This month’s edition of Edge magazine (E191, August 2008) features an extraordinary interview with Tez Okano, the director of one of Sega’s most unlikely titles, the 2001 Dreamcast game, SGGG (pronounced Segagaga).

Released at almost the same moment Sega announced its withdrawal from the console manufacturing business, it’s a game about a console-maker on the verge of collapse, made by a console-maker on the verge of collapse.

Cast as the newest recruit at a fictional Sega, it’s your job in the game to save the company from those forces that were squeezing its real-world namesake out of business. An unprecedented act of corporate postmodernism, it’s the game that allows players the chance to rewrite history, succeeding where the game’s creator failed.

Pop over to the ever-helpful HG101 for a solid overview of the game, a piece which includes this section of translated dialogue which demonstrates the frankness and biting commentary that runs throughout the experience:

“Games are nothing more than mere products!,” exclaims a member of Sega’s management team. “You examine popular market trends, churn out nearly-identical titles, and then you rake in the dough! Imitate our competitor’s top-sellers: that’s the golden rule! Throw away your emotions and become a mindless machine, this is how you make successful games.”

“But I want to make totally innovative games that nobody has ever seen before,” your character pleads.

“Innovation? How foolish! Who will take responsibility if the game flops?”

“But if we do it your way, we’ll never attract new customers. Surely, it’s worth giving a shot?

“You know nothing about the business, boy! I’ll teach you the harsh reality of the corporate world!”

The Edge piece is interesting because the trivia and figures Okano reveals about the game and its creation have been hitherto unknown. It’s unusual to read such a comprehensive and frank interview from a Japanese game-maker, especially concerning a title that was never released outside of that territory and featured such sensitive content (even if it was all delivered in an irreverent and bat-shit crazy fashion).

Highlight from the interview: “Near the end of the game Segagaga’s hero is fired because of the company’s closure. He finds refuge in a game store near Sega, one that actually existed! The store manager is Alex Kidd. He has been fired from Sega on the day that Sonic arrived. The message to the hero at this point is that no matter how bad things look, there is no point in crying over the industry. You have to carry on, just like Alex Kidd, who is working hard.”

Facts that money can’t buy.

Here’s a Youtube video of the final section of the game (created using actual Thunderforce IV and V assets) which has the player facing a succession of shoot ‘em up bosses based on classic Sega hardware, from the SG-1000 through the Mark III, Megadrive (Genesis) and so on up to the Saturn. Fast forward to 4:50 if you’re not interested in the build-up.

Finally, Segagaga’s got me thinking: are there any other videogames that focus on the business of game creation? I know there’s a level in last year’s The Simpsons based in a game-making factory, but I can’t think of any others. Can you?

Update: Edge post the article in full on their new website. The piece loses something without the quirky, on-paper layout but still, you get the idea…