View source for Sega AM3

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
{{Short description|Defunct Japanese video game developer}}
{{Good article}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Sega AM3
| logo = Hitmaker Logo.svg
| logo_alt = A letter h in a circle with an exclamation mark, followed by the word "Hitmaker"
| logo_caption = Logo used as Hitmaker Co., Ltd.
| former_name = {{ubl|Sega AM3|(1993-1999)|Sega R&D3|(1999-2000)|Hitmaker Co., Ltd.|(2000–2004)}}
| type = [[Division (business)|Division]]
| fate = [[Mergers and acquisitions|Merged]] with [[Sega Rosso]]
| foundation = {{start date and age|1993}}
| defunct = {{end date and age|2009}}
| owner = [[Sega]]
| location = Japan
| key_people = {{ubl|[[Tetsuya Mizuguchi]]|Kenji Sasaki|Kenji Kanno|[[Mie Kumagai]]}}
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
}}

{{Nihongo foot|'''Sega AM Research & Development No. 3'''|セガ第三AM研究開発部|Sega Daisan Ē Emu Kenkyū Kaihatsu Bu|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes}}, known as {{nihongo foot|'''Hitmaker Co., Ltd.'''| 株式会社ヒットメーカー|Kabushiki gaisha Hittomēkā|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes}} from 2000 to 2004, is a defunct division of [[Sega]], a Japanese [[video game]] company. Established by 1993, AM3 was managed by [[Hisao Oguchi]] and developed a number of arcade games for Sega. Series introduced by AM3 include ''[[Virtual On]]'', ''[[Sega Rally]]'', ''[[Crazy Taxi]]'', and ''[[Virtua Tennis]]''. AM3's main focus was on [[arcade game]]s until the release of the [[Dreamcast]]. Additionally, developers [[Tetsuya Mizuguchi]] and Kenji Sasaki developed ''[[Sega Rally Championship]]'' with AM3 before departing to form AM Annex, which later split into [[United Game Artists|Sega AM9]] and Sega AM5.

In 2000, Sega reorganized its studios into semi-autonomous companies, and AM3 became Hitmaker. The company expanded its development into Dreamcast games and ports, but saw a reduced amount of success in compared to previous years. However ''[[Derby Owners Club]], [[World Club Champion Football]]'' and ''[[Avalon no Kagi|The Key of Avalon]],'' proved to be highly successful in the Japanese arcade scene. All of which were made by Hitmaker and used magnetic cards.

Hitmaker was one of the few profitable studios for Sega, which gave Oguchi the opportunity to expand beyond videogames and invest into the darts business. Owing to his work on medal and card related arcade games, Oguchi was promoted within Sega.

Oguchi departed Hitmaker in 2003 to become president of Sega. As part of Oguchi's studio consolidation plan with Sega, Sasaki's Sega Rosso studio was merged into Hitmaker. The next year, Hitmaker was integrated back into Sega.  The AM3 designation would continue until 2009 until it was merged into other departments.

==History==
{{See also|Sega development studios}}
[[Hisao Oguchi]] joined Sega in 1984, when there was only one research and development division for arcade and video games. As part of his earliest work, he worked on project planning for the [[Master System]], and his first game developed was ''[[Doki Doki Penguin Land|Doki Doki Penguin]]''. He directed ''Super Derby'', ''[[Super Monaco GP]]'', ''[[Rad Mobile]]'', and ''Heavyweight Champ''. Oguchi worked with [[Sega AM1]] before going to AM3.<ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine|date=August 1997|title=NG Alphas: An Interview With Hisao Oguchi|url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_32|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=32|pages=[https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_32/page/n55 54]-55|access-date=April 1, 2020}}</ref> He was appointed as manager of AM3 one month after it opened.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book|last=Horowitz|first=Ken|title=The Sega Arcade Revolution: A History in 62 Games|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2018|isbn=9781476631967|pages=157}}</ref>

