Sega Corporation

Type	Private (subsidiary of Sega Sammy)
Founded	Standard Games 1940; Service Games 1952
Location	HQ in Ota, Tokyo, Japan
Key people	Hisao Oguchi, CEO Sega Corp, Naoya Tsurumi, CEO SOA and SOE; Simon Jeffery, COO and President SOA; Yu Suzuki, Yuji Naka notable game designers
Industry	Video games, Former video game console manufacturer
Products	Master System, Genesis / Mega Drive, Game Gear, Nomad, Sega Pico, Saturn, Dreamcast
Revenue	93.129 billion Yen (2004)
Employees	10,760
Website	Sega of America Sega of Japan Sega of Europe

Sega (セガ) is an international video game software and hardware developing company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. The company has had success in both arcades and the home console market, but in early 2001, they left the consumer console business and began concentrating on software development for multiple platforms. Sega logo, claiming fair use. ... A private company is a company that is independently owned. ... You may be looking for the Sega Corporation which is still maintained on its own article. ... ÅŒta (Japanese: 大田区; -ku) is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan. ... Simon Jeffery is the current president of Sega of America. ... Yu Suzuki Yu Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木裕 Suzuki YÅ«, born June 10, 1958) is a prominent producer of arcade and video games. ... Yuji Naka (中 裕司 Naka YÅ«ji, born September 17, 1965), is a video game designer and head of Sonic Team, a group of Sega programmers/designers. ... Pac-Man is one the most recognizable video games ever created. ... A console manufacturer is a company that manufactures and distributes video game consoles. ... The Sega Master System (SMS for short), is an 8-bit cartridge-based gaming console that was manufactured by Sega. ... The Mega Drive/Genesis was a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan (1988), Europe (1990) and most of the rest of the world as the Mega Drive. ... The Sega Game Gear was Segas first portable gaming system. ... The Sega Nomad was a handheld game console sold in North America and South America, mainly in Brazil, essentially a mini-Genesis console, based on the Japanese Mega Jet and featuring a built-in color screen. ... The SEGA Pico was an electronic toy by SEGA. The aim was to get more young children to use video game systems. ... The Sega Saturn (Japanese: セガサターン, Sega Saturn), is a video game console of the 32-bit era. ... The Sega Dreamcast (Japanese: ドリームキャスト; code-named Blackbelt, Dural and Katana during development) was Segas last video game console. ... Revenue is a US business term for the amount of money that a company can receive from its activities, mostly from sales of products and/or services to customers. ... Japanese 10 yen coin (obverse) showing Phoenix Hall of Byodoin Yen is the currency used in Japan. ... Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... The front page of the English Wikipedia Website. ... link titleThe word international can mean: Between nations or encompassing several nations. ... For the list, see list of computer and video games. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ... Hardware is the general term that is used to describe physical artifacts of a technology. ... TRS-80 Color Computer II The home computer is a consumer-friendly word for the second generation of microcomputers (the technical term that was previously used), entering the market in 1977 and becoming common during the 1980s. ... A console manufacturer is a company that manufactures and distributes video game consoles. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ...

Sega's main offices, as well as the main offices of its domestic division, Sega of Japan, are located in Ota, Tokyo, Japan. Sega's North American division, Sega of America, is headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States. It had moved from Redwood City, California in 1999. Sega's European division, Sega of Europe, is headquartered in the Chiswick area of London, England, United Kingdom. The North American division is partially owned by Viacom. Ōta (Japanese: 大田区; -ku) is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Nickname: The City by the Bay Official website: http://www. ... The skyline of downtown Redwood City Redwood City is the county seat of San Mateo County, California. ... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... Chiswick [pronounced CHIZ-ick] is a high profile and extensive district of West London, currently located within the eastern extremity of the London Borough of Hounslow, some 5. ... The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower containing Big Ben Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the capital of the United Kingdom and England. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... Viacom is a high-growth media conglomerate with various worldwide interests in cable / satellite television networks (MTV Networks and BET), video gaming (Sega of America), and movie production and distribution (the Paramount Pictures movie studio and DreamWorks). ...

History

1940-1988

Sega was originally founded in 1940 as Standard Games (later Service Games) in Honolulu, Hawaii, by Martin Bromely, Irving Bromberg, and James Humpert to provide coin-operated amusements for American servicemen on military bases. Bromely suggested that the company move to Tokyo, Japan in 1951 and in May 1952 "SErvice GAmes of Japan" was registered. Honolulu redirects here. ... Official language(s) Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 43rd 28,337 km² n/a km 2,450 km 41. ... Headquarters of Tokyo Metropolitan Government View of Tokyos Shibuya district Tokyo ) (help· info), literally eastern capital, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and includes the highly urbanized downtown area formerly known as the city of Tokyo which is the heart of the Greater Tokyo Area. ...

In 1954, another American businessman David Rosen fell in love with Tokyo and established his own company, Rosen Enterprises, Inc., in Japan to export art. When the company imported coin-operated instant photo booths, it stumbled on a surprise hit: The booths were very popular in Japan. Business was booming, and Rosen Enterprises expanded by importing coin-operated electro-mechanical games. David Rosen is an American businessman who became the chief executive officer of SEGA in 1965. ...

Rosen Enterprises and Service Games merged in 1965 to become Sega Enterprises. Within a year, the new company released a submarine-simulator game called "Periscope" that became a smash-hit worldwide.

In 1969, Gulf and Western Industries purchased Sega, and Rosen was allowed to remain CEO of the Sega division. Under Rosen's leadership, Sega continued to grow and prosper. In the videogame arcades, Sega was known for producing Frogger and creating Zaxxon. Sega's revenues would hit $214 million by 1982 and in 1983, Sega would release their first video game console; the SG-1000 and also the first laserdisc game. Gulf and Western Industries, Inc. ... A chief executive officer (CEO) or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or executive officer of a corporation, company, or agency. ... Frogger is a 1981 arcade game licensed for U.S. distribution by Sega/Gremlin, and developed by Konami. ... Zaxxon is a 1982 arcade game by Sega. ... The SG-1000, which stands for Sega Game 1000, is a cartridge-based video game console manufactured by Sega. ... Pioneers LaserDisc Logo Laserdisc certification mark The laserdisc (LD) was the first commercial optical disc storage medium, and was used primarily for the presentation of movies. ...

In the same year, Sega was hit hard by the video game crash. Hemorrhaging money, Gulf & Western sold the U.S. assets of Sega to Bally Manufacturing Corporation. The Japanese assets of Sega were purchased for $38 million by a group of investors led by Rosen and Hayao Nakayama, a Japanese businessman who owned a distribution company that had been acquired by Rosen in 1979. Nakayama became the new CEO of Sega, and Rosen became head of its subsidiary in the United States. E.T. for the Atari 2600. ... Bally (with its distinctive Rolling Ball logo) Bally (originally the Bally Manufacturing Corporation) is an American corporation. ...

