Cease and Desist - an open letter to Sega of America

Opinion by Sean Kelley on 16th January 2011

Dear Sega of America:

It’s been too long since we last spoke. In fact, next month will make it thirteen glorious years since my last letter was directed your way. Back then I was an impressionable youth, trying my best to elongate the life of my Saturn – a console I still tell fellow gamers is my all-time favorite. I was requesting you reexamine and fix the strained relationship between yourself and the only purveyor of JRPGs on your platform, Working Designs, a publisher that was far too valuable to lose to Sony. I was also hoping to reap whatever inside information you might be willing to spare on the rumored Katana – later revealed to be the Dreamcast. But I write you today with a very different type of request in mind, one that pains me deeply both as a Sega fan and an overall gamer: stop. Stop what you’re doing; cease, and desist.

You recently unveiled the Dreamcast Collection for both the Xbox 360 and PC platforms, curiously omitting a PlayStation 3 release, but I’m not here to harp about that. I’m wondering what exactly the motivation behind this collection is – other than the convenience of pressing four downloable games to a disc. While both Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi’s overall lasting appeal are debatable, they make sense. They’re both iconic titles that are tightly associated with your recent history and the overall Dreamcast brand. I however cannot see the logic behind Space Channel 5 Part 2, or Sega Bass Fishing, as both were good games at the time, but lack the overall recognition of the former pair.

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Now I understand Ulala is one of the more recognizable characters associated with the Dreamcast, but why release Part 2? Most gamers unassociated with the console have likely never played a Space Channel 5 title, and it seems a curious choice to start them out with the sequel. Secondly, Space Channel 5 Part 2 wasn’t even released on the Dreamcast here in the US, and only later saw release from Agetec – of all publishers – on the PlayStation 2. I’m not even remotely convinced that the general gaming public knows Ulala debuted on the Dreamcast, especially when she’s probably better known now from the two Sega All-Stars sports titles.

As for Sega Bass Fishing on the other hand, I can’t begin to fathom the reasoning behind a re-release. If the game was being ported to both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with Kinect and Move compatibility respectively, I could see some logic behind the decision. However, as your overall track record goes with these sorts of ports I can envision the game having little in the way of relevant new features, and certainly not given the development time required to get the game working with new peripherals. Based on this assumption I don’t see the relevance of Sega Bass Fishing, it was a fun arcade title and an enjoyable diversion on the Dreamcast, assuming you owned the fishing controller. It’s an experience title and without a relevant way to interact with it, it serves no purpose.

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I can see why bundling a pair of second tier titles is good business, but it’s terrible for perception. The only real solution to the Sega Bass Fishing conundrum I can come up with is the game was once on PC, like both Sonic Adventure DX and Crazy Taxi, which means it was likely an easier port. This mentality is certainly more cost-efficient to you, but it underscores just how out of touch you are with the larger gaming populace and the fans that made you what you are today. I understand as a former hardcore Sega fan that it’s impractical for you to release a Dreamcast collection that reads like a Dreamcast-era fanboy’s wet dream. All of us would love to see original titles like Shenmue, Jet Set Radio, Chu Chu Rocket and Skies of Arcadia, or arcade classics like Virtua Fighter 3tb, Sega Rally 2, Dynamite Cop, Daytona USA and The Typing of the Dead, but Sega fan or not, we haven’t been waiting for this collection you’ve just announced.

I imagine this collection is to test the waters so to speak, to see if there is a large enough market interest to really bring the Dreamcast library back to the forefront, but this is not the way to go about doing it. Instead of continuing to lead the way in innovative game design, the word Sega has become synonymous with another four letter ‘S’ word – no, not that one. The one I’m thinking of is ‘same’. You guys have been recycling the same titles for too long, and $30 for four decent to forgettable Dreamcast games is laughable, especially when considering your own previous retro collection packed well over forty Genesis games for the same price.

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As an owner of two Geneses, two Saturns, two Dreamcasts, and a Nomad, I am precisely the person you want to be buying this sort of collection, and I will not. And I hope fellow hardcore Sega fans won’t either. You’ve treated your fans to the same titles over and over for too long, and, along the way disrespected both us and the amazing game library your company is built on.

So once again, I ask you, please, stop.

Sincerely,

Sean Kelley

Associate Editor
www.thunderboltgames.com

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About the author

Sean Kelley is an Associate Editor at Thunderbolt, having joined in April 2008. See more of his work at Negative Press and check out his web comic, Roy’s Boys. Get in touch on Twitter @_seankelley.

Comments

Earthbound_X
16th January 2011

Yeah it seems like a pretty horrible collection imo.

Some people are hoping this is just the beginning though. Maybe we’ll get better collections at a later date?
Shane
16th January 2011

Great article/letter. Couldn’t agree more.
Daniel
16th January 2011

Great letter - I really can’t see why they chose a sequel and a fishing game. Sonic and Crazy Taxi make enough sense but there’s so many better titles that could be put up instead.

I was maybe thinking it was to do with the file size of certain games though.
Sean
16th January 2011

@Earthbound_X: Yeah, I assume if this one does well enough Sega will do more. I just feel like they aren’t putting their best foot forward.

