cars look oh so beautiful.  They're color-coded too by speed.  That is, the cars from 1st to 8th are black, cars from 9th to 16th are dark blue, cars from 17th to 24th are orange, etc.  EDIT: Cars segregated by color...ha, that's race-ist!.  Sticks out like sore thumb and I don't like it.

More Useless Gameplay Footage

This is Daytona USA: Netlink Edition which is a super-rare version of Daytona: CCE that has online play.    It's the rarest North American Sega Saturn game.  It can be sold for over $1000.  But so what because the Model 2/3 emulators can do so much more than this game for the price of zero dollars, amazing.  But anyway, check out the evening/night-time lighting in this video--you can see s*** in dark because stock cars don't have actual headlights, remember?

Conclusion

There's some more to be said about the game but since I haven't played this in years, I'll stop here.  I think 15+ years ago this game would've been outstanding but it just lacks the polish of other hallmark Sega racers.  Seeing as the game wasn't touched by the magic hand of Yu Suzuki and the AM2 team, I can see why.  Car handling and graphics don't come close to any arcade versions.  You can purchase the game and see for yourself.  I still have the CD somewhere, maybe I'll check it out (or not).

Review Score: Uh, pick a float value between 6 and 8, it's up to you.

Report: History & Corporate Culture Of SEGA

Hey kids, I decided not to post on the 18th to protest SOPA...lol, not really, I just was too tired to post again.

I wrote a 7-page "case studies" for school.  Most of this you may know but here's the history of Sega for you.  Hope nothing's factually incorrect.  Just a nice read I suppose.

HISTORY & CORPORATE CULTURE OF SEGA

To this day, Sega stands out as one of the truly unique game publishers of our time. From producing some of the hallmark titles of our time to their lowest points, there is always something unique to the corporation. Unlike other “picture-perfect” companies like Nintendo and Microsoft, Sega paved the way with unprecedented hardware and quirky titles at the cost of miserable failures. With headquarters in San Francisco, Tokyo, and Brentford (UK), Sega’s culture throughout the decades still stands and is very much applicable in business today.

Sega was initially founded in 1940 as a small company in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1951, it was moved to Tokyo and was given the name “Service Games.” The company distributed coin-operated devices such as jukeboxes and slot machines throughout Japan. Later it became involved in actual arcade development: Periscope, a 1966 submarine simulator, was the world’s first 25-cent arcade game. Eventually, in 1984, multibillion Japanese conglomerate CSK bought Sega and then the rest is history: a lavish history of arcade machines, home consoles, famous mascots, and a bad attitude.

In the mid 80’s, Sega had already released two home consoles: the SG-1000 and the Master System. While both paled in comparison to the NES in terms of popularity, it was Sega’s arcade division that truly made a splash. Back then, Sega of Japan hired a gentleman by the name of Yu Suzuki. Often dubbed as Sega’s answer to Shigeru Miyamoto, he was multitalented in terms of production and programming. After his first game Champion Boxing (1983), Sega granted him the opportunity to create his own game. Based on his experience with fast cars and bikes, Suzuki formed his own subsidiary of Sega (AM2) to produce Hang-On (1984), a motorbike arcade game which utilized parallax scrolling and a tilting bike cabinet. This game was wildly successful which led to create OutRun, After Burner, and Space Harrier, three games which used the same graphics engine and style. The uplifting music and vibrant colors set the tone for Sega from the start.

Suzuki’s endeavors would continue into the 90’s. Using his expertise in hardware design and in collaboration with General Electric Aerospace (later known as Lockheed Marin), his AM2 team crafted the “Model 1” hardware board which was primarily used in Virtua Fighter (1993) and Virtua Racing (1992), the first apparent fighting and racing games of the time. Suzuki’s serious tone to games would later continue into in the future and paved the way for Sega’s arcade dominance and design philosophy for some time.

