Sega is changing its global strategy to become an IP powerhouse, reviving dormant franchises and aggressively pursuing transmedia projects 

Sega have recently shared insights into their new business strategy – to make Sega a global company again by aggressively expanding transmedia IP development. This aim is spearheaded by Sega executive Shuji Utsumi, who talked about his vision in an interview with Diamond Online. 

Since his return to Sega in 2019, Utsumi has pivoted the company’s approach to harness the power of Sega’s IPs. Currently, Sega enjoys significant global success, with over 70% of game sales coming from overseas. However, they want to go beyond just releasing new entries in popular franchises. Therefore, the company’s new strategy is to develop their IPs using a transmedia approach, i.e., bringing their beloved game characters and worlds to movies, TV shows and other mediums. 

The IP development push is not just limited to series with recent entries, such as Like a Dragon, Sonic and Persona. As we have seen over the past year, Sega has also announced new releases in dormant franchises, including Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Virtua Fighter and even Golden Axe, to name a few. In addition to the Sonic The Hedgehog game, TV and movie releases, other Sega IPs are getting horizontal development too, like the upcoming movie adaptation of Shinobi. 

Sega is already starting to see the fruits of this new policy, as shown by their recent financial results. They have enjoyed a successful 2024, with a strong performance from Sonic x Shadow Generations, launched as part of the ongoing “Sonic IP transmedia rollout,” which includes Paramount+ series Knuckles, the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie, and FTP game Sonic Rumble. The year has also seen a string of profitable and critically well-received games, including Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (plus the franchise’s Amazon Prime series), Shin Megami Tensei V, plus new IPs Unicorn Overlord from Vanillaware and Metaphor: ReFantazio from Atlus.  

As an aside, Shuji Utsumi will be a familiar face to Sega fans. A former vice president of Sony America who saw in the launch of the PlayStation 1, he first joined Sega in 1996 as Senior Vice President of Sega America- taking the company through the Saturn years and Dreamcast launch. After leaving Sega in 2000, Utsumi held executive positions at Disney Interactive, Warner Music Japan and others. He returned to Sega in 2019 and currently holds numerous executive positions at the company.