News

Has SEGA Gone Back to Its Roots with Its Classic Slot Game Offerings?

Back at the beginning of 2018, SEGA shocked its many fans and followers by deviating from its usual offerings and announcing the upcoming launch of a casino slots-based mobile application instead.

Drawing ideas from its vast portfolio of console games, this led many to question the company’s future business plans, and to speculate upon its potential emergence as a major player in the online gambling industry.

But a few months down the line, is there anything to suggest that a new role for the company could actually be on the cards?

A case of history repeating itself 

In January 2018, SEGA took many by surprise when it made an important and arguably exciting announcement: that it planned to release a slots-based mobile application inspired by its manifold portfolio of console games.

The move was one that few had expected the worldwide gaming iconoclast to make, not least because SEGA has traditionally stuck to what it’s good at. Rarely venturing beyond the bounds of what it does best, it had never before indicated any real interest in the online gambling sector.

Or so many thought. In fact, the history of SEGA actually began not with console games as most assume, but as a producer of standalone slot machines. Beginning operations in the Japan of the 1940s, it was not until three decades later that it made its first forays into the sector it would later go on to dominate.

Achieving vast success as a producer of arcade and console games, it nonetheless changed its focus again in the early 2000s, following the unfortunate demise of its final console system: the SEGA Dreamcast. Transitioning for a second time, to a third party gaming software provider, it once again carved out a corner of the market for itself.

A new venture 

Source: Pixabay

With its chameleon-like history of chopping and changing its place in the world, it’s no surprise that SEGA’s latest move has generated significant speculation: namely, as to whether or not it’s planning to become (or get back to being) a major actor in the vastly profitable gambling industry.

Its slot games certainly seem to have some potential. Inspired by classic SEGA creations including Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Money Ball, Golden Axe, Shinobi, and Samba De Amigo, these Vegas-style casino offerings have proven popular – but it seems there are no plans as of yet to develop them further.

And it’s not hard to understand why. With the online industry hugely competitive, and interested parties able to pick now from the many brilliant games and bonuses already available from established mobile casinos like LeoVegas, PartyCasino, and SpinPalace, it would take a lot to break into the market and steal that top spot – and it simply isn’t worth the risk.

SEGA’s niche offerings work, and may certainly be expanded upon in the future, but the more ferocious push required to launch a real threat to those currently dominating the sector would necessitate more time and effort to achieve than it would ever really merit.

So, let’s just enjoy what we have, and content ourselves with looking elsewhere for the rest of our online gambling needs.

Related Articles

Back to top button