Segagaga
Encyclopedia
is a console role-playing game developed by Tez Okano of Sega and released solely in Japan
for the Sega
Dreamcast on March 29, 2001, towards the end of the console lifespan.
Segagagas storyline parodies the commercially unsuccessful Dreamcast console - the player is recruited by Sega in a last-ditch effort to stop the evil DOGMA company from taking over the console market. The game, interspersed with animated cut scenes, features numerous cameos by Sega characters and games, as well as a variety of gameplay styles.
While a variety of genres are included, as minigame
s or otherwise, Segagagas overall structure is that of a console role-playing game. The game parodies
the competition between the Dreamcast and the PlayStation 2
, challenging the player to supervise the company and prevent DOGMA from seizing all market share
.
In the first section of the game, the player must progress through Sega's development studios and battle various employees. If the player is defeated, a month
of development time is lost.
with only a 3% share of the market. In Ōta
, Tokyo
, the city in which Sega was established in 1951, the company forms 'Project Segagaga': a plan to save SEGA from its main competitor, the evil DOGMA (a parody of Sony
, Sega
's biggest competitor at the time). As part of Project Segagaga, Sega takes two teenagers (the player's character) and , and employ them to guide Sega to the top of the market. The game features cameo appearances from Sega characters past and present such as Alex Kidd
and Sonic the Hedgehog
. The game also references things associated with Sony's PS1 and PS2. Several hidden games are parodies.
, gave Okano a development budget. Okano subsequently spent two years developing the game in secret, fearing that "anything could have happened" if it was revealed. When the finished game was presented, Sega, struggling economically, did not feel that it would cast a negative impression on the company and authorized its release.
The game's name was chosen instead of "Sega Sega" because it made the "Sega" name less intrusive. The initial version of Segagaga had 300 issues in need of attention, but Okano only addressed 100. Others, such as the copyright
issues of including Segata Sanshiro
and a Ferrari
, caused them to be removed from the game entirely. Okano utilized a large number of freely available Sega franchises because of their popularity. Okano estimated the game's budget at "less than a hundredth" of Shenmue
, with Toei Animation
giving him a discount for animated footage.
Okano marketed the game himself, receiving a budget of about $200. He spent more than half of the money on a wrestling mask
to hide his identity. Setting up signing events at four locations in Akihabara
, he rewarded Sega fans who visited all of them. He was assisted by public relations
head Tadashi Takezaki, and Taku Sasahara of Sega AM3, who garnered a full-page newspaper
story for the game and increased its popularity. Sales of the game online at Sega Direct
were initially high, leading to a store release, and, later, a budget version.
A limited edition of Segagaga was released. It came with a shirt with the Segagaga logo, pin badges with the Game Gear, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn
, Sega Mark III, Mega Drive/Genesis
and SGGG logo on them, and a Segagaga organizer.
is produced later in 2008 by the same producer.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for the Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
Dreamcast on March 29, 2001, towards the end of the console lifespan.
Segagagas storyline parodies the commercially unsuccessful Dreamcast console - the player is recruited by Sega in a last-ditch effort to stop the evil DOGMA company from taking over the console market. The game, interspersed with animated cut scenes, features numerous cameos by Sega characters and games, as well as a variety of gameplay styles.
Gameplay
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
s or otherwise, Segagagas overall structure is that of a console role-playing game. The game parodies
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
the competition between the Dreamcast and the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, challenging the player to supervise the company and prevent DOGMA from seizing all market share
Market share
Market share is the percentage of a market accounted for by a specific entity. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 67 percent responded that they found the "dollar market share" metric very useful, while 61% found "unit market share" very useful.Marketers need to be able to...
.
In the first section of the game, the player must progress through Sega's development studios and battle various employees. If the player is defeated, a month
Month
A month is a unit of time, used with calendars, which was first used and invented in Mesopotamia, as a natural period related to the motion of the Moon; month and Moon are cognates. The traditional concept arose with the cycle of moon phases; such months are synodic months and last approximately...
of development time is lost.