AM3 opened by April 1993.<ref name=":02" /> By May 1993, a new ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' arcade project was in development.<ref name="1993beyond">{{Cite magazine|date=May 1993|title=Sega, 1993 and Beyond...|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |url=http://info.sonicretro.org/File:Sonic_ElectricGamingMonthly_Issue46_May1993_Page52.jpg|issue=46|page=52|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171013022027/http://info.sonicretro.org/File%3ASonic_ElectricGamingMonthly_Issue46_May1993_Page52.jpg |archive-date=October 13, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[SegaSonic the Hedgehog]]'' was developed by AM3,<ref name="who">{{cite web |url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/who-makes-the-best-sonic-the-hedgehog-games|title=Who Makes the Best Sonic the Hedgehog Games? |last1=Parish|first1=Jeremy|date=June 5, 2014|website=[[USgamer]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808153905/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/who-makes-the-best-sonic-the-hedgehog-games|archive-date=August 8, 2017|access-date=July 17, 2017}}</ref> with assistance from [[Sonic Team]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a782496/has-a-lost-sonic-game-been-unearthed/|title=Has a lost Sonic arcade game been unearthed?|last1=Dransfield|first1=Ian|website=Digital Spy |date=February 5, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706164354/http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a782496/has-a-lost-sonic-game-been-unearthed/|archive-date=July 6, 2017|access-date=October 12, 2017}}</ref> Over the next four years, AM3 continued to develop new games, such as ''[[Sega Rally Championship]]'', ''[[Gunblade NY]]'', ''[[Manx TT Super Bike]]'', ''[[Virtual On: Cyber Troopers]]'', ''[[Last Bronx]]'', and ''[[Top Skater]]''.<ref name=":1" /> In 1995, ''Sega Rally'' was described by [[Next Generation (magazine)|''Next Generation'']] as being potentially superior to the well reviewed [[Daytona USA (video game)|''Daytona USA'']].  The same magazine described AM3 as a "fledgling" studio, being Sega's newest arcade development department at the time. Director Kenji Sasaki declared that AM3 "wanted to make a racing game that was very different to all the others out there", while producer [[Tetsuya Mizuguchi]] highlighted the game's realistic motion cabinet.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=April 1995|title=AM3|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=4|pages=70–71}}</ref> Mizuguchi and Sasaki later departed AM3 with the team of ''Sega Rally Championship''<ref name=":13">{{Cite magazine|date=October 2000|title=Sega's new beginning|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|publisher=[[Future plc]]|issue=89|pages=68–78}}</ref> to develop ''[[Sega Touring Car Championship]]'' with their new group, AM Annex.<ref name=":04">{{cite magazine|date=November 1996|title=Sega AM Annex|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|issue=23|pages=76–79}}</ref>
[[File:SegaRalley1995.jpg|alt=An arcade cabinet with two seats and steering wheels|thumb|A ''[[Sega Rally Championship]]'' arcade cabinet|left]]
In a 1997 interview, Oguchi stated that the culture at AM3 was that he would not reject or interfere with ideas, although he would make suggestions. He likened the environment to a university laboratory and called it "the AM3 way". Oguchi also addressed AM3's lack of a genre of game in which they specialized, stating that his department's primary objective was to create games that "look interesting", which also meant a focus on arcade games that one would not find on a [[video game console]]. AM3 had a fondness for using the [[List of Sega arcade system boards|Model 2]] [[arcade system board]], which was used on ''Last Bronx'' and ''Top Skater'' even though the former released just a few weeks before [[Sega AM2|AM2]]'s ''[[Virtua Fighter 3]]'' on the Model 3.<ref name=":1" /> ''Top Skater'' was released afterward with a deliberate selection of the Model 2.{{Sfn|Horowitz|2018|p=230}} Of the newer hardware, Oguchi stated that AM3 would work with it, and that he anticipated it would eventually reduce in cost much as the Model 2 had already. ''Next Generation'' praised ''Last Bronx'' though comparing it to ''Virtua Fighter 3'', stating it showed how AM3 had a "refusal to take a back seat to AM2 or any other R&D department".<ref name=":1" />
In 1999, AM3 released ''Top Skater'' developer Kenji Kanno's ''[[Crazy Taxi (video game)|Crazy Taxi]]'' for the NAOMI system board.{{Sfn|Horowitz|2018|p=240-242}} It quickly became a staple game at a number of arcades and received a [[Dreamcast]] port, with more than one million copies sold. Another arcade and home release, ''[[Virtua Tennis (video game)|Virtua Tennis]]'', helped to start a new wave of tennis video games and became one of the Dreamcast's best sellers.<ref name="IGN History of Dreamcast2">{{cite web|url=https://ign.com/articles/2010/09/10/ign-presents-the-history-of-dreamcast|title=IGN Presents the History of Dreamcast|last=Fahs|first=Travis|date=September 9, 2010|website=[[IGN]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140928201508/http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/10/ign-presents-the-history-of-dreamcast|archive-date=September 28, 2014|access-date=October 31, 2014}}</ref> ''[[Derby Owners Club]]'' proved to be highly influential as an arcade game with physical card features.{{Sfn|Horowitz|2018|p=251-252}}
[[File:Wccf2012.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A ''World Club Champion Football'' set of cabinets]]
Sega restructured its arcade and console development teams into nine semi-autonomous studios headed by the company's top designers in 2000.<ref name="IGN's History of Sega">{{cite web |url=https://ign.com/articles/2009/04/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-sega?page=1|title=IGN Presents the History of Sega |author=Fahs, Travis|date=April 21, 2009|website=[[IGN]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031060740/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/04/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-sega?page=1|archive-date=October 31, 2014|access-date=October 31, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Dreamcast memorial">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/9999-dreamcast-memorial |title=9.9.99, A Dreamcast Memorial|last=Parish|first=Jeremy |date=September 3, 2009|website=1UP.com|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140201012313/http://www.1up.com/features/9999-dreamcast-memorial|archive-date=February 1, 2014 |access-date=December 10, 2016}}</ref> Oguchi chose to name his new company Hitmaker, as "the perfect translation of our image". He expressed a desire to move forward with network gaming and work on new concepts with his staff of 128 employees.<ref name=":13"/> The company's official name was Hitmaker Co., Ltd.