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GameSpot Video Games, PC, Wii, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PSP, DS, GBA, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Sega gets Deep Fried

Publisher signs with Vancouver-based independent studio formed by Black Box vets to create PSP titles.
By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
Posted Sep 18, 2006 5:39 pm PT

Before it was purchased by Electronic Arts in 2002, Black Box Games worked on a number of games for Sega, including Sega Soccer Slam and NHL 2K. Now a new studio formed by ex-Black Box developers has signed on to make games for the publisher.

Sega today announced that it has tapped Vancouver-based Deep Fried Entertainment to work on PlayStation Portable games. Deep Fried was founded in June 2005 by five former Black Box developers with experience working on games like MDK2, NFL Gameday, Baldur's Gate, and the Need for Speed: Underground series.

The move continues a pair of Sega trends: a growing interest in external game development and more ties with Western developers. Sega has recently acquired Western studios The Creative Assembly, Secret Level, and Sports Interactive, and has signed development deals with Silicon Knights, Bizarre Creations, Obsidian Entertainment, Monolith Productions, Planet Moon Studios, and Pseudo Interactive.

Sega did not disclose what project the Deep Fried team is working on or when it's expected to be released.

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62 Comments

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rarson

Sega would be stupid to try and make a new console. Sticking to software was the best move they ever made. Especially with how aggressive MS and Sony have been with selling hardware at a loss.

The Dreamcast was awesome. I paid full price for that system and I still don't regret it. The best part about it at the time was all the Sega exclusives! I will never sell that console.

Regarding Nintendo going to software ala Sega: that would truly hurt the industry. I don't know how many of you guys are car guys, but in the late '90s, the Japanese companies were having a sports car war, and their respective cars were getting more and more expensive. The Toyota Supra, Mazda RX-7, Nissan 300ZX, and Mitsubishi 3000GT got so complicated and expensive that they were essentially competing with cars like BMWs. They literally priced themselves out of the market. After that came a period of time with no Japanese sports cars, which just recently changed with the advent of the 350Z.

Microsoft and Sony are doing the same thing. They are pushing so hard to one-up the other on system specs that they are making overpriced consoles. If Nintendo wasn't around, then there'd be no option to these ever-increasingly ridiculous prices. And then we'd have 1985 all over again.

Posted Sep 19, 2006 9:08 pm PT
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Max_Fischer

Jordan Bisasky - You can't say they got a bad deal on selling the 2K franchises. It was becoming too much of a hassel. It was the same old story of great Sega made games, but this time they were more widely loved [being much more widley known as annual sports games], yet still were outsold by Madden. It was best that they sold them and began working more with western style simply with deals from NA developers making general video games, not only westernized sports.

Posted Sep 19, 2006 2:18 pm PT
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minos30

I think they are giving it another try for a future console.... maybe for the next-next-gen.... they are building a good base of developers so .... who knows?

Posted Sep 19, 2006 2:02 pm PT
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amaranth_aeon

blueflamedino
dreamcast was great, although i bought it when it crasheed leaving the best at budget prices, but don't dis dreamcast, i still believe dreamcast had better visuals overall compared to the ps2


Everyone who owned a DC remembers it more fondly than anyone will remember the PS2 (and I love my PS2...). There was just something special about the Dreamcast. It introduced tons of great ideas that were then used by others. Shen Mue, anyone? Groundbreaking! Earthshattering!

Posted Sep 19, 2006 1:50 pm PT
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mezonesxbox

ahhh!... i though sega was FRIED!! LOL

Posted Sep 19, 2006 1:25 pm PT
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aashkii

Not another PSP game. At least make it a good one, okay?!

