Hi there!
I just created this thread, because, now that the 8th generation began, I thougth about a game. You know, we know about 3+2 new consoles already (Nintendo Wii U, Playstation 4, the new X-Box, Ouya and Steambox.), but what if another console manufacturer would came in/back?
The point of the game, that how would you come in to this market, what would make business sense for you? Let your imagination flow. It can be any company. Who would you like to see make a console, what feature would it have, price point, controller, etc. Everything. I am really curious about this.
Mine is Sega coming back. 
*note 1: I never had a Sega console, and I'm not sure, that I ever even played a Sega game.*
*note 2: English is my second language, so if my grammar is not correct, I'm sorry, and I'm trying to be better at it everyday.*
Lets get back to Sega. I know, I know. They don't have the money to do it. Lets say they've had enough to try again. Here is my plan.
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The Console
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It has to be made from off the shelves parts, just like Sony did. But use cheaper parts, aim nearer to the Wii U. This would make the 3rd parties bigger incentive to make games for that segment, because they could release on both consoles. Digital only approach would be great, but it would make the retailers unhappy, so have a blu-ray drive. Blu-ray/DVD player is a must. Hard drive has to be big, because the strategy will rely on digital distribution mainly. Design has to be cool looking, and different, so using metal here and there, and maybe glass would be great. Here is a design I like a lot (it's made for Dreamcast 2):
The console's lifecycle would be aiming for 5-6 years.
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The Controller
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This is where most people would say, they just plain copying Nintendo. Yeah, Tablet controller. It should not be 6.2 inch big. 5 inch is perfect, and have a design, which is more controller-like.
Something like this controller concept for the Wii U:
This controller would achieve three things:
1) Compete with the Wii U, making a second tier of 3rd party games, shared - and hopefully - bigger market.
2) Sega's great selection of strategy games would be playable on consoles. Think about Total War and Company of Heroes on consoles.
3) A lot of unique PC games would be easy to port. Which lead us to our next bulletpoint.
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Steam Box support
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They should make a deal with Valve, being a Steam console too. The name is easy from this point, call it the Sega Steam Box. This way, the controller, the PC architecture would make a lot of sense for developers. Accessing MMOs, Strategy and Indie games, which would never make it to the console space otherwise, would offer a great selection of 3rd party games. Indie Support would be big. And you know, having Valve games on your console is always great, and if a console exclusivity can be achieved from Valve, that would be wonderful for the console. By the way the most important part: the games.
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Games
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The 1st party development is always there to differentiate the console. And that should Sega do. They have some really great studios, working on projects exclusive to them. The strategy would be easy, they should have what Nintendo has, and offer more. Of course they no way in hell could achieve what nintendo first party has, but they can marketed that way.
The mascot would be Sonic. !Obviously! But using Nintendo's approach. One game per generation per genre. Have a 2D Sonic, a 3D Sonic, a Sonic Racer (the last was great, so wait with this a bit) and make an accessable Sonic RPG, Sonic Sport, etc.
1st party studios:
Sonic Team: Sonic 3D, Sonic 2D (pls, look at Rayman Origins/Legends), Sonic RPG
Buy Sumo Digital, they made great racing ports, and a really good Sonic racing game, yet they're probably cheap.
Sumo Digital: Crazy Taxi, Sonic Racer, and a more realistic New racing IP for the West. (Sega Rally?)
Sega Sports R&D: Sonic Sports games and olimpic Games at 2014 and 2016 (winter and summer olimpics recpectively), yearly realese
Sega AM Software R&D 1: Spiritual successor to Valkyria Chronicles, new Skies of Arcadia
Sega AM Software R&D 2: Virtua Fighter, Sonic Figther, Virtua Cop (reboot as a Free-to-play TPS), Panzer Dragoon
Sega AM Software R&D 3: Virtua Tennis, Sonic Tennis (only one Sonic game per gen)
New Entertainment R&D Dept and Ryu ga Gotoku aka. Yakuza Studio: Develop Shenmue 3 first, to have a killer app at launch, and make new open-world IP after that or reboot the Yakuza series.
Sega Networks / Sonic Team: Phantasy Star Online 2 (Free-to-play)
The Creative Assembly. Total War series, both on console and on PC (steam)
Sports Interactive: Football Manager series, both on console and on PC (steam)
Relic Entertainment: Company of Heroes series, both on console and on PC (steam)
SEGA Studios Australia: Close it, license games have no point from now on.
Three Rings Design: Very bad track record, let them make Jet Set Radio HD ports, and a new Jet Set Radio, if those are successful. (Nigths series too)
Make a small new Studio for Beat'em ups as downloadable games: Streets of Rage and Golden Axe reboot, new smaller IPs.
So this 13 First party studio have a pretty good selection of games, they have everything between Sonic and Strategy, open-world action, mmo, racers, beat'em ups and sports games, even an SRPG. They may have some Valve support, and hopefully indie support too. But they would've lack in some areas:
1) Shooter:
For the western market, they need to have at least one. CliffyB is available. Get him, make a studio around him, and let him make a game he wants. Sell the Aliens franchise btw, it's not good for the company anyway.
2) JPRG:
The Japanese market will need more than one, and it is also welcomed in the US and EU. Get Mistwalker Studios and Sakaguchi, and let him make his Last Fantasy, or a Final Story. :)
3) WRPG: Sega has great relationship with Obsidian, so it would be great to have them as at least a second party developer, to make a new action RPG.
Now I think everything is covered, and third party would be okay/great thanks to the SteamBox support.
So lets look at the price.
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Pricing
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The Sega SteamBox has to have a competitive price against the WiiU so 350$ is the ideal point. Lower the specs if needed, but try not to sell at a loss. 399 $ launch price is acceptable.
Have your AAA games at 60$ as usual at launch, but use the pricing of the Steam later. This console will bet big on online distribution, so sell games accordingly. Be the SteamStore of consoles - obviously.
Online - called Sega Network - has to be free. Sega Network ID will works as a Steam account too, and a Steam accounts can be converted to a Sega Network ID. Games can support crossbuy, but this is chosen by the publishers. Have a premium membership (60$ a year), which provides the access anyway.
For example:
Binary Domain - CrossBuy (If you already bought it on Steam, you'll get a downloadable version for Sega SteamBox automatically and vice versa.)
Black Ops 2 - Not CrossBuy (If you have it on Steam, you only can play it on Steam. However with a premium account, you can play it on Sega SteamBox too.)
Sega Network has to be a great place for indie developers and F2P games. (As you saw, I've already listed in the games section two games, which are F2P, because Sega has to show a push.) Use a dinamic licencing fee for indie developers, so developing would be cheap for them. Valve policies are great in that sense.
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Marketing
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Show the console as a fun thing to use, for example:
"We believe having fun is the most important part of our lives. And fun comes from different places. Spending quality time with our friends and family, enjoying a great story, achieving something previously considered impossible. So we decided to make the best place having fun. Sega Steambox. Enjoy gaming and everything beyond."
The idea to show, that the console can do as much as the Wii U, and a lot more. Aim for the Nintendo/Console crowd, aim for the PC crowd, and everybody inbetween will come.
"Sega SteamBox is the best place to have fun."
I hope you liked my idea, and if you have one, don't be afraid to share.
Thanks for reading!
