Not too long ago, Sega was forced to shut down its Akihabara arcade, one of the most famous gaming establishments in the district, most likely due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. That was already a sad day for arcade enthusiasts, but things have unfortunately gotten worse, as Sega has announced that it is withdrawing from the arcade business entirely.
To be more specific, Sega Sammy, the company that owns Sega after it and pachinko manufacturer Sammy merged in 2004, reported a decline in visitors and business at its arcades, resulting in a “significant loss” for the company. No doubt this is also because of the pandemic, which is forcing many people to stay in their homes and not visit any public places that could feasibly contain many people.
It’s not all grim news, though. While Sega Sammy has sold 85.1% of the company, the majority of its shares, to Genda Inc., an arcade rental company, Sega will continue to make arcade machines and the like. Genda can then purchase those machines, which will continue to bear the Sega branding.
While arcade fans may be disappointed that it’s no longer safe for them to visit arcades in the current climate, there are some alternatives for the most die-hard of fans. For starters, Sega announced a mini arcade cabinet called the Astro City Mini earlier in the year, which will contain 36 games. There’s no word, though, on if it will be made available in the West.
What is available in the West is a replica arcade cabinet of classic Sega racing game Outrun, courtesy of Arcade1Up. It is very expensive at $499.99, but it not only replicates the arcade experience, it comes with three additional games: Turbo Outrun, Outrunners, and Power Drift.
As for the home video game side of the company, that fortunately isn’t affected by the sale, though it is reported that arcade development staff will be moved to work on Sega’s console games. Speaking of, Sega is likely to enjoy a new success with its soon-to-be-released Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which has received consistently strong reviews, though critics do seem to be torn on how well its RPG elements work.
Coincidentally, the Yakuza series has always included arcades that feature several classic Sega arcade titles for players to spend some time with and Like a Dragon is no different, offering titles like Space Harrier and Virtua Fighter 5, making it another possible alternative to visiting a real-life arcade.
Source: GameSpot
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