Critical Evaluation

Studying Sega for this project seemed to me like the logical choice from the off-set. They are a company that have lasted throughout the turbulent times of the digital games industry, and a plethora of information is readily available from reliable sources all over the internet and within literature. My interest in Sega stems from when i was a child. My first home console was the Sega Master System, and it was 'Alex Kidd in Miracle Land' that sparked a passion for the field. By choosing to study Sega i would not only be able to find out many things about the company, but keep interest in the project overall, something that is incredibly important to a unit of this length.
I found it easiest to report on my findings from an unbiased standpoint nearer the start of the project (it's hard to be bias when typing out a company history), though i believe over the course of the study it is something that i have developed well. I figured the best place to start would be with the overall history of the company itself, as this gives the rest of the blog posts more context and a reference point if need be. Most of my research was internet based, checking a variety of sources referencing the major points in order to clarify, compile and strengthen my research. I understand that the internet, as is it's nature, can be inaccurate. My main research came from news reports, blogs, reviews, and market research. I did find it hard to find some of the information i was after, particularly from an academic standpoint. Historical data was easy to find, it just had to be checked for accuracy, but the more in depth subjects yielded little reliable data. It took a long while of researching, and then clarifying my research to arrive at anything that i could use on some topics.
One of the main factors that i wished to address and work towards was Sega's pinnacle decision to become a dedicated 3rd party developer, and this is why i chose to narrow down my study, focusing only on the years up until that point. I planned to make that decision the topic of my last blog post from the beginning as it was always a question that i have considered personally, and i believed that it would provide a suitable conclusive post for the study. I found out many interesting things about this matter, many of which i did not know. The fan reaction to the 'Mega-CD' and the '32-x', and the internal disputes between branches being perfect examples of this. I believe that i covered this area suitably, linking the reported factors to Sega's decline well, but there is still more to be reported. I would have also liked to have gained a more personal attitude towards this topic by maybe including video responses recorded by fans of Sega, and indeed digital games as a whole, reporting their feelings towards the decision.
One area that i would work on if i were to be given more time would be the cultural impacts of Sega as i believe that i have barely scraped the barrel, and the post that i made included very little information on the companies social impacts either. I missed perfectly good examples, and had little time left at the end to write a new blog. Facts such as Sonic the Hedgehog is the only non-Disney character at Disney World are a perfect example of Sega's cultural saturation and show the once mighty power of the gaming giant. One of the major factors that i missed until recently was the almost single handed introduction to successful online gaming that has almost changed the way that modern games are designed, marketed and played. If that is not a major influence upon gaming culture then i don't know what is.
This is the first blog that i have ever had the pleasure of writing, and i have come to like the process itself, finding it very accessible, though not necessarily my choice of host website. I have suffered with many problems trying to save, format fonts and upload videos since i began. Were i to redo this blog under the same conditions i would research prior to each individual topic, and then go back and amend when needed. I did all of the research for this study in one lump over a long period of time, taking a while to make my first post. I then tried to space the posts out evenly but have ended up making a few posts within days of each other. I would plan my time more effectively.
I have gained an entirely new outlook on Sega via working on this case study. The company seems to me very unlucky in some respects, almost always being taken on the back foot by it's competitors, despite the vast effect it has had on the industry. I have a better insight into the company's mistakes and success', and understand much more about the events that have shaped Sega into the company they are today. My image of Sega is no longer one of an elevated gaming icon, but is much more understanding and realistic, though still with a sentimental fondness. There are few consoles or companies that have developed such a strong cult following over the years, despite the decision to cease console development carrying with it an inherent aura of defeat.
Overall i believe that the study has gone well, and i personally feel i have succeeded in what i set out to do with my original hypothesis as my knowledge on the subject has grown, and i feel that my attitudes and feelings have changed to reflect this. My main aim was to address the end of Sega's hardware days, and i feel that this is one of the areas i have succeeded in most. There are areas that i would still like to address as i believe that i have merely touched the tip of the iceberg, and for this reason i plan to continue with this blog after submission. One topic i am very interested in is the Sega Mega Drive, and there is a gargantuan amount of information available on that, so that is definitely a future post. I feel that i have used the information i found selectively an appropriately.
I am extremely happy with the outcome of this case study and i hope that it has made an interesting read. I thank you for your time and hope you will return in the future.