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With no new exclusive software due for the system and the merger with Sammy damaging the relationship further it looks like SEGA are to wave farewell. Granted the fan base for Phantasy Star and Monkey Ball will always mean they'll appear on Nintendo systems, but it looks increasingly likely that these games will be appearing on rival formats too. PSO Universe is almost certainly going to appear on one rival format, Sonic deserted Nintendo's system earlier this year and Super Monkey Ball: Deluxe (which could be SMB and SMB2 combined) is set for the PS2.
Of course previous exclusive title Virtual Fighter Quest also got a PS2 version.
This is a disaster, Nintendo's friends in SEGA such as Sonic Team and Amusement Vision maybe forced to make their games multi-format and cancel their previous exclusive support for the Gamecube.
But there is something else. Nintendo and Bandai.
Are we on the verge of a new Japanese super power????
Whether it is a merger or a complete Nintendo buyout is unsure but Nintendo have been progressivly becoming bigger and bigger owners of the Dragon Ball z and Digimon company. Some of the biggest worldwide franchises. Nintendo currently own a 2.3% share of the company making them the ninth largest investor and they appear to be the only one who are interested in adding to their holdings.
Nintendo's Pokemon, Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong franchises are known worlwide and the national and global appeal of cult hits such as Dragonball Z is interesting Nintendo. Bandai are essentially a more cartoon based enterprise who develop unique gadgets and in particular video games. Much like SEGA and Sammy, these two Japanese giants are getting closer every year.
We all talk about the possibility of Namco, Microsoft, Capcom and SEGA mergers but if we are being totally realistic here... it is Bandai and Nintendo who are most likely of jumping in bed together.
Is the future bright?
Meanwhile I buy most Nintendo games... even the naff ones.
There are exceptions, Timesplitters and Prince of Persia has a unique fan base but the Bond games, Potter games, MOH games etc... don't have a fan base to fall back on.
Nintendo fans see the Monkey Ball franchise as a Nintendo franchise and therefore claim it as their own.
Look at Viewtiful Joe and Killer 7. We could not stop going on about how great these games are. Now they are being released on the PS2 AS WELL nobody seemed to bother mentioning them, because we don't really care anymore. And to think for months we were touting Killer 7 as the next big thing.
> We will get SMB3 it's a done thing...
>
> Just the series is no longer exclusive.
I think Sega have realised after the number of sales of Sonic Hero's on the PS2, that the PS2 can generate profit for Sega.
That would be an even bigger bonus for Nintendo, even if it did make us all hope that the sun suddenly implodes.
Just the series is no longer exclusive.
It was more mentioned by the team than confirmed by SEGA.