@Shane: Thanks man.

@Daniel: You are right, game size could be a deciding issue for why there aren’t more games, but it doesn’t really explain the game selection. But even still a DVD holds ~4.7 gigs so I doubt each of those titles were tying up the entire GD-Rom they originally shipping on, especially not Bass Fishing or Space Channel. At the very least they probably could have snuck another game on, one that isn’t large in file size (Chu Chu Rocket).
Sebastián
16th January 2011

I´m lost, I´m a huge Dreamcast fan and I would never buy these collections mainly because I DO OWN THESE GAMES, having said that, I think these compilations and re releases are aiming to all those kids (hardcore gamer kids) who never got the chance to play these games, so really, I don´t know why a hardcore Sega fan should even bother…
Paul W
16th January 2011

I’m afraid that I don’t really have much sympathy. Anyone with taste who wants to play the best Dreamcast titles (which would include the second Sonic Adventure title and the first Jet Set Radio game) would buy a Dreamcast (such an iconic white box) for next to nothing off Ebay and play it on a nice controller with a cool VMU and fast loading times. I don’t WANT Sega to put their very best wares on the Xbox360. I cling to some hope that a Dreamcast 2 could one day emerge.
Dave
16th January 2011

Well said. First strike was no PS3 release (and I have some suspicions harking back to the Dreamcast-PS2 history) but maybe I would’ve been up for PC version.

Then they go and pack it full of - well, not what we wanted. Most of these (if not all?) are already available on PSN/XBLA. Whats the point now?

There is no point.
Another poor choice SoA. You make me sad.
Oh well. At least you got the Yakuza 4 box art right.
Calvin Kemph
17th January 2011

I might disagree about the importance of a Dreamcast collection and maybe even the games chosen, but since they’re just putting out the lazy XBLA versions, I’m right there with you. There’s no reason they couldn’t have combined both collections into one and sold me at a higher price by going back and removing the ugly borders, fixing some of the glitches, and working in high-definition. Thanks for the article, made me rethink a potential purchase.
Steve
17th January 2011

This article makes a very good point.

I feel cheated having bought Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi on XBLA. Now, I’m gonna hold off buying XBLA DC games, apart from Shenmue, just in case they come out on disc.

I’m not interested in Space Channel 5 Part 2, or Sea Bass Fishing. Another wasted opportunity by SEGA.

What about something like this for £40.

Collection 1

Sonic Adventure
Crazy Taxi
Space Channel 5
Shenmue
Chu Chu Rocket
Jet Set Radio
Skies or Arcadia

Collection 2

Sonic Advenure 2
Shenmue 2
Space Channel 5 Part 2
Soul Caliber
Resident Evil Code Veronica
Rayman 2

Makes more sense to me!
Sean
17th January 2011

@ Steve: You have a good selection of games but I think it’s unlikely a Sega published collection would ever have Rayman, Resident Evil and Soul Calibur, as they’re all 3rd party titles. I think there’s an outside chance for games like Headhunter and Toy Commander, which were developed outside of Sega but still Sega published.
Jumpman
18th January 2011

Do you honestly think that SEGA of America had a say in which titles would go on the Dreamcast comp.? I wouldn’t be pointing my finger at the American office. I’m just saying…
Sean
18th January 2011

@ Jumpman: Considering the 360 and PC markets are non-existent in Japan, yes, I would wager SoA had a say in this collection. Even it they didn’t they’re the publisher here in the US and it isn’t uncommon for Sega titles to not be released in all markets. They could have passed on it too.

Do you really think Sega Europe is the mastermind?
My Name is Anonymous
31st January 2011

Sega are not the company we remember from years gone by. years when they would consistently release the best coin-op conversions and new IPs.

Space Channel 5 part 2 is an odd choice for this collection and is purely there to lure the enthusiast. It is the hardest and most expensive one to get from this collection. Games for the Dreamcast are still easily obtainable and not so expensive (Unless you want a copy of radiant Silvergun). The first Space Channel 5 game can be purchased for around £5 second hand as can the other games on this disc.

I wont be purchasing this collection. Its a bit of a rip off and the fans need to be treated better. A Shenmue collection would be great as would the continuation of the series but my breath wont be held for this.

I am really holding out for some Saturn XBLA conversions, I have wanted to play Burning Rangers for years.

I no longer expect anything from Sega, I dont get excited about new releases as I have in the past. Its a shame I feel this way, as do many others from what I can gather, but its all their own doing.

Hopefully they will get back on track at some point in the future.

Peace.

P.S Skies or Arcadia is amazing!
Sean
1st February 2011

I’d like to believe they’ll get back on track at some point but it just doesn’t seem likely with all their old talent outside of the company, such as Suzuki, Mizaguchi and Naka. Nagoshi is really the only name Sega still has under its banner, but he can only churn out so many Yakuza rehashes, and Binary Domain doesn’t look like a winner.

Hopefully Sega will continue its relationship with Platinum beyond Anarchy Reigns and just maybe, there’s an emerging, talented designer waiting to build a better Sega of Japan.
Calvin Kemph
11th February 2011

As long as they hold the Jet Set Radio license and publish Platinum titles, they have the recipe for perfection.