Sega of Japan’s stroke of good fortune didn’t end with Suzuki. In 1991, programming assistant Yuji Naka was given the opportunity to program Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis. Sega’s tendency to reward programmers with their own games proved to be a huge hit as the Sonic character has become synonymous with Sega itself. The gracious Yuji Naka became the head of Sega’s Sonic Team subsidiary. Sonic the Hedgehog’s contrast to Super Mario of Nintendo fame would later reflect the two cultures of both clashing corporations.

Sega’s image was bolstered in the form of in-house competition. A great instance of this is the “war” between Toshihiro Nagoshi and Tetsuya Mizuguchi. Each recruited the assistance of Sega’s subsidiaries—Nagoshi to AM2, Mizugushi to AM3—to create their own arcade racing games. Nagoshi headed up Daytona USA (1994) while Mizugushi headed up Sega Rally (1995). At the time, Sega faced rival competition from other arcade developers such as Namco (Ridge Racer) and Midway (Cruis’n series). Neither game seemed to faze these two as they were interested in making games for the specific purpose of outdoing one another. With Suzuki as a mediator, it’s no surprise that both AM2 and AM3 arcade games from this period were some of the most critically acclaimed of all time thanks to this dichotomy.

Meanwhile, Sega of America’s campaign was in full swing, beginning with the Sega Genesis. While SoJ took a more serious approach to game design, SoA was much more laid-back and unorthodox. Developers of all types attended meetings vociferous and boorish, throwing out tons of ideas as mediators took notes. Anything was fair game for them. Needless to say, Sega became the “bad boy” of the gaming world as they tried to take out their rival, Nintendo.

Sega reached out with an edgy irreverence that captivated the 18+ year bracket. Campaign ads were launched with phrases like “Sega does what Nintendon’t” and the trademark “Sega Scream.” Even one infamous commercial boasted the Genesis’ “Blast Processing” power which was a completely made-up term for the sake of advertising. The Genesis was inundated with anticipated titles/sequels like Streets of Rage, ToeJam & Earl, and Sonic the Hedgehog which paled in comparison with Nintendo’s “clean” games like Mario or Zelda. To add to its edginess, Sega was more lenient on mature content as the Genesis version of Mortal Kombat featured more gore than the Super Nintendo version. Also, Sega recruited Michael Jackson to help design some of their games (Sonic 3, Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker). The “cool” image stuck with Sega as focus groups proved that teenagers who owned Super Nintendo consoles were generally afraid to admit it.

However, Sega’s eagerness to produce a greater quantity of content (over quality) proved to be their Achilles heel. This began with their console development on the Sega CD (1992), and the Sega 32X (1994). Originally intended to be their own stand-alone devices, hardware developers simply produced them as add-ons to the existing Genesis console. Savvy gamers are usually aware that the games for said devices were abysmal. The Sega CD was originally sold at $299 and consisted of a library of mostly movie-based games such as Night Trap. The Sega 32X costs only $159 at release but didn’t fare much better. Both consoles were difficult and not worthwhile to develop for. While Nintendo wasn’t immune from mistakes (Virtual Boy), Sega’s mindset was clearly to cover up any flaws with slick advertising. Nintendo’s steady lead over Sega continued.

Sega’s eccentric behavior carried over to other companies. Around this time, Sega was looking for companies to merge or buy out. They even set their sights as high as Electronic Arts or Disney (very unlikely). Eventually, in 1997, they nearly agreed to a merger with Bandai (Power Rangers, Digimon, etc.). Weeks before the merger, Bandai backed out of the agreement, citing cultural differences that could obfuscate their productivity. Later, Bandai would merge with Namco. It appears Sega never got along with anybody, even those they tried to become partners with.

The Sega Saturn (1994) was a huge improvement over the Sega CD and 32X as it rivaled the Sony Playstation in terms of capabilities. Fictional Judo master Segata Sanshiro served as the console’s mascot in Japanese commercials, training with a giant Saturn console, throwing people causing them to explode, and beating up people (including kids) who refused to play the console. These edgy commercials were not aired in the United States, which further proves Sega’s “in-your-face” mentality. Yu Suzuki and the AM2 team were called on to help craft the hardware which paved the way for a new series of successful Virtua Fighter games. Virtua Fighter 2, in particular, was sold at a ratio of 1:1 with the Saturn console itself.