In 1984, the multi-billion dollar Japanese conglomerate CSK bought Sega, and renamed it to Sega Enterprises Ltd., headquarted it in Japan, and two years later, shares of its stock were being traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. David Rosen's friend, Isao Okawa, the chairman of CSK, became chairman of Sega. In 1986, Sega of America was established to take advantage of the expanding video game market in the United States. Sega would also release the first Alex Kidd game, who until 1991 would be their mascot. CSK is a company owned by the Sega Corporation. ... The Tokyo Stock Exchange (東京証券取引所 Tōkyō Shōken Torihikijo, abbreviated TSE) is the worlds second-largest stock exchange market. ... Alex Kidd. ...

1989-2001

Sonic the Hedgehog has been Sega's official mascot since 1991.

With the introduction of the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1989, Sega launched itself internationally as the second largest vendor of consumer video game products, behind their main rival, Nintendo. 1990 marked a change in Sega's market focus, changing to an older audience. The 1st generation of games would mostly feature already successful arcade ports such as Golden Axe and Altered Beast. In addition Sega would use the reallocated Sega Master System rights from Tonka to help expand the size of game library. By reviving 8-bit titles, Sega was providing ready-to-go budget titles sold at half the price of regular Genesis games. The Power Base Converter allowed existing Sega Master System owners to keep their library of games for the 16-bit era. Other additions include a 1st party magazine called Sega Visions. Picture of Sonic the Hedgehog It looks to me like a screenshot, and screenshots are free to use under fair use. ... Picture of Sonic the Hedgehog It looks to me like a screenshot, and screenshots are free to use under fair use. ... Sonics character has been redesigned with age through the years. ... Mascots at the Mascot Olympics in Orlando, FL. A mascot is something, typically an animal or human character used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team (the name often corresponds with the mascot), society or corporation. ... Nintendo (Japanese: 任天堂, ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 ) is an international company originally founded in Japan on November 6, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in a Japanese playing card game of the same name. ... Golden Axe is a side-scrolling arcade fighting game released in 1989 by Sega. ... Altered Beast (獣王記 Jūōki, literally Beast Kings Chronicle, in Japan) is a 1988 arcade game developed and manufactured by Sega. ... The Sega Master System (SMS for short), is an 8-bit cartridge-based gaming console that was manufactured by Sega. ... Tonka is a brand of toy trucks popular in America and the United Kingdom. ... This is a list of games for the Sega Master System video game system. ... The Power Base Converter was an accessory made by Sega for their Genesis and Mega Drive console video game systems. ... The Sega Master System (SMS for short), is an 8-bit cartridge-based gaming console that was manufactured by Sega. ... The cover of the June/July 1990 issue of Sega Visions. ...

To carry the momentum to the 2nd generation of games, Sega launched a direct anti-Nintendo campaign with slogans such as "Genesis does what Nintendon't". Sega also rebranded themselves with a new mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog. This shift led to a wider success for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and would eventually propel Sega to 65% of the market in North America. However, Sega's share of the market would plummet in 1994 to 35% after Nintendo released key franchise titles for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System such as Donkey Kong Country and Super Metroid, as well as bad public reaction in Sega's eventual business decisions. Television Commercial Genesis Does What Nintendont was the catch phrase used to promote the Sega Genesis in a commercial showing the games Super Monaco GP, Michael Jacksons Moonwalker, Joe Montana Football, Pat Riley Basketball, James Buster Douglas Knockout Boxing, and Columns. ... Sonics character has been redesigned with age through the years. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. ... Donkey Kong Country is a video game developed by Rare and Nintendo, featuring the popular arcade character, Donkey Kong. ... Super Metroid is the third installment and only 16-bit game in the Metroid series of video games. ...

In 1994, Sega in association with TimeWarner launched The Sega Channel, a subscription-based cable network that provided video games to owners of the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. On July 20 1994 Sega launched it's second amusement theme park Joypolis in Yokohama with a complex measuring 11.946 sq metres over 8,250 of which is dedicated to amusements.
Sega also released the Sega Saturn in Japan in 1994 and later in North America in 1995. Although the Saturn performed well in Japan, it failed to captivate the North American audience and thus led to a long decline in the console market for Sega. With one last effort for Sega to redeem themselves from overwhelming debt they launched the Sega Dreamcast in Japan in 1998 and in North America later on Sept. 9, 1999 (with the marketing ploy 9/9/99). The Dreamcast, at the time became the fastest selling video game console until 2000's launch of Sony's PlayStation 2. Time Warner Inc. ... Sega Channel was a project developed by Sega for the 16-Bit Sega Genesis console. ... Joypolis is an amusement themepark first opened on July 20, 1994 in Yokohama, Japan with arcade games and amusement rides based upon SEGA IP. It has since been opened also in Tokyo and Osaka. ... The Sega Saturn (Japanese: セガサターン, Sega Saturn), is a video game console of the 32-bit era. ... The Sega Dreamcast (Japanese: ドリームキャスト; code-named Blackbelt, Dural and Katana during development) was Segas last video game console. ... Sony Corporation (Japanese katakana: ソニー) (TYO: 6758 , NYSE: SNE) is a global Japanese consumer electronics, financial services and entertainment corporation based in Tokyo, Japan. ... The PlayStation 2 (PS2) (Japanese: プレイステーション2) is Sonys second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3. ...

Although the Dreamcast had a relatively successful release, it failed to gather a foothold in the market against the Sony PlayStation, the Nintendo 64, and the release of the PlayStation 2, which would dominate the market until Microsoft and Nintendo entered the sixth generation of video game consoles, although the PlayStation 2 would continue its market lead throughout the era. The PlayStation is a video game console of the 32/64-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the mid 1990s. ... The Nintendo 64, commonly called the N64, is Nintendos third home video game console. ... Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT, SEHK: 4338) is the worlds largest software corporation, with 2005 global annual sales of close to $40 billion USD and about 64,000 employees in 85 countries and regions. ... The sixth-generation era (sometimes inaccurately referred to as the 128-bit era; see section below) refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century. ...

In 2000, Sega Enterprises Ltd. was renamed Sega Corporation. In 2001 Sega discontinued the Dreamcast and ended its run as a video game hardware manufacturer.

