SEGA Sports R&D

SEGA Sports R&D

Type	Subsidiary of Sega
Industry	Game development
Founded	1994 (as Team Andromeda) 1998 (as Smilebit) 2004 (as Sega Sports Japan)
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Video games
Parent	Sega

SEGA Sports R&D (also known as SEGA Sports Japan) is the group responsible for creating the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series. The studio houses game developers from the defunct divisions Team Andromeda and Smilebit, which were responsible for developing Sega properties such as Panzer Dragoon and Jet Set Radio.

History

Team Andromeda (1994-1998)

The "Team Andromeda Presents" logo from Panzer Dragoon Saga's opening teaser.

Initially founded in mid-1994 as part of Consumer Software R&D Dept. 1, Team Andromeda became a separate internal development team during the Sega Saturn's lifespan. The group produced three Panzer Dragoon titles and, after the release of its final game Panzer Dragoon Saga in 1998, was then dissolved.

After the restructuring, many of the group's members joined Sega's Smilebit and United Game Artists development teams. Former Team Andromeda staff have also developed video games at other studios, including Polyphony Digital, Artoon, feelplus and Land Ho.

Smilebit (1998-2004)

The Smilebit logo used from 1998 to 2004.

Key members of Team Andromeda were folded into the new second-party Sega studio Smilebit Corp., fondly remembered for crafting such titles as Jet Set Radio, Panzer Dragoon Orta and GunValkyrie. On July 1, 2004, three months before the completion of the Sega Sammy merger, Sega's internal development studios were again restructured. Smilebit was shut down and its personnel were absorbed by two new groups: New Entertainment R&D Dept., which included many members of the recently closed Amusement Vision group, and Sega Sports Japan, which is composed entirely of former Smilebit team members.^{[citation needed]}

Sega Sports Japan (2004-present)

Best known for the Mario & Sonic game series.

Games developed

as Team Andromeda

• Panzer Dragoon (1995)
• Panzer Dragoon Zwei (1996)
• Panzer Dragoon Saga (1998)

as Smilebit

• Jet Set Radio — (2000) (Dreamcast)
• The Typing of the Dead — (2000) (Dreamcast, PC)
• Hundred Swords — (2001) (Dreamcast, PC)
• Derby Tsuku 2 — (2001) (Dreamcast)
• Jet Set Radio Future — (2002) (Xbox)
• Soccer Tsuku 2002: J-League Pro Soccer Club wo Tsukurou! — (2002) (PlayStation 2)
• Baseball Advance — (2002) (Game Boy Advance)
• J-League Pro Soccer Club wo Tsukurou! Advance — (2002) (Game Boy Advance)
• The Typing of the Dead 2003 — (2002) (PC)
• GunValkyrie — (2002) (Xbox)
• Panzer Dragoon Orta — (2003) (Xbox)
• Derby Tsuku 3: Derby Uma o Tsukurō! — (2003) (GameCube, PlayStation 2)
• J-League Pro Soccer Club wo Tsukurou! 3 — (2003) (PlayStation 2)
• Ollie King — (2004) (Arcade)
• The Typing of the Dead 2004 — (2003) (PC)
• J-League Pro-Soccer Club wo Tsukurou! '04 — (2004) (PlayStation 2)
• Derby Tsuku 4: Derby Uma o Tsukurō! — (2004) (PlayStation 2)

as Sega Sports Japan

• Virtua Striker 4 — (2005) (Arcade)
• Virtua Striker 4 Ver. 2006 — (2006) (Arcade)
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games — (2007) (Wii), (Nintendo DS)
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games — (2009) (Wii), (Nintendo DS)
• Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games — (2011) (Wii)
• Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games — (2012) (Nintendo 3DS)