Zoltor wrote: This is why I always see Sega making merchandise as a negative, and there are no indications whatso ever, that they will be changing their ways, ever.
Sega needs to wake up, It's not the god damn 80s or 90s anymore, Japan is no longer the strongest gaming market, so making it so merchandise can only be bought in Japan, is a asinine decision.
Honestly, it's quite common for all companies to have region specific merchandise. Given the relatively small quantities of any particular item, not to mention potential licensing issues with regional manufacturers, most merchandise never leaves its country of origin. Thus, Sega (like all publishers) provides licences to manufacturers in each region to make whatever merchandise matches that manufacturer’s area of expertise. Even if this means that both Europe and Japan (for example) end up with similar but separate pieces of merchandise, albeit from different manufacturers.
In turn, the lack of merchandise availability internationally has led to a thriving market of intermediary dealers. This is where the big names like Play-Asia, HobbyLink Japan and AmiAmi have found their niche; businesses with connections to Japan and other regions that import niche items on a massive scale. Plus, there’s always the small independent sellers, like the many people who operate over eBay, selling new Japanese products to people in the West. So while it may be complicated, it’s easier then every before to get hold of Japanese merchandise, no matter where you are in the world.
As for the Dreamcast calendar itself – I think it’s awesome! It’s a promising sign to see Shenmue’s presence as part of the calendar. Sega has been producing much Shenmue merchandise recently and this latest example will only further ensure the future of the Shenmue franchise as a whole. At this rate, Shenmue quickly becoming one of Sega’s most represented franchises.
Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2015 9:15 am
