Sega’s Yosuke Okunari talked about the future of Sega’s mini consoles in the latest issue of Famitsu magazine. With the Game Gear Micro just released in Japan, Okunari mulled over the next mini console project should Sega decide to make another one. [Thanks, Ryokutya2089.]
Here are some highlighted quotes by Yosuke Okunari from the interview:
- “For the next Mini, we are considering everything that has been imagined by everyone.”
- “Of course, it doesn’t mean we can realize all of them. We are also thinking about projects that nobody has imagined.”
- “The projects are moved by a substantial amount of money, so we’re working first on the one that, realistically speaking, has the highest possibility.”
- “The Game Gear Micro is only sold domestically in Japan. When we do the next one, I feel like the project scope will be much bigger as we gaze upon the world. So we won’t be able to release it at this time the next year or two years after the Mega Drive Mini. We can’t make it that quickly. (laughs)”
- “I think for the next one, we may go with a concept close to the Mega Drive Mini. If I have to say some names, it could be an SG-1000 Mini or a Dreamcast Mini…”
After making the last point, an R360 Mini (based on the motion-based arcade cabinet) was mentioned, to which Okunari laughingly affirmed while mentioning that the Inu no Osanpo Mini project (based on the dog walking simulator arcade game) may also be approved.
Sega’s latest miniature console, the Game Gear Micro, was just released in Japan on October 6, 2020. The Mega Drive Mini, which is mentioned in the above interview and is also known in North America as Sega Genesis Mini, has been available worldwide since September 19, 2019.