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Microsoft and Sega Form Strategic Partnership (Azure)

reksveks

Member
Nothing since everyone and their mother make partnership with either Azure, AWS or Google Cloud.

This deal means nothing as far as we know but for context.


"Going forward, we intend to aggressively promote the porting of previously launched titles to Steam and other new platforms," Sega said.

"Under such direction, we would like to take multi-platform rollout in account and prepare the PC version and others from the start."
 

Vasto

Member





Rhyming Leonardo Dicaprio GIF
 
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reksveks

Member
So the same partnership Sony did as well?
I guess they will explore how to use Azure as the infrastucture to power some big online title.
Super Phantasy Star Online powered by Azure incoming?
Think the difference is just going to be the level of collaboration. I doubt Sony and Microsoft will be working too much together on how to create products and playfab services to make remote working easier for game developers. There definitely will be feedback however it might be the case for Sega to work more closely on projects.

I do also think that they will continue to work on how to continue to do stuff like Pso2 NG within Azure and scaling that out.
 

Topher

Gold Member
Love how defensive some are getting at the mere thought of an Xbox-Sega exclusive. While this partnership doesn’t gaurantee that, it’s sure helps get the foot in the door. Look forward to more meltdowns when the next announcement comes.

If Sega and Microsoft want to create an Xbox exclusive then they will just say that. That isn't what this announcement says though. It doesn't even imply it. That isn't being "defensive". It is being factual.
 

Topher

Gold Member
Just like Sony did.

Sony and Microsoft to explore strategic partnership​

 

b6a6es

Banned
I think we’d better wait for our boys Grubbhub & Nick Corden’s podcast for some clarifications in their next podcast
 
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On Demand

Banned
I think we’d better wait for our boys Grubbhub & Nick Corden’s podcast for some clarifications in their next podcast

If you can read and have a basic level of comprehension, there’s no need to wait for celebrity insiders for clarification.

It’s for online cloud games using Azure. There’s nothing else to figure out.
 
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reksveks

Member
It’s for online cloud games using Azure. There’s nothing else to figure out.
That's one part of it, the other part is to try and make remote development on shared assets/builds/code bases in the context of game dev alot easier. What that entails I don't 100% know.

But yeah, it's a simple announcement.
 

Swift_Star

Banned
This deal means nothing as far as we know but for context.


"Going forward, we intend to aggressively promote the porting of previously launched titles to Steam and other new platforms," Sega said.

"Under such direction, we would like to take multi-platform rollout in account and prepare the PC version and others from the start."
That's awesome.
 

8BiTw0LF

Banned
sega.jpg


Sega has backed the development of some of gaming’s most beloved franchises – Sonic the Hedgehog, Yakuza, Streets of Rage, and Bayonetta, to name a few. It seems as if a “tactical alliance” with Microsoft is in the works to create next-generation experiences using the Azure cloud platform. The partnership hasn’t been solidified yet, but a Sega-Microsoft joint effort could lead to the creation of “large-scale, global games.”

An article on the official Sega website provides more context for the entertainment company’s Microsoft-supported plans. Sega’s chief goal is to develop “Super Game(s),” with the specific focus being on keywords like “Global,” “Online,” “Community,” and “IP utilization.” We might be in for a new era of Sega-published/developed multiplayer games based on the recurring theme. Perhaps, even MMOs. But that’s all speculation.

Sega Corporation president and COO, Yukio Sugino, chimed in on his excitement for the partnership and the recent announcement as a whole:

“We are very pleased to announce today that we are considering a strategic alliance with Microsoft to help develop SEGA’s new 'Super Game' initiative as well as build a next-generation game development environment. By considering a strategic partnership with Microsoft, we seek to further advance our game development so that our titles can be enjoyed by fans all over the world; in this regard, we aim to build an alliance that utilizes both SEGA’s powerful game development capabilities and Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology and development environment.”

