Sega says no more retro consoles, because the future is so bright

Sega has insisted it is not a retro video game company, and ruled out the possibility of more miniature consoles coming to market.

The company released a miniature version of the beloved Mega Drive (or Genesis to our American readers) a few years back with a plethora of built-in classics from the 16-bit era.

However, no matter how much Sega loyalists would love a Saturn or Dreamcast to relive the 32-bit or 64-bit era, the Japanese developer is absolutely ruling that out.

“I’m not going for the Mini direction. It’s not me. I want to embrace modern gamers,” America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi told The Guardian in an interview, with Sega later clarifying this meant no more minis.

“We are not a retro company,” he added. “We really appreciate our legacy, we value it, but at the same time, we want to deliver something new – otherwise we’ll become history. That’s not what we’re aiming for.”

Instead, as time moves on, Sony will look to classic franchises like Golden Axe, Virtua Fighter and Jet Set Radio through new games and adaptations. Of course, the current Yakuza franchise remains a huge hit for Sega, while Sonic continues to tear up the box office.

“We have some great pillars – such as Sonic, Persona and Yakuza. But at the same time, we have other properties that really show the style, attitude and context of Sega,” he said in the interview.

“I think gamers will love it if we do this right. It will be a challenge – there are great expectations – but if we can respond to that, we can get back to being Sega.”

The Mega Drive mini brought titles like Sonic the Hedgehog, Ecco the Dolphin and Virtua Fighter II, Earthworm Jim, Castle of Illusion, and World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. The under-appreciated Dynamite Headdy was also included.

Which Sega classic would you love to see revisited? Let us know @ on Bluesky.