Sega of Japan's development studio structure

K

Kumiko Nikaido

Vindication...sweet.
The March issue of Play Magazine is out, and the scores were already posted. This issue has an expose on Sega and some of their forthcoming games (Tenchu: Fatal Shadows, Phantasy Star Online Episode IV: Blue Burst, Shining Force NEO, and Shining Tears), and an interview with Scott Steinberg, Sega's VP of Entertainment Marketing. There's also a section on Sega's development studios structure in Japan. Check it out if you don't have this issue.

As you know, Sega absorbed all of their independent studios back internally. Here's how they're organized:

Three divisions:

1. GE = Global Entertainment

* Focus: Develop games for consoles.

2. NE = New Entertainment

* Focus = Develop new content for the arcade and home console markets.

3. AM = Amusement

* Focus = Develop games for amusement machines.

(All following studios led by Hisao Oguchi & Yukio Sugino)

Global Entertainment Software R&D (Led by Yuji Naka)

Dept. #1 (Headed by Akinori Nishiyama [Sonic Advance]): Working on TBA projects.

Dept. #2 (Headed by Akira Nishino [Sakura Taisen]): Working on Sakura Taisen V for PS2.

Dept. #3 (Headed by Yuji Naka [Sonic: The Hedgehog]): Working on Phantasy Star Universe (platform/s TBA).

Mobile Content R&D Dept. (Headed by Kazunari Tsukamoto [Blood Will Tell: Tezuka Osamu's Dororo]): Working on new mobile titles and technology.

Sega Studio U.S.A. R&D (Headed by Takashi Iizuka [NiGHTS: Into Dreams, Sonic Heroes]): Working on TBA projects.

Sega Studio China R&D (Headed by Makoto Uchida [Project: Altered Beast]): Working on TBA projects.

New Entertainment R&D (Led by each dept. head)

Dept. #1 (Headed by Toshihiro Nagoshi [Daytona U.S.A.]): Working on SpikeOut: Battle Street for Xbox.

Dept. #2 (Headed by Yu Suzuki [Virtua Fighter, Shenmue]): Working on Shenmue Online for Japan/Asia.

Amusement Software R&D (Led by Hiroshi Kataoka)

Dept. #1 (Headed by Atsushi Seimiya [Shinobi]): Working on new arcade titles and technology.

Dept. #2 (Headed by Hiroshi Kataoka [Fighters Megamix]): Working on new arcade titles and technology.

Dept. #3 (Headed by Mie Kumagai [Virtua Tennis]): Working on new arcade titles and technology.

Racing Games R&D Dept. (Headed by Kenji Arai [Initial D: Arcade Stage]): Working on Sega Rally 2005 for PS2.

Sports Design R&D Dept. (Headed by Takayuki Kawagoe [Panzer Dragoon]): Working on baseball titles for Japan.

Family Entertainment (Headed by Hiroshi Uemura [Beetle Mushi King]): Working on kids arcade titles and technology.

* Courtesy/credit to Play Magazine for the info.
 
jesus. i'm not even going to try to assimilate this latest reorganization. i'd just like to know where the former overworks team who did shinobi and nightshade are, and where the non-sports section of smilebit is (still under nagoshi, i'd guess). cos those teams rock.
 
wait a sec, is this reorganization in addition to the recent one?
If so.. its no one wonder sega gets nothing done.

Its like shuffeling around a set of bricks, while never actually building anything with them
 
Man...I'd better keep seeing that AM2 palmtree logo in the future. Heh, these teams have been reorganized so many times it's almost ridiculous. I personally liked the way they were setup during the Saturn days, where they were arguably at their strongest (Andromeda, Sonic Team, AM1-3, Annex, CS), but as long as they're able to reignite themselves for the next generation (as I believe they will), I'm not particularly concerned.
 
Good post!
Even in official SSH bumph this has never been fully outlined.
Nice one.
:)
 
Kumiko Nikaido said:
Sports Design R&D Dept. (Headed by Takayuki Kawagoe [Panzer Dragoon]): Working on baseball titles for Japan.
Click to expand...

crybaby.png
 
I noticed something interested about this structure;AM development and consumer development finally have a equal share of SEGA's capability. To get what I mean,SEGA used to be primarily AM development even up to the time they was spun-off in independent(yet wholly owned) units. Not just that,but New Entertainment R&D intergrates AM and consumer development,so I assume this unit decides which arcade games get converted to a console.
 
That virtual pachislot/pachinko tour was like Shenmue, complete with the voice acting and everything.
 
Holy crap. Looking at this it seems likely...