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Notice on Reorganization of the Company's R&D Subsidiaries|date=May 18, 2004 |website=www.segasammy.co.jp |url=https://www.segasammy.co.jp/english/ir/release/pdf/past/sega/2005/20040519_4.pdf |publisher=[[Sega Sammy Holdings]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630061604/https://www.segasammy.co.jp/english/ir/release/pdf/past/sega/2005/20040519_4.pdf|archive-date=June 30, 2013|access-date=January 9, 2018}}</ref> Into 2001, Hitmaker continued to release arcade and Dreamcast games, including ''[[Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Force]]'', ''[[Confidential Mission]]'', and ''[[Segagaga]]''. Even with these positive releases, Hitmaker was not reaching the level of success they had before.<ref name="IGN History of Dreamcast2" /> Although in the arcade market Hitmaker built upon the success of ''Derby Owners Club'', with ''World Club Champion Football'' and ''The Key of Avalon'' which also used physical card features.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040610032406/http://www.hitmaker.co.jp/site/comphistory.html Hitmaker WEB<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 2006, Japanese arcades made record profits based on these types of arcade games.<ref>{{Cite web|title=You're Not an Arcade Geek Unless You Played This Game |url=https://www.americasbestracing.net/lifestyle/2017-youre-not-arcade-geek-unless-you-played-game|access-date=June 24, 2021 |website=www.americasbestracing.net|language=en|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624213216/https://www.americasbestracing.net/lifestyle/2017-youre-not-arcade-geek-unless-you-played-game |url-status=live}}</ref> ''World Club Champion Football'' has sold 850 million player cards, as of 2016, making it the bestselling arcade [[digital collectible card game]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=中村静香さんら秘書が『WCCF』新バージョンをお披露目！ セガ『WCCF 2015–2016』PRイベントリポート |url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/201601/28098173.html|url-status=live|access-date=June 24, 2021|archive-date=January 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126113845/https://www.famitsu.com/news/201601/28098173.html}}</ref> Sega was considered to be a pioneer of card related video games, which have become very prevalent in mobile games in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|title=スクエニプロデューサー安藤武博氏のブログ"スマゲ★革命"第十八回 「PSO2とセガ魂」 [ファミ通App]|url=https://app.famitsu.com/20120423_56673/|access-date=June 24, 2021|website=ファミ通App |language=ja|archive-date=June 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625030258/https://app.famitsu.com/20120423_56673/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Oguchi was promoted in 2003 alongside [[Yuji Naka]] and [[Toshihiro Nagoshi]], based on the success of arcade games that used cards.<ref>{{Cite web|title=セガ・名越稔洋が語るクリエイター活動30年史。セガのハード事業撤退と任天堂との仕事、そして『龍が如く』成功の舞台裏【特別企画 後編】 |url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/201905/12176077.html|url-status=live|access-date=June 24, 2021|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624222303/https://www.famitsu.com/news/201905/12176077.html}}</ref> Due to Hitmaker being one of the few profitable studio of Sega, Oguchi had the freedom to pursue businesses outside of video games, and invested into the darts business. Hitmaker was involved in the establishment of DARTSLIVE Co., Ltd. which produces electronic darts machines, and a darts bar called Bee was opened in Shibuya in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 3, 2018|title=ゲームクリエイター小口久雄氏が語るエンタメ論（下）今後のエンタメのキーワードは「アナログ」 {{!}} ページ 2 / 5|url=https://tokyo.whatsin.jp/198967|access-date=June 24, 2021|website=WHAT's IN? tokyo|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624212449/https://tokyo.whatsin.jp/198967|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2003, Oguchi was promoted to president of Sega when Hideki Sato stepped down. At the time, Sega had recently announced its first profit in five years.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sega-reports-a-profit-but-top-execs-step-down|title=Sega reports a profit, but top execs step down|last=Fahey|first=Rob|date=May 20, 2003|website=Gamesindustry.biz|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711093416/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sega-reports-a-profit-but-top-execs-step-down|archive-date=July 11, 2018|access-date=April 1, 2020}}</ref>  ''Virtua Tennis'' producer [[Mie Kumagai]] replaced Oguchi as president of Hitmaker, becoming Sega's first female studio head.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sega-names-new-hitmaker-president|title=Sega names new HitMaker president|last=Fahey|first=Rob|date=July 3, 2003|website=Gamesindustry.biz|access-date=April 1, 2020|archive-date=November 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108002445/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sega-names-new-hitmaker-president|url-status=live}}</ref> Oguchi announced his intention to consolidate Sega's studios into "four or five core operations".<ref name=":2" /> As part of the consolidation, Hitmaker absorbed Sega Rosso, which worked on the ''[[Sega Rally]]'' and ''[[Initial D Arcade Stage]]'' series.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |url=http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/news/200307/037.asp |title=Sega Studio Mergers: Full Details|last=Doree|first=Adam |date=July 25, 2013|website=Kikizo|publisher=Superglobal Ltd.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608223108/http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/news/200307/037.asp|archive-date=June 8, 2015|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> Then, in 2004, Sega reintegrated all of its studios into the company, with Hitmaker shutting down its website on July 1.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Fahey|first=Rob |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sega-development-studios-return-to-the-fold|title=Sega development studios return to the fold|date=June 29, 2004|work=GamesIndustry.biz|access-date=July 11, 2018|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711093418/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sega-development-studios-return-to-the-fold |archive-date=July 11, 2018|publisher=Gamer Network|language=en}}</ref> The AM3 designation continued within Sega until April 2009, when the studio was integrated into other departments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ne.jp/asahi/v/hara/ga_core/ga_core2_1.html|title=Game Music Core Special Interview|date=April 1, 2009|website=Game Music Core|language=ja|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914210428/http://www.ne.jp/asahi/v/hara/ga_core/ga_core2_1.html|archive-date=September 14, 2019|access-date=April 1, 2020}}</ref> According to ''[[IGN]]''<nowiki/>'s Travis Fahs, AM3 was one of Sega's top arcade studios but received little recognition in comparison to AM2.<ref name="IGN History of Dreamcast2" /> Rob Fahey of ''[[Gamesindustry.biz]]'' stated that Hitmaker had a strong reputation with consumers and within the industry.<ref name=":3" />

