Sega is a company that has experienced some historical stumbles. Dreamcast is one of the best consoles in history, Sega Saturn was a marvel that still fascinates today, and perhaps Sonic has never reached the iconic status of Mario, but Sega’s missteps have always been in the pursuit of something new, even when they push the boundaries with difficulty. However, their latest industrial decision seems more like the old meme of a man sticking a stick in his own wheels rather than just a stumble.
Sega recently canceled Hyenas, their online extraction shooter, which was essentially finished. This surprised much of the press because, as mentioned, it was nearly complete: the last beta of the game was held on September 28th. And behind this decision, as the days have passed, more disasters have come to light, confirming the suspicions from the beginning.
VCG conducted a report, asking an anonymous developer what could have gone wrong in the six years of Hyenas’ development. Their response? A complete lack of direction from the management, a change of game engine midway through development, attempting to enter an oversaturated market without daring to do anything bold or new with the game. In other words, a combination of problems that was impossible to overcome.
Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that, according to the same developer, Hyenas became Sega’s most expensive game in the company’s history. This led to Sega Japan personnel being more or less permanently stationed in the UK offices toward the end of its development to oversee what was happening.
Nevertheless, the developer himself states he’s not angry with Sega, stating that he understands that continuing the project would have only resulted in further financial losses. He’s frustrated with the management team and all the executives who mishandled the situation. Everyone who made erratic decisions, greenlit the project, and then steered a senseless project aimlessly.
The failure of Hyenas demonstrates that something is amiss within Sega, and it’s not due to their workforce.
