Sega buys Secret Level

With its eye on Western next-gen gamers, the Japanese publisher subsumes the San Francisco indie shop.

Last July, independent studio Secret Level announced a next-generation development deal with game giant Sega. The arrangement was to see the San Francisco-based shop "re-create a classic Sega franchise" on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for the Japanese developer. While the unnamed game in question isn't Sonic the Hedgehog--which is being shepherded into the next generation internally--the prospect of a next-gen Altered Beast or Golden Axe has many gamers excited.

Whatever the project is, it apparently has Sega excited too. So excited, in fact, that today the former console maker announced it is buying Secret Level outright. Prior to its next-gen project, Secret Level was best known for developing Karaoke Revolution, Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds, and America's Army: Rise of a Soldier.

Though financial details of the purchase were not disclosed, Sega was up front about its motivation for paying top dollar for Secret Level. "We looked long and hard at building an internal studio from scratch, but were so impressed with the team at Secret Level and their next-gen technology that we decided to create our internal development infrastructure through a direct acquisition," said Simon Jeffery, Sega of America's president and COO.

The deal comes just over a year after Sega acquired The Creative Assembly, makers of the highly acclaimed Total War PC strategy series and the not-so-highly acclaimed Spartan: Total Warrior for consoles. It also comes two weeks after Sega announced another major deal with a Western developer. On March 23, it announced it will "collaboratively develop" an all-new role-playing game with NeverWinter Nights 2 developer Obsidian Entertainment for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

49 Comments

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted Apr 8, 2006 5:08 pm PT

    it's not secret, what are they talking about?

  • Sonic43090

    Posted Apr 5, 2006 11:57 am PT

    *hoping for Streets of Rage 4*

  • troakun

    Posted Apr 5, 2006 9:29 am PT

    Wow, Sega's been buying a lot of developers lately. To think a couple of years ago there was the prospect of Nintendo buying Sega.

  • majin_vegeta300

    Posted Apr 5, 2006 5:44 am PT

    A new shining force and phantasy star would be GREAT (shining force neo messed up the whole strategy RPG thing) and maybe in the next...next generation (ya know...after ps3 rev and 360) we can see a Sega console, that would be gaming nirvana...too much mainstream gaming nowadays *dreams back to when sonic and mario ruled the world*

  • John_of_Fire

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 10:45 pm PT

    Wow Sega's on a roll. They seem to be making some decent choices, in purchasing and publishing. I hope them the best as long as they continue to be innovative and take risks.

  • thefjk

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 6:00 pm PT

    Go SEGA, Go SEGA, Go!

  • Gmex

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 5:23 pm PT

    umm yay?

  • smbius

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 2:09 pm PT

    Alien Soldier, Ranger-X, etc.

  • smbius

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 2:06 pm PT

    How about another Dragon Force or Shining Force IV!! Phantasy Star!

  • skyvader

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 12:27 pm PT

    If you think about it, it has to be a game that hasn't been redone in quite some time. TJ and Earl has been done on the Xbox. Shinobi has been done on the PS2. Panzer Dragoon has been done on Xbox. So look at all the games people are wanting to see redone and you will see that most have already been redone. Dig deeper into the vault and you will find some gems that have never seen the light of day since maybe the master system. What about Alex Kid? Or some arcade titles such as a new Thunderblade, Galaxy Force, Space Harrier (my bad as there was an update called planet harriers) or Afterburner (already in the works). Hang on hasn't been done in some time. The key word in the report is "franchise" which usually implies more than one game bearing the name was released. Altered beast already has a ps2 sequal. Golden Axe...maybe as the last release was on the Saturn.

  • sonic86

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 12:23 pm PT

    This is great news! So no one asks yes I was a Sega fan boy when they made consoles. I can't wait to see what this means!

  • Octagon

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 11:10 am PT

    a good Shinobi?

  • tehl33tninj4

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 10:48 am PT

    I am hoping for a sequel to Panzer Dragoon Saga... Please let that be the game they are going to make.

  • Miltonelite

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 10:46 am PT

    Space Harrier FTW!

  • Loutronz

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 10:09 am PT

    Cheers to SEGA !
    Better than hearing of another EA purchase.
    Hopefully SEGA will stick to what they do best and that is making original content.
    Besides, Mr. Moore is not available.
    He is currently busy ruining another home console.
    Nothing against the 360, I just can't stand Pete Moore.

  • gleniscool

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 10:00 am PT

    I hope they remake Clockwork Knight. Was that Sega? I don't know.

    Actually, let's see another Vectorman.

