Difference between revisions of "Sega Technical Institute"

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[[File:sti.png|frame|right|Sega Technical Institute logo, as seen in the opening of ''Comix Zone''.]]
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{{CompanyBob
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'''The Sega Technical Institute''' was a video game development division of [[Sega]] based in the United States, unlike the [[Sega#Internal structure|AM]] divisions which were based in Japan.
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| logo=sti.png
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| division=[[Sega of America]]
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| founded=1990-01
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| defunct=1996
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| mergedwith=
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| mergedinto=[[Sega of America]]
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| headquarters=[[wikipedia:Palo Alto, California|Suite 100, 3600 West Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, California 94303, United States]]{{ref|https://hiddenpalace.org/News/Sega_Technical_Institute’s_Cancelled_Segapede}}
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| headquartersdate=1990
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| headquarters2=[[wikipedia:Redwood Shores, California|255 Shoreline Drive, Redwood City, California 94065, United States]]{{intref|Interview: Peter Morawiec (2007-04-20) by Sega-16}}{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20230621013553/http://www.lostlevels.org/200403/timeline.shtml}}
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| headquartersdate2=1992
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| headquarters3=[[wikipedia:Redwood Shores, California|275 Shoreline Drive, Redwood City, California 94065, United States]]{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20230621013553/http://www.lostlevels.org/200403/timeline.shtml}}
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| headquartersdate3=1995
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}}{{stub}}'''Sega Technical Institute''' (STI) was a video game development division of [[Sega of America]] which produced a number of the company's first-party video games during the first half of the 1990s. It is notable for producing the [[Sega Mega Drive]]'s top selling game, ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive)|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'', along with its sequel, ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'' and others such as ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball]]'', ''[[Comix Zone]]'', ''[[Kid Chameleon]]'' and ''[[The Ooze]]''.
  
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STI was at one time an elite organization within [[Sega of America]] that developed well-received games such as ''[[Die Hard Arcade]]'' (the result of a team-up between STI and successful [[arcade game]] developers AM1), ''[[Comix Zone]]'', ''[[Kid Chameleon]]'' and ''[[The Ooze]]''. STI's focus was to create character properties that could be built into a franchise.
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In early 1996, the division established a satellite office headquartered in [[wikipedia:Burbank, California|Burbank, California]] named [[STI Burbank]], responsible for the unreleased [[Saturn]] games ''[[Comix Zone (Saturn)|Comix Zone]]'' and ''[[Sonic Saturn]]''.  
  
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Though the original ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' was developed in Japan, [[Sonic Team]] moved to the STI headquarters for the development of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'', and several STI members assisted in the development of that game. Sonic Team stayed for ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'' and ''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'' but did not seek help from STI for the development of those games.
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==History==
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[[File:MTV Howard Drossin.png|thumb|right|280px|STI's in-house composer [[Howard Drossin]].]]
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STI was established by [[Mark Cerny]] as a development division within the offices of [[Sega of America]] with the goal of producing high quality video games in the United States. It was conceived almost as a training facility{{intref|Interview: Peter Morawiec (2007-04-20) by Sega-16}}, in which experienced Japanese staff would fly over to train American developers, many of whom had no prior experience in games{{intref|Interview: Mark Cerny (2006-12-05) by Sega-16}}. However, the plan backfired, initially with delays in sorting out the correct work visas (meaning the Americans were ready, making games before the Japanese had left the country). As a result of this, STI's first product, ''[[Dick Tracy]]'' was built by a wholly American team.
  
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Following corporate shake-ups and a vision of a more streamlined [[Sega of America]], STI found itself gravitating towards localising Sega's Japanese games, with many of its original products being scrapped. It inevitably merged back into Sega of America.
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After the release of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', lead programmer [[Yuji Naka]] briefly left [[Sega]], but after the game proved popular, was convinced by Cerny to travel to the US to begin work on a sequel, ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive)|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]''. Naka, alongside other Japanese staff (including core "Sonic Team" member [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]]) became members of STI and began the project in conjunction with US staff, however severe language and cultural barriers effectively drove STI into two distinct teams after its release{{intref|Interview: Mark Cerny (2006-12-05) by Sega-16}}{{ref|Interview: Peter Morawiec (2007-04-20) by Sega-16}}{{ref|https://www.thesegalounge.com/117-howarddrossin1/}}, with the parties acknowledging that ''Sonic 3'' would be better served by a Japanese-only team. Cerny also left STI after ''Sonic 2''.
  
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Game development luminaries [[Mark Cerny]] and [[Stieg Hedlund]] were at one time part of the organization.
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The American developers continued on their own projects, namely ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball]]'' and later ''[[Comix Zone]]'' and ''[[The Ooze]]''. After the release of ''Sonic 3'' and ''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'', many of the Japanese developers returned to Japan, and Sega of America took full control of STI. STI would work with the Japanese [[Sega AM1]] division in creating ''[[Die Hard Arcade]]'', but following corporate shake-ups, would become "Sega of America Product Development"{{intref|Interview: Mike Wallis (2007-06-19) by Sega-16}}, managing external development and localising games for the US market. During this period, several of its original products were scrapped. The creative control at STI meant several projects were started but unfinished, the most notable being the infamous ''[[Sonic X-treme]]'', a widely-publicised 3D ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' game destined for the [[Sega Saturn]].
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Years after its closure, a number of former Sega Technical Institute staff (such as [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]]) would later migrate to developer [[Naughty Dog]], working on titles such as the ''Jak & Daxter'' series and ''Uncharted''.
  