GE= Sonic Team (and former UGA) + Sega Wow

NE = Amusement Vision (and former nonsports Smilebit teams) + Digital Rex

AM = Sega AM2 + Hitmaker (and former Sega Rosso) + Smilebit (and former AV sports team)

...with Wavemaster remaining independent. Naka's certainly weilding a lot of pull these days though. I'm a little surprised to see Suzuki not really going anywhere in comparison, I wonder if he might follow Miz and leave Sega entirely soon?
 
jarrod said:
...with Wavemaster remaining independent. Naka's certainly weilding a lot of pull these days though. I'm a little surprised to see Suzuki not really going anywhere in comparison, I wonder if he might follow Miz and leave Sega entirely soon?
Click to expand...

He's not being put into Naka's team anytime soon is he? :)
 
SolidSnakex said:
He's not being put into Naka's team anytime soon is he? :)
Click to expand...
Well, that'd be enough to make any studio head quit I imagine. :)

Still, Suzuki's been sort of falling down the food chain at Sega it seems. The NE division seems more like an arbitary division to allow Suzuki and Nagoshi to do whatever they want though, so maybe Sammy's placating Suzuki without giving him any real authority. I just wonder where he'd be today if Shenmue had never happened?
 
jarrod said:
Naka's certainly weilding a lot of pull these days though. I'm a little surprised to see Suzuki not really going anywhere in comparison, I wonder if he might follow Miz and leave Sega entirely soon?
Click to expand...

It kinda makes sense that Naka would head the console department. There are only 2 depts. in New Entertainment so it also makes sense to me that Nagoshi head one team and Suzuki the other. I wonder what the budget for Shenmue online is.
 
jarrod said:
The NE division seems more like an arbitary division to allow Suzuki and Nagoshi to do whatever they want though, so maybe Sammy's placating Suzuki without giving him any real authority.
Click to expand...

He's been at Sega for so long he probably gets anything he wants. I can't believe they're letting him make another Shenmue game though (online or not). What happens when that game flops?
 
Rlan said:
Is "Sega Studio U.S.A. R&D" Sonic Team USA?
Click to expand...
No

Global Entertainment Software R&D (Led by Yuji Naka)
...
Dept. #3 (Headed by Yuji Naka [Sonic: The Hedgehog]): Working on Phantasy Star Universe (platform/s TBA).


GE Dept #3 is the closest thing to Sonic team. Though with Naka heading up all of GE maybe it's better to think of GE as the new Sonic team.
 
B E N K E said:
This would be even more interesting if we knew how big each department was and how many projects each is doing.
Click to expand...

That's true. But it's pretty informative as a broad overview of the structure at the moment. Although even on this list it doesn't look like the arcade/home distinction of teams is all that clearcut already, with the Sega Rally PS2 team in with the arcade group, which makes me think it'll be more a case of majority of focus rather than an either/or situation.

And the NE group does seem to be a way to let Suzuki and Nagoshi retain their positions as studio heads within the structure.
 
Azih said:
No

Global Entertainment Software R&D (Led by Yuji Naka)
...
Dept. #3 (Headed by Yuji Naka [Sonic: The Hedgehog]): Working on Phantasy Star Universe (platform/s TBA).


GE Dept #3 is the closest thing to Sonic team. Though with Naka heading up all of GE maybe it's better to think of GE as the new Sonic team.
Click to expand...
Actually, I wouldn't doubt that division being what's left of Sonic Team USA. Also, the Chinese division is likely what's left of Wow Shanghai.
 
Sega and Sammy aren't merging R&D operations like Square Enix did afaik. Sammy's US publishing division has been axed (as it was redundant) but their games development team (Sammy Studios) is still intact and are the JP R&D teams.
 
jarrod said:
Sega and Sammy aren't merging R&D operations like Square Enix did afaik. Sammy's US publishing division has been axed (as it was redundant) but their games development team (Sammy Studios) is still intact and are the JP R&D teams.
Click to expand...

Could be the rumor that surfaced few weeks ago about T2 buying Sega actually that Sammy Studios USA is going to T2?

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/585/585165p1.html
http://forums.gaming-age.com/showthread.php?t=34565&highlight=Sega+Sammy
 
Amused_To_Death said:
Could be the rumor that surfaced few weeks ago about T2 buying Sega actually that Sammy Studios USA is going to T2?

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/585/585165p1.html
http://forums.gaming-age.com/showthread.php?t=34565&highlight=Sega+Sammy
Click to expand...
No, that rumor was pure speculation based off Sammy cutting redundant staff. They killed their US publishing division because they have Sega now, it's that simple. The only part they're selling to T2 is Visual Concepts/Kush Games.
 
jarrod said:
No, that rumor was pure speculation based off Sammy cutting redundant staff. They killed their US publishing division because they have Sega now, it's that simple. The only part they're selling to T2 is Visual Concepts/Kush Games.
Click to expand...

