Nintendo and Sega are two well-known names in the video game industry for their classic consoles and franchises. Although they are competitors, there have been instances of collaboration and confusion.
One of the most confusing issues is Sega’s ownership. Since its release, Sega has had various owners, and there have also been speculations about Nintendo owning it. But does Nintendo own Sega?
If you are looking for answers to this question or curious about any games that Nintendo owns in Sega, this article has the answer. Let’s get started!
Does Nintendo Own Sega?
No, Nintendo doesn’t own Sega. Sega Sammy Holdings, a Japanese video-making company, owns Sega. However, a New York Times article reported that Nintendo tried to buy Sega in 2000. The deal never happened, and both company spokespersons denied the rumors.
It’s worth noting that Sega was in a challenging situation at the time. The sales of Dreamcast, a video game console, did not meet expectations. The company company was also experiencing losses.
A deal with Nintendo could have enabled Sega to revive itself by joining forces with another gaming powerhouse.
What Sega Games Does Nintendo Own?
Nintendo doesn’t own any Sega games. They only collaborated in the early 2000s to create games for Nintendo GameCube and Boy Advance. Sonic the Hedgehog, a popular Sega character, has also appeared in several Nintendo games, such as the “Super Smash Bros” series.
Mario and Sonic have appeared together in several Olympic-themed games developed by Sega. You can also play Sega’s Puyo Puyo Tetris, Valkyria Chronicles 4, and Phantasy Star Online 2 on your Nintendo Switch.
Learn more about common Sega games you can play on Nintendo Switch Online from Nintendo.com.
Here’s an in-depth look at the Sega games on Switch:
- Puyo Puyo Tetris.
This combines two classics: Tetris and Puyo Puyo. You must arrange Puyos into groups of four or more of the same color, horizontally or vertically. When a group of Puyos matches and disappears, any Puyos above them fall, creating chain reactions. - Valkyria Chronicles 4.
Valkyria is a combat game that lets players plan their moves, manage resources, and issue commands. Its goals are to capture enemy bases, reach certain locations, protect critical characters, and defeat specific enemies. - Phantasy Star Online 2.
This fast-paced combat game requires quick reflexes to dodge enemy attacks and unleash powerful combos. Your goal is to complete quests and earn experience points by defeating enemies and solving puzzles.
Want to download all these games on your console but unsure if it can handle them? Then check out how many games a Nintendo Switch can hold.
Why Did Sega Lose to Nintendo?
Sega lost to Nintendo due to a lack of financial muscle, a rush to the market, competition, and a damaged reputation. Sega’s financial difficulties prevented it from investing in new hardware and software development to remain ahead of its competitors.
Sega failed to market its products effectively, leading to weaker sales and a smaller market share. Its rush to the market also meant they didn’t have enough time to test and refine their products, leading to quality and technical issues.
For instance, the company released its first console, the Master System, before it was ready, and gamers didn’t receive it well. This impacted customer satisfaction, which led to losing brand loyalty, making it harder for them to compete with Nintendo.
Sega faced intense competition from Sony, which introduced its PlayStation with better graphics and processing power than Sega’s Saturn, which featured more complex hardware.
Also, Nintendo had high-quality consoles like SNES, making it more challenging for Sega to compete and survive in the market.
Sega’s reputation was damaged due to the poor performance of its previous consoles, making it even more challenging to beat Nintendo, which had established a solid reputation in the industry.
Which Is Older, Sega or Nintendo?
Nintendo is older than Sega. Fujisaro Yamauchi founded it in 1889 in Kyoto, Japan, as a company that produced playing cards. Sega was founded in 1960 in Honolulu, Hawaii, by Richard Stewart and Martin Bromley. It began as a manufacturer of pinball machines and arcade games.
During the 1960s, Nintendo expanded into producing a wide range of toys. Later, it became the most prominent player in the video gaming industry, creating titles such as the well-known mascot Mario in the 1980s.
They achieved commercial success with their arcade game, Donkey Kong, in 1981 and continued creating video games, gaming consoles, and accessories.
In contrast, Sega developed its first coin-operated game, Periscope, in 1966 and later released the SG-1000 and Master System in the early 1980s. However, it struggled to compete against Nintendo’s success.
Is Sega Still Making Consoles?
No, Sega stopped making consoles in 2001 after the commercial failure of their final console, the Sega Dreamcast. But it still designs and releases video games for various platforms, including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
Sega diversified its business and ventured into the mobile gaming market, developing games for smartphones and tablets. Still, gamers access some of Sega’s classic releases on Nintendo consoles, Xbox, and PlayStation, such as the Sega Genesis Mini emulator and other popular Sega characters.
Are Sega and Nintendo Still Rivals?
No, Sega and Nintendo are no longer rivals. Their rivalry decreased after Sega stopped creating video games and hardware and instead became a third-party developer. Currently, Sony is the primary competitor of both companies.
Sony produces a wide range of gaming hardware and software, such as controllers, consoles, accessories, and games developed by third-party developers. Its strong marketing power and financial resources make it difficult for Sega and Nintendo to compete.
For example, Sony’s PlayStation 4 is one of the best-selling consoles, having sold over 110 million units worldwide as of 2020.
Sony’s popularity stems from how much attention it pays to its console’s hardware. For instance, the graphics card on PS5 doesn’t have a direct equivalent. This is because Sony had the graphics card customized in partnership with AMD to provide users with an experience like no other.
Nintendo Does Not Own Sega
Despite the speculations, Nintendo does not own Sega. Sega Sammy Holdings, a Japanese video-making company, owns Sega. However, Nintendo and Sega have worked together in the past on collaborative projects, such as the GameCube and Boy Advance consoles.
That said, Sega quit the console-making industry due to financial woes and ventured into making video games for various platforms, including Nintendo. Moreover, some Sega characters are still available on PlayStation, Xbox, or even the Nintendo console. So, while Nintendo does not own Sega, they had a relationship.
