SEGA, or perhaps it'll be Sega, is gearing up for a rebrand and relaunch of priorities as we head towards 2020. The company is seeking to build buzz around its potential change in direction, pitching a localised video teaser on the 'Future of Sega', published via IGN. The original was published in Japanese a month ago, though now we can at least see an official translation.
The familiar face of Toshihiro Nagoshi leads the video, in which he talks about experiences in video games and how players react to them. Check it out below.
It's a video that is in one sense typical corporate rebranding fluff, though there are some interesting ideas and theories doing the rounds. The presence of the SEGA logo on an eye, and the video's focus on sight and its importance in experiencing games, has some wondering whether the company is teasing some innovative new hardware or control capabilities. Alternatively it could be an indication that SEGA is looking to bring its future games to VR and AR platforms.
In any case, we're going to stare out of a window pondering the depth and complexity of Knuckles while we wait.
[source segabits.com]
Comments 66
Ringedge incoming?
Dreamcast 2 confirmed
Or maybe that photo represents crying and reminiscing on what SEGA used to be. That video was nonsense.
SEGA back on business, again ?!
As Rival as usual ??
Hm... interesting.
Well the reflection in the eye is the wrong way, round they must be selling those backward TVs.
Seriously, looks to me like some kind of VR, talking about eyes all the time.
Either yay VR or look at our artsy commercial, now give us mo money for mo sonic. Very odd presentation.
What's one of the Yakuza characters doing in real life there?
If sega was that obsessed with windows, you'd think they'd make more games for Microsoft.
Sega Master Mega Dreamcast confirmed.
Shenmue 2 confirmed guys!
Want to make something amazing and completely unprecedented? Port Sonic '06 to PC.
First person VR Sonic game? Best game to induce motion sickness. 🤢
Cynics may say the whole message was that Sega collected data on eye movement/reaction and designs games based upon that data yawn. I'm not cynical, so I perceived it to be thought provoking perspective...they want to innovate (and we here that from Nintendo time and time again).
My eyes will be expressing happiness if they bring Phantasy Star Online to the west.
It's a new Sega VR headset with eye-tracking technology.
Sega is mediocre is the West but in Japan they are still BIG, they are literally everywhere. They are gearing up for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo: they think Sonic will win the gold medal.
Sega's message: We will try VR again cause c'mon why wouldn't we, everyone else but Nintendo is doing it.
Super happy fun time magical turbo adventure. Very Japanese commercial there. I saw some Sonic and there was something about video games and eyes and some philosophy and... I don't care, just give me more Golden Axe and Altered Beast and Shining Force and NiGHTS and...
I think SEGA are going to save our eyes by making all of their future games only in braille.
The "amazing" part makes me think of that company that is supposed to have glasses that project directly onto your retinas so maybe they are buying out Magic Leap?
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/12/09/magic_leap_neither_magic_nor_leaping/
I'm assuming this means SEGA's own VR system, or their going to make games for other VR systems. Regardless, seems a little odd Atari and now even SEGA are trying to make come backs.
Wouldn't it be nice if Sega could be great again.
@Sinton You missed Saturn.
@retro_player_22 To be fair, even now that's still a pretty slick looking headset design.
I would love to see the eye tracker data on how people play SEGA games.
@impurekind Nah, that would just sound silly 😉
Sega just made a new dreamcast, where you will actually be dreaming as a new kind of VR.
They where inspired by the mystery of chuck norris where all of is dreams became reality. Thats why...
Seems like SEGA VR, but I dunno... :/
If Sega was capable of changing for the better, they'd have managed to do so already.
I mean, how many relaunched, rebranded, exciting new iterations of Sonic have we had the past ten years alone?? Didn't they all SUCK?
Let's face it- Sega was never that great to begin with. We need to stop treating them as though they are like tragic heroes fallen from grace, flying too close to the sun etc.
Its like calling Kanye a genius. Everyone knows it's ridiculous, but they go along with it for the sake of it. Then all of a sudden, Kanye genuinely believes he's a flipping genius.
If anything, Sega are probably pursuing some gimmicky, poorly executed 'new' frontier' of shallow, loud, obnoxious VR rubbish.
Stop the madness.
@Anti-Matter haha, rival? To who?! Their own shadows maybe.
whatever it is... i do like the quote "playing the game completes the game". That's what's so unique about this art-form we enjoy. Every artist feels it. They don't just paint to paint, they want someone to experience their painting, and games allows it like no other medium. (see also: LoZ:BotW)
At this point I'd be happy to see Sega unlock their treasure chest jammed with Sega classics and start posting them on the Switch, Xbox & ps4 starting yesterday!!! Cmon Sega!!
Apart from everything that Sports Interactive creates (or basically just their FM series), I couldn't care less about Sega...
Sega has actually become a quite formidable publisher of PC games, but on consoles their efforts are pretty much forgettable.