2001 and beyond

2001 would see a major shift in focus for Sega as they would move out of hardware manufacturing, at least in the home console market; the arcade Sega NAOMI units are still being produced. The company has since evolved primarily into a platform-agnostic software company that creates games that will work on a variety of game consoles produced by other companies, including Nintendo's GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS, Sony's PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, and Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360. The Sega NAOMI (New Arcade Operation Machine Idea) is a development of the Sega Dreamcast technology as a basis for an arcade system board. ... Nintendo (Japanese: 任天堂, ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 ) is an international company originally founded in Japan on November 6, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in a Japanese playing card game of the same name. ... The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named Dolphin during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the 128-bit era; the same generation as Segas Dreamcast, Sonys PlayStation 2, and Microsofts Xbox. ... The Game Boy Advance (often shortened to GBA) is a handheld video game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo. ... The Nintendo DS, (sometimes abbreviated NDS or DS), is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. ... Sony Corporation (Japanese katakana: ソニー) (TYO: 6758 , NYSE: SNE) is a global Japanese consumer electronics, financial services and entertainment corporation based in Tokyo, Japan. ... The PlayStation 2 (PS2) (Japanese: プレイステーション2) is Sonys second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3. ... Multiangle shots of a PSP The PlayStation Portable (officially PSP), a handheld game console, is a product of Sony Computer Entertainment. ... Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT, SEHK: 4338) is the worlds largest software corporation, with 2005 global annual sales of close to $40 billion USD and about 64,000 employees in 85 countries and regions. ... The Microsoft Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console first released on November 15, 2001 in North America and Puerto Rico, then released on February 22, 2002 in Japan, and on March 14, 2002 in Europe. ... Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsofts original Xbox. ...

In 2003, Sega fell on extremely hard times, and after the death of CSK founder Isao Okawa in 2001, who spent over US$40 billion to help Sega, CSK put Sega on the auction block. The first suitor was Japan's Sammy who discussed a merger, but plans fell through. Discussions also took place with Namco, Electronic Arts and Microsoft. In August 2003, Sammy bought the outstanding 22% of shares that CSK had, and Sammy chairman Hajime Satomi became CEO of Sega. With the Sammy chairman at the helm of Sega, it has been stated that Sega's activity will focus on its profit-making arcade business rather than its loss-making home software development. You may be looking for the Sega Corporation which is still maintained on its own article. ... Namco is a company based in Japan, best known for developing video games. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

During the middle of 2004, Sammy bought a controlling share in Sega Corporation at a cost of $1.1 billion, creating the new company Sega Sammy Holdings, one of the biggest games companies in the world. You may be looking for the Sega Corporation which is still maintained on its own article. ...

Sega recently bought the rights to all output from Sports Interactive, makers of Football Manager (the old Championship Manager). Sports Interactive is a computer games development company currently based in Islington, North London. ... Championship Manager is a series of English computer games, the first of which was released in 1992. ...

On January 25, 2005, Sega sold Visual Concepts, a second-party developer known for many Sega Sports games including the ESPN NFL Football series (formerly NFL2K) to Take Two Interactive for $24 million. The sale also came with Visual Concept's wholly-owned subsidiary Kush Games. Take Two subsequently announced the start of the publishing label 2K Games because of this purchase. January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Visual Concepts is a video game developer best known from the SEGA Sportss 2K series of sports games. ... In the video game industry, a second-party developer is a developer who, while being a separate entity from any console manufacturer, is tied to a specific one usually through contract or partial ownership and makes games specifically for that console manufacturer. ... Box art for ESPN NFL 2K5 on the Xbox. ... Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. ... Kush Games is a video game developer. ... 2K Games is a video game publisher and a wholly owned subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive. ...

On March 9, 2005 Sega acquired developer Creative Assembly best known for their strategy games Medieval: Total War and Rome: Total War. March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Creative Assembly (officially The Creative Assembly Ltd) is a British video game developer established in 28 August 1987 by Tim Ansell, best known for their Total War strategy games series (Composed of Shogun, Medieval, Rome and the forthcoming Medieval 2) and some sports games developed for distribution under EAs... Medieval: Total War (MTW), is a real-time strategy game where the player builds a dynastic empire in medieval Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. ... Rome: Total War is a grand strategy computer game where players fight historical and fictious battles during the era of the Roman Republic, from 270 BCE to 14 CE. The game was developed by Creative Assembly and released on September 22, 2004. ...

On September 12, 2005, It was announced that Sega would be working with Petroglyph to create a Modern Military/Sci-fi Real-time strategy game for PC[1]. September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Petroglyph is a game studio based in Las Vegas, Nevada. ... Age of Empires (1997), Invasion of an enemy A real-time strategy (RTS) game is a type of computer strategy wargame which does not have turns like conventional turn-based strategy video or board games. ...

Consoles

Early consoles

Main articles: SG-1000, SG-1000 Mark II, and SC-3000 The SG-1000, which stands for Sega Game 1000, is a cartridge-based video game console manufactured by Sega. ... The SG-1000 Mark II is an updated version of the SG-1000 video game console, made by Sega. ... Sega SC-3000 and joystick The SC-3000 was the computer equivalent of the SG-1000 cartridge-based gaming console manufactured by Sega. ...

Sega entered the video game console market in 1983 with the introduction of the SG-1000 in Japan after having test marketed it there since 1981. The SG-1000 was never released in North America, however, it was released in Australia, New Zealand, and many European nations such as Italy and Spain. The SG-1000, Segas first videogame console File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

In 1984, Sega released an updated version of the SG-1000 called the SG-1000 Mark II and a computer version called the SC-3000. Games for the SG-1000 Mark II were compatible with the SC-3000 and vice versa - provided the player also had the keyboard accessory that came with the SC-3000. The SG-1000 and the SG-1000 Mark II, while having some minor success were both overshadowed by Nintendo's Famicom, which was released in Japan in 1983. Nintendo (Japanese: 任天堂, ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 ) is an international company originally founded in Japan on November 6, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in a Japanese playing card game of the same name. ... The Nintendo Entertainment System (U.S., Europe, and Australia) NES redirects here. ...

Master System

Main articles: Sega Master System and SG-1000 Mark III The Sega Master System (SMS for short), is an 8-bit cartridge-based gaming console that was manufactured by Sega. ... The SG-1000 Mark III The SG-1000 Mark III Joypads The SG-1000 Mark III is an 8-bit video game console made by Sega. ...

In 1985 in an attempt to compete with Nintendo's popular Famicom, Sega updated and released the SG-1000 Mark III in Japan. The system would be redesigned and introduced in North America as the Sega Master System. Although technically superior to the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom), the Master System never achieved the same popularity due in part to the overwhelming third-party support Nintendo had. The Master System was also released two years after Nintendo's NES and had a hard uphill battle. The Master System was discontinued in 1992 in Japan and North America, having never achieving any real foothold on the console market in these regions, however, in Europe, the Master System did exceptionally well, even having a larger market share than Nintendo's NES because it was marketed in countries that the NES wasn't. Due to its success in Europe, Sega supported the Master System there until 1996. Picture of Sega Master System Picture taken by me (Eike) and licensed under the GFDL. File links The following pages link to this file: Sega Sega Master System Desert Speedtrap (Game Gear) Categories: GFDL images ... In the video game industry, a third-party developer is a developer that is not only a separate entity from a console manufacturer, but also not affiliated or held by any contractual agreement to make exclusive games for any specific console. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ...

