While this kind of partnership isn't as shocking as one with Nintendo might be, SEGA will be forming a "strategic alliance" with its once-competitor Microsoft. The two companies will be teaming up in order for SEGA to explore creating "large-scale, global games" in the future, utilizing Microsoft's Azure cloud technology. This also includes what SEGA refers to as "Super Game". which is a new initiative all about releasing content that focuses on four main tenents: global, online, community, and IP utilization.

We are very pleased to announce today that we are considering a strategic alliance with Microsoft to help develop SEGA's new “Super Game” initiative as well as build a next-generation game development environment. By considering a strategic partnership with Microsoft, we seek to further advance our game development so that our titles can be enjoyed by fans all over the world; in this regard, we aim to build an alliance that utilizes both SEGA's powerful game development capabilities and Microsoft's cutting-edge technology and development environment.

According to a briefing from SEGA that took place in May 2021, one of these "Super Games" will be a key strategy for them, and is set to be released within the next five years. That same presentation also showed that SEGA believes in expanding older intellectual properties, by making reboots, remakes, and remasters of popular franchises.

SEGA has played such an iconic role in the gaming industry and has been a tremendous partner over the years. We look forward to working together as they explore new ways to create unique gaming experiences for the future using Microsoft cloud technologies. Together we will reimagine how games get built, hosted, and operated, with a goal of adding more value to players and SEGA alike.

Source

 

[Naster]

Two biggest loosers in the industry

 

[pedro702]

Yep, I've checked the info and you're right. I guess @Chary has some explaining to do!

yup, sega even made a deal to port some games to xbox and make sequels like some xbox exclusives like

Sega GT 2002​

shenmue 2
jet set radio future
crazy taxi 3
panzer dragoon orta


and so on so yeah they made a deal to release games on xbox before xbox was even a thing becuase the dreamcast was dead and buried by the time xbox released, so they were partners since day one, altough they offered sonic games to nintendo for some reason so the 2 exclsuive sonic 3d games were never on any console besides gc and dreamcast.

 

[MetoMeto]

Agreed, but I am pretty excited for what this'll bring to gaming.

you mean what will it take, not bring. it will take ownership and offline gaming.

 

[fmhugo]

Future...... (Squidward meme)


You will own nothing, and you will be happy :v

 

[djpannda]

OMG its 1999 again ..Dreamcast... WINDOWS CE..... XBOX.....
we are stuck in a time loop

 

[xdarkx]

Was going to comment on how Sega and Microsoft were competitors makes no sense since Dreamcast was discontinued months (Mar 2001) before the first Xbox was released (Nov 2001), but it looks like someone mentioned that already. I guess I can add to this by saying Sega wasn't doing too well financially speaking during the Dreamcast period.

Also, Microsoft had partnered up with Sega to bring Phantasy Star Online 2 to the western and global market, so I don't think it's surprising they are teaming up again.

 

[kevin corms]

This has to do with development, nothing with cloud gaming or anything like that. This discussion has gone way off the rails. Cloud based dev environments are the norm in software development these days.

 

[Xzi]

From where I'm sitting, the only "benefits" of cloud-based gaming are taking more ownership out of customers' hands, and being used as a form of airtight DRM. Kinda surprising to see this kind of anti-consumer move coming from Sega, not so surprising to see it from Microsoft with the renewed push for Linux gaming, though.

 

[kevin corms]

From where I'm sitting, the only "benefits" of cloud-based gaming are taking more ownership out of customers' hands, and being used as a form of airtight DRM. Kinda surprising to see this kind of anti-consumer move coming from Sega, not so surprising to see it from Microsoft with the renewed push for Linux gaming, though.

Why does everyone keep talking about cloud based gaming when the partnership is about moving to a cloud based dev environment?

 

[Xzi]

Why does everyone keep talking about cloud based gaming when the partnership is about moving to a cloud based dev environment?

That's an optimistic take, but I interpret this quote in particular as meaning the games will be both "hosted and operated" on the cloud:

SEGA has played such an iconic role in the gaming industry and has been a tremendous partner over the years. We look forward to working together as they explore new ways to create unique gaming experiences for the future using Microsoft cloud technologies. Together we will reimagine how games get built, hosted, and operated, with a goal of adding more value to players and SEGA alike.

Basically it seems like Microsoft suddenly isn't happy with how much PC gaming market share Valve/Steam have, but instead of making a launcher-storefront that can actually compete, they're taking the lazy route by switching to cloud gaming under the guise of "adding more value" for players. Feels like EGS exclusivity all over again.

 

[kevin corms]

That's an optimistic take, but I interpret this quote in particular as meaning the games will be both "hosted and operated" on the cloud:

I don’t think they mean play, “operated” as mentioned here is normally a management type role. Like in this job ad https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/Ubisoft2/743999666931612-game-operations-services-manager

 

[Xzi]

I don’t think they mean play, “operated” as mentioned here is normally a management type role.