In a similar vein, Sarah Bond, the CVP of Microsoft, voiced the conglomerate’s respect for Sega’s historical pedigree and emphasized the utilization of cloud-based capabilities:

“SEGA has played such an iconic role in the gaming industry and has been a tremendous partner over the years. We look forward to working together as they explore new ways to create unique gaming experiences for the future using Microsoft cloud technologies. Together we will reimagine how games get built, hosted, and operated, with a goal of adding more value to players and SEGA alike.”

Exact details on what these two companies have in store remain to be seen.

In other Sega news, the final chapter in the Bayonetta franchise was revealed, and it looks bigger and better than ever, with intense Kaiju battles. Bayonetta 3 launches sometime in 2022 on Nintendo Switch.

Sega And Microsoft Forge 'Strategic Alliance' To Create ‘Large-Scale, Global Games’ - Game Informer

Edit: Too late - original topic here: Microsoft and Sega Form Strategic Partnership (Azure) | NeoGAF

*Mods please delete this thread*
 
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yurinka

Member
Actually it is pretty much exactly the same. Why in the world would Sega create a partnership with Microsoft to use Azure for the purposes of "Game Pass partnerships"?

Sorry man, but you are reading a lot of stuff into this that just isn't there. This is exactly like Sony's agreement with Microsoft to use Azure. Nothing more.

Yep, this deal means Sega will use Azure to manage their servers. And many not only the typical game servers for online games:

Sega is working on a Japan only gaming cloud platform to stream games to Japanese houses using their arcade cabinets themselves as data centers (when in that moment aren't being played) closer to the houses, to reduce latency and provide extra revenue source for the arcades.

I assume this deal only means Sega will use Azure to manage these servers instead of Amazon AWS, Google Cloud etc. and maybe means they will bring that Sega cloud gaming platform to more countries.
 
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Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
You really want to believe that, don't you? 😂 But it's really just that, another azure client.

The only reason it would benefit me is if the games came day 1 to gamepass.

How can say its just another Azure customer when they say its a partnership.
We just dont know, you saying with confidence that its just another client deal shows the bias is with you.
 

hlm666

Member
We forgetting Relic just spent like 3 or 4 years making a MS first party game with one of their IP's? They are owned by Sega and that was without any stupid corporate fanfare. Creative Assembly could be on the hook for super game lol.
 
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Playstation doesn't actually use Azure though...not yet, anyway. What Microsoft and Sony have is basically an agreement of intent, and at most they are exchanging ideas and figuring out problems Sony wants to address in terms of cloud and Microsoft coming up with solutions. They are likely iterating on these as we speak, but we're likely still a few years away before Sony actually starts using Azure en-masse. Additionally Sony is a specific type of client as they are a console hardware provider/platform holder and their strategy with Microsoft is strictly focused on software services and server hardware to power them.

Microsoft's deal with Sega is closer to the rumored (take its believability for what you will at this point) MS/KojiPro deal; that deal also mentions use of Azure and cloud technologies to help further and shape game software development, however with Sega being a larger company than KojiPro (they're their own publisher, for starters), they will be leveraging Azure cloud at a greater capacity which can be leveraged for Sega software content in general.

Where it gets interesting is if this also involves one or several games from Sega, possibly with funding or (obviously) tech-related assistance from Microsoft in some way, that are essentially exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem of Xbox, GamePass and PC. Which...is nowhere near as unrealistic a possibility as some people are trying to make it seem like. They've done this before years ago with the OG Xbox and even the 360, but those were also when Microsoft actually tried courting Japanese support, something they completely gave up on with the XBO and have only started pursuing again the past couple of years.

Some people are probably also worried that this means Microsoft locking away games like Yakuza, Persona or SMT to the Xbox ecosystem; while this partnership probably will mean much better chance of new releases of those coming in parity (timing-wise) with PlayStation and Switch versions of the releases, I strongly doubt Xbox gets any of those specific games as exclusives. If it means they come to platforms like Xbox and particularly PC though (in Day-and-Date fashion), then that's pretty big in of itself. Also it's not like that many Sega games were skipping Xbox even last gen.

