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Sega unveils Game Gear Micro on 30th anniversary
The company is also exploring a "Fog Gaming" concept that would make use of arcade machines outside of normal business hours.
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Sega has announced the Game Gear Micro for release in Japan in October 2020. (Sega/File)
In celebration of its own 70th anniversary and a 30-year-old handheld console, Sega has created a miniature Game Gear Micro.
Initially announced for Japan with a release date of October 6, the palm-sized Game Gear Micro comes in four colors, each stocked with four different games.
The classic black Game Gear Micro provides Sonic the Hedgehog, falling block puzzle Puyo Puyo 2, open-top arcade racer Outrun and turn-based strategy Royal Stone.
Sonic the Hedgehog Chaos aka Sonic and Tails leads the charge on the blue Micro, joined by iconic action title Gunstar Heroes, another falling block puzzle, Baku Baku Animal, and action adventure Sylvan Tale.
The red GGM contains ninja platformer Shinobi, Sega's most famous falling block title Columns, and two early Megami Tensei role-playing adventures in Last Bible and Last Bible Special.
Lastly, the yellow GGM is host to another three formative role-playing games in Shining Force, Shining Force II and Shining Force: Final Conflict, as well as Puyo Puyo spin-off Nazo Puyo.
Each is to be sold at ¥4,980 (around US$45).
How small are the Game Gear Micros?
Sega has shrunk down 1990's original 21 cm x 11.3 cm device and its 3.2 inch screen to 8 cm x 4.3 cm with a 1.5 inch screen.
How can one possibly play on a screen so small?
Well, just as the Game Gear had a Big Window magnification attachment, known as the Super Wide Gear internationally), there's a Big Window being made for the Game Gear Micro.
There's no word yet on how much that will go for separately, as Sega is currently offering it as a package incentive for those that buy all four Game Gear Micros together in a ¥29,980 bundle (US$275).
In related news, Sega also appears to be exploring the possibility of bringing Fog Gaming to some of its arcade machines, industry consultant Dr. Serkan Toto confirmed.
Article now with info:
- yes, "Fog Gaming" is the "scoop"
- Sega will use arcades in Japan as the technical backbone
- CPUs and GPUs housed in arcade machines are mentioned specifically
- ultra-low latency is touted
- commercial idea is to use arcades outside business hours https://t.co/LWOiYuDAYj
— Dr. Serkan Toto / Kantan Games Inc. (@serkantoto) June 3, 2020
According to this news source in Japan (https://t.co/mWggsCOmIS), Sega is working on a new kind of platform they apparently dub "Fog Gaming".
That term is NOT the Japanese equivalent of cloud gaming, but no further infos as of now.
Sega is having a weird day. https://t.co/jYoqaUBD6O
— Dr. Serkan Toto / Kantan Games Inc. (@serkantoto) June 3, 2020
Cloud gaming might be all the rage, with Google, Xbox, PlayStation, Nvidia and Tencent among the big technology companies getting involved, but Sega is adopting a different approach.
Like cloud computing, fog computing allows for the use of remote computer hardware. However, rather than relying on centralized server farms, it is a decentralized system.
In this way, Sega would be able to implement a fog network to make use of arcade games cabinets distributed over a wider area than a traditional cloud computing setup provides for.
