Don't Expect Any More Miniature Consoles From Sega

I'm not too shocked, I doubt these consoles were selling any good either.

Yeah, I’m not going to get another subscription. Nice try, though.

That’s disappointing to hear. I’d absolutely buy (depending on game list) a Dreamcast mini. Or even a Dreamcast collection as a console release. What I won’t buy is a sega streaming service though. 😜

@SammyGoesHowdy

They sold out...

Welp, there goes my hope for the Dreamcast mini.

It's a shame - the mini console was my favourite retro-gaming fad of recent years. A selection of amazing classic games on a very easy-to-plug-in HDMI box, with a cute interface and everything? And them being completely separate to the current leading platforms (you don't need an Xbox, PlayStation, or Switch to play 'em) makes it so much more standalone and fun. It's like its own little world of nothing but retro goodness. They were super duper cool.

They were really fun to collect too. I currently have the NES, SNES, Mega Drive, Mega Drive II, PC-Engine, PlayStation, and Commodore 64 mini consoles. As well as the limited-edition Shonen Jump Famicom mini console, which is interesting to me because it has the original Dragon Quest on it, password saves and everything.

I would have literally bought as many of these mini consoles as Sega was willing to produce, especially if they made a Saturn Mini with rare games like Panzer Dragoon Saga on it.

But I suppose the fad has died down now hasn't it? It's a shame Nintendo never made an N64 or GBA mini and instead plonked the games on a higher subscription tier. Not ideal for me who prefers to own games more tangibly.

Another total loser in charge at Sega. Why would you come out and make definitive, negative statements like this?

"Interested in our company and games? Well COOL IT."

Hah! Not paying to merely rent their mostly mediocre library. The nerve of Sega to think they have that kind of pull. 😂

Oh and by the way.

I highly recommend a Steam game called UFO 50 for anyone who enjoys things like the mini consoles.

UFO 50 is basically just a modern indie version of the "mini console" experience. It's really good too.

I’m not sure a Dreamcast mini would have been feasible given the hardware required. By that, I don’t mean not possible but too expensive.
Would the controller VMU be incorporated or abandoned if the features could go without?

The final mini I would have liked would be the Saturn. The Saturn and 32X libraries combined would have enough hits for a reasonable number of games. Especially with the usual 3rd party support, which was impressive on the 2 Mega Drive minis.

The next best thing would be such a collection released on home consoles so maybe they’ll take that route instead. The demand is there for these past games that are otherwise hard to come by.

Sega also raised a few eyebrows earlier this year...

Maybe you want to change that part to last month? All of that happened in the span of weeks throughout November and the first days of December. The way it is written makes it sound like the collection was delisted in the first half of the year.

Anyway. I'm sure SEGA will enjoy re-releasing the same Genesis games again and again, and none of which will include Pulseman, they never do save for the Wii Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online.

I prefer actual consoles with the disc or cartridges I can insert and play than the mini consoles with predetermined games that I cannot add or erase them if I don't like.

@-wc- The first question on SEGA's CEO application is probably 'Do you want to make money?' and if you mark 'Yes' your resume goes straight in the shredder.

That's all I can figure based on the past 30 years.

It's a shame that Sega won't embrace their history (like Nintendo) while still making their only relevant titles, Sonic and the Like A Dragon franchise. It's money left on the table. No wonder they lost the console wars.

The trouble is with these CEO's is that they're usually way out of touch with what us gamers want. 'He' wants to embrace the modern and he has stated that 'it isn't him' - what he want doesn't translate to what the community wants and ignoring your heritage and retro titles will only madden gamers who'll only ask for the mini consoles more. He's alienating an entire demograph which won't end well. Again, its not what he wants, its also wants Sega Japan says so he may well eat his words yet.

And using those excuses to push the agenda of yet another subscription service? Yeah, best of luck with that one. There's for too many as it is.

It’s great to see Sega returning to form with some more solid titles
But the business of mini consoles does appear to be dead with all companies.

That's OK, just release the Dreamcast 2 and all will be forgiven.

@Lord Unfortunately, I think that's true. It's easier now, more than ever, to play all these games via something like Analouge Pocket or another form or emulation, but none of these other emulation systems can capture the nostalgia of something released by the actual company.

Good luck to Sega and their so call subscription service. Note that the only reason I even play the Genesis library of games was cause it was tie to NSO, if it becomes its own thing then I doubt I would support it. As part of NSO it was a bonus just like GBA and N64, as its own service it would become a ripoff unless they feature something compelling on it.

@SammyGoesHowdy you doubt wrong. Not sure if you remember the SNES mini but shortages caused a scalping craze for a while

Sega is probably thinking to dump another Genesis/Mega Drive collection on the market instead…

Not exactly unexpected, but I have to say: what about that survey they did on what console people wanted to see miniaturized next?

@smithyo Oh shoot, yeah! I forgot about that in all honesty.

I still wonder how many of those consoles went to actual people and not scalpers...

