At the moment things are going pretty well for SEGA. His games are selling better and better, and his licenses are growing in popularity around the world. In view of these successes and supported by the results of Sonic, le Film, SEGA feels wings grow. And the Japanese publisher does not seem to be lacking in ambition.
SEGA wants a “Video game wonders. “ At least that’s what Shuji Utsumi, the co-managing director of the Japanese publisher, said. Marvel’s immense popularity and multimedia omnipresence inspires and makes envious. These statements by the SEGA spawner prove this.
The Japanese publisher believes its licenses have the potential to reach new heights. Shuji Utsumi spoke about it in an interview with the Japanese side Toyo Keizai Online. Unsurprisingly, SEGA intends to rely on one of its licenses in particular to achieve its ambitions.
Sonic, a video game, but above all a locomotive for SEGA
Asked that the development of the Sonic license is not necessarily about new video games. Shuji Utsumi states that Sonic will be the focus of various media revival activities for SEGA’s licenses. And in his opinion, the current context combined with the licenses available to SEGA allow a comparison with Marvel:
Marvel, for example, is constantly renewing Spider-Man, keeping the name Spider-Man. And other non-Spider-Man products have that Marvel twist too. SEGA can be a miracle in the video game industry.
The video game ecosystem is currently changing. Various IT companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Netflix are interested in games. For the latter, the demand for licenses is very strong. And on the side of channels or services aimed at the family audience, Sonic could be a very effective license.
A hedgehog who sees himself as big as Thanos
Over the past three years, SEGA has seen sales of its games skyrocket. And over the next three years, the company plans to continue growing the popularity of some of its key licenses. The latter therefore include Sonic but also Yakuza, Persona or Total War. SEGA wants to turn its best-known licenses into world-class brands.
And as we informed you yesterday, SEGA also wants to use its older major licenses. As a reminder, SEGA is currently working on a new Sonic movie and animated series for Netflix. At the same time, a Shenmue anime is also in preparation. A new yakuza movie has also been announced, but this project has not been talked about for a long time. It remains to be seen whether SEGA will seriously consider this strategy as “Marvel video game. “
What do you think of these statements by Shuji Utsumi? Do you think SEGA has what it takes to be a “video game Marvel”? Which licenses do you think would enable this goal to be achieved? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