Story
Set in the year 2025, the story depicts SegaSega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
with only a 3% share of the market. In Ōta
Ota, Tokyo
is one of the 23 Special wards of Tokyo, Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 676,458, with 348,492 households, and a population density of 11,376.69 persons per km²...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, the city in which Sega was established in 1951, the company forms 'Project Segagaga': a plan to save SEGA from its main competitor, the evil DOGMA (a parody of Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
's biggest competitor at the time). As part of Project Segagaga, Sega takes two teenagers (the player's character) and , and employ them to guide Sega to the top of the market. The game features cameo appearances from Sega characters past and present such as Alex Kidd
Alex Kidd
is a video game character whose popularity peaked during the late 1980s and who was the protagonist of both a series of video games released by Sega and their fictional universe, as well as in numerous spin-off merchandise such as novelizations and comics...
and Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
. The game also references things associated with Sony's PS1 and PS2. Several hidden games are parodies.
Development
When the director of Segagaga, Tez Okano, first presented the game's concept to Sega management, it was misconstrued as a joke. When he requested funding a second time, Sega's president, Hisao OguchiHisao Oguchi
Hisao Oguchi is the current President and COO of Sega Corporation as well as the current Director, Vice Chairman, and Chief Creative Officer of Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. Oguchi originally was President and CEO of Sega until the merger with Sammy.-References:...
, gave Okano a development budget. Okano subsequently spent two years developing the game in secret, fearing that "anything could have happened" if it was revealed. When the finished game was presented, Sega, struggling economically, did not feel that it would cast a negative impression on the company and authorized its release.
The game's name was chosen instead of "Sega Sega" because it made the "Sega" name less intrusive. The initial version of Segagaga had 300 issues in need of attention, but Okano only addressed 100. Others, such as the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
issues of including Segata Sanshiro
Segata Sanshiro
is a fictional character created by Sega to advertise the Sega Saturn in Japan between 1997 and 1998. He is a parody of Sugata Sanshirō, a legendary judo fighter from an Akira Kurosawa film....
and a Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, caused them to be removed from the game entirely. Okano utilized a large number of freely available Sega franchises because of their popularity. Okano estimated the game's budget at "less than a hundredth" of Shenmue
Shenmue
is a 1999 open-world adventure video game developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Dreamcast, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki. Suzuki coined a genre title, "FREE" , for the game, based on the interactivity and freedom he wanted to give to the player...
, with Toei Animation
Toei Animation
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...
giving him a discount for animated footage.
Okano marketed the game himself, receiving a budget of about $200. He spent more than half of the money on a wrestling mask
Wrestling mask
A Wrestling mask is a fabric based mask that some professional wrestlers wear as part of their in-ring persona or gimmick. Professional wrestlers have been using masks as far back as 1915 and they are still widely used today, especially in Lucha Libre in Mexico.-History:In 1915 a North American...
to hide his identity. Setting up signing events at four locations in Akihabara
Akihabara
, also known as , is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to in Japan...
, he rewarded Sega fans who visited all of them. He was assisted by public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
head Tadashi Takezaki, and Taku Sasahara of Sega AM3, who garnered a full-page newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
story for the game and increased its popularity. Sales of the game online at Sega Direct
Sega Direct
Sega Direct was an online and Japanese video game business. It was primarily for the Dreamcast system and was the last place gamers could buy a New Dreamcast system in 2006....
were initially high, leading to a store release, and, later, a budget version.
A limited edition of Segagaga was released. It came with a shirt with the Segagaga logo, pin badges with the Game Gear, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, Sega Mark III, Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
and SGGG logo on them, and a Segagaga organizer.
Trivia
The ship Syrinx first appeared in the R-720 Minigame before Thunder Force VIThunder Force VI
is a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up video game released for the PlayStation 2 on October 30, 2008. The director is SEGA employee Tetsu Okano, who has previously worked on Segagaga, Astro Boy: Omega Factor and Gunstar Super Heroes. The game was licensed by Twenty-One Company's Tecnosoft...
is produced later in 2008 by the same producer.