What do you guys think was the reason behind SEGA SAMMY ditching IT?

[TEXAN]

I have a feelling that after years of working with Chihiro and releasing some of the company's biggest franchises for the system, even favouring it over Naomi2, SEGA SAMMY's programmmers fell in love with Nvidia graphics hardware and the brute force that this company's chips provide.

I think whilst the Series 5 board was in development some of the higher up members of the company's studios made sure that the board be dropped in favour of a brand new system based on their new found love.

Another thing to keep in mind is that LINDBERGH is powered also by an intel Pentium 4 and chihiro/xbox had an intel celeron.

intel+nvidia = chihiro

intel + nvidia = LINDBERGH

Just look at how beatifull some of the company's games looked on chihiro - outrun 2 sp, ghost squad, virtua cop 3, looking at some of the outrun 2 sp screens is jaw dropping the scenery is beyond thought. SEGA SAMMY's devs really did get to grips with nvidia+intel hardware.

I believe this was it. Series 5 system was in development but was halted when developers raised concerns of how they prefer nvidia partnered by an intel chip.

After 7 years, the Japanese behemoth's love affair with the small british firm from kings Langley has come to an end.

 

[Qroach]

another sega topic?

 

[Arun]

Maybe, I don't know, NVIDIA has better developer support, and using "standard" hardware would make developers more interested in developing for the platform, in addition to reducing development times?

Uttar

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Whatever nVidia are offering, it's found it's way into Sega and Sony. Any chance Sega want access to OpenGL same as Sony to make accessing the hardware easier? One would have to assume that either the Series 5 couldn't make the cut, or it was too hard to work with. Same reasons an nVidia part found it's way into PS3.

 

[dukmahsik]

here is your answer = $$$

 

[Lazy8s]

Even assuming a high-end PowerVR board is cancelled, Sega Sammy is still partnering with Imagination Technologies for the Aurora MBX system-on-a-chip for their high volume amusement devices alongside Atomiswave: value-line game machines, pachinko, pachislot, parlor games. The release of Aurora has supposedly been hung up in matters of Japanese gaming (gambling) regulations but should be settled soon.

 

[Sonic]

Qroach, that was uncalled for. Please don't flame like that again. If you're not going to add to the thread then do not post in it.



I'm not so sure sEGA is done with IMG. Just ebcause they have a new board based off of Intel and Nvidia hardware does not mean IMG won't find itself in lower end solutions just as Lazy8s has pointed out.

The Lindbergh hardware is impressive to a point where it has the scalability of the older Naomi architecture so as time goes on SEGA can introduce revisions in the form of better graphics cards and processors.

 

[dukmahsik]

honestly going this route is the best for sega. it offers an easy for upgrades and expansions for the next iterations of their arcade boards. i wonder why they didn't go amd for cpu though? nvidia is a great choice however.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

honestly going this route is the best for sega. it offers an easy for upgrades and expansions for the next iterations of their arcade boards. i wonder why they didn't go amd for cpu though? nvidia is a great choice however.

I think Intel is safer partner, because it is much bigger company and the difference in performance is not that great anyways, therefore there aren't many reasons why they should have used AMD.

 

[Qroach]

That wasn't a flame sonic, that was a question.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

'Another Sega topic' is as daft a question as 'Another XB360 topic' or 'another PlayStation topic'.

 

[Qroach]

It was a simple question, I've asked him this before, but he didn't respond. I'm honestly curious what makes him so sega loyal to he'd pose as a sega of japan engineer and start other sega rumors (segas return to console hardware, segas return to portables, etc). It's one thing being a fan, but he goes a bit beyond that imo. Anyway, the question wasn't aimed at you you shifty, thanks.

 

[deviantchild]

Metal Slug 6 just got released on AtomisWave

ImgTec deserve some sort of award for how long PVR2DC has been in service, and will continue to be, in Aristocrat gaming machines etc.

 

[Betamax]

Well, the word I have is that the deal is still on and part of the SGX family. I assume this means that the high-end Series 5 board is still in development. I guess that Sega just figured it wouldn't be ready in time for when they wanted to release VF5 et al and then went for the Lindbergh option for the short term. So I'm guessing it could be up to a year before we see if the Series 5 board really does outperform X360/PS3/Rev as per the original IT/Sega press statement.

 

[V3]

Well, the word I have is that the deal is still on and part of the SGX family. I assume this means that the high-end Series 5 board is still in development. I guess that Sega just figured it wouldn't be ready in time for when they wanted to release VF5 et al and then went for the Lindbergh option for the short term. So I'm guessing it could be up to a year before we see if the Series 5 board really does outperform X360/PS3/Rev as per the original IT/Sega press statement.

Sega has the opportunity to go the SLI route for Lindbergh but didn't. So I am assuming they had enough performance for VF5, and the rest of their line up. It also maybe that SLI config will leave X360/PS3/Rev in the dust and make port harder. What ever the reason Lindbergh isn't the highest possible configuration for PC base system.

I really don't know where Series 5 going to fit in. Daytona 3 perhaps ?

 

[TEXAN]

If you read the original press release regarding the Series 5 deal, it says that the board shall be the primary format used for SEGA SAMMY's main games across all genres. The fact that VF5, HOTD4, AB3, VT3 are on Lindbergh suggests that a change of plan took place and that the PVR board was scrapped long ago.

 

[TEXAN]

Qroach, that was uncalled for. Please don't flame like that again. If you're not going to add to the thread then do not post in it.



I'm not so sure sEGA is done with IMG. Just ebcause they have a new board based off of Intel and Nvidia hardware does not mean IMG won't find itself in lower end solutions just as Lazy8s has pointed out.

The Lindbergh hardware is impressive to a point where it has the scalability of the older Naomi architecture so as time goes on SEGA can introduce revisions in the form of better graphics cards and processors.

Make no mistakes about it, in the mobile realm, for now, IT is untouchable thus SS's relationship with the company shall continue. But in terms of business for desktop level GPU's I believe it's over between the two.

 

[Betamax]

Make no mistakes about it, in the mobile realm, for now, IT is untouchable thus SS's relationship with the company shall continue. But in terms of business for desktop level GPU's I believe it's over between the two.

What "desktop level GPU"?

 

[TEXAN]

desktop level gpu's such as a series 5 or a series 6 or a series 7

 

[Betamax]

desktop level gpu's such as a series 5 or a series 6 or a series 7

I think the intention behind the Sega/IT deal was and remains something beyond a "desktop level GPU". Anyways, the IT site still says:

"SEGA® Corporation is a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home, encompassing consumer business, amusement machine sales and amusement centre operations. SEGA, the leader in the arcade market, will use a new high-performance PowerVR graphics processor as the basis of its future arcade systems. SEGA may also supply system boards based on this processor to other leading amusement game companies."

http://www.imgtec.com/Partners/index.asp?Page=Sega