News
Sega Announces Temporarily Titled 'Mega Drive Mini' Console for Release in Japan this Year (Updated)
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Sega announced at the "Sega Fes" event in Tokyo on Saturday that it will release a temporarily titled "Mega Drive Mini" console this year in Japan to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its Mega Drive console. The console will feature "memorable famous games" that Sega originally released on the Mega Drive.
Sega-Sammy Holdings Inc.'s President and CEO Haruki Satomi stated at the event that the "Mega Drive Mini" will be different from an "overseas version" now on sale. Sega is itself planning and releasing the console.
AtGames released a Sega Genesis Flashback console last year, which featured 85 built-in games, although many of the games were ports and weren't originally released on the Sega Genesis. Sega officially authorized the console for several countries.
The Sankei Shimbun newspaper had reported on Sunday that Kenji Matsubara, President and COO of Sega Games Co., Ltd., said that Sega was considering re-releasing the Mega Drive console. Matsubara told the newspaper that Sega is investigating the possibility due to fans asking for a revival, in addition to the popularity of Nintendo's recently re-released consoles.
Matsubara said that while currently Sega publishes games on other companies' consoles domestically, it can utilize the distribution network for a possible game console release, but before re-entering the game console market Sega would need to consider things such as repair and maintenance. Matsubara also said that Sega was also considering the alternative option of instead creating HD remasters of older games. He also said at the time that Sega was considering importing the Sega Genesis Flashback into Japan.
The Mega Drive was Sega's third console, and Sega released the console in Japan in 1989. Sega released the console in the same year in North America under the name Sega Genesis. Sega withdrew from the games console market in 2001.
Update: AtGames confirmed on Twitter on Saturday that the Mega Drive Mini will be "powered by the latest AtGames technology." Thanks, Kicksville.
Update 2: As of April 21, AtGames has deleted the above Twitter post. ANN reached out to AtGames for clarification and a company representative stated AtGames couldn't comment on the situation at this time.
Sources: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web, Sankei Shimbun via Hachima Kikō
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history