    And make Nights Into Dreams 2 for Revolution. Holy crudupples.

  • homsuplo75

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 10:00 am PT

    extremely curious to see what has Sega all excited

  • Merl57

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 10:00 am PT

    wow sega is making money? great!

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 9:28 am PT

    Looking forward to see what comes of this.

  • Donkeljohn Site moderator

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 8:47 am PT

    Next-gen Golden Axe would be truly desirable.

  • chaos3259

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 8:37 am PT

    POWERSTONE,POWERSTONE,POWERSTONE!!!!

  • bluedevl420

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 8:36 am PT

    GOLDEN AXE 3!!!! or a new road rash would be nice too...

  • kalabo10688

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 8:35 am PT

    Sega its offical now welcome back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • joestierman

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 8:27 am PT

    streets of rage was an awesome game. sega - "screw making a studio... lets just buy one."

  • Omega-Protoman

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 7:26 am PT

    Sega seems to be making itself into a pretty good software publisher.

  • 0diablo0

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 6:28 am PT

    meh sega sucks thats why the genisis went nowhere........

  • Smoke2Much

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 6:17 am PT

    Sega coming out from the ashes slowly !!! Way to go Sega can't wait to see what else you come up with for the Next-Gen !

  • Autolycus

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 6:08 am PT

    whats with buying the competition?! damn EA for starting this crap. While it's great to SEGA come back from the bankrupcy, let the small houses make it big! or at least give them a chance.

  • Orasion_Seiz

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 6:06 am PT

    nice move Sega

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 5:23 am PT

    teh buyouts!!!1 ok, with a larger funding pool, let's see what Secret Level can do now.....

  • drangel_jam

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 4:48 am PT

    Sega better come fully loaded for the new generation race! Ultimately, it's all about the final product. Does anybody remember Matrix Online? All the hype the didn't even keep them from giving up on the game.

  • Jerkov

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 3:47 am PT

    GOLDEN AXE NEXT GEN!!! that would be super kooool, im still playing the origional:S

  • Sandman100

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 3:22 am PT

    It a good buy for Sega.

  • Helljin_Deist

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 2:20 am PT

    NiGHTS

  • chaos3259

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 2:20 am PT

    I hope that Sega starts making consoles again cos they had all the best games. A new powerstone would be good!!

  • chaos3259

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 2:18 am PT

    Streets of rage, Golden Axe or Zombies

  • OldStupidGeezer

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 1:43 am PT

    nIghts

  • vaejas

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 1:13 am PT

    Alex Kiiiiiidd! Wonder Booooyy! Strider! NiGHTS! Anything but another Phantasy Star remake! I can get that on almost every other system.

  • MadonnaProject

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 12:49 am PT

    I am actually happy to see that sega is doing quite good, maybe it was not such a bad thing coming out of the hardware development now theyre beginning to actually arise once again. Not to mention they gave us some of the most unique games this gen such as JET SET RADIO FUTURE and OTOGI....

    good for you sega....

    but this time lets not have another one of those GODAWFUL HORRENDOUS SHAMELESS WHORING of the american army and its "heroics" ok? not while the rest of the world still has brains they use.

  • LordBrittish

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 12:46 am PT

    Now, lets see Sega come out with it's own Next Gen Console.

  • gary1412

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 12:43 am PT

    Come on Streets of Rage!!!! *FINGERS CROSSED*

  • Col-Neil

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 12:42 am PT

    *dreams of playing Golden Axe or Streets of Rage on the PS3 or xbox 360*

  • nolsinkler

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 12:27 am PT

    I kind of want a new Vectorman. I was really excited when a new V-man was announced back when...but then it got cancelled.

  • TintedChimes

    Posted Apr 4, 2006 12:12 am PT

    Hopefully they'll re-make a cool game. I remember when SEGA was great with hack and slash games. Fingers crossed.

  • Nintendo_Man

    Posted Apr 3, 2006 11:21 pm PT

    They have always been making good games.

  • tshack5188

    Posted Apr 3, 2006 11:15 pm PT

    maybe now they'll start makin good games again

  • godovivel

    Posted Apr 3, 2006 11:13 pm PT

    1 2 3

  • SCARFACELP

    Posted Apr 3, 2006 11:10 pm PT

    good news for sega. secret level seems to be a competent developer , America's Army was a great game (probably not in the way the army intended , since it didn't make me want to be a soldier , but a great game none the less),
    and that can only mean good news for some of sega's old franchises.

  • mithund

    Posted Apr 3, 2006 10:55 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

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