Later, Yu Suzuki would attempt to create his magnum opus, Shenmue (1999), a luscious open-world game following the adventures of a young man trying to solve the death of his father. It was developed the Saturn before it was ported to the Dreamcast years later. The development cost of both Shenmue 1 and 2 was in the range of $70 million dollars. While the Shenmue series was critically acclaimed for having that Sega “mystique,” it was the beginning of the end of Sega’s glory days.

In 1998, Sega thoroughly planned the release of the Sega Dreamcast in coordination with Microsoft. Heralded as Sega’s “most glorious moment,” the console boasted arcade-equivalent graphics and colorful new IP’s, such as Jet Grind Radio, Space Channel 5, NiGHTS Into Dreams, Power Stone, Phantasy Star Online, Skies of Arcadia, House of the Dead, Super Monkey Ball, Crazy Taxi, ChuChu Rocket, Ferrari F355 Challenge (Suzuki owns his own Ferraris), Seaman, and even the titular Sonic Adventure (Sonic’s first fully 3D foray). It also featured SegaNet, an online browser/gaming service powered by a 56K modem.

However, things would quickly turn for the worse for the Dreamcast. The upcoming Playstation 2 console by Sony was graphically superior and also featured a DVD player. Bernie Stolar, President of Sega of America from 1997 to 1999, collaborated with Sega to develop the Dreamcast but noted that several hardware failures and a higher price ($199 vs $249) could cause the device to fail. He also barred RPGs and 2D games from the Dreamcast since he thought they were too “nerdy.” He also bullied Namco into releasing Tekken games for the Dreamcast alone.  His predictions were correct but he was fired before the damage could be done. The Dreamcast was riddled with piracy and a poor development environment. Companies such as Electronic Arts backed out of working on the Dreamcast with the PS2 on the horizon.

The Dreamcast sold poorly in Japan and in Europe. Sega’s last-ditch effort was to provide American marketer Peter Moore with $500 million to advertise in the US. 2000 was dubbed the “Year of the Dreamcast.” Although the console became a cult classic, it wasn’t enough to bear the onslaught by the PS2. Sega permitted exclusive IPs to be published on other consoles. The Dreamcast ceased production in 2002. 10.6 million units were sold worldwide as of then.

To emphasize the Dreamcast’s failure, Sega lost from 1998 to 2002 a grand total of $1.5 billion (2002 inflation). To rub salt on the wound, Suzuki’s Shenmue series sold poorly and thus Sega “demoted” him in traditional Japanese business fashion. Sega managed to survive because of one of the greatest altruistic moves in gaming: CSK chairman Isao Okawa donated $695 million to Sega after his death in 2002. Though Sega lives, they’ve now been regulated to a mediocre third-party developer.

What led to Sega’s downfall over the previous decade? One of Sega’s ultimate strengths was in its hardware development. From Sega’s stellar arcade boards and cabinets from the 80’s-90’s to its striking home consoles, they were able to instill that unique culture through that medium. However, with the decline in arcades and the third-party transition, Sega lost a huge advantage over the competition. As a signal of change, Sega’s trademark indoor theme parks dubbed “Gameworks” began closing up across the world. The only explanation was that Sega, as a whole, was ambitious and willing to take risks and come up with completely unorthodox ideas, hence why the Dreamcast has such a stellar library despite the huge losses involved.

However, starting with their lackluster home consoles such as the Sega CD, Sega never really thought things through. This permeated through their corporate culture as they were forced to step back and re-evaluate the situation, only creating new hardware for arcade titles. Such quality, yet scarce titles such as OutRun 2 (2004), Ghost Squad (2004), After Burner Climax (2006), and Virtua Fighter 5 (2006) are attributed primarily to Suzuki’s AM2 team, widely considered to be the last true “gem” of Sega game development.

