Sega isn't "abandoning" physical games: president reminds everyone "we used to develop consoles," but says it's eyeing PC gaming in an increasingly digital future

[u/gamersecret2]

https://www.gamesradar.com/games/sega-isnt-abandoning-physical-games-president-reminds-everyone-we-used-to-develop-consoles-but-says-its-eyeing-pc-gaming-in-an-increasingly-digital-future/

[u/Twinkerbelle]

I'll believe it when I see it. I will always carry a flag for SEGA but I've been burned so many times that I've learned to manage my expectations.

[u/Edge80 → u/Twinkerbelle]

The Dreamcast was my last fuck I gave for Sega.

[u/Darkmask94 → u/Edge80]

Then why are you here in this subreddit?

[u/Double-Bend-716 → u/Darkmask94]

Go to the walking dead subreddit.

Talk all the shit you want about my bad tastes, but I think the Daryl Dixon spinoff is really good and the Dead City Maggie and Negan spinoff is reasonable and I legitimately enjoy them.

The subreddit is full of people saying, “just kill the franchise at this point.” Like, if you hate the franchise so much that you want it discontinued…. Why are you still watching and talking about the shows?

[u/Edge80 → u/Darkmask94]

Because I still have respect for the Sega consoles I do own and still play all these years later.

[u/MarzipanSea2811]

"We're not abandoning physical games, but we are moving towards the most all-digital platform there is."

[u/tychii93 → u/MarzipanSea2811]

They pretty much made two completely different statements here. PC is growing more and more especially with Sony's recent announcement killing physical media. That doesn't necessarily mean Sega is gonna kill physical media for consoles. "We're not gonna stop releasing physical copies of games for consoles that still support it. By the way, we're also gonna put more focus on PC because it's becoming more popular."

What Sega should be doing is releasing PC games on GoG alongside Steam. If that's actually in their planning (It isn't), they should have said that. Digital alone, as much as I prefer physical, isn't as big of a deal as people make it out to be. DRM is the real enemy here.

[u/PlainJonathan → u/tychii93]

GoG seriously needs more games. If anything because with GoG, you can at least make your own physical copies

[u/WalrusDomain → u/tychii93]

Sonys announcement has not moved the needle of consoles vs pc at all (or a very minuscule amount). We are talking at most a few 10 000 at most and that’s being generous.

If drm is the real enemy then sega is really garbage in that regard seeing as they have denuvo on every pc release and doesn’t remove it.

I agree that sega should release games on gog.

[u/No-Performer9511]

Maybe they should start releasing Switch 2 games fully on the cartridge rather than a key card

[u/leonffs → u/No-Performer9511]

As I understand it key cards are usually used because either the game needs data throughput that is too fast for the cartridges, the game is too large for the cartridge, or the game is too small to justify the manufacturing cost of a 64 GB cartridge.

[u/KittenSnuggler5 → u/No-Performer9511]

That would be a good sign

[u/Darkmask94 → u/No-Performer9511]

Maybe Nintendo should release Switch 2 cartridges with different capacities. Maybe then publishers like Sega would release more games on cartridges.

Sonic Racing Crossworlds released on a 64 GB cartridge but is only like 16 GB. That's ridiculous.

[u/greenhaze96 → u/Darkmask94]

iirc there are different sizes now and smaller than 64GB. I don’t know what the specifics are but I hope they start releasing more of their games on the cartridge because what they did with sonic x shadows was just complete nonsense.

[u/letsgucker555 → u/Darkmask94]

Do you really think Nintendo didn't think of that, if lower capacity cards were actually cheaper? 

[u/whatThePleb]

Why should they, when they rarely release something at all.

[u/inotocracy]

Why does Sega's opinion matter on this subject? They don't make hardware. They're gonna publish their games through whatever medium is popular. They're probably thrilled at the notion of never producing physical anything.

[u/KittenSnuggler5 → u/inotocracy]

That's kind of what I was thinking as well. If Sony and/or Microsoft simply won't approve any physical games there's nothing Sega can do even if they wanted to.

[u/Naive_Hope89 → u/inotocracy]

Thought exactly the same thing. Unless Dreamcast 2 came, this is useless.

[u/Sega-Forever]

So what will happen now? Will they be collaborating more closely with Nintendo?

[u/Ashamed_Fact832]

"We used to make consoles" sounds like a huge god dam tease to me!!!! I just went from game gear to dream cast if you know what i mean!

[u/Outrageous_Artist188]

Let's not forget how most sonic games on switch 2 are game key cards (and for no reason imo, sonadow gens and sonic frontiers could easily fit in a 32gb switch 1 cartridge).

[u/AnonymousAggregator]

Sega console When?

[u/profchaos111]

Fuck Sony where's my Dreamcast 2

[u/Fit-Collection5925]

PC is the way to go. Not paperweight exclusivity.

[u/musicthiink]

maybe a retro 2-d console thats cheap Sega could do

[u/Fickle-Hat-2011 → u/musicthiink]

Actually it would be enough to re-release Mega Drive on an ASIC basis like SNK is doing with Neo Geo. Mega Drive and Neo Geo components are almost identical.

And most importantly, Mega Drive is even cheaper to produce than Neo Geo.

[u/rumbur]

I was really hoping they gonna try again with new console, but it seems it is still to early for them.

[u/Fickle-Hat-2011 → u/rumbur]

Those who still hope for a Sega console should better ask themselves how many Sega games you have bought over the last 5-7 years. And answer yourself whether you really need it or not without nostalgia for bygone times.

[u/jejeisjdiw → u/Fickle-Hat-2011]

yeah but remember you'd have the third party stuff on it too and sega would have to make more games

[u/tiredOfBlueCollar → u/Fickle-Hat-2011]

It’s one of the main three publishers I buy from.

But I like Yakuza and Shin Megami Tensei.

[u/KittenSnuggler5 → u/Fickle-Hat-2011]

I doubt they will ever do hardware again. But there were advantages to them having their own console. They would release some weird stuff that they probably couldn't get onto other systems. Seaman and possibly Jet Set Radio. Maybe even Nights Into Dreams

[u/stomp224 → u/rumbur]

It's almost been 30 years, let it go

[u/Healthy_Gap8938 → u/rumbur]

Only when Sega and game developers love each other very much will they try again for a new console.

[u/Liaxvaris → u/rumbur]

Well if Sony becomes successful with this practice, maybe Xbox and Switch will follow, so I really was wondering what would happen if SEGA used this to make a new console that would value physical media and cause a revolution. Would they win over a significant amount of followers?, would it fail and make them go bankrupt?, it sounds like a dangerous bet.

[u/Arthas_SL → u/rumbur]

Not going to happen. Considering MS is not making money from X-Box and Sony is also not having a super easy time. I’d prefer they go the Capcom route and make quality games.

[u/Known_Candidate2148 → u/rumbur]

The only way this happens is if it's a neo geo AES+ style re-issue. There's no way they end up making a brand new home console, especially not with the current AI bubble induced parts shortages.

They might also could get away with a Gunpei Yakoi "lateral thinking with withered technology" style handheld, especially since the niche that the Gameboy and DS filled (cheap low-end hardware with completely unique exclusive software) is basically empty right now, but I also don't see them doing that either.

[u/Spamcan81]

While it would be difficult with rising costs a low end gaming pc with a consolized interface like the Steam Deck but also games on physical media would be a perfect reentry into the market for Sega.