Also Explains Rationale Behind Company Layoffs
In an interview published online today by UK trade magazine MCV, Sega of America’s newly installed VP of sales and marketing Alan Pritchard acknowledged deep internal demand to put Sonic the Hedgehog 4 in a “packaged” or traditional, physical form.
“Strangely, the packaged goods side of the business are screaming out for a packaged version of Sonic 4,” Pritchard said in the interview. “So it is interesting to see that some of the titles we plan to release on digital, will have great appeal to the other side of the business.”
No hints were given as to whether the complete episodes of Sonic 4 may one day find their way to a traditional format.
Also noteworthy from the Q&A, Pritchard acknowledged an array of digital Sega releases waiting in the wings.
“There are a number of digital releases that we have slated for the next 12 to 18 months, most of which haven’t been announced yet,” he said. “As you can imagine, there’s a world of old Sega IP that we can bring to market.”
The MCV interview also included comments from Pritchard on the recent rash of layoffs within Sega in both American and European divisions. Without mentioning the fate of his predecessor Sean Ratcliffe–which remains unknown at this moment–Pritchard said moves were made to sustain and increase profits long-term:
This is just ensuring that Sega West can continue its growth plans and continue to make profit over the next three to five years. It is certainly not reflective of our fiscal performance. In Europe we’ve had another very strong year, which finished end of March. A lot of this has been planned for a while. We need to continue to make profit, not just grow our revenues.
The complete interview can be read at the link cited above.
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Well, atleast if I can’t get on the net to re-download the game when I lose it… I can pull out the disc if it gets out on the market.
Not now, but maybe when all the parts will be released, SEGA makes a disk with all the 3-5 Episodes, i really like to see the WII package, in a blue case, (like the red case in super mario bros wii).
@xamoel: I feel the same way.
“There are a number of digital releases that we have slated for the next 12 to 18 months, most of which haven’t been announced yet,” he said. “As you can imagine, there’s a world of old Sega IP that we can bring to market.””
Well in January they stated that they would love to make Shenmue III. Digital release? Just speculation. Really I havent even played the original Shenmue or Shenmue II. I do plan on it. It would keep me from having only SA, SA2, and SShuffle to play on my Dreamcast.
Well all games I have never played aside, lets talk about a game that I don’t want to play! Sonic 4! It may be a good move on SEGA’s part, because believe me, digital releases usually don’t sell as good as physical releases. It just may happen, I mean look at “What did I do to diserve this my lord?!” or whatever “holy invasion of privacy badman” is called now. That game is short and came packaged on the UMD version of the sequel. So if 4 does sell well (personally I hope it does not) then SEGA may just make one smart move and release all the episodes on a single disc
Lol – something tells me, Sonic 4 will be a best seller regardless, and a fan favorite.
Fans will pull a L4D2 and MWF2 – and end up playing, and loving, as per usual.
so…Is Sonic 4 planning to come out on Disc? lol.
Thats what it sounds like. ^_^
still, please be June 16th! Hacked version already out so make it sooner than July!
Wait a min, 16th is E3??? A wedensday…. In a way I don`t think games will be released during that time… lol
If Sonic 4 really is 4 or 5 episodes I don’t expect this to come out on disc till the end of 2011. I’d like to think maybe they can get a new episode out every 2 to 3 months but just look how Episode 1 is being handled!
… So none of you`s belived me about playing Sonic 4 on the Xbox 360!?! ha! Well I did! It may be hard to believe but I did! Bloody good fun to it was! Homing attack is quite good! And I don`t know how to get footage up on the internet so there! oh and..
@Crysore: Atleast I don`t bloody moan about Sonic games! now thats what I call annoyance!!! >:-/
d**k!
@Crashicth: how are you so sure June 16th?
@DREggfang: what do you mean? hacks wise?
PS: The special stages, you need to collect rings this time! To open this barrier in your way and you have to get 20 rings or something. lol.
hey anyone who owns LittleBigPlanet (online too) Please try my level! More edits are being made over and over to perfect it! Like the Blue sky I made but all the stickers then struggled to load up lol.
Anyway its called:
“Sonic The Hedgehog: Green Hill Zone Act 1″
(By me Lukex34 ^_^)
anywho if you play it enjoy it. lol more acts will appear when created and only if Hearts have reached the needed number, last time I checked it had 8 hearts, 2 more and when made Act 2 will be avaible. KEY will be put on Act 1 etc.
Please play. ^_^
I wish SONIC 4 come to CD
2 things Mr. VP man:
1) Sonic 4 on disk
2) NEW RISTAR GAME!!!!!!
if it does come out on Disc, then its going to my 360, as you will get avatar awards ^_^
@edge
well, don`t buy Sonic 4 then. All your doing is complaining like some others round here!
God sometimes why does sega bother…
I`m (tonight) gonna try and get another go on Sonic 4, and try and get that Splash Hill Zone under a mintue achevement!
It`s alot harder than it looks… lol.
Double the sell is more money.. like they did with all the classics..XD releasing it like 7 times
I hope that means even more great classic Sega games without being lazy ports
I would buy any Shenmue game without any thought… And a Sonic Adventure 2 port would be totally EPIC. Specially if they add online multiplayer 
That would be cool if they did put it on disk and ya they should have a blue case like how New Super Mario Bros Wii got the red case.
They should wait until ALL of the Sonic 4 episodes are rreleased, THEN put it on disc. Sonic 4 episode 1 alone is such a small game, infact, it’s not even an entire game, so putting it on a disc as if it was a full game would be retarded.
I want Sonic 4 on disk but completed of course… but I want it on disk, I want it I want it I want it
[quote]…digital releases usually don’t sell as good as physical releases.[/quote]
*Cough* STEAM *cough* Millions sold *cough*.
PC version still wanted.
Screw the iPhone.
i think there’s nothing wrong putting it on disk. and sale it for $20 or $30
@ Viking ZX
I am talking about handheld and home console games, I don’t really count the computer as a gaming console since all it really is is a big media center rather than a machine that mainly focuses on gaming.