Latest news with #Sega
Malay Mail
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Sega sets sights on global revival with Sonic remakes, movie hits, and a ‘Super Game'
TOKYO, July 17 — The big-screen success of 1990s video game speedster 'Sonic the Hedgehog' has brought new fans to Japan's Sega, which says it is poised for a comeback after two tough decades. This year all eyes have been on Nintendo, whose Switch 2 recently became the fastest-selling console in history. But unlike its former arch-rival, Sega has not sold gaming hardware since its Dreamcast console was discontinued in 2001, instead focusing on making games for other platforms. Now, as record tourism to Japan helps boost global appetite for the country's pop culture, the company sees a chance to reinvent itself — including through nostalgic game remakes and movie adaptations like the hit 'Sonic' series. Sega opens its first flagship merchandise store in Japan on Friday, having launched a similar shop in Shanghai in May. 'Opportunities are expanding,' chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi told AFP. 'We've been struggling... for a while, but now we are coming back.' The company aims 'to expand our business globally rather than focusing on the Japanese market', he said. Sega was a top industry player in the 1980s and 1990s, its name synonymous with noisy arcades, home consoles and game franchises, such as beat-em-up 'Streets of Rage' and ninja series 'Shinobi'. But it struggled to keep up with intense competition, falling on hard times financially as multiplayer online titles from US publishers, such as 'World of Warcraft', took off in the 2000s. 'Persona' movie? After Sega quit the hardware business, its game offerings 'got a little stale', said David Cole of the US-based games market research firm DFC Intelligence. But 'the kids who grew up in the 1990s are now in their 30s, 40s, even older, and really like those franchises' — and are introducing them to their own children — he told AFP. 'It's untapped value' that Sega — just like its Japanese peers including Nintendo — is trying to capitalise on through new movies, stores and theme park rides, Cole added. Last year, the film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 starring Jim Carrey as the villain zipped to the top of the North American box office in one of the best December openings in years. It followed the first live-action Sonic movie in 2020, as Sega cashes in on a video-game movie craze that saw The Super Mario Bros. Movie, based on the Nintendo characters, become the second-highest grossing film of 2023. 'Shinobi' is also being turned into a film, while Sega's 'Yakuza' game series has been adapted for television. When asked if cult franchise 'Persona' could be next, Sega's Utsumi said fans should 'stay tuned'. 'We are talking to a lot of interesting potential partners. So we are under some discussions, but I can't say too much about it,' he said. Sega — just like its Japanese peers including Nintendo — is trying to capitalise on through new movies, stores and theme park rides. — AFP pic Super Game Sega bought Finland's Rovio, creator of 'Angry Birds', in 2023, seeking to expand into the mobile gaming market. 'Gamers' behaviour has been changing' since Sega's original heyday, going beyond TV-connected consoles, Utsumi said. But Cole said that in the long run Sega should concentrate on 'high-end' gaming: larger-scale, more involved titles that encourage brand loyalty. Sega is working on what it calls a 'Super Game' with big-budget international ambition and a scope that is 'not only just a game — communication, social, maybe potentially AI', Utsumi said. 'The competition in the game market is very fierce,' he cautioned. 'It's important to really have a fan base close to us. But at the same time, when we develop a great game, it takes time.' Sega's parent company Sega Sammy also makes arcade and gambling machines, including those used in Japanese 'pachinko' parlours, whose numbers are in decline. That makes Sega's entertainment business 'really the growth opportunity for the company', Cole said. Sega Sammy said in May its 'Sonic' intellectual property 'has contributed to an increase in both game and character licensing revenue'. Young tourists in Tokyo shopping near Sega's new store ahead of the opening seemed to confirm this. 'I've always liked Sega. I kind of grew up around their games,' said 19-year-old American Danny Villasenor. 'They're pretty retro. But I think they've evolved with time pretty well.' William Harrington, 24, who lives in Los Angeles, said his father 'put me on to a lot of the older games back in the day', and so to him, Sega 'feels like childhood'. — AFP
Toronto Sun
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Japan's Sega eyes return to 1990s gaming glory
Published Jul 17, 2025 • Last updated 33 minutes ago • 3 minute read Sega opens its first flagship merchandise store in Japan on Friday. Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP Tokyo (AFP) — The big-screen success of 1990s video game speedster 'Sonic the Hedgehog' has brought new fans to Japan's Sega, which says it is poised for a comeback after two tough decades. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account This year all eyes have been on Nintendo, whose Switch 2 recently became the fastest-selling console in history. But unlike its former arch-rival, Sega has not sold gaming hardware since its Dreamcast console was discontinued in 2001, instead focusing on making games for other platforms. Now, as record tourism to Japan helps boost global appetite for the country's pop culture, the company sees a chance to reinvent itself — including through nostalgic game remakes and movie adaptations like the hit 'Sonic' series. Sega opens its first flagship merchandise store in Japan on Friday, having launched a similar shop in Shanghai in May. Sega has not sold gaming hardware since its Dreamcast console was discontinued in 2001. (Kazuhiro NOGI/AFP) Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP 'Opportunities are expanding,' chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi told AFP. 