Topic: More Details on Sega Restructuring

[WindyMan]

The Sega saga continues, with studios getting renamed, development staff moving, and no jobs being lost.

A Sega investor relations report has revealed some more information on the Sega development studio restructuring effort set to take place on October 1 of this year.  Here's a list of who will be named and re-named what after the dirty work is done:

• Sonic Team - Sonic Team and United Game Artists
• Hitmaker - Hitmaker and Sega Rosso
• Amusement Vision - Smilebit and Amusmement Vision
• Smilebit - Amusement Vision and Smilebit
• Wow Works - Wow Entertainment and Overworks
• Sega-AM2 - Unchanged
• Cinematic Online Games - Yu Suzuki's New Studio (name tentative)

The report says that about 50 developers are set to be assigned to Suzuki's COG studio, most likely taken from the other six development houses.  In addition, no employees are set to be fired in this reorganization plan, which is good news for the almost 200 developers that will be working under a new development label after the move is completed.

[Plugabugz]

So what has AM2 done that is so profitable for Sega to remain unchanged, that Amusement Vision and Smilebit didn't do and get shuffled around with?

I thought Sega's best money making teams were Sonic Team, AV and Smilebit?
"If it isn't broken, why fix it?" comes to mind..

[Illustrious Chen]

Where companies find any excuse to lay people off, Sega restructures and lays off no one, Sega rocks!

[Grey Ninja]

ermm... didn't Sega just lay off a whole whack of people not too long ago when they went software only?

[Berto2K]

This is better than MS laying off 3% (34) of it's Game Studios employees. Good job SEGA.

[mouse_clicker]

What's with Amusement Vision and Smilebit? Did they just take half the guys from each and switch them? That doesn't make much sense unless they want fresh new minds at each studio.

[Nephilim]

Cinematic Online Games sounds like its gonna be a studio which makes games for xbox, since sonic team seems to be devoted to pso which is multiformat but has that 1year excusive deal with gamecubeor whatever the time restriction is

Plugabugz, AM2 just made F-zero and just made alot of money for sega, by the the money they got from MS for outrun2 rights  

[Plugabugz]

DeadlyD: Amusement Vision made F-Zero.

[Nephilim]

*hits head* o well *whistles*

[Berto2K]

From what I have heard, Cinematic Online Games will be focused on games that have movie licenses, ie Charlies Angels, Harry Potter, etc. Not that SEGA made either of those games, just examples.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

Shesh, you guys make it sound as though Sega is screwing over its dev teams!  I'm sure they didn't mindlessly move people from one studio to another!  I'm sure the developers had a say in how the groups were matched up, and to me the whole thing seems very logical if you look at the games each team has made.

First off, I can guaruntee you Sonic Team's U.S. division, which made Sonic Adventure 2 and is now working on Sonic Heroes, will remain virtually untouched.  Secondly, larger development teams can work on multiple projects at once.  Keep this in mind for the complete mergers!

You're right: keeping AM-2 intact seems a bit strange.  It has always been an oddball Sega team, with its Virtua Fighter and Shenmue...  I suspect a lot of Yu Suzuki's new team comes from AM-2.

[Djunknown]

I think a general consensus (I can only speak for myself) is that Sega one of the best devolopers out there; its just they don't have any business sense. Their track record speaks for itself. Now I'm hoping that this restructuring will be the first of many good moves, but their past is a ghost you can't ignore.

This is the third time I've mentioned this, but hopefully Yu Suzuki will use his studio to complete his epic Shenmue. Why stick him in a studio where he deals with movie conversions?  

[PIAC]

Quote

# Amusement Vision - Smilebit and Amusmement Vision
# Smilebit - Amusement Vision and Smilebit

that makes as much sence as this plank of wood with mold on it

berto2k: where did you hear that? that seems... very very smelly, VERY smelly, ohwell aslong as i get a Skies of Arcadia sequel

[Zelda]

Cinematic Online Games (I really hope they change the name...) will probably be making the next Shenmue.... I couldn't see Yu Suzuki not working on the next Shenmue ...

[Berto2K]

Piac, I think I heard it on the IGN boards. There is no chance in finding the thread to copy and paste or verify that I read it right the way that mess is run. It almost makes sense though, unless they are comparing their games to movies, not making movie games.