NEWS: The end of the dream

[ASSEMbler]

http://assemblergames.com/images/yujinaka/segabuilding.jpg



Isao Okawa worried over the future of Sega. The future was bleak. Dreamcast
had failed, billions lost, the very existance of Sega was in doubt, and he was
dying. He thought long and hard how Sega could save itself, and he realized if couldn't.

And so, on March 16th, 2001 he gave back all the money he had ever made at
Sega.

Giving all in life and death, his gift of billions silenced calls for bankruptcy, saved
the value of the stock, saved employee retirements, and bailed Sega out of the
failed Dreamcast fiasco.

Simply put, without him there would no longer have been a Sega.
With his final gift of the fruits of labor of his entire life, Sega would be
spared and live, to flourish and regain its lost glory.

Sometimes there is no happy ending.

What remains now is a re-sold, fragmented remnant of the dream that was
Sega. Sega has struggled with money, re-releases, poorly rated titles,
department splits and team dissolution. And now those who literally grew up
at Sega, who knew the dream first hand, are gone.

People worked for years at Sega knowing that they could leave and make
much, much, more money. Yet they stayed and believed. I suppose that was
part of what made Sega what it was. It was like Nintendo, it was a vision, a
team. I think people fondly remember the Sega vs. Nintendo days because it
was team versus team. Nintendo heavyweights against the Sega juggernauts.

Both companies took the transition to next generation poorly. Missteps
abounded. Sega released too early, too weakly, burned its bridges with
some companies with Saturn and never really recovered. Nintendo wouldn't
give up on the fat cash made from special cartridges and heavy royalties.

So why has one withered and one remained strong? Decisive leadership.
Sega was well known for taking too long to make basic decisions, and bad
decisions. Some people reading this are probably still wondering who Isao
Okawa was. The leaders of Nintendo on the other hand are as well known as
the programmers. The iron hand of Hiroshi Yamauchi set direction; damn what
others thought, it was going to happen. Right or wrong, having faith in your
decisions and committing yourself to them is important to the mental strength
of those working there.

So what do you do when you have no one to believe in? No one you can trust
to act decisively? If you have waited long and hard and endured?
There comes a point when one realizes that only they still remember and hold
true the dream.

Epiphany.

It is time to leave with those who still remember, to save what you can.
If no one will lead, then I will.

I wonder if Isao Okawa, sick and with not much time left, had contemplated the
future of the company that he loved. Saw with the clarity possessed by those
with nothing left to lose the successes and the glaring failures, and thought
long and hard what he could do to save his life's work.

And so, instead of imploding over debts there would be survival. All those who
worked at Sega would not be scattered to the wind, but would have one more
chance try to bring back the company. To rise like the phoenix. However, the
one thing that Okawa couldn't change was the leadership. So now, those who
remember the dream are leaving. But they leave not under the cloud of
bankruptcy; rushed out of buildings, the works split off and sold to the highest
bidder. The leave without duress, they leave with direction and the ability to
bring those who remember with them.

Isao Okawa unknowingly succeeded and failed at the same time.
Sega never learned to change, but the people there had time to.

As teams begin to leave Sega , they take with them that rescued dream.
Now free to make their own decisions, that ability is perhaps ultimately Okawa's final gift.

[RyanGamerGoneGrazy]

Im sorry to hear that he left,...though its for the best


Ryan

[kammedo]

The good old Nintendo Vs Sega days....i think nothing marked my console, the heck my computer life as much as running every 1st of the month to buy the console newspaper and check who got the best games reviewed.
Boy, that was a grea time with Sega..too bad it ended, but you know, a great game does never last long enough.

[SuperGrafx]

Wait...so Yuji Naka has left Sega? When did this happen?

EDIT: Nevermind. Saw the news article over on next-gen.biz
Wow.

[ASSEMbler]

08/05/2006 Publisher contributes 10 per cent of Prope's startup capital

Yuji Naka, the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog and head of Sonic Team, has left SEGA to set up a new studio which will be partially funded by the publisher.