Posted Sep 19, 2006 1:10 pm PT
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crills

poor saga you will never make the dream cast 2 if you try to sell games on the psp thats system has been dead a long time the ds killed it maybe saga should just keep doing games for the ds and the next gen systems intil they make enuff money to go on there own again

Posted Sep 19, 2006 1:06 pm PT
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standcm12

GO SEGA! DREAMCAST 2 PLEEASSSEEEE!! XD

Posted Sep 19, 2006 11:52 am PT
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Zweihanderhero

Sega seems to be getting their second wind lately...PSU kicked ass and got great reviews,Yakuza was an awesome game and here's more good news.Good to see that they could still dish out good games that don't rely completely on their old franchises to succeed...

Still a game for PSP?Probably a retro title...hopefully a new Shining Force Strategy RPG or something

Posted Sep 19, 2006 11:46 am PT
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Lepuke

Sega is still my favorite developer, even if it is just mostly for nostalgia purposes these days.

Posted Sep 19, 2006 11:34 am PT
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WolfSkill5544

Cool, I can't wait to hear what games SEGA is making for the PSP.

Posted Sep 19, 2006 10:59 am PT
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MoodyFlame

i thought just like you fred_for_brains, i thought they got completely wiped out

Posted Sep 19, 2006 10:35 am PT
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redxwarriorxxx

good old Sega

Posted Sep 19, 2006 10:30 am PT
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insane956dv

O K

Posted Sep 19, 2006 10:23 am PT
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WillT12345

TintedChimes
mm...deep fried...mmm U beat me to it.

Posted Sep 19, 2006 10:06 am PT
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gugi_nayar

i don't find it really great

Posted Sep 19, 2006 8:49 am PT
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fred_for_brains

Phoo! For a second there I thought that they meant something even WORSE had happened to SEGA after going out of the hard ware race way back. But I just read a couple of lines and everything was OK. Yay for me !

Posted Sep 19, 2006 8:35 am PT
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blueflamedino

dreamcast was great, although i bought it when it crasheed leaving the best at budget prices, but don't dis dreamcast, i still believe dreamcast had better visuals overall compared to the ps2

Posted Sep 19, 2006 8:29 am PT
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Doolum

Sega Games=Good Games ( well please dont consider about the Dreamcast,not worth it )

Posted Sep 19, 2006 7:47 am PT
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amaranth_aeon

I also agree with PSdual_wielder. EA is getting scarier and scarier... They have such a huge share of the market that they care less and less about the quality of the games.
"Who cares if our games suck, they will soon be the only games left!!!" [insert evil mastermind demented laugh]

Posted Sep 19, 2006 7:46 am PT
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amaranth_aeon

SoraTheExtreme:
Ooooh, Landstalker... I'd love to know how that's coming along, too. It was already great on the Genesis, which wasn't exactly the perfect system for 3D.

Sega (or a Sega-owned studio) developing for the PSP is gerat news. Sega have always delivered in terms of innovative gameplay.

What I especially like about them is how they adapt to specific consoles. They don't just develop one idea and then figure out how to make it fit on this or that system.
(Argh, I must resist slipping into nostalgic mode about the DC... must... resist...)

Posted Sep 19, 2006 7:43 am PT
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TintedChimes

mm...deep fried...mmm

Posted Sep 19, 2006 6:48 am PT
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metdevthegamer

Um... Neat?

Posted Sep 19, 2006 6:38 am PT
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ZEELIX

sounds fine to me

Posted Sep 19, 2006 6:19 am PT
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Deepfreezed

what is a PSP? is it somthing you eat?

Posted Sep 19, 2006 5:59 am PT
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jonnyjd

I'm liking this news for the PSP.

Posted Sep 19, 2006 5:31 am PT
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Thorpe89  

I hope I can see plenty of new PSP titles.

Posted Sep 19, 2006 4:21 am PT
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GFofgaming

Great news coming for PSP. Hopefully this trend will cotinue.

Posted Sep 19, 2006 2:27 am PT
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azizrulez

soem pretty big studios here

Posted Sep 19, 2006 12:28 am PT
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DiscGuru101

Good news for the PSP. First Capcom and now Sega gives the PSP some love.