Additionally, Sega also released the Master System II and Master System III, which were less-expensive and less popular retooled successors to the Master System. The Master System III was only available in Brazil.

Mega Drive/Genesis

Main article: Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis

In 1989, Sega released its most successful console worldwide, the Sega Mega Drive also known as Sega Genesis in North America. The Genesis was a 16-bit console created to rival the TurboGrafx 16. In 1990, Nintendo released the Super Famicom (or Super Nintendo Entertainment System—SNES), which was Genesis' major rival throughout the 16-bit era. Even though the Genesis was released earlier than the SNES, Sega had a hard time overcoming Nintendo's dominating foothold on the video game console market, which in the late-1980s was 95% in North America and 92% in Japan. By 1992, Sega slashed Nintendo's market by garnering 55% (going as high as 65% in 1993) of the market in North America. The Genesis also did well in Brazil, Europe, and Australia, however, it failed to put a dent on Nintendo's market share in Japan. Sega Genesis 3, manufactured by Majesco. ... Download high resolution version (1024x632, 128 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1036x800, 125 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... (Redirected from 16-bit era) In the history of video games, the 16-bit era was the fourth generation of video game consoles. ... For information on the Japanese version of this console, see PC Engine The TurboGrafx-16 was a video game console released by NEC in 1989, for the North American market. ... This article should be merged with Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Famicom design differed from that of the American SNES, though the controllers are almost the same. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ...

In 1993, the Genesis was redesigned and released as the "Sega Genesis 2". By 1994, Nintendo had regained a lot of its lost market share by slashing Sega's share from 65% to 35%. In 1996, Sega discontinued support for the Genesis. But in 1998, Majesco released a budget version of the Genesis, called "Sega Genesis 3". Majesco is a video game developer founded in 1986. ...

Throughout the lifetime of the Genesis, Sega had developed and launched two unsuccesful well-known add-ons, the Sega 32X and the Sega CD. It also released the peripheral, Sega Meganet, which was a modem for the Mega drive. It was only released in Japan and Brazil. Sega Genesis 32X on top of regular Genesis, second model. ... Three versions of Sega CD: The Mega-CD 1 and 2 and the CDX/Multi-Mega. ... The Sega Meganet was a network service in Japan for people using the Sega Mega Drive. ... A modem (a portmanteau word constructed from modulator and demodulator) is a device that modulates a carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. ...

Saturn

Main article: Sega Saturn

In 1994, Sega released the CD-based Sega Saturn in Japan and later in North America in 1995. Its main rivals were the Sony PlayStation released in 1995 and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System until 1996 when Nintendo released the Nintendo 64. The Sega Saturn (Japanese: セガサターン, Sega Saturn), is a video game console of the 32-bit era. ... This is the console of the Sega Saturn videogame system. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The original PlayStation was produced in a light grey colour; the more recent PSOne redesign sports a smaller more rounded case. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. ... The Nintendo 64, commonly called the N64, is Nintendos third home video game console. ...

In North America the Saturn was a failure partly due to its initial high $400 price tag, (compared to $300 for the PSX and $200 for the N64), its programming difficulties, and perhaps because of the poor support for previous Sega Genesis add-ons, the Sega 32X and the Sega CD. Though Sonic Team did happen to create NiGHTS Into Dreams and Burning Rangers, it was never really a success. The system's highest points are its numerous arcade ports from their Model 2 hardware, the Sonic team offerings, Dragon Force, and the Panzer Dragoon series. The Saturn never received a proper game from their mascot, Sonic, since Sonic Xtreme was canceled after a long and troubled development process. Also, many strong titles were not brought overseas from Japan. This is partly why the Saturn did relatively well in Japan, and more or less failed commercially in other markets. Sonic Team logo Sonic Team is a computer and video game second-party developer established in 1988 as SEGA AM8. ... NiGHTS into Dreams. ... Burning Rangers is a video game developed by Sonic Team for the Sega Saturn. ... The Sega Model 2 is an arcade system board released by Sega in 1993. ... For the band, see DragonForce. ... Panzer Dragoon is a series of video game by SEGA, created first by its internal Team Andromeda and later, the Smilebit development team. ... Picture of Jade Gully level. ...

Another popular explanation for the Saturn's poor performance in markets outside of Japan may have to do with the system's hardware architecture. Many programmers found the complex hardware (including dual Hitachi SH-2 central processors) difficult to master and instead opted to develop games on the Playstation. Unlike Sega, Sony made programming libraries readily available to third party developers. Thus, developers found the Playstation a more attractive machine to develop for. In some cases, popular games like Tomb Raider looked better on the Playstation and the Saturn gained a reputation as a graphically inferior machine. Though this is not true, we can conclude that both systems were capable of doing some things better than the other. Either machine, in the right hands, was capable of impressive graphical feats for the time.

Enthusiasts remember the Saturn as a console that failed because of poor business decisions and a changing market.

Dreamcast

Main article: Sega Dreamcast

Sega's final video game system, the Sega Dreamcast was released in Japan in 1998 and in the United States on September 9, 1999. Considered to be "ahead of its time", the 128-bit Dreamcast rivaled the 32-bit Sony PlayStation and the 64-bit Nintendo 64. The Dreamcast, however, failed to recapture Sega's lost market share that it once held during the lifespan of the Genesis prior to the major release of Sony's PlayStation , and other "next-gen" systems including Nintendo's N64. This was in part due to a lack of faith in the system after the 32X and Saturn systems. The Sega Dreamcast (Japanese: ドリームキャスト; code-named Blackbelt, Dural and Katana during development) was Segas last video game console. ... The European Sega Dreamcast console. ... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The PlayStation is a video game console of the 32/64-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the mid 1990s. ... An N64 (with Super Smash Bros. ...

The release of the Sega Dreamcast expanded on the PlayStation's popularisation of video games by offering the first out-of-the-box Internet service. For many people who only had game systems it was their first taste of the Internet, and Sega attempted to capitalize on the fact that it was the only Internet-capable console at the time by releasing games playable online such as ChuChu Rocket and Phantasy Star Online (which is still a popular online series on multiple consoles) and offering online features for other games. As of mid-2005, the PlayStation 2 and Xbox both feature online gameplay for numerous games, however, the GameCube's only online games are Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, III, and Plus. ChuChu Rocket! is a puzzle game, written by Sonic Team. ... Phantasy Star Online (PSO), released in 2000, was an online title for Sega Dreamcast. ...