Things only became marginally better for Sega entering the 21st century. Sega was seeking mergers with various candidates, such as Nintendo, Microsoft, and Electronic Arts. In 2004, Sega agreed to a $1.45 billion deal in a merge with Sammy, a company heavily involved in manufacturing pachinko machines. Sammy’s CEO, Hajime Satomi, is rumored to be involved with the Yakuza and Sega-Sammy is used in his money laundering operations. Regardless of whether the rumors are true, Sega continued to wallow in the mire for years to come.

While Sega managed to earn meager profits throughout the mid 00’s thanks to their steady line of pachinko machines, very little good came out of it. Sega’s hallmark Sonic the Hedgehog series took a huge dive. Games like Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic 2006, and Sonic and the Black Knight are considered abysmal even by typical video game standards, despite the fact the games managed to sell well. The situation became so bad that Sega of America President Mike Hayes had to assure the public that Sonic Team would hasten the production of new Sonic titles. To make matters worse, major Sega players such as Yu Suzuki, Yuji Naka, and Tetsuya Mizuguchi left the company to open their own studios.

While Sega may be developing few hallmark titles on their own, they’re seeing modest improvements entering the 2010 year. Mike Hayes has placed a specific emphasis on downloadable content and fresh new IP’s, stating that the profits from smaller, cheaper games can eclipse that of full-production titles. Classic arcade, Genesis, and Dreamcast games have been ported to modern online downloadable services such as Xbox Live and Steam, introducing old games to nostalgic gamers and new gamers alike. Sega has managed to publish some solid titles such as Bayonetta, Total War, The Conduit, Alpha Protocol, and Renegade Ops. They’ve also enlisted on the help from other studios such as Dimps and Sumo Digital to help create more quality Sega-related titles. Also, Sega still continues to produce some quality in-house titles, such as Yakuza and better quality Sonic the Hedgehog games.

Sega has adapted to the post-Dreamcast fallout with modest success. It is only natural that the market changes over time and Sega’s stubborn ways led to their downfall. However, they’ve held dear to their quirky nature since the very beginning. The fanbase still rallies around Sega, promoting new Sonic games on their own and creating fan content such as emulators of abandoned Sega arcade games. Even the eccentric Toshihiro Nagoshi, producer for Daytona USA, Super Monkey Ball, and Yakuza, proclaims that he will work for Sega for his entire career. All the meanwhile, Yu Suzuki and Yuji Naka continue to “supervise” at Sega.

Things can only get better for Sega from here. Once you’ve reached rock bottom, the only place to go from there is up.

Now You Know That Sega Makes The Best Racing Games!!!

This is old but nevertheless, I haven't mentioned it yet (I think).  Found this pic today.

Ayrton Senna's Sega trophy.  The 1993 European GP at Donnington Park (or is it "Donington"...oh well) in Leicestershire, England.

dat trophy

Sega ads plastered everywhere!  Hey look, it's Sawnik the Hejhog--PINGAS!!!  But no sign of OutRun, Virtua Racing, etc. which is understandable.

Got some of these pics here.

A rainy day for Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna but that didn't slow him down.  He went from sixth to first place in the first lap and didn't let up since, partially because he was able to circumvent the drivers' need to switch from dry to wet tires frequently during the race.  In 76 laps (average lap time 1:20), he lapped every single car (except one).  He finished 1:23 (one minute, 23 seconds) ahead of second-place winner Damon Hill.  Funny because Hill was the one doing the photo-ops with Sonic.

So Senna beat "Sonic" at his own game.  Because of Senna's complete annihilation of the competition, Sega awarded him with his own Sega Genesis, Game Gear, and Master System games.

This...is...AWESOME.

This...not so much. :(

There was even this weird Saturn game called "Ayrton Senna Personal Talk: Message for the Future."  Okay, a video game about a guy talking?  FREAKIN' BRILLIANT!!!

