The GHZ Forum

http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2013/09/17 ... yen/55909/

Atlus is now part of the Sega family.

I'd personally like a Sonic & Rockin' Katz crossover!

Somehow I think it will take more than a change in ownership to get us more Rockin' Katz. :( Also how adorable is it that the Japanese title for the game was New York Nyankies?

I'd love to see a new Snowboard Kids come out of this.

Looks like Snowboard Kids was developed by a company called Racdym. According to MobyGames Racdym became Racjin in 2000, and Racjin still takes credit for their history as Racdym. But the newest SBK (actually titled "SBK") on DS was made by another company, in-Glove, who debuted in 2003 with a game based on Shamanic King. Maybe they split off from Racjin at some point, or maybe Atlus (the publisher for the whole series) actually holds the rights to it and really would be the ones to say whether or not a new one would happen? I guess the question is whether or not Atlus was also the publisher in Japan, since the Altus Sega bought is not (or is it?) the same one that publishes games in the US.

Isn't Sega like, bankrupt or something? I just remember their forecast not looking so great, thus a lot of Sonic games or somesuch.

Anyway, this seems pretty cool to me. I can't see Sega really messing with Atlus' business considering that's what make them such a cult hit of a company. Maybe we'll be treated to some Persona characters racing with Vyse and Danica Patrick in the new Sega All-Stars racing game though.

Dash wrote:Isn't Sega like, bankrupt or something? I just remember their forecast not looking so great, thus a lot of Sonic games or somesuch.

The breadmaker at Sega-Sammy continues to be their pachinko operations. In turn, that money pretty much evaporates in video game development. At best they've spent years treading water. (Capcom, for comparison, is definitely almost broke.) These days they release everything they do of substance in japan, and have almost literally cut all their western releases down to Sonic, Total War, Football Manager, and Aliens. I wish that was a joke.

I'm also a bit dumbfounded that Sega had enough money to throw around on Index Corp., which had significant outstanding debts. The press release said that Sega will "gain access to prominent IPs" and "can expect to achieve steady flows of revenue" so they must see something in those Atlus franchises for pachinko I guess? Gamasutra has a nice analysis of how this might play out. Maybe i'm being a bit of a jerk, but i'm going to place my bet on Atlus USA being merged or closed in 6 months or so, since Sega likes laying employees off in the US and Europe.

By the way, I don't know if there's any truth to it, but supposedly Nintendo was among the top bidders for Atlus. If that's the case, maybe they ought to have just taken Nintendo's money. Sega's more likely to gut them.

I don't buy non-Nintendo consoles (unless there's an especially tasty deal) -- and not out of blind loyalty; if it's light-hearted and quirky it's more likely to show up there -- but I wouldn't wish any company to be absorbed into Nintendo's conglomerate, especially now that neutral, competent third-parties are a diminishing breed.

Pachinko, though, yeesh. Expect any remotely respectable female character to shed some clothing and grow three cup sizes.