This month Edge has run a feature with some interviews from over in Japan as well as Sega Europe, with some pretty interesting stuff. Here's some bits and pieces..
Hisao Oguchi:
Toshihiro Nagoshi:
Yuji Naka:
Yu Suzuki:
Sega Europe COO Naoya Tsurumi and marketing director Matthew Woodley:
Some interesting stuff, no? It's got to be said that nearly all the people talking contradicted each other over the ten pages, so there's obviously a lot of sorting out to do yet..
I was thinking before about Sega doing some Eyetoy games, it's sold like wildfire here so there's obviously a lot of people around who are soon gonna get bored of washing windows and want another game to play with it. Could be a big money spinner.
Any thoughts?
Hisao Oguchi:
When I became CEO I wanted to change the logo to mark a difference in Sega's future. However, I was told it was too much trouble. I don't like the font and wanted something much more stylish. To give you a simple image, Sega was associated with cool and blue, like the logo. I would now like Sega to come between orange and red.
I think there is a lot of room for this type of game [Rez]. Normally we wouldn't make a game again it failed to sell, but since I now decide what appears in Sega's line-up I will evaluate how much originality and new entertainment the game would bring to the industry.
Toshihiro Nagoshi:
Sega was split into too many entitities, which was OK at the time because it allowed each division to complete it's own series and IP.But when it came to creating new content we didn't have the means to accomplish out vision. The reshuffle was about reaching a defined level of quality.
In the past Sega's philosophy was 'technology first'. Second it was about passion, creativity. And third was marketing. It is the other way around for EA. Now for Sega there is no emphasis on what comes first, second or third. We need a defined objective in bringing content for users. It's all about content now.
I know that the series [Super Monkey Ball] has room for three games, but not for the moment.
The problem I face is not what kind of games to make, but how to push people into buying these games.
Yuji Naka:
I would like to keep at least half of the projects original, but I would like to use licences. Before when we made a truly original game it would sell, but as games went to licences it became more difficult. I remember when I made Sonic and Miyamoto-san made Mario we were directly challenging the power of the film industry. Right now games are more like advertisements for movies.
[When asked if a game featuring both Mario and Sonic could happen] Yes, why not? I think from now on there will be more opportunity to talk with Miyamoto-san and think of new ways to collaborate. The entire industry is moving like this, so perhaps there will be very interesting projects in the future.
I see Nights as a licence. When dealing with such a licence from the past it is a lot of work, but I would like to use Nights to reinforce Sega's identity, yes.
Yu Suzuki:
AM2 was too big and I wanted a structure more adapted to my will and ideas.
[When asked if Shenmue III will ever be made, he shrugs his shoulders and looks down at the table and eventually says:] Not yet.
Sega Europe COO Naoya Tsurumi and marketing director Matthew Woodley:
And post Warhammer launch you will see other titles from Sega of a different genre but similar in terms of being on PCs and MMORPGS. There's stuff in Japan being developed for that purpose at the moment.
There's potential with the brands Sega already has to move them into sok many different areas beyond home consoles. There's a world of opportunity in Flash, mobile, online, GBA, whatever. There's big potential there.
[On Eyetoy]We've had consumers suggesting that to us, which is very positive and exciting. You could try that technology with say, Virtua Tennis, something like that. So that's an area we're very keen to look at for future products.
All developers and publishers have had five or six years of devolping for the PS2. We only started two years ago, and that means we're quite disadvantaged. And when we move to the next platform, we'll all be at the same stage and then, we'll HAVE to be big.
In terms of commenting on the state of the industry and where it's going, on pricing or whatever, we'll slowly become more vociferous in that area. We need to get our own house in order first.
Whenn we launches Sonic it was over ten years ago, everyone was excited. Now, unfortunately, it's not like that. So maybe we have to look for new characters, maybe Super Monkey Ball..
Some interesting stuff, no? It's got to be said that nearly all the people talking contradicted each other over the ten pages, so there's obviously a lot of sorting out to do yet..
I was thinking before about Sega doing some Eyetoy games, it's sold like wildfire here so there's obviously a lot of people around who are soon gonna get bored of washing windows and want another game to play with it. Could be a big money spinner.
Any thoughts?