Sega to form alliance with EA?

[Bond]

Sega is reported to be considering an offer from Electronic Arts to form a North American sales alliance.

According to a recent Reuters report, Sega is currently considering an offer from Electronic Arts to form a North American sales alliance. The goal of the alliance would be to improve upon Sega's recent poor performance in the US, which in the case of the company's underperforming sports games has, somewhat ironically, been largely at the hands of EA.

Sega recently ended merger discussions with both Namco and pachinko machine manufacturer Sammy Corp, and, in an attempt to rebuild its credibility, it has appointed senior officer Hisao Oguchi to replace Hideki Sato as president next month. Microsoft is also still rumored to be a potential bidder for Sega, although no official announcements are forthcoming at this time.

"We have been badly beaten in the North American consumer video game market," Oguchi said. "If we can't resolve this on our own, then it's better to join hands with someone."

We'll bring you more information on this story as soon as it becomes available.

Source: Gamespot (http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6028991.html)

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-5/129985/segaea.JPG

[TheGame]

lol, funny pic at the end...

I'd rather see Sega join up with EA than MS, EA and Sega kinda need each-other at this point. EA could use Sega to get more respect from harcore gamers, while Sega could use EA's marketing skills to there advantage wih casual gamers. I think EA should stick to tiburon in fotball games though ;). VC should wor on NBA Live, and maybe some guys from EA could help a HELL of a lot with the presentaion.

[Dyne]

I agree, it's better than MS.

Hell, most likely I'm going to be working for EA after I get my degree. If I do Sega games for a living, I'll be happy. Very happy.

On the downside.. I thought it was doing fine over here. They just need more money to advertise and sell more? Pish. Bring Sato back, Oguchi is going to be the death of Sega. :(

[Stonecutter]

It is NOT better than MS. Not by a long shot. Not unless you want all sega games to have ps2 level graphics and you want sega sports to get thrown out the window.

I like sega the way they are now. MS wouldn't be good, but EA would be very very bad.

[GameKinG]

It IS better than MS cause this way I can still buy their games, and they will actually have good sales.

IMO.

[Stonecutter]

Nothing is stopping you from buying an xbox.

It will be FAR less painful than having every sega game made to the lowest common denomenator. There would be no JSRF, no PDO, no gunvalkyrie if sega were owned by EA. If ms owned them you would still have all three and VF4 would have DOA quality graphics.

[One Winged Angel]

I would actually rather see Sega work for Microsoft than for EA. If Sega went to Microsoft they'd fund Sega quite a bit of money to create great games exclusive for the Xbox. Xbox needs more exclusive games for their system and since EA mostly produces for the PS2, Sega wouldn't get as much support from Sony as they would from Microsoft.

[TheGame]

Originally posted by One Winged Angel
I would actually rather see Sega work for Microsoft than for EA. If Sega went to Microsoft they'd fund Sega quite a bit of money to create great games exclusive for the Xbox. Xbox needs more exclusive games for their system and since EA mostly produces for the PS2, Sega wouldn't get as much support from Sony as they would from Microsoft.

EA is the biggest 3rd party develope in the world, and EA only realy makes bi games in the US. Sega would expand this. And where does support from Sony come into this? EA has more game related money than Sony, so why would Son even ned tosupport them? Sony just has the best selling platform, and as a thord party it's their duty to follow. ;)

Nothing is stopping you from buying an xbox.

It will be FAR less painful than having every sega game made to the lowest common denomenator. There would be no JSRF, no PDO, no gunvalkyrie if sega were owned by EA. If ms owned them you would still have all three and VF4 would have DOA quality graphics.

riiight. Why would EA get rid of JSRF, PDO, or GUNVALKYRIE? EA has released muh worse in the past, they woud just give it a better ad campang.

If Sega were to join M they would waste a lt more money too, like with Rare many games would be canned...thus putting Sega in an even worse financial state. EA would take themin stride.

[One Winged Angel]

Originally posted by TheGame
EA is the biggest 3rd party develope in the world, and EA only realy makes bi games in the US. Sega would expand this. And where does support from Sony come into this? EA has more game related money than Sony, so why would Son even ned tosupport them? Sony just has the best selling platform, and as a thord party it's their duty to follow. ;)





Microsoft would fund more to Sega for making games exclusively for XBox because they need it more. They'd do anything for a deloping company like Sega to make games exclusive. This could also help the Xbox sell in Japan more than it is right now.

[BreakABone]

*Looks at IGN*

Well, 3D0 just had to close their door so maybe Sega should look into buying 3d0 and starting an all new brand.

Seg3d0 or 3Dga..

*Thinks*

Army Men
Army Men meets Sonic
Army Men Hero
Army Men Fighter

[Perfect Stu]

right now, I don't care what happens to Sega.

Rareware hasn't done sh*t since being bought out my Microsoft, though...I really hope they pick it up in the next year...one of the selling points of the XBox for me was the Rare buyout.

[Dyne]

Whoa, who said any money would be involved, let alone buyouts? This is a partnership in which EA would help publish games in North America, like they did with Square years ago, until they cut them off. I have a feeling Sega would help promote their games in Japan. This is nothing else. This is not a buyout. This is not a move based around biased beliefs for particular consoles. Most of you seem to forget EA regularily releases multi-console games, but the success is hindered to the PS2 because of the fanbase. If you look at Sega's success you'll see that it's lopsided in the same sort of way.

This is a good move because they both have beliefs invested in the same area. The only negativity I can think of is the sport franchise struggle. Maybe if Sega Sports was exclusive to Japan and EA sports was to North America? I don't know. If they can work that out peachy-keen, this partnership will prove worthy, and that's that.

[TheGame]

Hmm... I don't think EA would help Sega unless it is a buyout. Why promote Sega if Sega is the only company with a chance in hell of taking EA's #1 spot?

It's either merger or buyout, or EA would let Sega rot just like they did with DC and for Sega's life so far.

[Dyne]

It's sad to say Oguchi might do that. But there's been no official mention of it. They say it's a partnership. EA didn't invest in Square all that much, and Square didn't invest in EA? They are coming over in that sense.