Personally I think it'll mean possibility of certain other games that Sega otherwise would not have funded themselves, getting made and those games possibility being Xbox ecosystem-exclusive. Stuff like potentially a new Phantasy Star Online, or a new Crazy Taxi or Outrun, maybe a new Panzer Dragoon, Dragon Force etc. Games that Sega either haven't done a lot with in a long time, or could benefit from leveraging technology like Azure for strengthening MP-centric game design.

Look, a lot of companies, including gaming-orientated ones, use Azure in some capacity, so if this were just simply Sega being another such company using some Azure software/hardware capacities then I don't think that alone would be worthy of putting out as a press release. The fact that Sarah Bond was also apparently a chief factor (if not the chief factor) in managing this deal of a partnership, is also somewhat telling. I wouldn't rule out this deal involving one or several exclusives from Sega for the Xbox ecosystem, in fact there's a pretty decent chance of that being the case, since any gaming-related deals pursued for Azure I figure the Xbox division (who apparently were very involved in this deal) would want to also benefit GamePass which in turn would benefit the Xbox ecosystem and the most common-sense way to do that is with exclusive content.

I think some people who aren't confused as to the nature of this deal (and the nature of the Microsoft/Sony agreement of intent) but may be vehemently dismissing the possibility this partnership could also bear some new exclusive games from it, are doing it out of a fear of what those games may be and what platforms they fear would be losing access to said games, or are just fearful that this somehow is code for a future acquisition. Neither of those things are true, but it goes to show you how badly paranoia can make some people lose their sense of rational thinking. There's no rational reason to assume any such games that could manifest due to this deal include MS essentially moneyhatting Yakuza, Persona or SMT games away from Sony or Nintendo. There's no rational reason to assume that this partnership is a stepping stone to an acquisition or disguising an acquisition in front of our eyes, otherwise that's what the news would be about.

If this deal means we can potentially get new installments in some classic Sega IP that we may not have gotten otherwise, then I'm well fine for it. And, who's to say Sega doesn't have something similar with Sony, say for example with Virtua Fighter, and Nintendo has pretty much adopted Bayonetta from Sega at this point. It was only a matter of when, not if, Microsoft would seek a means of securing new content for their ecosystem and in a way that could feel like a natural evolution of what they did in the OG Xbox days.

I.E. Sega is just using Azure, like millions of other companies, including mine.

Why is this news?

Did your company put out a press release statement announcing their use of Azure publicly? Did the majority of the "millions" (a bit many wouldn't you say? xD) of other companies do similar?

I don't think they did. Yet, Sega are one of the only few who have, along with Sony, and the clear difference between those two is Sony is their own platform holder; Sega is not (Sony's is also a statement/agreement of intent, while Sega's is as an active, full-use client).

While this certainly does mean Sega using Azure to aid in their development pipeline for gaming content in general (it could also be used as part of a restructuring for their arcade online network service), I think there's too much a coincidence with Sarah Bond headlining the deal, knowing their position with XGP and GP, MS's push for more content for GP, and the mentions of gaming software in the statement itself, to not open the door for at least some gaming content for Xbox ecosystem being a strong possibility.

That could just mean more Sega releases for GamePass, for GamePass day-and-date...but they were already getting both without such an announcement of a partnership. So I think this could signal the likely potential for new games for Xbox ecosystem, made in some effort between Sega and Microsoft (the latter providing tech solutions, funding and other types of assistance), but it might be too early to speak on those titles if they are indeed a thing.

I just hope insiders don't spoil the fun, like they always tend to, when it comes to Xbox-related games.
 
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iHaunter

Member
Playstation doesn't actually use Azure though...not yet, anyway. What Microsoft and Sony have is basically an agreement of intent, and at most they are exchanging ideas and figuring out problems Sony wants to address in terms of cloud and Microsoft coming up with solutions. They are likely iterating on these as we speak, but we're likely still a few years away before Sony actually starts using Azure en-masse. Additionally Sony is a specific type of client as they are a console hardware provider/platform holder and their strategy with Microsoft is strictly focused on software services and server hardware to power them.

