In 1987, Sega joined Mothers Against Drunk Driving to create a public service announcement for teenagers. OutRun was the featured game, and the spot helped launched a national campaign about the issue. The ad was timely for everyone involved, particularly the video game industry.
Sega Legends
Sega Legends: Philip Morris Sued Sega Over Unauthorized Malboro Ads
1991, cigarette maker Phillip Morris decided to sue Sega Enterprises over use of what was obviously a version of its Malboro brand logo. Found in the arcade version of Super Monaco GP, the ads set off what was a relatively quiet, if not tense situation between the two companies that ended in a settlement.
Sega Legends: Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna was a racing icon throughout much of the world, even within the video game industry. He was signed by Sega of Japan to endorse its second Super Monaco GP game, but he left more than just his name on the game’s development. He played an integral part in its creation, showing the full potential of what a licensed game could be.
Sega Legends: Michael Jackson and Sonic 3
For years there have been persistent rumors that Michael Jackson composed the music to Sonic The Hedgehog 3 but was fired when his child molestation scandal became public news. Over time, many people have gathered what they believe to be conclusive evidence that the King of Pop was indeed working for Sega, and they even suggest that he used the music that was rejected in compositions for his later albums.
Now, after a year of research and communications with almost a half dozen people from Sega of America management as well as those who were directly involved with the game, Sega-16 has compiled all the available evidence from both sides – those who think MJ was hired and those who don’t – and we’ve come up with what seems to be the most probable scenario.
Sega Legends: The TeleGenesis Modem
You love Xbox Live, and you’re eager to see how the Playstation 3 and Wii will measure up. You probably play PC games online and most likely had a ton of fun on SegaNet with your Dreamcast. But why not see where it all began? Before the Sega Channel and the Xband, there was the TeleGenesis modem, perhaps Sega’s most famous piece of vaporware. Why wasn’t it released in the U.S.? What was the service like in Japan and which games were available?