AM2 says maybe to OutRun2 Xbox
But most likely not.
Sega might still consider bringing OutRun2 to Xbox outside Japan, but is, in the words of AM2 boss Makoto Osaki, "really scared of the rental markets that exist in the West," and what they might to do to potential returns. Mr. Osaki also went close to ruling out ports to other platforms. "I don't know if the ports would generate good returns," he said somewhat noncommittally.
His comments on OutRun2 cropped up in this rather candid interview with GameSpy, who initially asked him how the long overdue sequel came about. "I really don't know why," he said, laughing. "Well, Shin Ishikawa and I were talking about it with Mr. Suzuki a while back. I think it just grew from there." Just another franchise revival then? "[We] just wanted to make a game that would be easy for anyone to sit down, learn, get into, and enjoy. It's kind of going against the current market trends, but I think that the audience it finds will enjoy it."
One person - well, NPC - that will certainly enjoy it is the OutRun2 player's newfound cockpit companion, a dainty minx now armed with emotional responses. "From that, the Heart Attack mode, where you drive to impress the girl, was developed," says Mr. Osaki, who stated elsewhere that OutRun2 is one of the Sega projects he's most proud of. "In this mode, you could do fun things with the car to impress the girl. Like drifting! People LOVE drifting! [Laughs]"
On the topic of Xbox ports though, with a Japanese version already ruled out due to the console's feeble installed base in the Far East, Mr. Osaki tries to explain the logic behind its absence from release schedules. "Games like OutRun2 and VC3 [Virtua Cop 3] are really designed with arcade play in mind. They're something you put your coins in and amuse yourself with for a little while. This arcade-centric design idea is different from something like GTA3, which was made to keep you playing at home for long periods at a time. As a result, you could probably just rent the games, play them a bit until you're done, say 'That was fun,' and take them back. This would no doubt cut into potential sales."
If anything is to happen, and it's fair to say it's looking pretty unlikely now, it'll need the blessing from Sega's Western branches, he added. For more on OutRun2 and plenty of other Sega topics (which we'll deal with elsewhere too), you'd be well advised to read the GameSpy interview with Mr. Osaki in full.