Could It Be Katana?

The latest rumor going around about Sega's next gaming machine (known previously as the Black Belt or Dural) is that a final name has been decided on. Those rumors would have you believe that it will indeed be called Katana, the name that the press and industry in general has used to refer to the machine.

GameSpot News contacted Sega of America's Dan Stevens Tuesday, and he commented that "it is false; a name has not been decided on."

While he would not say that Katana is on a list of names under consideration, he did say that choosing a name is a worldwide effort. Stevens would not say when a final name announcement will be made.

One thing to consider is that whatever Sega's next machine ends up being called, it needs to be a "universal" title like the PlayStation, Genesis, Saturn, and Nintendo 64 are. When thinking of the word Katana, the first area of the world that comes to this reporter's mind is Asia. Not exactly the kind of name that would catch on and make it any easier to regain a mass market share in the US.