The Visual Memory Unit memory module used for saving game data also functioned as a portable gaming device playable away from the console. Some console games allowed the player to load a mini-game onto the VMU - Skies of Arcadia's Pinta's Quest for example had the player collect items which they would receive when they went back to the full game. The screen is viewable from the controller and some games would use it in gameplay - Virtua Tennis showed an 8-bit representation of the current play, and Skies of Arcadia would show a character and have the VMU beep to help the player find invisible items. The functionality also created the opportunity for making secret strategy in multiplayer games - for example changing strategy via the VMU screen in a football game. The complexity of the 1Mbit VMU meant that it was considered overpriced, and third-party modules without the screen but often offering larger capacity became common. A Sega VMU. The VMU (short for Visual Memory Unit, not Virtual Memory Unit) is the memory card for the Sega Dreamcast. ... Skies of Arcadia is a console role-playing game developed for the Sega Dreamcast by Overworks, a division of Sega. ... Virtua Tennis is a 2000 tennis video game created by Segas Hitmaker division. ...

The Dreamcast was subsequently discontinued in North America in January 2001. Software support in Japan, however, continues into 2006, with the upcoming release of Radilgy and Under Defeat. SEGA shocked the game world by announcing the release of refurbished Dreamcasts in Japan to accompany this game. Rajirugi (also known as Radilgy and Radirgy) is one of the latest arcade shoot-em-ups which is being ported and officially released for the Sega Dreamcast by Milestone, Inc. ... Under Defeat Flyer Under Defeat is a shmup arcade game by G.rev. ...

Handhelds

Game Gear

Main article: Sega Game Gear

In response to Nintendo's Game Boy released in 1989, Sega developed and released their first handheld to the market called Game Gear. Initially released in 1990 in Japan, it was later released to the North American market in 1991 and subsequently to Europe and Australia in 1992. It was the first mainstream handheld system to be released with a color screen, something their main competitor, Nintendo, wouldn't do for its Game Boy line until the Game Boy Color debuted in 1998. It also generated its own light without the need for attachments, which Nintendo did not do until the Game Boy Light came out. Essentially the Game Gear was a portable Master System, although the color palette was larger and thus allowed for better looking graphics. Since the Master System and the Game Gear were both based on a similar Z-80 architecture, a third party released a peripheral called the Gear Master Converter, which allowed the Game Gear to play Master System cartridges. Sega, impressed with the technology, purchased the rights to the adapter and marketed it as the Master Gear Converter. The Sega Game Gear was Segas first portable gaming system. ... Image File history File links Sega_GameGear. ... The original Game Boys design set the standard for handheld gaming consoles. ... Political highlights of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and the fourth ranked in population. ... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... The Game Boy Color came in a myriad of different colors, as did earlier incarnations of the Game Boy. ... The original Game Boys design set the standard for handheld gaming consoles. ... The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor designed and manufactured by Zilog from 1976 onwards. ...

Although technically superior and having better features than Nintendo's Game Boy, the Game Gear was plagued by a short battery life of approximately 3 hours. The required 6 AA batteries made the Game Gear enthusiast a rare one. Overall, the Game Gear was an impressive piece of technology for the time. It was on the market for a good 4 years and had a respectable software library, which included versions of the popular Sonic the Hedgehog series. Sonics character has been redesigned with age through the years. ...

Nomad and Mega Jet

Main articles: Sega Nomad and Sega Mega Jet The Sega Nomad was a handheld game console sold in North America and South America, mainly in Brazil, essentially a mini-Genesis console, based on the Japanese Mega Jet and featuring a built-in color screen. ... The Sega Mega Jet The Sega Mega Jet was a handheld version of the Mega Drive video game console. ...

Similar to the Game Gear the Sega Mega Jet was released exclusively in Japan in 1992 for promotional use only. The handheld system could be rented on Japan Airlines with a choice between four games to play, one being Sonic the Hedgehog. The system had no screen as it connected to an LCD screen that was folded in the armrest. Japan Airlines (Japanese: 日本航空 Nihon Kōkū, or JAL) is the largest airline in Asia. ...

In 1995, Sega attempted to get back into the handheld market and released the Sega Nomad, which was essentially a portable Sega Genesis. It was released in North America only. Out of the box, the Nomad had the ability to play almost every Genesis game. It came equipped with a 3-inch Active Matrix LCD screen that was backlit and allowed for higher resolutions. Other features included six face buttons, an extra controller port and a video adapter, so the system could be played on a TV.

Like the Game Gear before it, the Nomad had a very short playtime of about 3 hours before the batteries died. It was an expensive system compared to the Game Boy and it was not heavily marketed by Sega. In a time of many hardware launches, the Nomad was lost in the shuffle and was soon found in the discount bin. Recently it has garnered a reputation as a collector's item.

Other systems

• Sega CDX - a semi-portable Sega Genesis/Sega Mega-CD/Audio CD player console. Also known as the Sega Multi-Mega in Japan and Europe.
• Sega Neptune - A Sega Mega Drive/32X hybrid. It never passed the prototype stage. Only two empty cases are known to exist.
• Sega Pico - an educational computer.

Sega CDX The Sega CDX was a 16-bit video game console released in 1994, combining the Sega Genesis and one of its add-ons, the Sega CD, into single, compact unit as a final attempt by Sega to encourage consumer interest in its unpopular Sega CD format. ... The Mega Drive/Genesis was a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan (1988), Europe (1990) and most of the rest of the world as the Mega Drive. ... Three versions of Sega CD: The Mega-CD 1 and 2 and the CDX/Multi-Mega. ... CD re-directs here; see Cd for other meanings of CD. Image of a compact disc (pencil included for scale) A compact disc (or CD) is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. ... A rare prototype of the Sega Neptune Sega Neptune was a two-in-one Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis and Sega 32X console which Sega planned to release in 1994 or 1995. ... The SEGA Pico was an electronic toy by SEGA. The aim was to get more young children to use video game systems. ...

Arcade system boards

The Sega Lindbergh was announced in 2005 as Sega's next generation arcade system board

In addition to home consoles and portable handhelds, Sega has been a major proponent of games and hardware in the arcades. Image File history File links Summary Picture of the Lindbergh by Sega Licensing This image is of a board game cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by the publisher of the board game. ... Image File history File links Summary Picture of the Lindbergh by Sega Licensing This image is of a board game cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by the publisher of the board game. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ...