Posted Sep 18, 2006 11:42 pm PT
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kamicolo

Good job Sega, still making money

Posted Sep 18, 2006 11:38 pm PT
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HXCDEW

Sega loves PSP

Posted Sep 18, 2006 11:32 pm PT
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kells77

sweet, more PSP games means me more happy

Posted Sep 18, 2006 11:15 pm PT
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dadeisvenm

Yes. I love it when a plan comes together.

Posted Sep 18, 2006 10:08 pm PT
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ninjajuggalo810

good for sega i think their one of the best gaming companies ever nest to nintendo and sony its just too bad they left the console game

Posted Sep 18, 2006 9:51 pm PT
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mike_mgoblue

Sega is a stupid company when it comes to business...Well, Sega of Japan that is. Sega of Japan only looks at things from the point of view of Japan...and they just don't make good decisions...they are very arrogant.

Posted Sep 18, 2006 9:25 pm PT
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Jordan Bisasky

Sega makes some really stupid decisions. Maybe they shouldn't have sold off their 2K line for next to nothing if they wanted a western presence.

But Sega sealed their fate way back in the 90's. Oh well, let's hope Sonic on the 360/PS3 is good.

Posted Sep 18, 2006 9:12 pm PT
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PSdual_wielder

Anything that harmed or have any miniscule negative effects on EA is good news. Former designers from EA quitting them and making a new developer acquired by another publisher? Not any hard hit but good just because those guys left EA.

Posted Sep 18, 2006 9:12 pm PT
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SonicNinja976

Hmph....

Posted Sep 18, 2006 9:04 pm PT
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boxcarracer565

hmmm. useless info.

Posted Sep 18, 2006 8:31 pm PT
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Bathyj

DreamworkS12
Don't ever come back with a console SEGA, just stick to what you do best... games!! And the more original IPs you make for the PSP the better!! Rock on!

I can't help but think maybe Nintendo should have done the same thing. I dont mean for the PSP, just games in general. Surely they cant afford to lose this time round.

Posted Sep 18, 2006 8:19 pm PT
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SoraTheExtreme

The awaited return of SEGA? Hope so, I grew up with my MegaDrive and Sonic. (VegetaMaelstrom: I'm currently playing Shadow the Hedgehog and it rocks!!)

Posted Sep 18, 2006 8:17 pm PT
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ebonyflame

Pay attention to the signs. Nintendo making huge stride to become number one in gaming at home. Owning the handheld scene for a couple of generations. I think the time may be growing nigh for Nintendo's old dance partner to put its dancing shoes again and enter the home gaming fray. ANytime soon, probably not until the dust from the next few years home gaming war settles. But they are (Sega) strategically positioning themselves for a very bright future. Developer after developer, gaining momentum in the software sector, etc., etc. The future looks very interesting.

Posted Sep 18, 2006 8:04 pm PT
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Charlie2688

They will probably come up with some pretty sweet new IPs !

Posted Sep 18, 2006 8:02 pm PT
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VegetaMaelstrom

Hopefully ther aren't working on another Shadow the Hegdehog "game".

Posted Sep 18, 2006 7:58 pm PT
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comthitnuong

at first i thought deep fried meant they were in trouble

Posted Sep 18, 2006 7:54 pm PT
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rarson

R2R was a Midway game, it was ported to PS2 while the DC was still alive.

I hope Sega continues making awesome software. It's good to see the company doing well (RIP Atari).

Posted Sep 18, 2006 7:31 pm PT
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CyphenX

Wow, that's some good talent. Onwards, Sega!

Posted Sep 18, 2006 7:27 pm PT
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GraduatedGamer

You know it's possible that all of the Dreamcast and Sega games could be remade on the PSP, even sequels. I'd love to play Ready 2 Rumble again.

Posted Sep 18, 2006 7:18 pm PT
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