Games companies face ongoing challenges in promoting and monetising their retro content, especially in this age of emulators that are readily available across various devices. Nintendo has the Virtual Console - though the details of its Switch equivalent are still largely a mystery - and we see various companies produce remasters and ports of their most famous creations. Now there's speculation - with some evidence - that SEGA is preparing a service called 'SEGA Forever'.
SEGA Forever, as a brand, is absolutely real; there are - currently dormant - official social media accounts with that name on the likes of Twitter, with that account sitting there since last November. SEGA fans have been speculating about it since.
Now, courtesy of a survey and some menus in an iOS release of Comix Zone in the Philippines, there are suggestions that the Forever initiative could be a subscription-style service for retro SEGA games, likely on mobile devices. YouTube channel RGT 85 shared screens that had been passed to them, showing that the game seems to include references to SEGA Forever; the user in question highlighted a screen regarding a SEGA Forever newsletter, and fans are excited because of a survey for the 'product' listing Saturn games among many others.
Do these conclusions stack up? To a degree, though it's never wise to take customer surveys as statements of intent from companies - after all, they may simply be casting a wide net to gather broad consumer data. The logic around a mobile-based subscription service makes some sense, though there's no indication that consoles - like the Switch - could also benefit from such a product.
It'll be interesting to see whether these theories come true - if SEGA did produce a subscription-led service for playing its extensive back-catalogue it'd give an interesting insight into whether gamers are interested in paying for that kind of access.
We'll keep an eye out for further details as the year progresses.
[source youtube.com, via seganerds.com, neogaf.com]
Comments 44
I prefer to own my games but this could be interesting as long as they reach and get some rarer titles on the service.
I mean that's the direction the industry is moving. Xbox just revealed their new subscription service earlier today, think Netflix but for games. I wouldn't be surprised if 10 years from now every major player has some sort of 50 dollar a month service. Where you gain access to all their games new and old, rather than individual purchases.
I would very much like Nintendo to adopt this model for the Virtual Console/paid online. I think they will.
Speculation on top of a suspect source . . . .
@Nintendoforlife 600$ a year to play whatever you want? No thanks!
they did it before...
@Spoony_Tech Meh it might be more like 35 bucks a month, which might convince people due to the convenience. As well as the thousands of dollars games that would instantly be available to play. Even it wasn't reasonable, there's certainly enough stupid people in this world to make decent money.
I'd be game. Sega has enough of a catelogue of games to justify it. But mobile? No thanks.
@Nintendoforlife Isn't PS Now like 20 bucks a month? (Or UK is getting shafted again). And that service is for an old generation and a small(ish) collection. Can definitely see the price hike, especially it is for current gen, and a wider selection.
@XenoShaun Could they convince people to pay that price though. Just because the price is justified doesn't neccesarily mean people will purchase it. It takes a certain amount of money to make a solid gold car, the problem is getting people to believe it was neccesary to make that car.
I don't play old school games more than a dabble here and there, so unfortunately this model, or any like it, are beyond my wallet. I'm leaning toward emulation for my old school fix (whenever that is, even I don't know...) unless I hear otherwise.
@Nintendoforlife There's always people out their willing to splurge the money. Get Fifa and Call of Duty and people will come flocking.
@Spoony_Tech Well he did write "10 years from now", so he might not be too far off. And nobody would think of it as $600 per year. What do you pay for your cable TV bill? Cellphone bill? I pay $150/m for internet, phone and TV, I never think of it as $1,800 year or I'd cancel all 3 right not. People now pay for PS+, Xbox Gold, Netflix, Hulu, Prime, cable TV, smartphones, EA Access, MS Game Pass. Sony charges $35/m for PS Vue (cordless cable TV). 10 years from now MS or Sony could charge $50 month for all games plus TV channels plus your choice of Netlfix, Hulu or Amazon. Or Showtime, HBO or Cinemax. If Apple bought MS Xbox division (it will fail after Scorpio fails), Nitnedo and licensed Sony's games it could charge $50 per month just for games. You know Apple will get into games somehow someway at some point.
$50 per month? That's nothing for iPhone and Samsung users w/ $80/m cell phone bills. 10 years from now it could be a bargain for all those games and whatever. Future is always about consolidation. "Triple play".
@Nintendoforlife "Xbox just revealed their new subscription service earlier today"
Thanks, I've been waiting for that news for about 3 months now, figures I'd find out about it on NL.
As much as I love SEGA, I can't say I'm interested in subscribing to a Netflix style subscription service.
When I buy a game I want it forever. I don't want to pay money for games that I won't play and I certainly don't want to be on yet another Direct Debit just to play the games that I do want to play.
Just realised how old I must sound
I will stick to buying games so they're there when I want them and I have them forever.
Purchase mainly physically, but with the odd digital game that I know I will want with me at all times. That's my rule of thumb at the moment.
@XenoShaun Can't disagree with you there.
@rjejr Hey no problem man! This is still a "gaming" website, so I would like to think most people here keep up with the rest of the major players as well as Nintendo haha.
