Sega's President Says There's Been an Increase in Fans Who Don't Play Its Games, but That Doesn't Mean They Aren't Gamers

Sega's president and COO, Shuji Utsumi, has reported an increase in fans who do not actually play the games developed and published by the company. This trend was discussed in a recent interview with Nikkei Gaming, in which Utsumi touched upon the company's transmedia strategy. This approach, which includes expanding franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog, Persona, and Yakuza into film, television, and other media, has led to a rise in fans who have never played the games themselves.

In response to a question about this phenomenon, Utsumi confirmed that the company has indeed seen an increase in fans who express interest in the franchises even though they haven't played the games. He provided the example of the Yakuza series, noting that 60-70% of its buyers are women who have become fans of the Yakuza world, story, and characters after watching YouTube channels and popular YouTuber streams.

Utsumi emphasizes that Sega considers all of its fans to be gamers, regardless of whether they have ever played the games or not.

Utsumi explained that the company's transmedia strategy is designed to increase entry points and contact points for people to become interested in the IP. He added that in some cases, engagement with these fans can even be higher than that of those who actually play the games. The rise of female fans within the gaming space has also created a shift in the types of merchandise produced by publishers, with a greater emphasis on lifestyle-oriented licensed products such as apparel, cosmetics, and limited-edition goods.

Utsumi believes that this perspective has been invaluable in Sega's transmedia strategy, which seems to be working well for the company, given the success of its live-action Sonic movies and upcoming Persona series on Netflix.