The studio has been named Prope - a Latin word which, according to the official website (http://prope.jp/), means "beside" and "near future".

"We named our company Prope in the hopes of bringing game entertainment much closer to users, establishing closer ties between users and us, and creating near future entertainment," the website (http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=16707#) reveals.

SEGA will provide 10 per cent of the studio's startup capital, which is being launched as part of its program (http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=16707#) to support "Independent Game Creators." The publisher is also allowing Naka to take 10 members of Sonic Team with him.

There's no word on whether the move will affect the development of the first next-gen Sonic game, currently in the pipeline for PS3 and Xbox 360 (http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=16707#) under Naka's direction. Prope's first projects also have yet to be revealed.

[Barc0de]

I hope that we will see quality games beyond the fame and arrogance that seems to plague most succesful designers these days. No offence, but Sonic Team did make some lame titles this generation (Sonic Riders for example), as someone would except so much more from the people behind the blue hedgehog. On the contrary Traveller's Tales is oddly back on track (I admit hating them for Sonic 3D)

[ASSEMbler]

No offence, but Sonic Team did make some lame titles this generation

probably why he is leaving

[sean]

Prope in Latin means "near"

[PhreQuencYViii]

Is that picure of Sega's japan place?

Nicely written, btw. I hope this maybe means good Sonic games if anything.

[Barc0de]

Is that picure of Sega's japan place?

Nicely written, btw. I hope this maybe means good Sonic games if anything.

I wouldn't dare think that Sonic Team won't be able to make Sonic titles. It's more likely that Naka won't be doing any more Sonic titles than the other way around.

[PhreQuencYViii]

http://www.sega.com/corporate/corporate.php?item=pr_20060508b

Saw this....sorry if I'm just repeating stuff

[KaL_YoshiKa]

I sincerely hope they do manage a turn around. I think the next gen Sonic and the new Phatasy Star Online game have the chance to regain hold on all the old Sega fans who've since drifted.

[Soda]

Sony charging $600 for the PS3 AND Yuji Naka is leaving Sega? This is the begining of a good E3, amirite?

[Paulo]

Hes not going very far. . .

"SEGA will make a 10% investment in PROPE, Ltd. and will be the company's exclusive global publisher. This landmark announcement between SEGA and Mr. Naka is the first arrangement to emerge from SEGA's Game Creator Independence Program, which will be organized to promote entrepreneurial business spin-offs with its internal development talent."

[Johnny]

The way the industry is heading is sad.

I can't blame him for leaving, as Sonic games have been average lately (crap if you count Shadow).

[Barc0de]

Regarding Shadow and Sonic riders it must be asked whether Mr.Naka himself was to blame for pitching the ideas. I often wonder if it's the team to blame, or the designer? (usualy not having a clear idea of tha gameplay, just a "cool idea" - and from my experience in comming up with game ideas, many things that sound cool play rather boringly)

[Yakumo]

On the contrary Traveller's Tales is oddly back on track (I admit hating them for Sonic 3D)What's wrong with Sonic 3D? Far better than that shite called Sonic Spinball from Sega US. It is a shame that Yuji Naka has left Sega but I guess it's for the best. Ever since Sonic Adventure 2 Sonic Team have been lacking. Puyo Puyo Fever anyone ? Compile must have been sobbing when they saw what Sonic Team had done to their classic title.

Yakumo

[Shadowlayer]

Man is so sad a guy like Okawa ends up like this. Why he gave everything he had worked for, just to save a company? is that Honor?

Dunno maybe the phrase "Mean people succeed" is true after all.

I know I'm always saying "is ironic.." but how could describe this? The creative SEGA was going straight to hell, and the new crappy SEGA is just about to beat EA, where's the logic on that?:shrug:

[dracula]

Who cares :shrug: . whether he is making games for sega or another company, it isnt like he committed seppuku or anything.

I was pretty pissed when interplay was dissolved but the people that made those classics went on to make great games after interplay failed. Its just business. I do think that that Isao Okawa was pretty dumb for giving all that money back, he probably should have just pulled the plug on sega and restarted with a smaller company that just made games.