Unfortunately, Senna died at 34 years old in the 1994 San Marino GP.  Just like Dan Wheldon huh?  Terrible stuff...guy was a pro too.

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Oh well, this post is to show you how wacky Sega is with these race cars...Nintendo couldn't get away with this but Sega could.  Like Sega and Michael Jackson.  Goes to show you that Sega are RACING PROS, and DO NOT DOUBT ME.  Piss off Nintendo, go sponsor some go-kart races down by the local amusement park/putt-putt course.  Cause Sega's got FORMULA ONE locked down already.

Crazy Taxi & Sega Rally Fan Art

I want to finish this fan art stuff before I move on to something else.  Here's the OutRun fan art and the Daytona USA fan art.  There's one or two pics pertaining to Crazy Taxi in the Daytona/OutRun fan arts...sorry, that's just the way it is; can't post 'em twice.

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TAKE ME TO THE COURTHOUSE!!

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Hey, it's a stumpy BD Joe!

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Axel and the pimpmobile.

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Someone stole Gus's car!!

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It's sexy Gena and some NPCs!

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Craxy Taxi in Kuala Lumpur...that smoke trail looks like a plane going down or somethin...

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Did BD Joe just pee his pants?  Or is it really like that, I don't know...

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DAT ASS

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Gena FTW!!!

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Already posted the furry pic before.  Please don't shoot me in the face for this!

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This is the full image that was cropped for the SROA "cover."  Don't know if it's true fan art or what, but hey, it's just the full image with no logos so not bad.

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AWESOME SAND CASTLES!!!

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Secret beta character for Sega Superstars Tennis!!

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GO GO SEGA RALLY!!

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VVVRRRRRRRRRROOOMMMMMM

That's all the fanart I got sooooo...

GAME OVER YEAAHHHH!!!!

Sega's Got A New Console, Baby (And More)

Yes, it's true.  Despite the FGNOnline rumors, you can get the new Sega console RIGHT NOW.  The Sega Sega.

Found just outside an everyday Wal-Mart supercenter.  Speaking of which, I would like to know who's waiting for the midnight release of Captain America...ESPECIALLY outside a Wal-Mart...

Oh, whatcha know Joe about 3D Pixel Racing?  From the only review I've seen so far, IGN gives it a 6.0, citing three problems: mandatory overly-sensitive motion controls, invisible walls, and lack of online play.  It's a very brief review and it's also IGN so screw the reviews, just play the game anyway.

Here's some more gameplay footage.  The audio (especially the voice-overs) are rather off-base.  You see that there's a couple of spots where normally you could cut a corner but the game wouldn't allow it.  Why they couldn't just lay down a barrier is beyond me (such as at 2:38).  About the controls, remember when everyone bickered about Days of Thunder when the controls had a slight learning curve?  You come up with your own conclusion.  It's a bit underwhelming looking at the full game but it's a small-budget game so I wasn't expecting much.



Also I did not know this at the time of my Segata Sanshiro post way back, but the man has a Saturn game based around him...nuts I tell you.  A collection of simplistic mini-games, can't go wrong with that.  Thanks Kotaku for having the bravado to mention the man as well as refer to this video game footage.



Also, the Goldeneye Wii remake that I chewed out many times in the past year is actually coming to Xbox 360 and PS3...ha, I might actually take a look.  Can't be that much worse than Call of Duty--I mean it IS supposed to be CoD but with a Bond theme.  There's all this Comic-Con crap this week which means more games will be leaked (despite the fact that this is a convention about COMICS, not video games).  Oops, there I go posting lousy news again!

Hey wait, a Goldeneye game without Pierce Brosnan?  Hold the phone--so let's put Daniel Craig in a game based on a movie he didn't appear in?  And get rid of the main actor of said movie game?  Like making an Indiana Jones game with Nick Cage instead of Harrison Ford (they were both in hokey action/thriller flicks so it counts).  Makes a whole lotta sense.  Congrats Captain Obvious for mentioning what everyone said six months ago.