SEGA SAMMY looks like it's turning into a pure development (R&D) house, who's going to publish their titles?
 
Sega Sammy publishes their own titles worldwide through SEGA's publishing infrastructure as they're resuming independent publishing operation in most markets and territories.
 
Lazy8s said:
Sega Sammy publishes their own titles worldwide through SEGA's publishing infrastructure as they're resuming independent publishing operation in most markets and territories.
Click to expand...

Amused To Death,

In non-PR speak, the answer is Sega.
 
Where's Sammy Studios in this new organization, am I missing something?
Click to expand...

"Sammy Studios" has been sold to its president. Everything else gaming related of Sammy in Europe and USA has been integrated into Sega. As you can read here.

Sports Design R&D Dept. (Headed by Takayuki Kawagoe [Panzer Dragoon]): Working on baseball titles for Japan.
Click to expand...
http://www-uxsup.csx.cam.ac.uk/~fan...uug/crybaby.png
Click to expand...

When Smilebit split, Kawagoe became the president of the sport-related Smilebit.

What about Wave Master? Isn't it still independent of the shuffle-up?
Click to expand...

Wave master and Sammy's "Underground Liberation Force" merged, being Wave Master the surviving company.



Actually, I think Amusement Software R&D group is similar to before. It is like am1, am2 (headed by Kataoka himself who was president of sega-am2), am3 (headed by Mie Kumagai who was president of hitmaker)... but there is again a Racing Department headed by Kenji Arai, as it was Segarosso (InitialD) before being integrated into Hitmaker, IIRC.

Oh, and I think "Family Entertainment" department is a good idea as Mushiking is a big hit in Japan.

PS. My present level of English is not very good, it is not my native language.
 
"Dept. #2 (Headed by Yu Suzuki [Virtua Fighter, Shenmue]): Working on Shenmue Online for Japan/Asia." That bitch! Give me some Shemue 3 loving in the west! :( And WTF happened to Phoenix Rie. She needs more power at sega! Give me Skies 2 dammit! :( *sob*
 
jarrod said:
I'm a little surprised to see Suzuki not really going anywhere in comparison, I wonder if he might follow Miz and leave Sega entirely soon?
Click to expand...
I heard some rumour last year that he'd effectively left already. I think he's in the same situation as Sakaguchi was at Square.

Also, I wasn't aware Shenmue Online would be released in Japan. All the Japanese news has said it's for the rest of Asia only.
 
Jonnyram said:
I heard some rumour last year that he'd effectively left already. I think he's in the same situation as Sakaguchi was at Square.
Click to expand...


I think the guy only shows up on Tuesdays or something (and that's so he can enjoy a nice, long drive to Haneda in his Ferrari)
 
Sho Nuff said:
I think the guy only shows up on Tuesdays or something (and that's so he can enjoy a nice, long drive to Haneda in his Ferrari)
Click to expand...
Can I get a job like that if I make something over-budget like Shenmue?
 
Yu Suzuki has been working on satellite projects for the company for a while... new markets, Asian MMORPG partners. He's still one of the senior officials in the company from development, with company share and voting rights, along with Yuji Naka.
 
The former-Digital Rex started out under the mission statement headline of Cinematic Online Games. Shenmue Online was their big project. They had a relatively small staff, so they weren't working on it all by themselves.

Yu Suzuki and SEGA had started looking into partners in 2002 and earlier for launching massively multiplayer online games. They settled on a Korean company called JC Entertainment who wanted the Shenmue franchise above all others for a collaboration. Shenmue Online became part of a new company initiative, along with Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst and CTRacer (massively multiplayer online racer), to expand into China and other strong Asian MMOG markets.
 
Soreda said:
PS. My present level of English is not very good, it is not my native language.
Click to expand...
Hey, no problem. That was some great insight... happen to know anything else about Sammy's R&D groups? Was ULF their sound team?
 
jarrod said:
Hey, no problem. That was some great insight... happen to know anything else about Sammy's R&D groups? Was ULF their sound team?
Click to expand...

Not very much, sorry. I think Sammy has two internal R&D depts for videogames (but I'm not really sure about this)... and Dimps, of course.

I am afraid that a lot of what I know about Sammy's R&D groups is from www.segasammy.com (link). At this moment the last news is the one about "Sammy Studios" ("Restructuring of Overseas Subsidiaries in Connection with..."). You can see the one about Wave Master and ULF merger too. ULF is similar to WaveMaster in a lot of ways. This is ULF's homepage.
 
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