SEGA is not returning to the hardware market. I repeat, SEGA is not returning to the hardware market.

In a Yahoo! Japan news article, SEGA Games COO Kenji Matsubara said that SEGA is planning to import and sell the AtGames SEGA Genesis Flashback in Japan. SEGA Genesis Flashback is licensed by SEGA and outsourced to Taiwan based AtGames to produce. The SEGA Genesis Flashback was released last year and was criticized for inferior audio and video quality. The reasoning for importing the SEGA Genesis Flashback was due to increased demand in Japan for machines like the NES and SNES Classic.

Did I mention SEGA is not returning to the hardware market? Importing the SEGA Genesis Flashback and rebranding it is a quick, easy and cheap way for SEGA of Japan to bring the Mega Drive to Japan again. SEGA are not developing a new machine, they are not rereleasing any other classic consoles, and it is not SEGA’s current mission to return to the console market. SEGA is not returning to the hardware market.

Thumbs up to SEGA Driven for properly reporting on this story, and shame on any sites that misrepresent the original story.

[Source: Yahoo! Japan]