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Sega is considering launching its own Netflix-like subscription service for video games, a move which would accelerate gaming's transition towards streaming.

There are already a number of similar services on the market - such as Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus - which see gamers pay a monthly fee for access to a range of titles rather than owning them outright.

Sega's president Shuji Utsumi told the BBC such subscription products were "very interesting", and his firm was "evaluating some opportunities".

"We're thinking something - and discussing something - we cannot disclose right now," he said.

Some in the industry have expressed concern about the move however telling the BBC it could see gamers "shelling out more money" on multiple subscription services.

It is not just Sony and Microsoft who offer game subscriptions - there are now countless players in the space, with rivals such as Nintendo, EA and Ubisoft all offering their own membership plans.

Currently, various Sega games are available across multiple streaming services.

The amount these services individually charge vary depending on the features and games made available. For example, Xbox Game Pass prices range from £6.99 to £14.99 a month, while PlayStation Plus ranges from £6.99 to £13.49 a month.

So it would make financial sense for Sega for people who are playing its titles to pay it subscription fees rather its rivals.

It could also be attractive for people who mostly want to play Sega games - but for everyone else it could result in higher costs.

Rachel Howie streams herself playing games on Twitch, where she is known as DontRachQuit to her fans, and said she was "excited and worried" about another subscription service

"We have so many subscriptions already that we find it very difficult to justify signing up for a new one," she told the BBC.

"I think that SEGA will definitely have a core dedicated audience that will benefit from this, but will the average gamer choose this over something like Game Pass?"

And Sophie Smart, Production Director at UK developer No More Robots, agreed.

"As someone whose first console was the Sega Mega Drive, what I'd love more than anything is to see Sega thriving and this feels like a step in a modern direction," she said.

But she wondered if Sega did create a rival subscription service if this would lead to their games being removed from other services.

"If so, it could mean that consumers are shelling out more money across owning multiple subscription services," she said.

More at the link.

Sega considering Netflix-like game subscription service

It's another sign the industry is moving away from owning games - some fear that means gamers having to "shell out more."

www.bbc.com

 

[IDKFA]

Yes. That's what the world needs. More subscription services. I can only see this being a resounding success

 

[xrnzaaas]

SEGA is looking for a new way to lose money after the Hyenas fiasco. They are not releasing enough new games to make this a viable option. Meanwhile their older titles are either cheap to buy or available through emulation.

 

[Panajev2001a]

This is another problem for GamePass, unless they buy the entire industry out every decent to big publisher will think about starting their exclusive service and removing their games from the competition leading to a huge inflation of streaming services subscriptions. All thinking that it is ok as “they are The Netflix”.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

Sonic+ lol

Good luck, especially since even the outliners like GP barely earn any money and Netflix Gaming is flopping live.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Kind of funny, considering Sega had a cable subscription service generations ago.

 

[SpiceRacz]

The problem is, this will just be an extension of what’s already available on Steam and Consoles. It won’t include a broader selection of Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast stuff than what is currently available. I guarantee Sega will not do the work to make more of their older catalogue available for this service.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Yes, they're planning to launch this brand new service 30 YEARS AGO.

We remember Sega Channel. You ain't slick.

 

[RayBoy]

Bad idea

 

[Team Andromeda]

Yes, they're planning to launch this brand new service 30 YEARS AGO.

We remember Sega Channel. You ain't slick.

And clever people like forget SEGAs subscription service for PC Engine and Mega Drive games on the Dreamcast in Japan (do a Google)

This a good move by SEGA. Count me in

 

[Esppiral]

They are going back to its roots

 

[Dick Jones]

I'd subscribe for a while if it had Saturn and Dreamcast games to play. Dark Savior would be my #1.

 

[EDMIX]

SEGA channel 2

 

[KungFucius]

I can't see this working. Nintendo is the only other one that could pull off a service and really should. And by that I mean do it at a high price point for parents who can afford it and offer them day 1 game discounts instead of day 1 games on the service.

Sega on the other hand, I don't think so unless they can find a way to make the sub for a month or 2 model work. They are in the same league as EA Play and Ubisoft+. Nobody is going to sub for years for their content alone.

 

[T-0800]

I recently downgraded my PS Plus subscription to the lowest tier. I'd rather buy my games then rent them.

 

[Mayar]

I have no idea why all companies think that subscription services are good and what people need, well, how many subscriptions can a person afford per month, 3-4, without taking into account other monthly fees? And how many services are there already? In my opinion, the subscription market is so overcrowded that either they will start killing or absorbing each other, or some will simply die because people physically cannot pay for as many subscriptions as there are now.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

Please let that not be the reason they announced so many revivals of classic IP.... cannon fodder for the streaming service...

 

[cireza]

No thanks.

 

[Shubh_C63]

Somebody should give me the history lesson.
What is up with Microsoft and Sega. Were they ex roommates or something. Both got the hots for each other.

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

 

[Astray]

The problem is, this will just be an extension of what’s already available on Steam and Consoles. It won’t include a broader selection of Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast stuff than what is currently available. I guarantee Sega will not do the work to make more of their older catalogue available for this service.

I'd wager that they're going to be doing ports of stuff like Skies of Arcadia etc (trying to manifest this one into existence).

Please let that not be the reason they announced so many revivals of classic IP.... cannon fodder for the streaming service...

Probably yes.

Somebody should give me the history lesson.
What is up with Microsoft and Sega. Were they ex roommates or something. Both got the hots for each other.

Microsoft was partnered up on the development of the Dreamcast, then later on, Sega was one of the 1st big partners for Xbox after the Dreamcast was discontinued, and then XB360 era was led by Peter Moore, who was the ex-Sega of America CEO iirc.

It's a long history of collaboration between the two companies.

 

[nkarafo]

Not enough failures yet Sega?

