Topic: How possible would it be for Nintendo to acquire/emulate old Sega games for Revolution?

[JonLeung]

If I'm remembering correctly, no Sega console has more buttons than the N64.  So there's no issue there.  However the Revolution is able to allow control for NES, Super NES, N64, GameCube, and Revolution games, it probably wouldn't be too hard for the Master System, Genesis, 32X, Sega CD, Saturn, (and maybe even Dreamcast) games.

So the issue would be technical, though I think that's minor (assuming the later Sega consoles didn't have some crazy and unique thing that's too bothersome to emulate) and whatever marketing and property rights there are to get in the way.

Unless Sega's going to come back with hardware of their own one day (which seems unlikely), it seems like Sega should, or bring it up with Nintendo, if they haven't already.  Other than Fantasy Zone or whatever on the NES, Sega hasn't had a game on a Nintendo console until the GameCube, so it's not like they would already be talking about other software.

I've grown up with Nintendo games since the NES, so while the rerelease and official emulation of old games for Nintendo systems is sweet, there's a good chance I've played them several times over before.  Having Sega games as well would allow a former competitor's past to not fade away, and then every gamer around or over the age of 20something would have a nostalgic reason to pick up a Revolution, no matter what they played in the past (assuming they weren't, like, Turbo-GrafX-16 or CD-i or 3D0 fans or something).

Plus, if they don't, there's always the possibility that Sony or Microsoft might steal Nintendo's retro-thunder by getting the rights to the Sega library and having a game download service of their own.  A monopoly on old games would really ensure a Revolution in every nostalgic gamer's home.

[BlackNMild2k1]

This sounds familiar........

[jasonditz]

Assuming Sega plays ball, Genesis and Master System (and probably 32x) would be trivially easy. The CD based systems probably are not worthwhile for a number of reasons:

1. Download system can't be used: With a 512 MB storage space you wouldn't be able to fit most CD games, and even if you could, how many people are going to want to buy stuff that's going to take hours to download?

2. Complex architechtures: The Sega Saturn and Sega CD are both very complicated pieces of hardware which would be incredibly difficult to emulate with any real accuracy. See how long it took Sega to get Sonic CD playable on a modern console? I'm guessing that was not accomplished with a "perfect" Sega CD emulator either. The Dreamcast runs into the additional problem of speed. Since it's an entirely different architecture from the Cube/Rev, I sincerely doubt the Dreamcast could be emulated at full speed, even if an ideal emulator of the Super-H chipset existed.

[KDR_11k]

The Rev is quite fast, the Dreamcast wouldn't be that much of a problem. PCs can emulate it, the Rev should be faster than a modern PC.

MAME might be worth porting but I have a feeling they couldn't get people to release their ROMs for that (though MAME is the most common form of warezed emulation out there...).

[jasonditz]

I've never tried one of those new DC emulators, do they run at (close to) full speed? I find it hard to believe a 1.6 Ghz Pentium can emulate a 300 Mhz Super-H (and the associated ARM chip) at full speed and 100% compatibility.

Even if they do, its really of no value on the revolution unless the disc drive can read GD-ROMs, which I sincerely doubt.  

[Nephilim]

" if they haven't already. Other than Fantasy Zone or whatever on the NES"
Altered Beast owned by sega was also on nes

[nemo_83]

"Instead of improved controllers we will get outrageous harddrives for what? MP3s? Pirating games? Cutting out the middle man and rentals with free demos for download instantly. Downloading old 2d games legally from say Nintendo or Sega?

The industry needs another revolution that can change the way we play not what we play on the machine. I don't need any of the functions of a PC in my gaming machine like dvd playback." - 2003