== Sega Rosso ==
{{Infobox company
| name = Sega Rosso Ltd.
| native_name=株式会社セガ・ロッソ
| former_name = AM Annex (1996–1998)<br />AM12 (1998–1999)<br />Sega AM5 (1999–2000)
| logo = Sega Rosso logo.png
| type = [[Division (business)|Division]]
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| founded = {{Start date and age|1996}}
| founder = Kenji Sasaki
| fate = Merged with Sega AM3
| defunct = {{End date and age|2009}}
| location = Japan
}}
{{Nihongo foot|'''Sega Rosso'''|セガ・ロッソ|Sega rosso|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes}}, previously Sega AM5, was a video game development studio headed by Kenji Sasaki, who had served as a designer on ''Sega Rally Championship''. In 1996, producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi met with Hisashi Suzuki, the manager of the R&D division. He and Mizuguchi agreed to create a new department separate from AM3 that would be called AM Annex. Mizuguchi selected the initial team himself, a team of six or seven people that would later grow in number. The first game AM Annex began to develop was ''[[Sega Touring Car Championship]]'' on the [[List of Sega arcade system boards#Sega Model 2|Model 2 arcade]] board.<ref name=":04"/><ref name=":13"/> AM Annex later received the AM8 designation and developed ''[[Sega Rally 2]]'' and ''[[Star Wars Trilogy Arcade]]'' on Sega's Model 3 board.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=October 1998|title=Coming Soon: Star Wars Trilogy Arcade|magazine=[[Sega Saturn Magazine]]|publisher=[[Ascential|EMAP Ltd.]]|issue=36|pages=22–25}}</ref>