The Sega System 16 is an arcade system board released by Sega in 1985. ... The Sega System 24 was an arcade platform released by Sega in the late 1980s. ... The System 32 was an arcade platform released by Sega in the early 1990s. ... The Sega Model 1 is an arcade system board released by Sega in 1992. ... The Sega Model 2 is an arcade system board released by Sega in 1993. ... The Sega Model 3 is an arcade system board released by Sega in 1996. ... The Sega Titan Video, or ST-V, was an arcade system board released by Sega in 1994. ... The Sega NAOMI (New Arcade Operation Machine Idea) is a development of the Sega Dreamcast technology as a basis for an arcade system board. ... In 2000, Sega debuted the NOAMI 2 arcade system board at JAMMA. NOAMI 2 offered improved graphics performance; by substituting the graphics-assembly of the previous NAOMI board with a new assembly composed of two PowerVR CLX2 GPUs and a VideoLogic Elan chip (for geometry transformation and lighting effects). ... The Sega Chihiro system is an arcade system board based on the architecture of the Microsoft Xbox. ... The Triforce is an arcade system board developed jointly by Nintendo, Namco, and Sega, with the first games appearing in 2002. ... Nintendo (Japanese: 任天堂, ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 ) is an international company originally founded in Japan on November 6, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in a Japanese playing card game of the same name. ... Namco is a company based in Japan, best known for developing video games. ... The Lindbergh as shown at AM Show 2005 The Sega Lindbergh is an arcade system board developed by Sega. ...

Franchises

Sega developed several well-known game franchises over the last fifteen years:

• Panzer Dragoon - 3D linear shooting series (rail shooter) similar to Star Fox in gameplay.
• Phantasy Star series - Role playing games, in single player and MMORPG versions.
• Sega Sports - Football, basketball, hockey, and tennis games (formerly published under the ESPN label)
• Sonic the Hedgehog - 2D and 3D platform games starring Sega's well-known mascot, Sonic.
• Shinobi - Ninja action 2D and 3D platform games.
• Virtua Fighter - One-on-one fighting games, released in arcades and at home. (brand name)
• Shining Force - A Tactical RPG in the Steampunk style. Also has games in the same universe, all with the "Shining" prefix.
• House of the Dead - A 3D light gun shooter with zombies.
• Crazy Taxi - A mission-based driving game.
• Sega Rally - An arcade oriented 3D driving game.
• Alex Kidd - Sega's mascot before Sonic. Popular action games from the 80's & 90's.

Panzer Dragoon is a series of video game by SEGA, created first by its internal Team Andromeda and later, the Smilebit development team. ... A rail shooter or on-rails shooter is a specific form of game play in an action-based video game. ... Star Fox (Japanese: スターフォックス, sutāfokkusu; known as Starwing in Europe, due to copyright issues) was the first game in the Star Fox series of video games. ... Phantasy Star (Japanese: ファンタシースター) is the most famous RPG series by Sega. ... Players interacting in Ultima Online. ... [[== Prima di tutto direi che la Sega e latto della masturbazione, mi sembra dovuto. ... ESPN (once an abbreviation for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... The Sonic the Hedgehog series is a franchise of video games released by Sega (usually developed by their Sonic Team division) and starring their mascot character Sonic the Hedgehog. ... Shinobi is an arcade game by SEGA that was released in 1987. ... Virtua Fighter is a 1993 fighting game developed by the Sega studio AM2, headed by Yu Suzuki. ... Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention, more commonly referred to as Shining Force, is a 1992 turn-based strategy role playing video game for the Sega Genesis console. ... It has been suggested that Thomas Rogan be merged into this article or section. ... Super Scope, Nintendo´s light gun for the Super Nintendo A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games. ... Crazy Taxi was first released in arcades in 1998 and was ported to the Dreamcast in 1999. ... Sega Rally Championship is a 1995 arcade game by Sega. ... Alex Kidd. ...

Internal structure

Internally, the company is made up of various research and development teams created throughout the 1980s, called the "AM" (Amusement Machine) teams. In 2000 Sega decided to turn their AM teams into second-party developers that would focus on software development for the Sega Dreamcast video game console. Due to AM2's popularity they chose to keep their original name. Additionally, after the first Sonic the Hedgehog game was released, Sega AM8 changed its name to Sonic Team and have since maintained this name. In the video game industry, a second-party developer is a developer who, while being a separate entity from any console manufacturer, is tied to a specific one usually through contract or partial ownership and makes games specifically for that console manufacturer. ... Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 (popularly known as Sega AM2 or simply AM2) is a research and development team for the video game company Sega. ... Sonic Team logo Sonic Team is a computer and video game second-party developer established in 1988 as SEGA AM8. ...