I'd like to see it come to consoles - as long as there is an option to purchase games aside from the subscription. One thing is for sure, Sega has tons of old games to reach back to! Adding Saturn games doesn't hurt either!! Bring to Switch!!
Will it be available on cable?
A sub service makes sense, but surely not on mobile. The controls would suck. Who would pay for this?
On the Switch, which is mobile and has all the necessary control inputs? Now THAT makes sense. But $10 a month at the very most. $5 might be more appropriate as its $60 per year.
@ogo79 I was wondering whether or not anyone was gonna bring that up!
Man, it was pretty revolutionary back in the 90s, being able to "stream" Genesis games straight from a coax cable to a specialized cartridge. Sega really did take some crazy shots back in the day.
It's memories like those that kinda makes me wish they were still in the console race.
Gods have mercy
Lame. I have paid far less than $35.00 for over 40 Sega games I can play any time on my PS3.
Comix Zone on iOS sounds scary unless you factor in an external compatible controller. This service sure would look 20% cooler on Switch, although with Virtual Console in their arsenal, I doubt Nintendo would be tempted to welcome third party emulation subscriptions there.
@DTFaux
i loved my sega channel
why don't the just bring out a micro console?
I'm very dubious this will include Saturn games. Virtua Cop and Panzer Dragoon both got PC releases so it's much more likely it will either be ports of those or maybe some horrid streaming version like PS Now.
That said, I'd love to be wrong, but I think if they'd got a Saturn emulator there would have been a Dreamcast emulator too as that would be easier to make.
Or the really cynical take is that Virtua Fighter refers to the Megadrive version of VFII and Panzer Dragoon is the GameGear version and we're just going to get another bunch of MD ROMs...
Sega channel anyone?
EDIT: I see others have beat me to it haha..
That was such a great idea then. Now? Let's see...
I'll subscribe if they bring it to Switch.
I really hope a few different services like this come to the Switch. A streaming service would be a keen way to get new AAA third party titles on the Switch while not having to worry about the power of the system. I play in handheld mode at my house primarily, anyway. I have used PS NOW and I was surprised to how good the connection was.
Not interested in anything cloud gaming, they could just continue what they were doing with the 3D Sega Classics on 3DS and bring those to Switch.
No thanks, I can play SEGA games on my PC through Steam and... other methods.
Speculation......believe when I see it. Could be a really neat service for switch. The more the Merrier is always good. I just hate to see ad-ridden software on my Switch. There is nothing more annoying than ads running while playing games. I would rather they just offer the service for say switch if its an either buy it or you dont with no ads. However with the garbage we have been seeing in the 3ds eshop lately maybe ad gaming would be a welcome sight. I mean we have really gotten some bad software in the Eshop in the last couple months. I dont think there is any quality control at all.
20 yrs ago Everyone thought we would be renting ms office by now.... wont happen. They can try a sub but people want to own games. Not rent.
Interesting, but they need to expand further then just the Mega Drive. Those games have been rereleased to death, they need to throw in a mix of Master System, Dreamcast, Game Gear and whatever they can with the Saturn.
Reminds me of that time SEGA started a subscription-based site for Flash and Java games. PlaySEGA was the name. It had some emulated games including Sonic 1 with a level editor. They also had a level editor on a 2D motocross game called Stuntmaster Motocross 2. I miss that game.
@bolt05 Office 365 is pretty successful and growing fast, expected to exceed 100 million users this year.
Id rather they just focused if VC support for the switch. They didnt even bother with Wii U, and the 3Ds only had select games because of the 3d updating of games.
@Destron not this user.
@NTELLIGENTMAN ah the sonic ultimate Genesis collection!! I wish they'd port it to PS4 and Xbox one OR: 360 version becomes back compatible for Xone!!
I own every Sega game I want to play. And I can play it whenever I want for no monthly fees.
@Hikingguy Not really, but then again this is Sega we're talking about. They're masters of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory! 😉
On a related note, Sega updated Crazy Taxi on iOS last night. It has quite a few cool updates but the most interesting one is the Sega logo at boot. It starts off as their usual modern hi-res logo and then transforms into the old 16-bit animated logo you'd see when booting Megadrive games. I'm sure this must be related to this rebranding they're doing.
I would be more than willing to pay some of my hard earned cash on some retro Sega goodness. Especially consoles like the Sega Saturn and Sega Dreamcast which I sadly missed out on in my youth.
It would make an awesome (Switch), console app. Mobile phone, not so much. I would get it for the Switch the day it came out. I truly enjoyed all Sega systems. Imagine Shenmue, or Skies of Arcadia?
Boooooring! Not only are retro games boring, it's also the least imaginative way to make money with games. Why not develop new games instead? Why would people actually pay a monthly fee for outdated games? I don't get it.
This could go one of two ways for me, being a massive Sega fan. If it's a cross-platform service with access to games from every Sega platform (ie. Dreamcast and Saturn included) - then I am 100% in on day one. No question. However, if it's mobile only, that's a very different proposition. Keeping my fingers crossed and excited either way!
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