Sega is in a financial rut. According to the company’s 2018 earnings report, profits are down and a new strategy is needed to recoup the losses. Sega attributes the losses to product delays (the company was supposed to release 12 titles over the last year rather than the eight they actually put out) and digital sales were down. The terrible looking Sonic movie isn’t likely to help their turnaround strategy.
Luckily, the financial report did have a few positives. Sega acknowledged that it’s brand and established intellectual property are still profitable. The company plans to focus on sequels, remasters, and ports of franchises like Sonic The Hedgehog, Persona, and Yakuza. In addition, the company plans to reduce the number of titles it produces and mostly focus on the heavy hitters, seeking the best storefronts (retail or digital) to give their established IP maximum exposure.
I’m hopeful that Sega will dive deep into its chilli dog-filled duffle bag and reach towards a more classic lineup of games from the company’s genesis. The Sega craze was before my time (I literally don’t know what a Sega system looks like), and I would love nothing more than to be able to try rereleased classics, remasters, or sequels to some of gaming’s forgotten treasures.