'We've been struggling… for a while, but now we are coming back.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The company aims 'to expand our business globally rather than focusing on the Japanese market', he said. Sega was a top industry player in the 1980s and 1990s, its name synonymous with noisy arcades, home consoles and game franchises, such as beat-em-up 'Streets of Rage' and ninja series 'Shinobi'. But it struggled to keep up with intense competition, falling on hard times financially as multiplayer online titles from US publishers, such as 'World of Warcraft', took off in the 2000s. 'Persona' movie? After Sega quit the hardware business, its game offerings 'got a little stale', said David Cole of the US-based games market research firm DFC Intelligence. But 'the kids who grew up in the 1990s are now in their 30s, 40s, even older, and really like those franchises' — and are introducing them to their own children — he told AFP. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Opportunities are expanding,' Sega's chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi says. (Kazuhiro NOGI/AFP) Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP 'It's untapped value' that Sega — just like its Japanese peers including Nintendo — is trying to capitalize on through new movies, stores and theme park rides, Cole added. Last year, the film 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' starring Jim Carrey as the villain zipped to the top of the North American box office in one of the best December openings in years. It followed the first live-action 'Sonic' movie in 2020, as Sega cashes in on a video-game movie craze that saw 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie', based on the Nintendo characters, become the second-highest grossing film of 2023. 'Shinobi' is also being turned into a film, while Sega's 'Yakuza' game series has been adapted for television. When asked if cult franchise 'Persona' could be next, Sega's Utsumi said fans should 'stay tuned'. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We are talking to a lot of interesting potential partners. So we are under some discussions, but I can't say too much about it,' he said. Super Game Sega bought Finland's Rovio, creator of 'Angry Birds', in 2023, seeking to expand into the mobile gaming market. 'Gamers' behaviour has been changing' since Sega's original heyday, going beyond TV-connected consoles, Utsumi said. But Cole said that in the long run Sega should concentrate on 'high-end' gaming: larger-scale, more involved titles that encourage brand loyalty. Sega is seeking to reinvent itself through nostalgic game remakes and movie adaptations like the hit 'Sonic' series. (Kazuhiro NOGI/AFP) Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP Sega is working on what it calls a 'Super Game' with big-budget international ambition and a scope that is 'not only just a game — communication, social, maybe potentially AI', Utsumi said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The competition in the game market is very fierce,' he cautioned. 'It's important to really have a fan base close to us. But at the same time, when we develop a great game, it takes time.' Sega's parent company Sega Sammy also makes arcade and gambling machines, including those used in Japanese 'pachinko' parlours, whose numbers are in decline. That makes Sega's entertainment business 'really the growth opportunity for the company', Cole said. Sega Sammy said in May its 'Sonic' intellectual property 'has contributed to an increase in both game and character licensing revenue'. Young tourists in Tokyo shopping near Sega's new store ahead of the opening seemed to confirm this. 'I've always liked Sega. I kind of grew up around their games,' said 19-year-old American Danny Villasenor. 'They're pretty retro. But I think they've evolved with time pretty well.' William Harrington, 24, who lives in Los Angeles, said his father 'put me on to a lot of the older games back in the day', and so to him, Sega 'feels like childhood'. Celebrity Columnists MMA Canada World
The Star
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Japan's Sega eyes return to 1990s gaming glory
TOKYO: The big-screen success of 1990s video game speedster Sonic the Hedgehog has brought new fans to Japan's Sega, which says it is poised for a comeback after two tough decades. This year all eyes have been on Nintendo, whose Switch 2 recently became the fastest-selling console in history. But unlike its former arch-rival, Sega has not sold gaming hardware since its Dreamcast console was discontinued in 2001, instead focusing on making games for other platforms. Now, as record tourism to Japan helps boost global appetite for the country's pop culture, the company sees a chance to reinvent itself – including through nostalgic game remakes and movie adaptations like the hit Sonic series. Sega opens its first flagship merchandise store in Japan on Friday, having launched a similar shop in Shanghai in May. "Opportunities are expanding," chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi told AFP. "We've been struggling... for a while, but now we are coming back." The company aims "to expand our business globally rather than focusing on the Japanese market", he said. Sega was a top industry player in the 1980s and 1990s, its name synonymous with noisy arcades, home consoles and game franchises, such as beat-em-up Streets of Rage and ninja series Shinobi. But