Although the teams were separate there was a healthy sense of competition between the various teams which had resulted in some of the most remarkable and innovative gaming events. In 2003 United Game Artists was merged with Sonic Team. It has been suggested that Thomas Rogan be merged into this article or section. ... Die Hard Arcade is a 1 or 2 player game in which the male and/or female characters fight through action-packed levels to save the presidents daughter from a band of terrorists. ... Dynamite Cop (1998) was published by Sega and initially released in arcades using the Sega Model 2 hardware. ... Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 (popularly known as Sega AM2 or simply AM2) is a research and development team for the video game company Sega. ... Virtua Fighter is a 1993 fighting game developed by the Sega studio AM2, headed by Yu Suzuki. ... Virtua Cop is a shooter arcade game created by Sega-AM2, and headed by Yu Suzuki. ... Daytona USA was a racing arcade game released by Sega in 1994. ... Out Run (also spelled OutRun and Outrun) is a 1986 racing game designed by Yu Suzuki and Sega-AM2 for the video arcade market. ... Shenmue (莎木 or シェンムー) (2000) is a story-based Modern Action Adventure/RPG/FREE for the Sega Dreamcast, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki of Sega-AM2. ... Space Harrier is a forward scrolling shooter game, released by Sega in 1985. ... After Burner is 1987 Japanese arcade game by Sega. ... Ferrari F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa is a racing game developed by the AM2 division of Sega. ... Fighting Vipers is a 3D fighting game created by Sega for the arcade and the Sega Saturn. ... Hitmaker (originally AM3) is a former second-party developer for Sega Corporation. ... Crazy Taxi was first released in arcades in 1998 and was ported to the Dreamcast in 1999. ... Originally a game for the arcade, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast/Sega NAOMI, then the PlayStation 2. ... Virtua Tennis is a 2000 tennis video game created by Segas Hitmaker division. ... Amusement Vision Amusement Vision, Ltd. ... Super Monkey Ball is an arcade-style platform game developed by Amusement Vision and distributed by Sega. ... The Virtua Striker video games are soccer games created by the AM4/Amusement Vision group of Sega. ... F-Zero GX is a GameCube video game that is part of the F-Zero series of games. ... F-Zero AX is an arcade racing game and the latest addition of the F-Zero franchise established on the Super Nintendo, released alongside of its Nintendo GameCube counterpart, F-Zero GX, and so far the only arcade title in the series. ... Initial D Arcade Stage is a racing game series developed by Sega Rosso, a division of Sega, based on the anime and manga Initial D. For background story for the game, please refer to article Initial D In Initial D Arcade Stage players race against different oppoents in various mountain... Smilebit is a Japanese computer and video game developer founded in 2000. ... Jet Set Radio (Jet Grind Radio in the United States), is a video game released by Smilebit on 1 November 2000. ... Panzer Dragoon Orta is a video game developed by Smilebit for the Xbox. ... Overworks (previously called AM7), is the Sega video game development group responsible for Skies of Arcadia, the Streets of Rage series, much of the Shinobi series, and Phantasy Star 1, 2, and 4. ... Streets of Rage (known in Japan as Bare Knuckle) was a popular beat em up series developed by Sega. ... Shinobi (忍び) can refer to: A Ninja A character and three titles in a series of videogames known as the Shinobi series. ... Skies of Arcadia is a console role-playing game developed for the Sega Dreamcast by Overworks, a division of Sega. ... Screenshot Phantasy Star on the Master System. ... Sonic Team logo Sonic Team is a computer and video game second-party developer established in 1988 as SEGA AM8. ... Sonics character has been redesigned with age through the years. ... NiGHTS into Dreams. ... Burning Rangers is a video game developed by Sonic Team for the Sega Saturn. ... ChuChu Rocket! is a puzzle game, written by Sonic Team. ... Phantasy Star Online (PSO), released in 2000, was an online title for Sega Dreamcast. ... Puyo Puyo is a 1991 computer puzzle game by Compile. ... Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg is a video game for the Nintendo GameCube that was developed by Sonic Team and published by SEGA on September 23, 2003. ... SEGA AM9 was a computer and video game second-party developer for SEGA. In 2000 AM9 became United Games Artists or (UGA). ... Sega Rally Championship is a 1995 arcade racing game developed by Sega AM3 (later renamed Hitmaker). ... Sega Rally Championship is a 1995 arcade racing game developed by Sega. ... Space Channel 5 is a console game, which was first released in Japan for the Sega Dreamcast on December 16, 1999. ... Rezs Japanese box art. ...

2004 restructure

On July 1, 2004 Sammy merged the AM teams into three groups. The merge did not affect Sega-AM2 or Sonic Team. July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Global Entertainment Software R&D, which is led by Yuji Naka. "GE" currently focuses on developing video games for home consoles. Yuji Naka (中 裕司 Naka Yūji, born September 17, 1965), is a video game designer and head of Sonic Team, a group of Sega programmers/designers. ...

• Dept. #1, headed by Akinori Nishiyama
• Dept. #2, headed by Akira Nishino
• Dept. #3, headed by Yuji Naka
• Mobile Content R&D Dept, headed by Kazunari Tsukamoto
• Sega Studio U.S.A. R&D, headed by Takashi Iizuka
• Sega Studio China R&D, headed by Makoto Uchida

New Entertainment R&D, which is led by each department head. "NE" currently focus' on the development of new content for the arcade and home console markets. Yuji Naka (中 裕司 Naka Yūji, born September 17, 1965), is a video game designer and head of Sonic Team, a group of Sega programmers/designers. ...

• Dept. #1, headed by Toshihiro Nagoshi
• Dept. #2, headed by Yu Suzuki

Amusement Software R&D, which is led by Hiroshi Kataoka. "AM" currently focus' on the development of games for amusement machines. Toshihiro Nagoshi is a video game producer and designer for Sega. ... Yu Suzuki Yu Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木裕 Suzuki Yū, born June 10, 1958) is a prominent producer of arcade and video games. ...

• Dept. #1, headed by Atsushi Seimiya
• Dept. #2, headed by Hiroshi Kataoka
• Dept. #3, headed by Mie Kumagai
• Racing Games R&D Dept., headed by Kenji Arai
• Sports Design R&D Dept., headed by Takayuki Kawagoe
• Family Entertainment, headed by Hiroshi Uemura

People

Yu Suzuki - Previously the head of AM2, and is attributed with being behind numerous arcade classics including Hang-On, Out Run, Space Harrier, After Burner II, and Virtua Fighter, just to name a few. In 1999, his first ever console-specific title, Shenmue, launched in Japan, and was the most expensive game ever produced. In 2003's internal restructure, he formed a new internal studio named Digitalrex, which was reintegrated into Sega before finishing any games. Yu Suzuki Yu Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木裕 Suzuki Yū, born June 10, 1958) is a prominent producer of arcade and video games. ... Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 (popularly known as Sega AM2 or simply AM2) is a research and development team for the video game company Sega. ... In-game screenshot In the arcade game Hang-On, the player controls a motorcycle against time and other computer-controlled bikes. ... Out Run (also spelled OutRun and Outrun) is a 1986 racing game designed by Yu Suzuki and Sega-AM2 for the video arcade market. ... Space Harrier is a forward scrolling shooter game, released by Sega in 1985. ... After Burner II is a arcade-style flight game released by Sega in 1987. ... Virtua Fighter is a 1993 fighting game developed by the Sega studio AM2, headed by Yu Suzuki. ... Shenmue (莎木 or シェンムー) (2000) is a story-based Modern Action Adventure/RPG/FREE for the Sega Dreamcast, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki of Sega-AM2. ...

Yuji Naka - Heads up Sonic Team and is responsible for internal QA procedures. Naka made a name for himself in 1991 as lead programmer of Sonic the Hedgehog, though his previous work includes Phantasy Star, Space Harrier and Fist of The North Star / Hokuto no Ken (released on Sega Mark III in 1986) renamed Last Battle on Master System and rereleased as Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol.11 on Playstation2 in 2004. His titles since include NiGHTS Into Dreams, Phantasy Star Online and Samba de Amigo. In 2004 his team was merged with United Game Artists, giving the team control over Rez and Space Channel 5. Yuji Naka (中 裕司 Naka YÅ«ji, born September 17, 1965), is a video game designer and head of Sonic Team, a group of Sega programmers/designers. ... Sonic Team logo Sonic Team is a computer and video game second-party developer established in 1988 as SEGA AM8. ... Sonics character has been redesigned with age through the years. ... Screenshot Phantasy Star on the Master System. ... Space Harrier is a forward scrolling shooter game, released by Sega in 1985. ... Fist of the North Star (Japanese: 北斗の拳; Hokuto no Ken) was a manga series that was originally serialized between 1983 and 1988 in the weekly Japanese version of Weekly Shonen Jump, created by Tetsuo Hara and Buronson. ... The SG-1000 Mark III The SG-1000 Mark III Joypads The SG-1000 Mark III is an 8-bit video game console made by Sega. ... The Last Battle is the name of the seventh and last novel in C. S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia. ... Sega Master System The Sega Master System (SMS for short) (Japanese: マスターシステム), was an 8-bit cartridge-based gaming console manufactured by Sega. ... The two versions of the PS2 with an Eye Toy camera The PlayStation 2 (PS2) (Japanese: プレイステーション2) is Sonys second video game console, after the PlayStation. ... NiGHTS into Dreams. ... Phantasy Star Online (PSO), released in 2000, was an online title for Sega Dreamcast. ... Samba de Amigo is a video game developed by Sonic Team and released in 2000 by Sega in arcades as well as for the Sega Dreamcast video game console. ... SEGA AM9 was a computer and video game second-party developer for SEGA. In 2000 AM9 became United Games Artists or (UGA). ...

