RetroVision – The Future of SEGA Teased In New Trailer
Just what does the future hold for one of the most iconic companies in all of gaming, and a favourite of days gone by? It’s a question that gamers have long been asking, especially since SEGA backed out of the console market following the Dreamcast. A decision which saw them alter their focus onto publishing popular IPs such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Yakuza, and Football Manager as a third party publisher, a state they have held onto now for over a decade and a half.
However, could SEGA be preparing to reverse that decision and sensationally re-enter the console market? Well a very cryptic video entitled “The Future of SEGA”, which appeared for the first time translated into English earlier today, may just suggest that this could be a possibility. Not sure what I’m going on about? Well check on the video below.
Now of course, this video could point to any number of things. SEGA of course could just simply be suggesting a new company direction from the one they announced just under five years ago, reversing a decision that was to focus on key IPs only. Alternatively, it could even suggest a new platform, a range of new titles, or even some kind of connection to the newly announced SEGA Forever.
However, this trailer suggests something much grander than just a new direction for the company, something supported by not only the cryptic nature of the trailer, but by the use of Yakuza director and known maverick Toshihiro Nagoshi as the narrator. There’s also the over the top soundbites too, such as:
Experience the unprecedented
We at SEGA created our new identity by observing the reactions of our users
Unprecedented experiences again and again
Quite simply, you don’t put this level of effort, secrecy, and hype, just to announce something small. Or rather you shouldn’t. This trailer will no doubt have got retro gaming fans all around the world gooey eyed for a brand new SEGA console, something many have wanted ever since they discontinued the Dreamcast in 2001, a console way ahead of its time. What’s more, the use of a Japanese dubbed approach, alongside multiple imagery from SEGA’s past, does tend to lead a gamer’s mind to feel all nostalgic for the days when SEGA was force to be reckoned with.
However, before you going getting all excited for a mainstream console, dare even a retro console, there is something else that could be at work here. Namely VR/AR/MR technology. Yes, it’s worth considering that SEGA could well be looking to be ahead of the curve once again by working on a VR headset, or even an all in one VR console.
Support for this, whilst still conjecture, is heavy given the constant mention of the eyes, combined with continued use of phrases pointing to being able to “experience something you’ve never experienced before”. VR would also make sense from a company viewpoint if SEGA wants to redefine itself. As SEGA entering the VR/AR/MR world, bringing all of SEGA’s, and now also Atlus’ IPs with it, would certainly give it an edge that few can currently boast.
All in all it certainly does look like some interesting times lay ahead for a company that took Nintendo to its absolute limits during the Console Wars of the late 80s and early 90s. However, no matter how cryptic this Future of SEGA trailer is, we do know that much of SEGA’s future lies in their past, as SEGA recently put retro front and centre when they announced their just as cryptically teased SEGA Forever project. An announcement you can read all about over here.
In fact, given the nature and the content of the SEGA Forever project, would it be too much to hope that SEGA Forever is a key part to whatever this trailer is teasing? We can live in hope. For now though, it seems like the future of SEGA may lie in both the past and the future.
What do you think? Excited for what the future potentially holds for SEGA? Would you like a new console? Let us know in the comments below.