Just release your old non-Megadrive games for Pete's sake. Why are none of the Daytona, Sega Rally or Virtua Fighter games on Switch with online? Sega Ages Virtua Racing and Outrun were so good, why was it not expanded further to other arcade classics, instead of giving us 2 Columns games and Sonic 1 and 2? Imagine what M2 could do with Outrun Coast 2 Coast or Power Drift. I never owned a 360.but my mate did and he had loads of Sega games, including Sega Rally and Daytona. These could have been touched up and released as budget Switch Eshop games and would surely have served Sega well...

Hopefully this new wave of retro sequels is a sign of things to come. But it doesn't change the fact they need to do more with their abundance of retro titles.

Welp there goes my hope for dreamcast mini I'm disappointed

@delt75 yes I was so desperate to revive my DC days I picked up a GDemu……after getting bored waiting for a mini.

How many retro collections have you guys released, again?

I love the mini consoles for their ease of use and the access to a bunch of games in one convenient package, along with controllers properly designed for them. Also the fact that they need no online connection or cursed subscription to enjoy. Furthermore I can enjoy them forever with no chance that they’ll be blocked or taken away.

Constantly paying a subscription to play games that will eventually disappear when service ends really annoys me. I know that there will inevitably be some continuation with Switch online with the Switch 2 but it feels like ‘hey! Keep paying us money to access the same old games!’ With mini consoles and virtual console I have the games until my console dies. If I’m spending money I want to at least keep what I buy in some way, shape or form.

For the same reasons Nintendo will never release an N64 mini, because they found a way to monetize those old games under a subscription model. Now Sega wants to do the same, he even expressed his interest in taking the Netflix route recently. I am not criticizing that choice, which I find completely legit. I am just pointing out the real meaning behind this man's words about embracing modern gamers

Yet they released TWO SEGA MEGA DRIVE Minis... 😡

This is the CEO of Sega America and Europe, not the actual head of Sega Japan who would actually make this decision. Although, further mini consoles aren’t likely anyway, because it could be more profitable to release Sega’s retro properties in a subscription service. Or at least, they think it could be more profitable.

The Mini consoles were a cool novelty but I'd much rather see remasters/remakes/collections for the current consoles.

"We are not a retro company". They just released a Sonic title that is a remake of a 2011 game, but sure.

@SammyGoesHowdy

"I still wonder how many of those consoles went to actual people and not scalpers..."

that's an interesting thought.... do you think the scalpers are now just hanging onto scads of SNES minis that they were unable to find a buyer for?

Yeah, I feel kinda torn between going the retro games route or playing new games, but I want to move on towards a brighter future and not dwell in the nostalgia of the past.

So I have to say I really like this statement and I hope I am part of Sega's target audience going forward.

That's disappointing to hear. It would be good if they were to release collections of the Master System, Mega Drive/ Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast on modern consoles. They have released quite a few collections of the Mega Drive/ Genesis but the same can't be said about the Master System, Saturn and Dreamcast.

@granhalcon it’s not a remake. It’s a bundle of an older game (Sonic Gens) and a new game (Shadow Gens)

[le sigh]

Welp - time to finally crack open that Pi5 board and case, I guess. I’ll give me something to do the next three days off work…

They will put the DC and Saturn games in the Sega "Game Pass" sub instead and is why we can forget more mini consoles.

It's only a matter of time before Sega remove more old games from stores.

Nintendo never made a N64 and GameCube Mini consoles either because of Nintendo Online sub...My Guess is that GameCube will be added for Switch 2.

@Flashlink99
honestly i would prefer that over the games being exclusive to some subscription service.

Ahh that is too bad. I have always hoped for Dreamcast mini.

This is why emulation is king 'round here. Thanks for showing me that Sega, you saved me a ton of money.

There was no way this was happening. The minis that did happen, happened because they were cheap and easy to produce with minimal hardware for games which can be emulated halfway decently on a potato. At present anything higher up would require serious development effort and there's no way any company is making that investment to give people a pile of games for a low price while taking away potential purchases of the latest products. Nintendo's especially were never going to continue because that was clearly a quick means to boost quarterly sales as they ramped up the Switch. We won't see these again if ever, until said potato hardware can run those libraries, and the companies holding them are in need of some quick sales, and they have no option for subscriptions on established platforms as NSO has set a new pace. So, yeah. Never. OG hardware, Mister solutions, software emulators, and Analogue products will be the way to get that fix.

They really need to work on their communication, they can't just outright say 'we're not a retro company".

Instead it's better to phrase it as: "While we're always looking for opportunities to appeal to our loyal fans, currently our vision for Sega is quickly approaching a new direction in order to compete in the modern gaming space. Right now there are no plans in place for new Sega mini consoles but it is something we are still open to later on if the demand is still there." Would be much more professional.

@Coalescence I agree with you, but that still leaves the master system ripe for a mini. The original sold strong numbers in Europe and South America, so there should be demand for such a product, alongside the Sega faithful.

I'd love to see a product like that, with say 30 curated games on and 2 pads. Should be easy money for Sega because all the basic hardware components are already here and cheap to mass produce.

