Sega-16 has covered the Sega Technical Institute in more detail over the past three years than virtually any other source, and our recent historial on the group included interviews with over a half dozen former members. One of the most recent was with former producer Mike Wallis, a man who got his start at Electronic Arts and eventually went on to work on several titles, including the cancelled Sonic Xtreme. He had some interesting details to share about his time at the STI, so check out our full interview and get the scoop!
Interviews
Interview: Chris Bergstresser (Sega Product Manager)
Sega-16 recently got the chance to speak to someone intimately involved with the Sega Channel, Sega product manager Chris Bergstresser, who also happened to deal with third party publishing agreements. He had a big hand in what was released on the Sega Channel, as well as those games brought directly onto the console via retail. Read our full interview for all the details.
Interview: PBC Productions (Creators of Captain S Series)
Nintendo fans had a blast in the late ’80s and early ’90s watching Captain N the Game Master. An average guy being warped into his favorite video games was a great concept, and Sega fans were left out. No more! PBC Productions, a New York-based film group, has spoofed the famous Nintendo series with one of their own. Called The New Adventures of Captain S, it features perhaps the biggest Sega Genesis fan in the world facing off against the evil NES and his Game Genie overlord. The series also spoofs other ’90s series, like Saved By the Bell, and is just great fun to watch. Sega-16 recently spoke with PBC head Chad Williams and Captain S himself Brett Vanderbrook about their wonderful series.
Interview: Brian Coburn (SOA Composer & Sound Designer)
Sega has had many in-house composers over the years, but it was definitely at its prime during the Genesis era with the Sega Multimedia Studio. A crack team of sound designers and musicians, the studio was privy to the most modern equipment available, and it was responsible for scoring many Sega CD titles, like Ecco the Dolphin. Sega-16 recently sat for a bit with Brian Coburn, one of the many talented people who worked at the Multimedia Studio. A veteran of the music industry, Corburn went to great lengths to capture the sounds he needed, even almost getting bitten by an alligator while working on Jurassic Park CD!
Interview: Peter Morawiec (STI Programmer)
In our tireless efforts to document every aspect of the Genesis experience, Sega-16 has spoken to literally dozens of personalities from the era, including half a dozen former members of the Sega Technical Institute. Recently, we spoke with Peter Morawiec, designer of Comix Zone and Sonic Spinball. Mr. Morawiec had a lot of great stories to share about his work at the STI and his time at Sega, and he’s graciously provided us with never-before-seen concept art and demo videos of the aforementioned games, as well as a Sonic game that to have been based on the Sonic SATM cartoon. This video hasn’t been seen in years, and probably by no one outside of the STI itself! What are you waiting for?