Who likes financial briefings! Now, don’t raise your hands all at once, I know we’re all really excited to get new financial numbers, but for those of you who aren’t already sifting through the 74-page 2020 Results Presentation on SEGA SAMMY’s investor relations site, here are the highlights.
Although several other sites latched onto the “Super Game” mentioned eight times in the report, the way it appears in the presentation suggests “Super Game” might just be a term they use for a game that they can sell to a global audience. It may include new IP considering they have a separate 3-year plan to globalize their existing IP, but it would be very weird for a 5-year plan to include making some sort of global omni-game containing multiple titles. Not impossible, but very weird.
Other notable bits from the report include:
- The Sonic series led traditional software sales with 4.4 million units sold, followed by Total War (4 million), Football Manager (3.8 million), and Persona (3 million).
- Sonic is used as an example of strengthening the brand through media mix, specifically citing the original Sonic movie, the upcoming sequel, and the Netflix series Sonic Prime.
- Games highlighted for release during fiscal 2021/2022 are Humankind, Shin Megami Tensei V, Total War: Warhammer III, Lost Judgment, and Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis.
- SEGA’s European studio is working on an unspecified FPS project.
- SEGA is instituting an approach of Remaster-Remake-Reboot in regard to current and past/dormant IP. Examples listed under past IP include Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5, Rez, Panzer Dragoon, NiGHTS, Shinobi, Virtua Fighter, Altered Beast, House of the Dead, Streets of Rage, and Soul Hackers, all with the asterisk “*Under examination of which IP to utilize.”
- Game software sales stayed strong, and Free to Play titles were really strong throughout quarantine/social distancing.
- SEGA SAMMY reiterates that they were hit hard by the economic effects of Covid, leading them to restructure (voluntary retirement, sale/restructure of arcade divisions). Spaces most prominently affected were the arcade business, arcade machines, pachinko/pachislots, and their resorts.
- If you’ve ever wanted to know how much SEGA SAMMY is worth, they report having 367.6 billion yen in liquid assets as of March 2021 (or roughly 3.4 billion USD, 2.4 billion GBP, or 2.8 billion EUR). This amount is just liquid assets, and does not include the value of property the company owns or the IP it holds.
- SEGA SAMMY acknowledges responsibilities regarding environmental sustainability, diversity, job satisfaction, and addiction prevention.
Oh, and hey, they’re working on a Gamera pachislot machine, which I personally like for esoteric reasons.
I’m very surprised GOLDEN AXE doesn’t appear in the list of “old” IPs SEGA want to revive thought Dotemu (the divine STREETS OF RAGE 4) said it is the other SEGA IP theu want to work on a new episode (followed by SHINOBI)!!…
It’s possible they’re using remake licensing to gauge interest. That Alex Kidd remake is coming up next month, but that didn’t make it on the shortlist either.
“SEGA” has been talking about reviving dormant IPs for “AGES” now.
(thumbs up if you get this reference ^^)
In all seriousness though, we did get a new Streets of Rage and a Panzer Dragoon remake during recent years (which is why I find it odd that SoR and PD are still mentioned in this list of dormant IPs but I guess its because the newest titles were outscourced to outside developers) so its possibly not all talk but I still want to be careful about holding my breath.
It is nice to see Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5, Nights, Shinobi and Virtua Fighter mentioned as some of the examples of dormant IPs. There are a lot more though that I would have liked to see mentioned as well (Golden Axe, Phantasy Star, Burning Rangers, Skies of Arcadia, Billy Hatcher to name a few).
I’m wondering if “Super Game” refers to a purpetual game-as-a-service type game (think Fortnite). I’m also certain the FPS will be an Alien Isolation sequel.
‘Super Games’ are usually defined as games without end, typically MMOs or open world games that continue content after the main story. In this case I would assume they are talking about the upcoming phantasy star rollout, but it could be another IP entirely.
Hopefully more info comes to light in the next few months.