it struggled to keep up with intense competition, falling on hard times financially as multiplayer online titles from US publishers, such as World of Warcraft, took off in the 2000s. Persona movie? After Sega quit the hardware business, its game offerings "got a little stale", said David Cole of the US-based games market research firm DFC Intelligence. But "the kids who grew up in the 1990s are now in their 30s, 40s, even older, and really like those franchises" – and are introducing them to their own children – he told AFP. "It's untapped value" that Sega – just like its Japanese peers including Nintendo – is trying to capitalise on through new movies, stores and theme park rides, Cole added. Last year, the film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 starring Jim Carrey as the villain zipped to the top of the North American box office in one of the best December openings in years. It followed the first live-action Sonic movie in 2020, as Sega cashes in on a video-game movie craze that saw The Super Mario Bros. Movie, based on the Nintendo characters, become the second-highest grossing film of 2023. Shinobi is also being turned into a film, while Sega's Yakuza game series has been adapted for television. When asked if cult franchise Persona could be next, Sega's Utsumi said fans should "stay tuned". "We are talking to a lot of interesting potential partners. So we are under some discussions, but I can't say too much about it," he said. Super game Sega bought Finland's Rovio, creator of Angry Birds, in 2023, seeking to expand into the mobile gaming market. "Gamers' behaviour has been changing" since Sega's original heyday, going beyond TV-connected consoles, Utsumi said. But Cole said that in the long run Sega should concentrate on "high-end" gaming: larger-scale, more involved titles that encourage brand loyalty. Sega is working on what it calls a "Super Game" with big-budget international ambition and a scope that is "not only just a game – communication, social, maybe potentially AI", Utsumi said. "The competition in the game market is very fierce," he cautioned. "It's important to really have a fan base close to us. But at the same time, when we develop a great game, it takes time." Sega's parent company Sega Sammy also makes arcade and gambling machines, including those used in Japanese "pachinko" parlours, whose numbers are in decline. That makes Sega's entertainment business "really the growth opportunity for the company", Cole said. Sega Sammy said in May its Sonic intellectual property "has contributed to an increase in both game and character licensing revenue". Young tourists in Tokyo shopping near Sega's new store ahead of the opening seemed to confirm this. "I've always liked Sega. I kind of grew up around their games," said 19-year-old American Danny Villasenor. "They're pretty retro. But I think they've evolved with time pretty well." William Harrington, 24, who lives in Los Angeles, said his father "put me on to a lot of the older games back in the day", and so to him, Sega "feels like childhood". – AFP
Asharq Al-Awsat
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
'Retro Park' Revives 80s and 90s Gaming Nostalgia at the Esports World Cup 2025
The video game industry has undergone rapid evolution over the past decades, with various devices and platforms shaping the features of successive generations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday. In this context, the Retro Park pavilion drew large crowds at the Esports World Cup 2025, currently taking place at Boulevard Riyadh City. It offers an interactive journey through the world of classic video games, inspired by the 1980s and 1990s, continuing through the 2000s to the present day, starting with the 1972 "Odyssey," the world's first home gaming console, and culminating in today's virtual reality technologies. In the 1970s, specifically in 1977, the Atari video game console gained prominence with its iconic game Pac-Man. In 1983, the Arab world saw the launch of its first Arabic-localized home gaming console, known as Sakhr, alongside the release of the Family game console, fondly remembered by a generation for the classic game Mario. In the early 1990s, the Super Nintendo console emerged, accompanied by the release of Super Mario World in 1993. Arcade machines also became popular in gaming halls before many of their titles transitioned to home consoles. A significant turning point occurred in 1996 with the launch of the PlayStation by Sony, which gained widespread popularity due to its hit game, Crash. The decade concluded with the release of the Sega Dreamcast video game console. In the 2000s, home gaming advanced significantly with the release of the PlayStation 2 and 3, alongside popular games such as Ratchet & Clank and Black Ops. Moreover, Nintendo launched the highly successful Wii, while handheld consoles from Nintendo and PlayStation also gained traction. The emergence of YouTube in 2005 paved the way for "Let's Play" content and gaming-related media. In the second decade of the millennium, video games continued to evolve with the rise of motion-based games such as Just Dance, while meme culture and reaction content spread among gamers and internet users, becoming part of their digital memory. In 2020, virtual reality (VR) technology gained significant prominence through the use of VR headsets, elevating the gaming experience to unprecedented levels and becoming a key part of the industry's global future. The Saudi scene is an active part of this evolution, with the Kingdom witnessing significant growth in the number of players and content creators, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030, which places strong emphasis on the gaming sector as part of digital transformation and youth empowerment.
