Sega's financial problems

http://tinyurl.com/dcoycm

Where "R" you??

 

That is so sad, specially when I think about how much we complain about them. From the sound of it, they've been having financial probs for a while now.
I'm sure they've made their share of mistakes along the way but it is looking really bad for the future of VF if something doesn't change or happen fast.

Kinda reminds me when Tecmo was doing bad and then DOA and Ninja Gaiden came along and saved them.
I'm rooting for Sega, always have, always will but after seeing just how bad things have become on the economic front, well, the odds are really stacked against them.

We might be playing VF5 (or maybe R) for like 10 years before we see or hear about VF6 if at all. Then again, there's the possibility of some other company buying the rights to VF and that could turn real ugly, real fast.

 

I feel like a selfish dick right now. Not b/c I was sometimes bithing about Sega, but b/c this news makes me as sad for those ppl that are going to get fired as it makes me sad for "R" being even less possible for consoles now /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif

 

You mean cause youre sad about R's console possibility instead of Sega's employees?

It's a business though, and you're also a paying customer.

 

It is no surprise.

http://www.seganerds.com/2009/02/10/sega-sammy-is-loosing-money-but-what-did-you-expect/#comments

 

Actually this bad financial news might be good news for R. If Sega has to consolidate and cut back, It might be cheaper or even more profitable to release a update to an established title than it would be to release a brand new title. I'm not sure, but it probably requires less effort to come out with a R for consoles or VF6 for that matter than it does to risk the bank on a new game.

And although VF sales aren't blockbusters they are at least guaranteed right?

If sega puts out R or VF6 for the consoles it may be small money
but its sure money... /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif New titles are riskier than you might think.

 

They lose $200,000,000+ then they go and develop & release a game that won't even sell enough to cover the cost of devlopment and publishing, never mind make any kind of profit.

...Sounds like a good plan.

 

Because of this Recession, its going to screw over SEGA big time even they were known for not putting out real deal games over a decade.

Other than Virtua Fighter, Panzer Dragoon, Nights, and mabye Sonic, but the majority of games you hardly see except Sonic, but done to death to the point where a new Sonic game is made nowadays every half or quarter of a year?

I think the only games that would hopefully saves them is Mad World, The Conduit, and that other new IP that is coming out, dont know what it is though. So cross your fingers, and hope they are sucessfull.

 

So hedgehog milk tastes terrible, doesn't it? They (SEGA) want to make money, and that's their buisness, like every other buisness. It's none of 'your' buisness.

 

Soul Calibur sold 2.26 million copies...

SFIV is going to sell 3-4 million IMO...

Tekken 6 will sell 3-5 million...

VF5R done correctly for console, like EVO (lots content... ALL items, ALL! Training mode, etc.) could sell anywhere from 1-4 million depending on the demand that other fighting games create as they transition to online.

 

I dont think VF5R, no matter how correctly they do it, can sell a million copies. The only way I see sega to even consider it a profitable development is if they try to sell the DLC piece by piece. I surely would buy it but there are alot of people out there that feel they are getting ripped off when it comes to DLC and are very vocal about it.

Sales for VF5 for ps3 - about 500k copies
http://www.vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=2609&region=All


Sales for VF5 for xbox - about 200k copies
http://www.vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=12466&region=All

Based on the fact that R is essentially the same game and VF4/VF4Evos sales history, I think its safe to say if R were released at home, it wouldn't sell nearly as much as VF5 did. Arguements can be made that when VF5 was released for PS3, the PS3 install base was very small but on the other hand, there were also fewer games to buy and that fact alone sold quite a few copies, im sure.

 

Yeah, cheapskates.

 

I love to complain about sonic recycling. . . but even just last year, you're ignoring

- valkyria chronicles, the most innovative JRPG in years
- yakuza kenzan, 9/10 reviews and is like the third or fourth best-selling game on the system
- phantasy star portable, which whether you like non-OG phantasy star, is decidedly not sonic shovelware crap and is selling FF-level numbers in japan
- thunder force VI, which wasn't the best shmup ever but still a ballsy move to publish one in this market

Sega still has plenty of real games left in them, its just a question of whether they will be made (see recent obsidian/aliens news)

 

It will be sad if Sega dies. I hope not. I hope they release Virtya Fighter 5 R to consoles.

 

My local Gamestop manager told me there are over 6 million, pre-orders alone, for SFIV... I think that fighting games are making a big comeback now that developers are figuring out how make the playable online. 6 million people play SFIV and decide they love it, then when other fighters come out in the future, the fan base will have expanded a lot... That's why I believe VF5R can do a million or more, IF DONE RIGHT... SFIV is so hyped up! 6 million PRE-orders!

 

6 million pre-orders? That has got to be the biggest load of shit I've ever heard in my life. Find that manager and throw a water balloon at him.

GTAIV had 3.6 million pre-orders and it DESTROYED sales records for opening day. Halo 3 has sold 8.1 million copies since it was first released in September of 2007.

So before the game is even out, SFIV, it's going to eclipse the first year sales of GTAIV and Halo 3?

HDR sold well, SFIV is going to do well, but Capcom is going to outsell both of them two times over with Resident Evil 5.

Fighting games are NOT making a comeback just because SFIV is coming out. That's like saying RTS games are make a resurgence because Starcraft II is coming out.

 

While we're on the subject of SF4 and how much it will sell, here's how it did in it's first week in Japan...

Xbox360

Japan: 1. Left 4 Dead (EA Games), 2. Street Fighter IV (Capcom), 3. Tales of Vesperia (Namco), 4. Dead Rising -- Xbox 360 Platinum Collection (Capcom), 5. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision).

PS3

Japan: 1. Demon's Souls (SCEI), 2. Street Fighter IV (Capcom), 3. Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! -- PlayStation 3 The Best (Sega), 4. Fallout 3 (Bethesda), 5. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009 (Konami).

Apparently it sold through it's entire shipment for 360, lol.

 

It is entirely possible that this could spur VF5R to be released. Simply because costs would be minimal on the title and the chance for profit not as far-fetched as many would think.

The only thing I fear is another merger is always possible. Namco Bandai merging with Sega Sammy would crush the spirit of millions. Although, we could get Square Enix Sega Sammy and have Virtua Dragon Fantasy Berserk XIX. >_<!