Maybe, but "hosted on the cloud" isn't all that ambiguous. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if it's one of many options (multi-platform) or if they intend to push for cloud exclusivity (as Stadia did with several titles).

 

[kevin corms]

Maybe, but "hosted on the cloud" isn't all that ambiguous. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if it's one of many options (multi-platform) or if they intend to push for cloud exclusivity (as Stadia did with several titles).

Is their ceo a sales person, or do they actually have a clue? Usually cloud gaming pushes come from sales folks as they love the idea but don’t get how dumb it actually is in practice. A software engineer would understand that when streaming music and/or video the client does the work while the server pushes data. Cloud gaming doesn’t work this way, and when an iPhone can play a game like Fortnite at 60 fps easily I don’t get the point. In 5-10 years even the cheapest android phone will have the power needed to play games at fantastic fidelity. Storing the data online and having the client process it might happen though, we just aren’t there yet.

 

[Xzi]

Is their ceo a sales person, or do they actually have a clue? Usually cloud gaming pushes come from sales folks as they love the idea but don’t get how dumb it actually is in practice. A software engineer would understand that when streaming music and/or video the client does the work while the server pushes data. Cloud gaming doesn’t work this way, and when an iPhone can play a game like Fortnite at 60 fps easily I don’t get the point. In 5-10 years even the cheapest android phone will have the power needed to play games at fantastic fidelity. Storing the data online and having the client process it might happen though, we just aren’t there yet.

Yeah the two biggest hurdles are still internet infrastructure and pricing. Infrastructure is the bigger problem in countries like the US, so unless Microsoft and Sega are gonna personally install thousands of miles of new fiber optic cables, cloud gaming will always remain suboptimal here. And even in smaller, wealthy European countries where internet is universally fast, customers are going to want cheaper pricing for cloud games given that they provide less value (no single-player, no modding, etc). That of course won't be the case, as Microsoft/Sega will undoubtedly charge the exact same for brand new, cloud-exclusive games ($60 - $70).

 

[Deleted member 546149]

Only the collective compute power of hundreds of servers can handle the rumored Sonic open-world game.


Back when the Dreamcast was a thing.

Microsoft help build the Dreamcast's software

 

[Deleted member 546149]

Good, cloud gaming is the future

Why does everyone hate cloud gaming so much?

 

[osaka35]

Why does everyone keep talking about cloud based gaming when the partnership is about moving to a cloud based dev environment?

probably also the fact that this made the news. This sort of thing happens all the time, why put out a press release (i'm assuming)? And it is slightly vague on the particulars. It kind of sounds like this is the beginning of a relationship. Starting with the dev environment, and opening up to the potential for far more. So folks are gonna talk about that since it's what affects gamers, rather than the dev environment which really won't (not directly).

My guess anyway. dev environment doesn't affect me. It's neat, but I am wary as we all know the industry is trying its hardest to force this shift. so let's talk about that, it's the more interesting topic.

 

[DarkCoffe64]

Anyway, if Sega were to be bought up I'd rather it be Nintendo since they're so much better at milking their IPs for all they're worth, and that's something that Sega really, really sucks at right now (aside from Sonic, obviously).

If craptendo were to buy Sega, we would've never had something like Sonic Mania. And kiss goodbye to all the fan projects people make all the time of it.

Why does everyone hate cloud gaming so much?

Many things, primarely being that it would kill off your internet usage/astronomical bills (something like that), gameplay lag (even with godlike connection I bet it wouldn't compare to actually playing from a disc or download or what), and game ownership, you'd basically pay to rent games instead of owning them, so, if whoever one day decided to remove the game you "bought" for any reason, you're fucked. And if there's no real way to save/pirate the files somehow, once it's gone, it'll be prolly forever, preservation be damned.

 

[kevin corms]

Why does everyone hate cloud gaming so much?

Because it’s not a good experience and it makes little sense. I won’t bother getting into why it isn’t any good or why it doesn’t make sense.

 

[Deleted member 546149]

If craptendo were to buy Sega, we would've never had something like Sonic Mania. And kiss goodbye to all the fan projects people make all the time of it.


Many things, primarely being that it would kill off your internet usage/astronomical bills (something like that), gameplay lag (even with godlike connection I bet it wouldn't compare to actually playing from a disc or download or what), and game ownership, you'd basically pay to rent games instead of owning them, so, if whoever one day decided to remove the game you "bought" for any reason, you're fucked. And if there's no real way to save/pirate the files somehow, once it's gone, it'll be prolly forever, preservation be damned.

Why would the internet companies cost more?
They already limit your speed and throttle you when using too much data
They did it to me
VPN fixes that issue