Sega AM2

From Sega Retro

Sega AM2 logo, sans palm tree.

Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 or Sega AM2 is the second arcade division at Sega. It introduced a variety of innovative concepts for Sega's arcade business. In the 80's it introduced sprite-scaling graphics and moving cabinets with games such as Hang-On, Space Harrier and After Burner. In the 90's it popularized polygonal 3D graphics with Virtua Racing, Virtua Fighter and Virtua Cop. In the 2000's, the international arcade market has contracted, but Sega still gained momentum in the Japanese market. This is party due to Virtua Fighter 4 internet and magnetic card features in Japanese arcades. Sega enjoyed large revenue based on these concepts for over a decade, and still does today.

In the home console business, it produced the obscure Sword of Vermillion and Rent-A-Hero for Mega Drive/Genesis, and Digital Dance Mix Vol.1 Namie Amuro for the Sega Saturn. Critically and commerically, the Virtua Fighter series proved to be most successful home console projects for AM2, especially Virtua Fighter 2 for the Saturn and Virtua Fighter 4 for PlayStation 2. The most monumental AM2 home console games, were the Shenmue games, built as a killer app for the Sega Dreamcast. Outside of the arcade enviorment, AM2 is currently most prolific with the Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA games where AM2 produced the arcade and 3DS versions, and also the look and imagery for her holographic concerts. The arcade versions provided a base for the following home console releases of the series.

In 1998, Toshihiro Nagoshi formed his own arcade department within AM2, Sega AM11, where he worked on SpikeOut. In 2000, that department was spun off as Amusement Vision.

In 1999, the division renamed Sega Software R&D Dept. #2. Sega AM2 was at times called AM2 of CRI during its short 2000-2001 merger with CRI—even concurrently referred to as CRI, although they were technically two different companies. In August 2001, CRI changed company name to Sega-AM2.[1][2]

In 2003, [Digital Rex] was formed, a seperate division by AM2 chief Yu Suzuki. He worked on several projects, however only Sega Race TV was able to be released.

During a 2008 restructure, the third arcade studio, AM3 (2005-2008) was dissolved and some of it's franchises became part of AM2.

Arcade

Sega Space Harrier

Sega OutRun

X Board

Y Board

System 32

Sega Model 1

Sega Model 2

Sega Model 2A CRX

Sega Model 2B CRX

Sega Model 3 Step 1.0

Sega Model 3 Step 1.5

Sega Model 3 Step 2.1

Sega Titan Video

NAOMI

NAOMI 2

Chihiro

Lindbergh

RingEdge

RingWide

Nu

Consumer

Mega Drive

Saturn

Dreamcast

PlayStation 2

GameCube

Xbox

Xbox 360

Wii

PlayStation 3

Nintendo 3DS

PlayStation 4

PC

iOS

Android

External links

References

  1. ↑ http://dengekionline.com/data/news/2001/8/1/70e819844b813fbf73f290e563297591.html
  2. ↑ File:Dorimaga_JP_20010824_2001-07.pdf, page 11


Timeline of Sega of Japan research and development divisions








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