 

[Impotaku]

So what the fuck are sega going to be filling this subscription service with? they are hardly pumping out huge volumes of games

 

[Holammer]

That explains why they delisted a bunch of classic game collections. Will they pull Sega games from Antstream too?

 

[Badlucktroll]

 

[Kokoloko85]

Well if you put all/most your 1st party Megadrive, Saturn and Dreamcast game on there, Ill b there.
Not interested for new games, ill buy the ones I want.


Knowing Sega, they will announce and launch it with the usual Gensis/Megadrive collection. Promise it will lead to saturn and Dreamcast games.
Cancel it in 6 months. Rinse and Repeat in 4 -5 years. Not the first time they done this

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

They pulled the Genesis Collection from online stores, so I can believe this.

 

[John Bilbo]

They pulled the Genesis Collection from online stores, so I can believe this.

Also the Dreamcast collection. I forgot to buy Crazy Taxi!

 

[darrylgorn]

If you fail once, fail twice.

 

[Labadal]

Like they say in the Dragon's Den: Well, I'm out.

 

[Elios83]

I don't think they have the games to sustain such service.
They would only kill their full priced sales on the few big titles they have.

 

[apple_of_enlightenment]

Sega has enough IP and back catalog to make it work.

But there'd have to be a download feature/option too a la Steam covering PC, Mac and mobile.

 

[Drew1440]

If this contains their Dreamcast and Saturn Library, and possibly their arcade Model 2/3 games then I'm interested. Otherwise no one cares for another set of MegaDrive rereleases.

 

[cyberheater]

You will rent everything and own nothing.

 

[Beechos]

Sega games are dirt cheap when they go one sale. Don't think this is necessary.

 

[ChoosableOne]

Just when everything seemed to be going great for Sega, they’re trying to go with a strategy that has been proven to fail many times. I guess no one wants to sell games anymore. What can I say? Good luck.

 

[ShirAhava]

Basically the entire industry (and even beyond that) is moving in this direction or making plans to either openly or privately regardless of traditional games/system sales and whatever level of success they may or may not have. Like it or not. "You will own nothing and be happy" The amount of gamers who are in complete denial about which way the wind is blowing is actually shocking to me. The industry is walking like duck, talking like a duck and gamers are still going "its a cat" do I like it? not at all but I see it for what it is. Everything is going to be on everything in everyway in ten years.

Also kinda random but its the 30 year anniversary of Sega Channel!!!

Sega Channel/Xband was sicccckk in the 90s and was my first time using a message board type system ever

 

[16bitwarzvet]

well...if the price was right...AND they included games that have not been available for years ALA Saturn/Dreamcast/Arcade games then maybe. But that's a big maybe. And this is Sega so you know they are going to screw it up. How there isn't someone there who has some kind of pulse on the gaming community and doesn't see that they would print money if they offered games other than just Sonic! Don't get me wrong. I grew up with Sonic. But good grief!! Give me Shining Force! Give me Beyond Oasis! Give me Sega Rally Championship!

 

[DryvBy]

you will own nothing, continue to pay us, and have some people say it's the best deal in gaming.

 

[Sorcerer]

Would it be all inclusive? Atlus, Creative Assembly games as well?
Don't see how it will work unless they want to cut ties with the console makers and PC game distributors.

Let's see
They have Sonic (kids covered)
Yakuzza
Persona/Shin Megami (If this is structured like Gamespass, they will let you play the initial games with the service and then nickel and dime you with DLC. LOL!!!

3 big ones not too bad but they would have to pump them out fairly frequently, if they had just 2 more big ip's (one of them being a huge Sports franchise, not sure if Sport Sims, like Football and Soccer fit the bill) then this might work, as is, it doesn't seem enough.

The Sega console back catalog is not enough in itself to get enough people over excited for the service. As much as I love Sega, that is the harsh reality.

 

[Geometric-Crusher]

ps5 - PlayStation Plus

xbox- xbox Game Pass

NextGenesis - Sega subscription service

 

[Clear]

/facepalm x 1000

 

[onQ123]

No matter how much ground work Sony , Microsoft , Google ,etc do for streaming in the end publishers will snatch up the games

Just like what is going on with the PC store fronts right now after Valve did all the ground work with Steam & kept PC gaming alive for the last few years now that there is other players in the field publishers are just snatching games & placing them wherever they want to & the something will...

www.neogaf.com

 

[TheAtomicPile]

Everything is an xbox Genesis.

Interesting to see gaming jump deeper into the subscription trend, just as the movie industry is starting to realize it isn't worth it with Comcast, Disney, and Paramount all losing billions last year alone.

 

[Geometric-Crusher]

The Sega console back catalog is not enough in itself to get enough people over excited for the service. As much as I love Sega, that is the harsh reality.

Just remember that games were present on the Xbox GP in 2016.
I help you, there were 100 old games, which included flopped Xbox One games and Xbox 360 games.

So consider Sega's service as follows

All the games that Sega released on the PS4 and PS3 added to classic games from the old Sega consoles. Simple as that.
Sega doesn't want to compete with Gamepasss, Sega wants to make a profit using old games.

 

[Horseganador]

If they want Yakuza, Sonic, etc... to sell even less, it is going in the right direction. It is incredible how much talent Sega has always had in creating games and how poorly it is managed.

 

[LordCBH]

No thanks. I’m sick and fucking tired of subscriptions.

 

[MikeM]

 

[Nelly_Nel_7.1.3]

SEGA channel 2

I remember wanting the Sega channel as a kid me and my younger siblings begging my mom for it, and she saying no. We already had cable and she did not want the cable bill being super high. Asking my dad for anything that was gaming related was non existent.

 

[FoxMcChief]

SEGA channel 2

We are showing our age with this knowledge.