I feel like on this site (but on others as well), most people don't even notice Sega's PC business, but only see the Sonic stuff.
Arguably (I don't have any specific numbers, but you're welcome to provide some ) the volume of their PC releases is bigger than anything Sonic-related.
I'm like this angle they are taking. The only thing is Sega has relied so much on their past for their current success. They don't really create many new IPs these days and are just rely on their existing characters. I don't really know how many more times Sonic can be made and they can claim that they are looking for new experiences. Either way, if something big is happening for them, I hope it is positive to the gaming community in general. Both new Sonic games look really promising even if they aren't really my thing and the Yakuza series is going well so they aren't completely lost I don't think.
Wasn't it the Netflix-esque platform but with videogames instead?
I'd like to see a reboot of Burning Rangers for the Switch.
It's for a new control mechanism for sonic. You have to look left/right to move left/right, up to jump, and roll your eyes to spin dash.
SEGA is more dead than amazing.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE I'd agree, it's classic ad agency blather. An "anthem" piece, a "manifesto" or a call tomarms. Agencies make these things to flatter the client mostly but also to set the tone for the brand and any new products.
So they tend to work internally quite well - the agency will make a load of money and we the public, are left scratching our heads.
Still, it serves a purpose in so much as it whets the appetite.
Maybe the hint is its a visor / VR thing....who knows....
Teasing a console maybe? The 90's nostalgia craze is in full swing and Atari is making a new console so anything is possible.
HOLOSSEUM 2?
@impurekind
Make Sega Great Again!
Yay more Sonic 06!!!
Jokes aside I'm really hoping for a Hatsune Miku Project Diva game for the Switch because the franchise has rarely touched a Nintendo home console.
All i saw was a yakuza celebrating himself and kiryu. But thats good because thats exactly what i wanted to see. Im amazed this series still aint a big thing. Yakuza 5 for switch please.
They talk about new and unprecedented and show the same old games: Yakuza and Sonic, with some Transformed for a few seconds.
I am actually surprised how silent they were at E3, nothing from Atlus that I recall either. Not getting my hopes high here.
Maybe they will try VR? Even with all these business restructuring, Sega doesn't have the strength they had in the past, so I don't know if they can shoulder a new venture like that.
Maybe they can and that is where all Persona 5's money is going.
@WaveBoy yeah, it really seemed like a failed art project. Hope Sega gets over whatever this is. Lol.
Lets everyone keep in mind that Sega's primary business is not home video games or even PC video games. Their primary business is and always has been arcade machines, and the chain of arcades they run in Japan. Their new and exciting experiences may or may not be VR related, but it's very possible they're talking about a new arcade platform here, not anything to do with home video games.
@samuelvictor Hi, you may know me as ThanosReXXX, but I'm actually a random stranger...
That little glimpse of people at a sea aquarium made me think of that brilliant talking fish game called Seaman that was published on the Dreamcast. A Switch follow up of that game would be great.
@Sinton Aye . . . true. lol
@WaveBoy that'd be down to Sega of America being given carte blanche to do what they wanted with their ad money due to SoA being far more profitable and enjoying a warmer reception outside of Japan. I assume Sega of Europe was the same. I hope Sega rediscovers their energy from the 90's....not to mention some of their old IPs.
Sega Saturn virtual console on Switch confirmed 😜
It could mean lots of things but it won’t mean an HD release of Skies of Arcadia
I love the Japanese language. Such a beautiful language. Also, I should keep an eye (pun not intended) on what Sega's doing.
Dear Sega:
Binary Domain 2 with local co-op please!!!
This was a great game that was under promoted and not too many people knew about it.
PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Ataribox and a possible new SEGA console? Overcrowded industry much...
Nagoshi's got a great face.
It wasn't that bad. A tad bit pretentious. But at this point, SEGA (or Sega) needs all the buzz it can get. It hasn't had much recently noteworthy to brag about
@impurekind I'm pretty sure they've accomplished that ever since they acquired Atlus.
Hope not. Nintendo has a good deal of third party support from Sega/Atlus. This would be bad news.
SEGA hasn't do this yet.
Bring MaiMai from Arcade to Nintendo Switch !
But the gameplay can't be docked so it requires Undocked mode to play since I must Tap and Slide the correspondent buttons on the screen.
That video indicates...that they go in the spectacles market. Lol!
@samuelvictor And then I would put you on the list of "gets a beer from me every time he lands around these parts somewhere".
Valid for years to come or probably for the rest of my life...
@HappyMaskedGuy Are you 12?
@gutsack Are you capable of engaging in a discussion without resorting immediately to ironically childish insults?
Let me ask you a question: are you aware that this article is 3/4 of a year old?
Go play your Sonics and play nice
@HappyMaskedGuy Sorry you said some of the most insane revisionist drivel I've ever had to misfortune of reading. And I'm a time traveler.
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