Sega Europe took one of its biggest stands to date at this year's ATEI show. It also took the bold move of swapping sides, which, although there was doubt initially, turned out to be a major success for the manufacturer.
"Without looking at the sales figures and going off initial reaction it would appear we had a really good show and the gamble paid off," said the company’s Justin Burke. "Initially four or five companies followed us over to the other side and then changed their minds at the last minute so there were some concerns pre-show."
These worries were put to bed quickly though as the new games Hummer and Typhoon attracted the attention of the crowd.
Commenting on the show overall, Burke said: "It is difficult for me to comment generally as our stand is always busy and I never actually got chance to wander around - but the atmosphere was definitely an upbeat one.
"From what I heard people preferred the diagonal layout of the stands and there were a lot of international buyers there."
Also on show was the latest product from Game Gate, which Sega Europe will distribute throughout Europe, the Middle East and Russia on its behalf. The terminal allows players to insert their memory card from their home console and carry on playing in an arcade environment - this is the first time this concept has been implemented legally.
For Burke, this development is quite a big thing and will open up the market for non-traditional gaming locations.