[jp.]

Hopefully Yuji still maintains the rights to NiGHTS... for knowing the newSega... otherwise there would always be the lurking chance that they might butcher the franchise just make a quick buck. By the same token, given what he was saying about Air NiGHTS back in the DC days, I think he could make a splendid game of it now with the Wii.


But it is sad to see the man leave. Now I guess all they really have left from the old old days is Yu Suzuki (well, as far as big names go). But Sega is but a shadow of a shell of their former glory. Sadly...

[Shadowlayer]

Hopefully Yuji still maintains the rights to NiGHTS...

I dont think so: SEGA wouldnt give up such an appreciated franchise to another company. Obviously the fact that Prope may just be a "tied" 3rd partie (like Rare) means Naka has some power over the rights, so a el-crappo sequal isnt a possibility.


But Sega is but a shadow of a shell of their former glory. Sadly...

Funny, most people applauds the new EA-like strategy from SEGA, while bashing the former "chasing the dream" attitude it had back in the hardware times.

[Alchy]

I think a lot of people are missing the point that Paulo made. He's barely moved out of Sega. This is a startup funded and published by them. If you're a publisher, surely it makes sense to let your licensees uses your franchises?

[jp.]

I think a lot of people are missing the point that Paulo made. He's barely moved out of Sega. This is a startup funded and published by them. If you're a publisher, surely it makes sense to let your licensees uses your franchises?

That was my logic behind hoping Naka-san had the rights to NiGHTS.




Funny, most people applauds the new EA-like strategy from SEGA, while bashing the former "chasing the dream" attitude it had back in the hardware times.


By "most people" I am assuming you mean game store employees, people who bought the PS1 over the Saturn and the PS2 over the Dreamcast, old school Nintendo fanboys, and Sega stockholders.

[Shadowlayer]

By "most people" I am assuming you mean game store employees, people who bought the PS1 over the Saturn and the PS2 over the Dreamcast, old school Nintendo fanboys, and Sega stockholders.

Exactly, after all we're a minority....

[jp.]

Exactly, after all we're a minority....

This is depressingly true. http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/images/smilies/009.gif

[devilredeemed]

well we are getting older and more redundant. Sega was christ. he may have resurected but I don't think he was able to push the giant rock from infront of the cave door.

[ASSEMbler]

We're like the old guys, worshipping the 2600 programmers.

MAN 2600 BASEBALL WAS THE BOMB

Except it's now:

TREASURE WAS THE SHIT HOME SLICE

[Shadowlayer]

We're like the old guys, worshipping the 2600 programmers.

I dont think so, since we (to the contrary of both nintendo and atari fanboys) are able to talk about all the major mistakes SEGA did, while the others just try to minimize the reality of anything bad their companies did.

Honestly I still have to see a rampant SEGA fanboy that defies logic like ninty and sony fanboys do.

[ASSEMbler]

Just search out a 32x fanatic... they exist... BEST PLATFORM EVERRRR

[devilredeemed]

We're like the old guys, worshipping the 2600 programmers.

MAN 2600 BASEBALL WAS THE BOMB

Except it's now:

TREASURE WAS THE SHIT HOME SLICE

lol. but it's quite true if you think about it. when I read 'yeah man, played the atari 2600 last night and it was a blast' I'm like erm...
and I can see someone making the same noise if they where to hear me talk about how dope playing Ghost Chaser on my Super Famicom last night was.
I'll be 30 this year.
when I was a kid that was ooooold.
with respect to video games I must agree with this early analisis.

[Shadowlayer]

Just search out a 32x fanatic... they exist... BEST PLATFORM EVERRRR

No doubt they exists (the world is full of idiot fanatics) but my point is that while most ninty fanboys are just fanatics (ergo, they live in their own RDF) in the SEGA enviroment those are only a minority.

[RegalSin2020]

We're like the old guys, worshipping the 2600 programmers.

