Sega is reviving the Pico for smartphones and TVs

“Play well, learn well”

After famously dropping out of the console race at the turn of the century, Sega has been (mostly) all about software. Its latest move shows that the Japanese publisher has never truly abandoned the idea of having its own platform, however. This time Sega’s ambitions take the form of an application, but it is a clear spiritual successor to one of its pieces of hardware from the nineties, the Pico.

Dubbed “Telebeena,” the new product is set to launch this month, according Sega’s teaser site. It’s an educational app aimed at children that pairs smart televisions with phones or tablets. For the time being, it seems Telebeena will be limited to Sharp brand smart televisions in Japan, with phones or tablets serving as touchscreen controls or augmented reality (AR) displays.

While the move might seem odd for Sega, a company known lately for its flagship Yakuza franchise that routinely finds ways to include adult actresses in both the game and its marketing, it’s rather consistent with many of its past projects. I don’t mean zombie-themed typing games either. Sega has always had a soft spot for the wee lads, and the idea of producing a child-friendly platform actually goes back more than two decades.

See: Nintendo hints at mobile strategy, app on the way

Genesis

With the famed Console Wars entering their later years back in 1993, Sega decided to reimagine its Genesis console (known as the “Megadrive” in PAL countries and Japan) as an entertainment device for children. Enter the “Pico,” a console with many of the same guts as the Genesis and a designation that was intended carry on the metric naming convention of the Megadrive.

The Pico would go on to see releases in Japan, the United States, Europe, and even China. Its success in Japan sparked the release of a successor in 2005, the Advanced Pico Beena. The “Beena” branding has carried over to the Telebeena, as is the use of familiar Sega franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog.

While Sega is often content to keep its products in Japan only (see Yakuza 5), a child-friendly application seems a good candidate for localization and export. With Japan’s declining birth rate, it may make sense to try this one in other territories. It is also being reported that Sega will be opening up the Telebeena to third-party development as well, another indication that the company has big plans for its educational games app.

If history is any indicator, it may be a while before this one makes it out of Japan, if it happens at all.