But this funny picture makes up for it.

Every Version Of OutRun Imaginable...

Back in the 80's, the original OutRun was a big f'n deal.  So big that the game got ports for just about every console you can imagine...even consoles I never even knew existed.  For some oddball reason, each version of the game looks & handles differently purely because many of these weren't programmed by Sega themselves.  Here's YouTubes of every single version of OutRun right here with my immediate rating out of 5.  Please note if you're sentimental towards one version that I rated poorly, well tough break...

Amiga (2/5, mega crap right out the gate)


Amstrad CPC (2/5, the music makes me laugh)


Arcade (5/5, duh)


Commodore 64 (2/5, the VW Beetle dodging simulator!!  EDIT: Wait, no branching paths...-minus-1 point there)


Sega Genesis (4/5, still looks weird compared to arcade version but still very good)


Sega GameGear (3/5, lol, mini OutRun, oh yea!!  but only 10 stages tho)


iPhone (actually named Final Freeway, it's an obvious ripoff) (3/5, looks unique, tilt the phone to steer but it's not really OutRun so minus 1 point)


MSX (1/5, holy cow)


PC (NOT emulator) (4/5, not bad)


Playstation 2 (part of Sega Classics Collection) (4/5, the car looks weird but at least it's smooth driving)


Sega Master System (3/5, too quirky for me)


Sega Saturn (part of Sega Ages) (5/5, basically identical to arcade version)


Atari ST (3/5, basically the Amiga version but with snazzier music and a smaller screen)


TurboGrafx-16 (4/5, delightfully surprised by this one)
NOTE: Old video got deleted, this is the only one left.  Not like people are rushing to upload OutRun on the TurboGrafx so gimme a break.  I recall it being very similar to the PC version so nothing truly groundbreaking.



Sinclair ZX Spectrum (-1,000,000/5, ANOTHER mangled version of Splash Wave, worst port ever)

I think that's every version--if there's one or two I missed, let me know so I can add 'em.  And we haven't even touched on Turbo OutRun, OutRun Europa, OutRun 2019, OutRunners...geez.  Basically, OutRun games up the ass.  If only we could've pooled all the energy put into these ports into OutRun 3, that would be great.  I also complain about how overrated today's graphics are, but with those old graphics, no amount of gameplay can save it...

Oh, and don't think Daytona USA got off the hook. I may get to that sometime...I'm saving that for later.

Sonic "Low" Riders & Motion Controls

As you probably know, the Microsoft Kinect came out recently.  And with that, the dashboard has changed.  I don't know--the old one was starting to grow on me, but now, I just don't care anymore.  Do whatever you want, Microsoft.  It's your console, not mine.

And with the Kinect comes the new Sonic "Free" Riders game.  Despite the fact that it's a "free" game, you still have to pay $50 for it on release.  In theory, it is a "Sega racer," so we have to mention it.  Well, to be quite honest, after looking at some preview videos a while back on Giant Bomb and whatnot, the game wasn't looking too good.  And now that it's out, Kotaku just rips it.

Kotaku Sonic Free Riders Overview

And here's Jeff Gerstmann playing the game.  You could see he was a bit narcissistic...come on, give it a break, it's a sad Sonic game.  HERE WE GO! (Warning: Some Profanity):



The game itself doesn't look too bad graphically.  As a matter of fact, the environments are damn nice.  The gameplay, barring motion controls, is practically the same thing as in Sonic Riders 1 and 2.  But the controls are so hard to calibrate they say, that they can't even get through the menu to play the game.  Just great.  Why is it that Sega had to use Sonic to test out the Kinect anyway?  WHY SONIC??

I think this game will be compatible with the regular controller, but really, this game was BUILT around the premise of being a Kinect game.  If it can't even get that part right, then that's one-half of the game in the toilet already.  A waste of effort, perhaps?  UPDATE: This game is not compatible with a standard controller so that sucks.

