Is Sega Bringing Classic Series to Mobile?

Recently, Sega put up an online survey that they say is to help them make better games. (It all sounds so altruistic!) Being a big fan of theirs since the 80s, I decided to go fill it out as I've not much cared for many of the games that they've put out in recent years. It was always the older series that mattered more to me. Stuff like Shinobi, Streets of Rage, Sega Rally, Phantasy Star, Virtua Fighter, and a slew of others, those are the series that have always been special to me. Unfortunately, it's been years since Sega has even mentioned many of the games. The only classic series that is still around is Sonic the Hedgehog, and those games are largely a shadow of their former self.

So, with that in mind, I went to fill out the survey and at first things were looking pretty good. There were a lot of questions asking what systems I've played over the years, going all the way back to the 8-bit era, then they asked which Sega franchises I liked and why. This got my hopes up because there were a lot of old series here. They mentioned all of the games I listed above and so much more. It was like the company was suddenly remembering the huge catalog of classic series that they've created over the years. I was actually really starting to get my hopes up at this point.

Then the second half of the survey started and it was becoming clear what Sega was really trying to do, as it was one question after the next regarding my mobile gaming habits. This made me realize that the purpose of the survey wasn't to gauge which classic games to bring back for modern consoles or handhelds, or even series to consider for some sort of HD remastering. No, there is only one thing that I can assume from these questions: Sega is looking to cannibalize their library of classic games and find a way to make mobile games out of them.

While I don't completely hate mobile games, they're something that I only really play when I've had a very long day and am way too tired to go with something that takes the slightest amount of effort. Even then, it's a toss up between a mobile game and watching some very laid back anime. So, mobile gaming really isn't something that is a priority in my life. Sadly, the only thing going through my mind as the realization of what Sega was doing sank in was the "Not like this" meme.

From Sega's perspective, I can sort of see where they're coming from since they're probably looking at their local market first, aka Japan, where mobile gaming is completely dominating. They likely see a way to make a fast buck off of a wave of nostalgia if they can make something halfway decent that happens to have Shinobi, Alex Kidd, or whoever in it. The problem here is that this can easily open the door to some very cynical business practices chalk full of cash shops, a pay to win mentality, and far from engaging gameplay. It's not like we haven't seen such behavior before in this sphere, so I don't blame people for looking at this with some trepidation.

Folks have been clamouring for years to get Sega to bring back their classic series. However, I really don't think that they had mobile gaming in mind. It doesn't even have to be anything super crazy with a massive budget, just a solid experience on consoles or handhelds and many people would be overjoyed. This survey suggests that if the company does revisit these games they very much will be going the mobile route. Thankfully, there are a lot of fields where people can type in their opinions. It's not all multiple choice responses. So, take this as an opportunity to let Sega know how you feel about mobile in a thoughtful manner. Fill out the survey, and if you are concerned about these classic franchises getting pushed to tablets and smartphones, express your opinion. Hopefully, Sega will actually listen.