 
==Softography==
 
==Softography==
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*''[[Kid Chameleon]]'' (1992)
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{{CompanyHistoryAll|Sega Technical Institute}}
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*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' (1992) (with [[Sonic Team]])
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*''[[Sonic Spinball]]'' (1993)
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==List of staff==
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*''[[Comix Zone]]'' (1995)
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{{StaffList|Sega Technical Institute}}
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*''[[The Ooze]]'' (1995)
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*''[[Die Hard Arcade]]'' (1996) (with [[Sega AM1]])
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==External links==
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*''[[Sonic X-treme]]'' (1996; cancelled) (with [[Sonic Team]])
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*''[https://www.sega-16.com/2007/06/developers-den-sega-technical-institute/ Developer's Den: Sega Technical Institute]'' article by Ken Horowitz at ''[https://www.sega-16.com Sega-16]''
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* ''[[NFL '97]]'' (1996) (with [[GameTek]])
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*''[https://cartridgethunder.com/blogs/between-the-grooves/the-history-of-the-sega-technical-institute-new The Unique History of the Sega Technical Institute]'' article by Kevin Tihon at ''[https://cartridgethunder.com Cartridge Thunder]''
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*''[https://genesistemple.com/sega-technical-institute-the-story-the-games Sega Technical Institute - the history & the games]'' article by Damiano Gerli at ''[https://genesistemple.com The Genesis Temple]''
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==References==
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<references />
  
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In addition, ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'' and ''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'' were developed at the STI headquarters, but entirely by [[Sonic Team]] with little STI involvement.
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{{SoAR&D}}
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{{SegaDevs}}
 
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[[Category:Development Companies]]
 

Latest revision as of 09:56, 18 October 2023

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Sega Technical Institute (STI) was a video game development division of Sega of America which produced a number of the company's first-party video games during the first half of the 1990s. It is notable for producing the Sega Mega Drive's top selling game, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, along with its sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and others such as Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball, Comix Zone, Kid Chameleon and The Ooze.

In early 1996, the division established a satellite office headquartered in Burbank, California named STI Burbank, responsible for the unreleased Saturn games Comix Zone and Sonic Saturn.

History

STI's in-house composer Howard Drossin.

STI was established by Mark Cerny as a development division within the offices of Sega of America with the goal of producing high quality video games in the United States. It was conceived almost as a training facility[2], in which experienced Japanese staff would fly over to train American developers, many of whom had no prior experience in games[4]. However, the plan backfired, initially with delays in sorting out the correct work visas (meaning the Americans were ready, making games before the Japanese had left the country). As a result of this, STI's first product, Dick Tracy was built by a wholly American team.

After the release of Sonic the Hedgehog, lead programmer Yuji Naka briefly left Sega, but after the game proved popular, was convinced by Cerny to travel to the US to begin work on a sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Naka, alongside other Japanese staff (including core "Sonic Team" member Hirokazu Yasuhara) became members of STI and began the project in conjunction with US staff, however severe language and cultural barriers effectively drove STI into two distinct teams after its release[4][2][5], with the parties acknowledging that Sonic 3 would be better served by a Japanese-only team. Cerny also left STI after Sonic 2.

The American developers continued on their own projects, namely Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball and later Comix Zone and The Ooze. After the release of Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, many of the Japanese developers returned to Japan, and Sega of America took full control of STI. STI would work with the Japanese Sega AM1 division in creating Die Hard Arcade, but following corporate shake-ups, would become "Sega of America Product Development"[6], managing external development and localising games for the US market. During this period, several of its original products were scrapped. The creative control at STI meant several projects were started but unfinished, the most notable being the infamous Sonic X-treme, a widely-publicised 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game destined for the Sega Saturn.

Years after its closure, a number of former Sega Technical Institute staff (such as Hirokazu Yasuhara) would later migrate to developer Naughty Dog, working on titles such as the Jak & Daxter series and Uncharted.

Softography

Sega Titan Video

Arcade

Master System

Mega Drive

Game Gear

32X

Saturn

Windows PC

List of staff

External links

References

  1. ↑ Hidden Palace: News
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Interview: Peter Morawiec (2007-04-20) by Sega-16 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Interview: Peter Morawiec (2007-04-20) by Sega-16" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.lostlevels.org/200403/timeline.shtml (Wayback Machine: 2023-06-21 01:35)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Interview: Mark Cerny (2006-12-05) by Sega-16
  5. ↑ https://www.thesegalounge.com/117-howarddrossin1/
  6. ↑ Interview: Mike Wallis (2007-06-19) by Sega-16


Timeline of Sega of America research and development divisions









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