EDITEDITEDIT: Someone from Kotaku offers a counter-point to the previous review.  The controls aren't so bad he says and he tells you something very important:

The tutorial never really spells out that you aren't supposed to crouch unless you're jumping or leaning forward to speed up, but once I figured that out, everything clicked. In the last race I played, I managed to execute a spin jump, dash, ring grab, and another jump before boosting over the finish line, all in rapid succession.

So that clears it up a little, but the game's still up in the air.

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I'm really not gonna lie here.  Why is it that people are pushing motion controls past the Wii so hard these days?  Look at the Sega CD.  Ooh, you get to play the games on a CD.  Well, it took the sacrificial lambs that were Sega CD, Phillips CD-i, Atari Jaguar and (to a certain extent) Sega Saturn until CD-based games came around in the form of the Sony Playstation.  Like I mean, barring a few good Nintendo Wii titles, motion control is crap.  It was crap back during the Power Glove, and only Nintendo has been able to save face in terms of this motion control travesty.

I'm gonna go ahead and say this.  Making a game look better or use new technology is the last thing on my mind.  I want DAMN GOOD GAMES first and foremost.  Like people are more concerned with making their games look good than to make sure that they're actually, you know, FUN.  Please, stop it, stop it, STTOOOPPPP IIITTTT!!!!!!!!!!  Oh and before you say "Nintendo Wii," well their library's crap so don't bother.

EDITEDITEDIT: Oh yeah, and I was looking around on Giant Bomb some more and here's Jeff playing MotionSports, a horrendous abomination that further reinforces my belief that motion-control games suck.   

WARNING: Even more profanity and and an obscene gesture.  But it's hilarious, no doubt!  "I want to marry this guy."  "Rider, meet horse; horse, meet rider."  "Smile for the camera! *weird face* "One of my favorite videos from these guys.



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Anyway, also worth mentioning is that Goldeneye Wii is finally out.  It's a hit with reviewers, all in the 8.0+ range.  Here's GameSpot's review.  Anyway, I don't know what to say.  These are the same reviewers that got thrills over Split/Second so who knows if the game's really worth it.  At least it's something a little less mainstream for you people.  I already talked a lot about this game already so it's not like I have anything new to say.

Sega Racer Related At Last (Fighters Megamix)

I made my rounds through YouTube again and here's what I came up with.  You know about Fighters Megamix for the Sega Saturn, the game with all the weird Sega characters in it?  Well, you know the Hornet car was a playable character, right?  Well I always knew this but I never got decent footage until now.  Speed up to 5:21 if you wanna see the Hornet in action:



Okay, I'm just going to ask this now.  Disregarding the fact that this is Daytona USA, WHAT OTHER ACTUAL FIGHTING GAME HAS A CAR AS A PLAYABLE CHARACTER??  No, Transformers doesn't count (if you can play as vehicular forms).  I mean, WHO ELSE has the fortitude to attempt something like this?  A CAR CHARACTER IN A FIGHTING GAME???  The fact that it's the Daytona USA car is a bonus.  It's also funny that the tires are the arms and that when he runs out of health, parts of the frame fall off.  Too bad the Hornet is sucking pretty bad here--I hear he is not good tier-wise...

Also, don't you notice something up with this game?  Take a look...a bunch of characters from games by a specific developer together in a fighting game...doesn't that sound familiar?  If you're still clueless, let me give you a hint:

That's right.  Fighters Megamix came out in '96/'97 while Super Smash Bros came out in '99.  Yet it is SSB who is the victor and who gets the spoilers.  Well UP YOURS Nintendo.

EDIT: Capcom too with all of the crossovers, Marvel vs. Capcom, etc. not bad.

SSB--what a thorn in my side.  In all honesty, I'd rather take Mario Party.  Ok, it's not a bad game, but there's just something obnoxious about it.  And before you say I sucked at it, I used to play the N64 version regularly.  I went to a competition at a game store in the mall and came in 3rd out of 64 people, but now, I just don't want to talk about the game ever again.  Especially the brouhaha over the character announcements over the Wii version and how Nintendo teased us--like a farmer dangles a carrot over the horse...