Toshihiro Nagoshi - Headed up Amusement Vision and is head of the Sega Creative Control centre. Mainly famed for arcade titles, his credits include Daytona USA, Spikeout and Super Monkey Ball. In 2003, he served as the producer for the Nintendo and Sega collaborative GameCube effort F-Zero GX alongside Shigeru Miyamoto. He has been a regular columnist for Edge Magazine in the UK. Toshihiro Nagoshi is a video game producer and designer for Sega. ... Amusement Vision Amusement Vision, Ltd. ... Daytona USA was a racing arcade game released by Sega in 1994. ... Super Monkey Ball is an arcade-style platform game developed by Amusement Vision and distributed by Sega. ... Nintendo (Japanese: 任天堂, ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 ) is an international company originally founded in Japan on November 6, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in a Japanese playing card game of the same name. ... The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named Dolphin during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the 128-bit era; the same generation as Segas Dreamcast, Sonys PlayStation 2, and Microsofts Xbox. ... F-Zero GX is a GameCube video game that is part of the F-Zero series of games. ... Shigeru Miyamoto with some of his creations, from left to right - Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Mario, and Yoshi stuffed toys Shigeru Miyamoto (Japanese: 宮本茂, Miyamoto Shigeru, born November 16, 1952) is a Japanese electronic game designer. ... Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. ...

Tetsuya Mizuguchi - Headed United Game Artists and created critically acclaimed games such as Sega Rally Championship, Space Channel 5, and Rez. He first worked with AM3 and during his time there, they released Sega Rally and Manx TT. In 1996, he left AM3 to create AM Annex (which would later be called AM9 and finally United Game Artists). AM9 created Sega Touring Car Championship, Sega Rally 2, Space Channel 5 pt. 1 and 2, and Rez. After the Sega-Sammy merge, he left Sega to head Q Entertainment, which has now released Meteos and Lumines for the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation Portable, respectively. Tetsuya Mizuguchi Tetsuya Mizuguchi (born on 1965 in Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan) is a video game designer and founder of the video game developer firm, Q Entertainment. ... SEGA AM9 was a computer and video game second-party developer for SEGA. In 2000 AM9 became United Games Artists or (UGA). ... Sega Rally Championship is a 1995 arcade racing game developed by Sega AM3 (later renamed Hitmaker). ... Space Channel 5 is a console game, which was first released in Japan for the Sega Dreamcast on December 16, 1999. ... Rezs Japanese box art. ... Q Entertainment (also known simply as Q?) is a video game developer. ... Meteos (メテオス) is an action puzzle video game for the Nintendo DS portable gaming system. ... Lumines is a video game created by legendary game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi. ... The Nintendo DS, (sometimes abbreviated NDS or DS), is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. ... Multiangle shots of a PSP The PlayStation Portable (officially PSP), a handheld game console, is a product of Sony Computer Entertainment. ...

Historic legal case

Sega lost the Sega v. Accolade case, which involved independently produced software for the Sega Genesis console that copied a small amount of Sega's code. The verdict set a precedent that copyrights do not extend to non-expressive content in software that is required by another system to be present in order for that system to run the software. The case in question stems from the nature of the console video game market. Hardware companies often sell their systems at or below cost, and rely on other revenue streams such as in this case, game licensing. Sega was attempting to "lock out" game companies from making Genesis games unless they paid Sega a fee (ostensibly to maintain a consistent level of quality of games for their system.) Their strategy was to make the hardware reject any cartridge that did not include a Sega trademark. If an unlicensed company included this trademark in their game, Sega could sue the company for trademark infringement. Though Sega lost this lawsuit, all later Sega systems seemed to incorporate a similar hardware requirement. The Mega Drive/Genesis was a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan (1988), Europe (1990) and most of the rest of the world as the Mega Drive. ... Copyright symbol. ...

Miscellaneous

• Sega also owns the entertainment fun center, GameWorks, which was founded in 1997.

GameWorks is a chain of entertainment venues featuring a full-service restaurant, a bar serving signature martinis and specialty cocktails, and interactive and state-of-the-art games and attractions. ...

Advertisement campaigns

Sega has had a long history of different slogans and ad campaigns.

• The Arcade Experts. (early 80's)
• Now, there are no limits.
• Welcome To The Next Level.
• Sega does what Nintendon't.
• The "Sega Scream".
• Do me a favour, plug me into a Sega (talking TV).
• To be this good takes AGES, To be this good takes SEGA.
• Segata Sanshiro
• Hot hits today! Hot hits on the way!
• Sega, it's stronger than you! (cult french TV slogan, early 90's)

Segata Sanshiro (せがた三四郎 Segata Sanshirō) was a fictional character and parody of Sugata Sanshirō, a legendary judo fighter. ...

References

• segasammy.co.jp - Sega financial report
• Yahoo! Finance details for Sega Corporation
• Yahoo! Finance details for Sega of America
• Sega's entry into and growth in the American market is documented in Terry Sanders' film The Japan Project: Made in Japan.

Terry Sanders is a two-time Academy Award winner, having produced and/or directed more than 70 dramatic features, televisions specials, documentaries and portrait films. ...

External links

• Sega's official website
• Sega Sammy Holdings official website
• Unofficial history of Sega
• Retrospective of Sega Consoles: part 1, part 2
• Hacking CulT - a site for those, who have always dreamt of programming Sega consoles
• Eidolon's Inn - a site for homebrew developers
• SegaBase - A site dedicated to the history of Sega and its videogame systems (hosted by Eidolon's Inn)
• The History of Sega
• The Arcade Museum (Sega section)
• Segafiles - Unofficial Sega fansite community.