Opinion: Sega has an opportunity to lead on iPhone

As much as the friendly faces at Sega like to revel in the success of Super Monkey Ball, which shined at the launch of iPhone 3G and the App Store more than three years ago, times have changed and gamers have long since moved on.

The early gains made by Sega have eroded. By not releasing games for much of that time, the company lost visibility in an extremely crowded, ever-changing market.

Perhaps more problematic, however, is that the few games Sega has managed to bring to iPhone and iPod touch haven't been of quality stock.

Underwhelming conversions of Sonic The Hedgehog and its sequel were noted for troublesome technical performances and iffy controls, and halfhearted, overpriced Genesis emulations have served to sour the Sega brand instead of raising it up.

Yet there's an indication that things are changing at Sega. The recent announcement of Kingdom Conquest and remake Chu Chu Rocket point to renewed dedication to delivering quality iPhone and iPod touch games.

Kingdom Conquest specifically demonstrates something we've not seen from Sega on iPhone before: compelling original content. While the freemium pricing structure is understandable cause for concern, Kingdom Conquest represents the company's first attempt at new game design on an Apple device.

Super Monkey Ball and its follow up may have been specific to iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, but these are new titles in an established franchise and offered little in the way of unique ideas.

Whether you enjoyed Super Monkey Ball or not doesn't matter - the fact is that these were straightforward, safe extensions of a long-running series.

There's a place and certainly a desire for Sega to bring many of its popular franchises to iPhone and iPod touch. Sonic The Hedgehog 4 looks promising - not because it's a Sonic game, but due to the hard work Sega has done to make the iPhone and iPod touch version meaningful and of high quality.

Chu Chu Rocket should be enjoyable because the company wisely adapted the game to the devices with multiplayer intact, rather than opting to run it through an ugly emulator, stripping it of features (I'm looking at you Sonic The Hedgehog 2) and dumping it onto the App Store.

If you're a fan of that, you can look forward to Gunstar Heroes and Altered Beast to continue the tradition.

Tough words aside, Sega has an opportunity to lead on iPhone and iPod touch with games like Kingdom Conquest. I say that not because it's a freemium game and that's what's hot right now - on the contrary, in fact - but due to the its fresh gameplay and commitment to the spirit that runs through the publisher as a whole.

Sega is the company that brought us Space Channel 5, Crazy Taxi, Jet Grind Radio, Bayonetta, Valkyria Chronicles - these are unique games that have put the publisher on the cutting edge. That same intense creative spirit needs to find its way to the company's iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad line up. Few major game companies are doing it and Sega can step through that open door to lead.

Quit playing it safe, Sega, and start making the games on which you made your reputation.