Microsoft's deal with Sega is closer to the rumored (take its believability for what you will at this point) MS/KojiPro deal; that deal also mentions use of Azure and cloud technologies to help further and shape game software development, however with Sega being a larger company than KojiPro (they're their own publisher, for starters), they will be leveraging Azure cloud at a greater capacity which can be leveraged for Sega software content in general.

Where it gets interesting is if this also involves one or several games from Sega, possibly with funding or (obviously) tech-related assistance from Microsoft in some way, that are essentially exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem of Xbox, GamePass and PC. Which...is nowhere near as unrealistic a possibility as some people are trying to make it seem like. They've done this before years ago with the OG Xbox and even the 360, but those were also when Microsoft actually tried courting Japanese support, something they completely gave up on with the XBO and have only started pursuing again the past couple of years.

Some people are probably also worried that this means Microsoft locking away games like Yakuza, Persona or SMT to the Xbox ecosystem; while this partnership probably will mean much better chance of new releases of those coming in parity (timing-wise) with PlayStation and Switch versions of the releases, I strongly doubt Xbox gets any of those specific games as exclusives. If it means they come to platforms like Xbox and particularly PC though (in Day-and-Date fashion), then that's pretty big in of itself. Also it's not like that many Sega games were skipping Xbox even last gen.

Personally I think it'll mean possibility of certain other games that Sega otherwise would not have funded themselves, getting made and those games possibility being Xbox ecosystem-exclusive. Stuff like potentially a new Phantasy Star Online, or a new Crazy Taxi or Outrun, maybe a new Panzer Dragoon, Dragon Force etc. Games that Sega either haven't done a lot with in a long time, or could benefit from leveraging technology like Azure for strengthening MP-centric game design.

Look, a lot of companies, including gaming-orientated ones, use Azure in some capacity, so if this were just simply Sega being another such company using some Azure software/hardware capacities then I don't think that alone would be worthy of putting out as a press release. The fact that Sarah Bond was also apparently a chief factor (if not the chief factor) in managing this deal of a partnership, is also somewhat telling. I wouldn't rule out this deal involving one or several exclusives from Sega for the Xbox ecosystem, in fact there's a pretty decent chance of that being the case, since any gaming-related deals pursued for Azure I figure the Xbox division (who apparently were very involved in this deal) would want to also benefit GamePass which in turn would benefit the Xbox ecosystem and the most common-sense way to do that is with exclusive content.

I think some people who aren't confused as to the nature of this deal (and the nature of the Microsoft/Sony agreement of intent) but may be vehemently dismissing the possibility this partnership could also bear some new exclusive games from it, are doing it out of a fear of what those games may be and what platforms they fear would be losing access to said games, or are just fearful that this somehow is code for a future acquisition. Neither of those things are true, but it goes to show you how badly paranoia can make some people lose their sense of rational thinking. There's no rational reason to assume any such games that could manifest due to this deal include MS essentially moneyhatting Yakuza, Persona or SMT games away from Sony or Nintendo. There's no rational reason to assume that this partnership is a stepping stone to an acquisition or disguising an acquisition in front of our eyes, otherwise that's what the news would be about.

If this deal means we can potentially get new installments in some classic Sega IP that we may not have gotten otherwise, then I'm well fine for it. And, who's to say Sega doesn't have something similar with Sony, say for example with Virtua Fighter, and Nintendo has pretty much adopted Bayonetta from Sega at this point. It was only a matter of when, not if, Microsoft would seek a means of securing new content for their ecosystem and in a way that could feel like a natural evolution of what they did in the OG Xbox days.



Did your company put out a press release statement announcing their use of Azure publicly? Did the majority of the "millions" (a bit many wouldn't you say? xD) of other companies do similar?

