http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7663
Its kinda sad SEGA fired a good man like Stoler. Sure there was crap during the Saturn years, but he obviously made-up for it early in the DC years.
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Bernie Stolar is back.....
- Thread starter Andrew2
- Start date
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7663
Its kinda sad SEGA fired a good man like Stoler. Sure there was crap during the Saturn years, but he obviously made-up for it early in the DC years.
FortNinety
Member
God bless Bernie Stolar. That's all I have to say.
Red Scarlet
Member
BERNIE!!!!!!!!!!
I thought Kalinske retired after being literally driven away by SEGA Japan's management? Man was that a mistake on their part... Kalinske's one of the unsung visionaries in this industry. Without the progressive work he did on Genesis, SEGA would've been a footnote in consumer markets, Sony wouldn't have had any western gameplan and we'd likely still be gaming under a monolopolistic Nintendo Empire.
Did Sega hire him on RIGHT after Sony fired him? I didn't think he was responsible for any of the saturn stuff.. I thought he was mainly with the Dreamcast.... where he proceeeded to kick ass in America before Peter Moore was brought in, tanked the system, then defected to MS...
I really just can't let go of killing Saturn. Sure, it might've been the "right" move but the timing was way too early and SEGA went over year without any product on shelves. Alienating Capcom USA and Working Designs didn't help matters either.Shinobi said:
Kalinske was a genius though. Like I said before, without him we'd still be gaming under a one console empire.
I always thought the murder of the Saturn was overplayed...it's kinda hard to kill a corpse. I know that "Saturn isn't our future" comment irked a lot of people, but frankly I found it refreshingly honest. I guess some people prefer to hear bullshit, heh.
Agreed 100% about Kalinske though...he never gets the credit he deserves.
Agreed 100% about Kalinske though...he never gets the credit he deserves.
True, but we could've had a better transition. Limiting all 1998 releases to 30,000 units, killing some planned releases and generally driving away 3rd party and retailer support wasn't really the best plan I think. Yes, things should've been shifted to Dreamcast, but going a year with no product wasn't exactly SEGA's smartest move.Shinobi said:
I think a better plan wouldn't been to position Saturn as an enthusiast platform, for sale only in specialty game shops or willing retailers (like Best Buy). Then working with 3rd parties to release enthusiast driven content (like X-Men Vs Street Fighter, Grandia, WipEout XL, Dead or Alive, Lunar 1-2, Castlevania, Silhouette Mirage, Radiant Silvergun, etc) and actually reprinting software when demand warrants it (Panzer Saga, Shining Force III, etc). There was actually money to be made on Saturn had SEGA gone about it right. The problem was they wanted a Genesis style mainstream beast rather than a NeoGeo like enthusiast niche, and since Saturn could only conceivably deliver the latter by that point it was put down basically months after Bernie took power. But both can certainly be profitable.... Saturn was just handled badly from start to finish.
Totally. I drives me nuts that people continually credit SCEA with what he really pioneered.Shinobi said:
madara said:
Kalinske joined (and is now CEO of) LeapFrog, a fast-growing company that specializes in innovative (and often educational) electronic toys. Recently saw this Wired article on their latest brainchild, the FLY Pentop computer. It's fair to say he's doing rather well, then.
jarrod said:
Yeah, I do agree the transition could've been done better...maybe keep the Saturn releases limited to EB and a handful of other chains who were willing to carry them (EB was selling import Saturn games for a while), and sell it like the Neo. Capcom would've still been releasing games for it all the way into DC's launch had that taken place.
Warm Machine
Member
Bernie did the right thing. It did hurt back then but it was all to keep focus on a single platform and a single launch in North America.
Stolar had to work with publishers and retailers to rebuild confidence in the Sega brand and he did a damn good job of it.
Stolar had to work with publishers and retailers to rebuild confidence in the Sega brand and he did a damn good job of it.
SuperPac
Member
borghe said:
I think you've got things a bit turned around. A lot of the promises Stolar made for the Dreamcast didn't happen (alien planet MMO, among other things) and he didn't get Electronic Arts back on to support the DC, which certainly had more to do with the machine's downfall than anything else. Moore came onto a sinking ship and frankly did a lot to try and turn things around but by that time it was too late. Having interviewed both in my previous life as a games journalist it was clear to me that if you were a game company you would want Moore in charge and not Stolar.
Warm Machine
Member
The EA thing is understandable though. As I understand itm EA wanted the same per unit deal that they got with the Genesis when Sega moved to Saturn. Sega refused and EA got pissy but accepted. When DC came around they played hardball again asking for the same rate and Sega refused again so EA walked. Sega was arrogant as they had their own sports and EA was being a whiney billion dollar baby all the while sucking up to Sony.
GotchaForce
Member
"Bernie Stolar dropped the ball with the ram-cartridge, X-Men vs Street Fighter could've expanded the market!"
Stinkles said:
That could be said for a lot of people.
Here's the bottom line...Genesis was a roaring success in the US. In Japan it was an afterthought. Kalinske might get all or just some of that credit, but he clearly deserves some.
As far as lack of EA support went, that was again a SOJ thing...they set the license price, not SOA.
Jonnyboy117
Member
The kind with little chunks of kalamata olives is so good.
choplifter
Banned
good man - sorry to see him not at SEGA
HyperZone<3
Member
Coming off a wildly successful stint at BAM! Entertainment, where he left that company at its most successful period EVER!
right?
(crikits chirping)
right?
(crikits chirping)