New evidence suggests that Sega could be reviving some of its seemingly forgotten franchises. Sega announced a new Jet Set Radio game among others in a montage-style trailer at The Game Awards 2023, a welcome surprise that is cause for excitement for those who fondly remember a time when Sega was one of the biggest home console producers alongside Nintendo and Sony. Sega exited the home console market many years ago, but has since found success as a third-party developer.

Sega sent out a cryptic message to content creators ahead of The Game Awards 2023, which some fans thought was a teaser for a new Virtua Fighter game. Unfortunately, Virtua Fighter fans were disappointed to learn that this was not the case, but fans of Sega's historic franchises were pleasantly surprised to learn that the company is working on multiple reboots.

Several new trademarks related to Sega's historic franchises have been filed. This could indicate an intention to reboot them alongside the games Sega announced at The Game Awards. Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Shinobi, Streets of Rage, and Golden Axe are already confirmed thanks to the announcement trailer at The Game Awards 2023, but Sega has also filed trademarks for After Burner, Altered Beast, Alex Kidd, Kid Chameleon, Outrun, House of the Dead, and Super Monkey Ball. Sega could have filed these trademarks simply to protect its historic IP, but more reboots can't be ruled out.

Eight more SEGA trademarks filed on December 6, made public today:

Alex Kidd: https://t.co/MojtgDfYVM
After Burner: https://t.co/anDs0wFWXg
Crazy Taxi: https://t.co/Y7Wp2biljg
House of the Dead: https://t.co/c0tx6xITRV
Outrun: https://t.co/jwu8nni87G
Shinobi:… pic.twitter.com/cm1o72a706

— Gematsu (@gematsu) December 14, 2023

Fans are encouraged to manage their expectations until Sega makes an official announcement. The company has addressed demands for a new Virtua Fighter game after fans of the respected fighting game franchise felt left out, with Sega of America CEO Shuji Utsumi saying that the company is deliberating on how it can make a hypothetical Virtua Fighter 6 stand out in the face of stiff competition from Street Fighter 6 and the upcoming Tekken 8.

Sega's Newly Trademarked Historic Franchises

After Burner
Alex Kidd
Altered Beast
House of the Dead
Kid Chameleon
Outrun
Super Monkey Ball

It's great to see Sega tapping into seemingly forgotten IP, and there is plenty to be excited about already. There is no telling what the future might hold, but Sega has a clear dedication to creating enjoyable experiences for its fans while respecting the legacy of its historic franchises. While it is indeed possible that Sega intends to make new games using the recently filed trademarks, it should be assumed that Sega is merely protecting its IP until an official announcement is made.

Posted: Dec 22, 2023 2:34 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://gamerant.com/sega-bring-back-classic-games-franchises-list/