You know what, let's talk about something else.  I don't hate the game, but I'd rather not play it.

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There aren't many new Daytona USA 2 videos, but here's one that flew over my head and I just noticed it.  This guy sets up the Model3 board and hooks it to his computer monitor and voila--he's playing D2 on a Dreamcast steering wheel.  I don't know how it works, but all I know is it works.  By Sega miracles from God I guess.



He posted many other gameplay videos which you can see in this big list of D2 videos I've meticulously compiled:  http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=83B3021DBEF1F415

And you know what, here's a video of a guy playing Scud Race in a deluxe cabinet.  Not that unique, but still I saw it so you should too.



You know what, I'm looking at this guy and all the other videos and I die a little on the inside.
Why everything has to be deprived from me so long...is it that much to ask for a decent Model3 (Scud Race/Daytona 2) kind of racer, just a home port, anything?!?!
 Not like I'm asking for millions of dollars or a gold statue in my honor, just ONE game!!!
Geez, I'm losing it, I really am...I'm on a roller-coaster ride at this point--it's "Daytona USA or Bust" for me.  Let us pray for the future.

Real Video Game Advertising Badasses

First, I mentioned Chicken McNuggets in a post yesterday--well, this lady attacks a McDonald's employee because she didn't get Nuggets at 6:30 AM...what a disgusting display, won't even bother embedding it.  Somehow, this is national news/AP worthy.  Oh well, if you want to be famous worldwide, just act like a real idiot.  See folks, I call the news before it even happens!  So read my blog more often and you will be on top of everything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wx8FsDl5Ak

Anyway, let's talk about some great product spokesmen.  We need badasses like this--people who are battle-hardened, slick, confident, make your bones shake.  Considering how wobbly and pathetic the average gamer is, it is no wonder that everyone looks upon these kind of people in sheer awe.  We need more real men like this in gaming.

Sega Saturn had Segata Sanshiro, he starred in Japanese commercials only and was a Judo master who just destroyed stuff and told people to buy a Saturn.  This....is the best thing I've ever seen in my life.


Did that guy just explode?


Best Christmas ever!!


I had to edit this one in.  Too good to be drafted by lousy MLB teams!  *cue theme song*


Who would shoot a nuke at Sega HQ?  Freakin Nintendo or something, those bastards (Sony would launch its own nuke later in the form of the PS2).  Anyway, Segata Sanshiro saved Sega once...but he can't save us again...it's up to us now...

And now another more recent guy--Kevin Butler, PS3 VP of Inspiration and Perspiration.  Holy cow, Sony is genius.  We need more straight-shooters like this.  I'm serious, everyone else who speaks is either a nerd or incredibly confused.  He's neither of these!

Now I gotta buy a PS3.  Sony makes great hardware, there's no doubt about it.


You wish you were this charismatic.

Speaking of ModNation Racers, did you know you could create your own tracks?  I thought you could only make your own characters and cars, but TRACKS?  This is big IMO.  Check out this Royal Raceway from Mario Kart 64.  Not picture perfect but looks damn good, I'm surprised!  I love track/map customization.  If you have a PS3, you should give this one a look.  Yes, a mainstream racing game I don't hate, it be folks...



Will I ever stop embedding videos?  I CANNOT.

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EDITEDITEDIT: This is super-old but there's also Reggie Fils-Aime, click here to read about him.  Sorry, pissed off Nintendo fans.

 "You suck and so does Sega."

I'm Still Alive (New Daytona USA Video)

Yeah, this tropical storm was so pathetic--all I think I heard was some lightning and that's it.

I just discovered this 2-year old video of some guy ranting about Daytona USA for the Saturn.  It's actually quite creative at some parts (albeit a bit offensive), especially the beginning and at 7 min which were pretty funny.

WARNING!!!: Quie a bit of adult language so don't say I didn't warn you.