Sega’s Steinberg interview reveals why Virtua Fighter 5 PS3 is not online

Virtua Fighter enthusiasts know why the PlayStation 3 version of the video game Virtua Fighter 5 lacked online gameplay: lag problems hamper Virtua Fighter‘s combat system. An interview with Sega‘s Scott Steinberg though revealed another reason for the dismal lack of online fun.

According to Steinberg, Sega wanted to release the Virtua Fighter 5 PS3 SKU within the PS3’s launch window, leaving out the online multiplayer that the Xbox 360 version enjoyed.

Certainly not a delightful news for PlayStation 3 owners. When asked why the Xbox 360 got the online multiplayer option despite the lag problems that also plagued the PS3 SKU, Steinberg said that AM2 – also known as Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 – felt that they can do online gaming with the 360, and managed to come up with online multiplayer with almost unnoticeable lag. He continued:

I think they felt like, “hey, letÂ’s surprise the world” (referring to AM2). ThatÂ’s how it all kind of came down, so it was one of those great, just serendipitous kinds of moments where it happened and we werenÂ’t expecting it.

So there you have it, the skinny on why Virtua Fighter 5 for the PlayStation 3 didn’t have online multiplayer according to Steinberg himself, but he didn’t close the interview with this.

Click on the Full Article link to find out what else Sega’s planning.

Virtua Fighter enthusiasts know why the PlayStation 3 version of the video game Virtua Fighter 5 lacked online gameplay: lag problems hamper Virtua Fighter‘s combat system. An interview with Sega‘s Scott Steinberg though revealed another reason for the dismal lack of online fun.

According to Steinberg, Sega wanted to release the Virtua Fighter 5 PS3 SKU within the PS3’s launch window, leaving out the online multiplayer that the Xbox 360 version enjoyed.

Certainly not a delightful news for PlayStation 3 owners. When asked why the Xbox 360 got the online multiplayer option despite the lag problems that also plagued the PS3 SKU, Steinberg said that AM2 – also known as Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 – felt that they can do online gaming with the 360, and managed to come up with online multiplayer with almost unnoticeable lag. He continued:

I think they felt like, “hey, letÂ’s surprise the world” (referring to AM2). ThatÂ’s how it all kind of came down, so it was one of those great, just serendipitous kinds of moments where it happened and we werenÂ’t expecting it.

So there you have it, the skinny on why Virtua Fighter 5 for the PlayStation 3 didn’t have online multiplayer according to Steinberg himself, but he didn’t close the interview with this.

Remember Steinberg’s apparent doubts about the Wii, and how he managed to take it back? He just wants people to know that Sega is not being partial to any of the consoles, and if ever, they’re focusing more on PC games nowadays. Steinberg mused:

ThatÂ’s the other thing that was heresy three or four years ago for Sega. To be on the PC was looked at as “one of these things is not like the other,” and the reality is that over the last three years weÂ’ve made a big effort to go on the PC with a measured approach, RTS being our major focus.

It’s not a big surprise that Sega is now reaching out to the PC market as well. Sega, which has an almost equal distribution of games across the current platforms, is now viewing the PC games market just as viable as the console market.

And finally, Sega is now out to take over the world. According to Steinberg, Sega’s goal is to expand in the three major regions (North America, Europe, and Japan) to participate equally in studio development. He reasoned, “That will probably never mathematically work out to be right, but the goal is to diversify and make sure that weÂ’re covering our bases.”

So is Sega conquering the New Worlds now? “So the Sega imperial strategy is proof positive that itÂ’s working and once we add Sudetenland weÂ’ll be on our way,” Steinberg said in jest. It should be noted that most of Sega’s franchises that were created in Japan are now developed in the West, such as Sega Rally Revo (PS3, PC, Xbox 360), Nights: Journey of Dreams, and Shadow the Hedgehog.