MAN 2600 BASEBALL WAS THE BOMB

Except it's now:

TREASURE WAS THE SHIT HOME SLICE

Not really I am like the guy who is trying to escape the USA and cross the border to Mexico but that border is the Pacific Ocean and Mexico is pronounced Japan.

As I like to call them The 4-Bit fanboys are playing the living daylights out the X-BOX while we are ramming Sega Saturn and SNES games on the Cube. Testing 1 2 3

[Unregistered]

Hey, I thought this should be on front page news. I just bought these shirts so AWSOME, like trying to do a burn out in a mustang awsome, or blowing out your clutch doing 90mph awsome, or fear of spiders awsome...

http://www.cafepress.com/consoletech

I would have spent well over 1k on these shirts, but I spent $1,100 USD per annum on starbucks.
Did I tell you cats my warehouse is my mums basement?

[SuperGrafx]

Hey, I thought this should be on front page news. I just bought these shirts so AWSOME, like trying to do a burn out in a mustang awsome, or blowing out your clutch doing 90mph awsome, or fear of spiders awsome...

http://www.cafepress.com/consoletech

I would have spent well over 1k on these shirts, but I spent $1,100 USD per annum on starbucks.
Did I tell you cats my warehouse is my mums basement?

I don't know who this guy is, but his posts do make me chuckle.

[Shadowlayer]

He is one of those spam-bots for sure...

[Alchy]

I think it's pretty clear it's an ex-member insulting assembler.

[SuperGrafx]

I think it's pretty clear it's an ex-member insulting assembler.

Obviously.

[Unregistered]

Let me tell you something, (RIP Bid pay) just because I will not learn pay pal, doesn’t mean this is an ex member, that is just prune juice.
I tell you the quality is worth it. My long shipping delays, sun faded items, broken items, not sending items, and when the buyer posts on the feedback forum I delete it, now that’s AWSOME (after the buyer waited 12 months oh wait *cough* I think im sick.

P.S I like to thank you all for helping me buy my 360 with stand..ermm I mean VB license, you are all suckers, I mean this domain is your domain.
P.P.S I hate spiders, did I tell you?

[New_Order]

Let me tell you something, (RIP Bid pay) just because I will not learn pay pal, doesn’t mean this is an ex member, that is just prune juice.
I tell you the quality is worth it. My long shipping delays, sun faded items, broken items, not sending items, and when the buyer posts on the feedback forum I delete it, now that’s AWSOME (after the buyer waited 12 months oh wait *cough* I think im sick.

P.S I like to thank you all for helping me buy my 360 with stand..ermm I mean VB license, you are all suckers, I mean this domain is your domain.
P.P.S I hate spiders, did I tell you?


Lol, who is this, and who are you talking about, you must have the wrong forum, surely???

[Alchy]

I'm not sure if you're trying to be cryptic or if you normally talk like that, either way shape up and say what you've got to say clearly or don't bother saying anything.

[Unregistered]

I'm not sure if you're trying to be cryptic or if you normally talk like that, either way shape up and say what you've got to say clearly or don't bother saying anything.

Well that is just prune juice sir!

Well I’m sure I can think of something to make you tolls pay...ermm support, yes support.
I’m in the Navy, oh cost guard, wait wait I’m going to Iraq, shit I lost track of my pretend online life, time to leave...fiddle sticks I broke my clutch again, and mum isn’t giving me anymore money :(

P.S quality is wroth it

P.P.S my laserdisc is broken, prune juice

[ASSEMbler]

His IP is: 85.195.123.29 and he lives in germany, so I am guessing he's some sonic nut.

[the_steadster]

His IP is: 85.195.123.29 and he lives in germany, so I am guessing he's some sonic nut.
Nope
try http://85.195.123.29
Its a proxy

[ServiceGames]

Why is guest posting turned on? I thought it had been turned off to avoid this kind of crap after the sonic incident.

*Please disregard, as I just noticed the abuse forum thread.

[madhatter256]

Just search out a 32x fanatic... they exist... BEST PLATFORM EVERRRR

Did you call? Yes it was the best platform ever and no one was smart enough to realize it! Hmph! *Plays some Metal head*