According to Hisao Oguchi, Mizuguchi and Sasaki had departed AM3 with the team of ''Sega Rally Championship''.<ref name=":13"/> AM Annex was rebranded as AM12 by September 1998,<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=September 11, 1998|title=Sega development studios|magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine |language=ja|publisher=[[SoftBank Publishing]]|volume=25|page=204}}</ref> and AM5 in 1999.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=November 19, 1999|title=Sega development studios|magazine=Dreamcast Magazine|language=ja|publisher=[[SoftBank Publishing]]|volume=36|pages=14–15}}</ref> The AM5 designation was previously used for a team that designed large attractions for Sega's arcades and indoor amusement parks.{{Sfn|Horowitz|2018|p=158}} Mizuguchi later chose to leave Sasaki after being granted his own department as CS4, later AM9, and even later [[United Game Artists]].<ref name=":13" /><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=November 1999|title=Sega Development Studios|magazine=Dreamcast Magazine|language=ja|publisher=Soft Bank Publishing|issue=36|page=13}}</ref> Sasaki became head of AM5, while the AM8 designation went to Sonic Team.<ref name=":13" /><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=EGM Staff|date=October 2000 |title=Sega's R&D Hierarchy|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Sendai Publishing|issue=153 |page=40|issn=1058-918X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=October 2000|title=Sega: On the Rebound or On the Ropes?|magazine=Next Generation |publisher=[[Future US|Imagine Media]]|issue=68|page=8|issn=1078-9693}}</ref> As the smallest AM department with a staff between 40 and 50 employees, most of Sasaki's staff came from [[Namco]], where Sasaki himself had a role in the development of the ''[[Ridge Racer]]'' series.<ref name=":13" /> AM5 developed ''[[Star Wars: Racer Arcade]]'' and released it by July 2000.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Woodward|first=Guy|date=July 2000|title=Star Wars Episode One Racer|magazine=Arcade|publisher=Future Publishing|issue=21|page=90}}</ref>

When the studios were separated from Sega, Sasaki chose the name "Sega Rosso" to have a "hotter" image than the "cool" blue color of Sega, and he liked the combination of Sega with the Italian word for red. Sega Rosso's next games were ''[[NASCAR Arcade]]'' and ''[[Cosmic Smash]]''. Sasaki expressed a desire to work on both arcade and Dreamcast games, as the arcade industry was struggling.<ref name=":13" /> Sega Rosso would also work on the ''Initial D Arcade Stage'' series before being merged with Hitmaker in 2003.<ref name=":4" />

== See also ==
{{Portal|Video games}}

* [[Sega development studios]]
* [[Amusement Vision]]
* [[Smilebit]]
* [[Sonic Team]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Sega}}
{{Sega Sammy Holdings}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sega divisions and subsidiaries|Hitmaker]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1991]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 2000]]
[[Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2004]]
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of Japan]]