France 24
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
Japan's Sega eyes return to 1990s gaming glory
This year all eyes have been on Nintendo, whose Switch 2 recently became the fastest-selling console in history. But unlike its former arch-rival, Sega has not sold gaming hardware since its Dreamcast console was discontinued in 2001, instead focusing on making games for other platforms. Now, as record tourism to Japan helps boost global appetite for the country's pop culture, the company sees a chance to reinvent itself -- including through nostalgic game remakes and movie adaptations like the hit "Sonic" series. Sega opens its first flagship merchandise store in Japan on Friday, having launched a similar shop in Shanghai in May. "Opportunities are expanding," chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi told AFP. "We've been struggling... for a while, but now we are coming back." The company aims "to expand our business globally rather than focusing on the Japanese market", he said. Sega was a top industry player in the 1980s and 1990s, its name synonymous with noisy arcades, home consoles and game franchises, such as beat-em-up "Streets of Rage" and ninja series "Shinobi". But it struggled to keep up with intense competition, falling on hard times financially as multiplayer online titles from US publishers, such as "World of Warcraft", took off in the 2000s. 'Persona' movie? After Sega quit the hardware business, its game offerings "got a little stale", said David Cole of the US-based games market research firm DFC Intelligence. But "the kids who grew up in the 1990s are now in their 30s, 40s, even older, and really like those franchises" -- and are introducing them to their own children -- he told AFP. "It's untapped value" that Sega -- just like its Japanese peers including Nintendo -- is trying to capitalise on through new movies, stores and theme park rides, Cole added. Last year, the film "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" starring Jim Carrey as the villain zipped to the top of the North American box office in one of the best December openings in years. It followed the first live-action "Sonic" movie in 2020, as Sega cashes in on a video-game movie craze that saw "The Super Mario Bros. Movie", based on the Nintendo characters, become the second-highest grossing film of 2023. "Shinobi" is also being turned into a film, while Sega's "Yakuza" game series has been adapted for television. When asked if cult franchise "Persona" could be next, Sega's Utsumi said fans should "stay tuned". "We are talking to a lot of interesting potential partners. So we are under some discussions, but I can't say too much about it," he said. Super Game Sega bought Finland's Rovio, creator of "Angry Birds", in 2023, seeking to expand into the mobile gaming market. "Gamers' behaviour has been changing" since Sega's original heyday, going beyond TV-connected consoles, Utsumi said. But Cole said that in the long run Sega should concentrate on "high-end" gaming: larger-scale, more involved titles that encourage brand loyalty. Sega is working on what it calls a "Super Game" with big-budget international ambition and a scope that is "not only just a game -- communication, social, maybe potentially AI", Utsumi said. "The competition in the game market is very fierce," he cautioned. "It's important to really have a fan base close to us. But at the same time, when we develop a great game, it takes time." Sega's parent company Sega Sammy also makes arcade and gambling machines, including those used in Japanese "pachinko" parlours, whose numbers are in decline. That makes Sega's entertainment business "really the growth opportunity for the company", Cole said. Sega Sammy said in May its "Sonic" intellectual property "has contributed to an increase in both game and character licensing revenue". Young tourists in Tokyo shopping near Sega's new store ahead of the opening seemed to confirm this. "I've always liked Sega. I kind of grew up around their games," said 19-year-old American Danny Villasenor. "They're pretty retro. But I think they've evolved with time pretty well." William Harrington, 24, who lives in Los Angeles, said his father "put me on to a lot of the older games back in the day", and so to him, Sega "feels like childhood". © 2025 AFP