I don't think they did. Yet, Sega are one of the only few who have, along with Sony, and the clear difference between those two is Sony is their own platform holder; Sega is not.

While this certainly does mean Sega using Azure to aid in their development pipeline for gaming content in general (it could also be used as part of a restructuring for their arcade online network service), I think there's too much a coincidence with Sarah Bond headlining the deal, knowing their position with XGP and GP, MS's push for more content for GP, and the mentions of gaming software in the statement itself, to not open the door for at least some gaming content for Xbox ecosystem being a strong possibility.

That could just mean more Sega releases for GamePass, for GamePass day-and-date...but they were already getting both without such an announcement of a partnership. So I think this could signal the likely potential for new games for Xbox ecosystem, made in some effort between Sega and Microsoft (the latter providing tech solutions, funding and other types of assistance), but it might be too early to speak on those titles if they are indeed a thing.

I just hope insiders don't spoil the fun, like they always tend to, when it comes to Xbox-related games.
It means nothing. Millions use Azure. Just means they got a deal. Only two real major players in cloud, Azure and AWS. Azure and Microsoft have more datacenters globally, so eastern companies tend to use them more. I'm a cloud architect with 4 Azure certs. This is not news. Maybe it was part of the discount to announce it.
 

splattered

Member
I.E. Sega is just using Azure, like millions of other companies, including mine.

Why is this news?

If this was "just" Sega using Azure on the backend for their services it wouldn't have been presented in the way that it was. Like you said, tons of companies use Azure all the time and it isn't considered news... but this here is news. This is a strategic partnership that specifically calls out collaboration, super game development, ip utilization. We got big new Sega stuff coming with the help of Microsoft. Be excited. :)
 
It means nothing. Millions use Azure. Just means they got a deal. Only two real major players in cloud, Azure and AWS. Azure and Microsoft have more datacenters globally, so eastern companies tend to use them more. I'm a cloud architect with 4 Azure certs. This is not news. Maybe it was part of the discount to announce it.
Did any of the other Eastern companies issue a public announcement of becoming Azure clients? And did any of those involve the Xbox division or Sarah Bond in near as large a capacity as the one with Sega apparently did?

With there being so many companies that use Azure then it would seem less likely for Sega and Microsoft to give a public statement on the former's adoption of the technology unless it were of something of more significance than just being another paying customer. We'll just have to wait and see what comes of this.

FWIW I don't think your profession provides you any insight on a deal between two companies not your own, if these partnerships are custom to the needs of the clients, and it's similarly a bit shortsighted to assume the announcement is only in pertains of a condition for a discount deal (which in a way would boil down the element of this being a 'strategic partnership' to "oh well it just means they're getting a volume discount").
 

GAF machine

Member

Microsoft and Sony form cloud gaming and AI partnership​

MS_Exec_NadellaSony_CEO_Kenichiro_Yoshida_013_low_res.0.jpg


So basically nothing happened?​


Something happened, but not what people thought...

 
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Topher

Gold Member
Playstation doesn't actually use Azure though...not yet, anyway. What Microsoft and Sony have is basically an agreement of intent, and at most they are exchanging ideas and figuring out problems Sony wants to address in terms of cloud and Microsoft coming up with solutions.

Exactly like Sega and Microsoft.

“We are very pleased to announce today that we are considering a strategic alliance with Microsoft to help develop SEGA’s new 'Super Game' initiative as well as build a next-generation game development environment. By considering a strategic partnership with Microsoft, we seek to further advance our game development so that our titles can be enjoyed by fans all over the world; in this regard, we aim to build an alliance that utilizes both SEGA’s powerful game development capabilities and Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology and development environment.”



Yakuza support of Game Pass? Yakuza already supports game pass. I think every Yakuza game is already on the service.
 
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Alphagear

Member
"We're excited to be working with Sega on new challenges with Microsoft cloud technology."
~Sarah Bond. Quote in the OP

Game related it could only mean Sega is targeting online gaming using the Azure platform.

Nothing more nothing less.
 
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