I’m glad I have both the Sega Genesis Mini’s. They just have that certain nostalgia and I rather play those than what’s on the NSO. Anyways, I’m not too keen on this subscription thing but I do look forward to Sega bringing back some of their classic series in new games. Virtua Fighter, Golden Axe, Shinobi, Streets of Rage, etc.

One big problem was that before Sega realesed their own Mega Drive/ Genesis Mini, they where a bunch of other really ***** realeses, like Sega Mega Drive Flashback and a buncj of handheld machines that Sega allowd to be realesed. When they finally realesed their own, i think the the damage was already done. We never heard of any sales number from the first Mega Drive mini so we can assume that sales where far from the Nes and Snes mini

SEGA is still gonna release collections (and additions to NSO I hope). But right now they are pushing (or at least say they are pushing ) their franchises forward. Even Nintendo only really used the mini systems as a stop gap to keep money flowing while they pivoted.

But new VF, Shinobi and other games can be a real source of revenue instead of making a bespoke product, good for a small niche of consumer. Especially as the more modern systems will require more investment than the 8 bit/16bit boxes. Besides SEGA did the plug and plays for years.

This is such a SEGA thing to do.

@Tryffel The fact they made a second should be a hint to the direction of the sales numbers.

They said no to more mini consoles atleast two times before this so I'm not surprised.
Still too bad though.

Bah, if a company says they want to go more retro, the collective cries for new games-- Company says they want to focus on new games, the crowd boos and demands retro. This is the most concise I've heard Sega talk about future plans and new games, so I say let it ride. Time will tell if they make good on it, but the attitude of the direction isn't a bad one to pursue. Mini consoles were a cute fad... Time to move on to bigger better things.

@Tryffel I was actually about to mention this, I own a couple of those handheld mini Sega machines with like 20-30 games on them and they were a fraction of the cost that the mini consoles were at and they already had the best games you'd want to play on those systems already.

Also those things were around for YEARS too. I didn't see the logic in releasing a new console that basically did the same thing except cost much more lol.

Dang I Just want A Saturn And Dreamcast Mini Too.

@Gamergirl94 yeah it stinks though itd probably be pretty easy to make one since something pretty consumer-ready like a raspberry pi can run dreamcast well

My Genesis mini is sitting on my bookshelf. I doubt I'll ever turn it on again.

I have the Genesis collection on Switch before Sega's weird decision to delist games. Again, I played the games I want to play from this console, and I don't know if or when I'll play them again.

I don't know what Sega is doing. It seems like a bunch of haphazard Sonic releases, with teasers of reviving IPs with little evidence this will actually happen, with harebrained ideas like a subscription service, when people have subscription fatigue. Thank God Atlus seems to function without this dysfunction despite being owned by Sega.

@NintonicGamer This would be a much more accurate statement, as like I mentioned previously, SEGA has released a ton of retro collections over the years, so saying they (or maybe he’s just referring to his own divisions) vastly prioritize making new experiences over rereleasing old games just doesn’t make much sense. Also, SEGA has basically already become history. They are still an important company, but they are largely known for the things they did years ago rather than the things they do nowadays. But then again, I don’t look much into SEGA, so maybe I’m completely wrong, and if so, please point it out.

Anyone remember when subscription was the cheaper solution to buying something outright? Pepperidge Farm remembers...

Yeah, why sell something once when you can sell it over and over, on a monthly basis?

I feel like I'm writing a comment like this at least once a week now.

@StewdaMegaManNerd Have you heard of Persona and Yakuza? Maybe Football Manager or Total War.
There are many popular franchises under Sega's umbrella bro

I sat here thinking for a while about the dichotomy of modern Sega putting Streets of Rage figures in Walmart, handing storied franchises to hungry developers, making statements about how they understand what the fans want, etc.
They want to go a subscription model, I'm not buying in. They have a long way to go before I'm convinced they are treating their games right, and even further to convince this dumb Sega kid.

Late to reply to this one because I had initially mixed views and wanted to give it some thought. Upon reflection, I don't think I could disagree with the CEO more strongly. Any studio setting up now would kill for SEGA's history and ip. It's the foundation of where they are now. It set them apart from Nintendo and absolutely up there with them when they are at their thrilling best. Their arcade games were thrill rides (granted, I will always say they lost a little of their soul coming home regardless of how good a port.). I dunno, they only have themselves to blame for letting a lot of their franchises rot. But at least they have started to reinvent them (which seems contradictory to what he was saying...unless they plan on turning them into live services.) Not so much about modern gamers...more modern consumers I fear. SEGA should absolutely be a retro company AS WELL as making new stuff. Works out ok for Nintendo dunnit.

@Carck Yeah, like I said, I have little to no knowledge of what SEGA makes these days. I had no idea they made Persona. Still, thanks for mentioning it.

@AgentGuapo I hear ya on that and same

@gb_nes_gamer I think I remember them saying they couldn't pull off a dream cast mini because of the tech

@EarthboundBenjy Sega and atari were making them before there ever was a fad. I owned one with 5 or 6 games in the early 2000s.

@-wc- it would serve them right. unfortunately they also continue to exist partially because of impatient buyers.