SEGA Is Looking To Acquire More Studios In Future

In SEGA’s annual reports it has been mentioned that the Japanese publisher is looking to acquire more studios in the near future. Following the recent partnership with Microsoft, gamers were concerned whether SEGA was eventually going to be bought out. However, it seems that is no longer the case as the company continues to expand their horizons and broaden to reach new markets. The annual report showcases intentions for SEGA to acquire various studios from both Japan and the west. The report mentions:

“To further strengthen the studio network on a global scale, we will continue to explore acquisitions of studios that show potential, both in Japan and abroad.”

The annual report itself has a lot of interesting details, talking about localization and how acquiring a studio like Atlus allowed them better localization for not only the Yakuza 3-4-5 Remasters but also newer games like Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Lost Judgment. It also further states a need for studios that bring this kind of functionality to the table.

“I think back to when we acquired and consolidated Atlus. This brought us two major benefits. One was the highly appealing, world-class IPs Atlus had developed in the role-playing game genre. The other was the solid localization capabilities of the U.S.-based site. Drawing on these localization capabilities, very Japanese IPs like YAKUZA and HATSUNE MIKU have been translated using expressions that really resonate with local users, which has enhanced game quality.

The outcome of this is clearly evident in the rising Metacritic scores, which in turn is leading to growing sales in overseas markets. These kinds of acquisitions that enhance our functionality will definitely be a major strength in the long run, and we will continue to proactively explore investments from this point of view.”

As of now its not clear what studios SEGA is going to be acquiring in the near future, but I think it is safe to expect a lot of growth in the future for the Japanese publisher. SEGA is home to a lot of major IPs that have been delivering strongly for years now, particularly franchises like the Ryu ga Gotoku/Yakuza and the Persona series, as well as more niche titles like Catherine and Catherine Full Body.