SEGA president: We’re “making considerable investment in core games for the Wii”
Friday, October 31st, 2008 at 3:28pm by Derek
During its most successful years, SEGA marketed itself an extreme, edgy games-maker that catered to the hardcore tastes of the market.
It worked once. Why not try again?
In an interview Wednesday with IGN, SEGA of America president Simon Jeffery made it clear his company is making an effort to reach the hardcore Wii gamer.
“SEGA is making considerable investment in core games for the Wii,” says Jeffery. “We strongly believe that games like Mad World and House of the Dead Overkill have a great place on the Wii — and Nintendo of America shares our belief. Everyone is churning out wide market and family-friendly fare for the Wii platform, but there are millions of core gamers being underserved right now.”
This philosophy was one of the factors behind SEGA’s decision to publish The Conduit, High Voltage Software’s anticipated shooter.
“The Conduit is one of those games that ignites a frenzy of interest across the gaming community. We really liked the way High Voltage was promoting and presenting the game. They had us at ‘The…’”
As reported on Infendo last month, rumors persist that High Voltage Software has already begun working on a sequel, and Jeffery seems enthusiastic about its potential as a exclusive Wii franchise for SEGA.
“We are currently only talking about the first game, but we have every belief that HVS is building something awesome here.”
October 31st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
In SEGA’s most successful years, there was no such thing as “hardcore” gamers. Back then, most people didn’t think that the games they played had anything to do with how cool or mature they were. Sure Sonic was more badass than Mario, but I doubt anyone thought they were “hardcore” because they were a Sonic fan. In fact, they were really just gamers.
October 31st, 2008 at 5:55 pm
If Sega is willing to take a run at this underserved market, more power to them. I hope it works out well for them, so as to show other publishers that there is money to be made with these types of games on Wii.
October 31st, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Just to let you know, it is no longer a rumor that Conduit 2 is in the works.
It is a fact that The Conduit 2 is in pre-production right now.
High Voltage’s Chief Creative Officer, Eric Nofsinger revealed it to me when I talked with him at PAX.
One big feature that The Conduit 2 will have is multi-player-same-console gameplay, similar to your classic GoldenEye experience on the N64.
October 31st, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Poochy: You’re arguing semantics. SEGA positioned itself in the early 1990s as a “hardcore,” “edgy” games-maker. But you can substitute those adjectives with whatever similar ones you’d like.
Joltman: Until Nofsinger or SEGA makes an official announcement, it’s a rumor. Conservations at a consumer show aren’t really confirmations.
October 31st, 2008 at 7:05 pm
@Derek:
Well, for people like you, sure you can treat it still as a rumor.
But me being a developer of software and such, it’s the truth.
October 31st, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Ouch. A little harsh aren’t we? “People like you?”
October 31st, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Back off Derek, he develops software!
October 31st, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Until there’s an OFFICIAL announcement, comments told to someone are treated as rumors. That’s how the industry works and how plausible rumors begin (someone tells another about something unannounced and the word is then spread, but without other proof it’s treated as a rumor.)
Back on topic, hooray for Sega, and I hope they keep pushing awesome games on the Wii and supporting those that serve the core. Can’t wait for The Conduit and MadWorld, especially former as it’s got a very strong “Perfect Dark” vibe around it (in the best possible way).
November 1st, 2008 at 12:42 am
i’d have to disagree with you derek. this hardcore bullshit didn’t come about until playstation 1. back in the 16 bit era, yeah sonic was faster, had a cooler hair style, and sega did what nintendon’t. let’s not kid here, the real hardcore crowd began in the ps1 era.
November 1st, 2008 at 7:36 am
yeah, sega was definitely going for edgy and their version of cool, but they never went for anything similar to “hardcore”.
All gamers were simply gamers back then. most thought one console was better then then other, but didnt have to insult each other over what kind of games they played.
Whether it was tetris or sonic, mario or bejeweled. I miss those times. It was good to be a console gamer back then, and best thing is consoles were consoles, not PCs.
Wii is all we have left of the console market.
Sega made terrible hardware, but I miss their old days now. Aside from the fact that they experimented more back then and they made better games back then too.
Getting out of the hardware market killed alot of their creativity.
Even now, they are buying all Wii big budget games instead of making them themselves.