SEGA to focus on Sonic, FM and Total War

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 12 October, 2010

Is a "successful, medium-sized publisher".

SEGA will focus on its "three pillars" as it looks to grow: Sonic the Hedgehog, Football Manager and Total War, the publisher's new European boss has revealed.

It's promised gamers that it will work hard to make the three franchises as big as possible as it aims to cement its position as a "successful, medium-sized publisher".

SEGA launched a raft of new intellectual property in recent months, including the disappointing Alpha Protocol. PlatinumGames' Vanquish is due out later this month.

In the future, however, it'll give most love to established franchises.

"Let me be clear again. In Europe, SEGA has three pillars in Sonic, Football Manager and Total War. We are going to be working very hard to make these franchises bigger," Jurgen Post told MCV.

"We know we have Sonic and Football Manager this year, a new Total War next year, and a new Sonic and Virtua Tennis next year. These are the kind of titles that will allow us to focus on being healthy and profitable."

Three Sonic games are due out between now and the end of the year: downloadable game Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, Wii and DS game Sonic Colours and Kinect title Sonic Free Riders.

Sports Interactive's Football Manager 2011 is due out 5th November. Creative Assembly's Shogun 2: Total War will release next year.

Post said SEGA's growth since the Japanese company's exit from the console manufacturing business in 2001 had seen it evolve.

"There has been a big jump forward, thanks very much to Mario and Sonic," he said.

"Now we have that franchise, other Sonic plans, plus some big IPs like Football Manager, Virtua Tennis, Total War and more.

"The biggest change since I first started at SEGA is that it has gone from a very small publisher to a successful, medium-sized publisher. The challenge now is about sustaining our position and doing the right things going forward."

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (30) Latest comment 2 years ago

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  • mfnick #1 2 years ago

    So no more excellent new IPs like Bayonetta & Vanquish?

    Fuck you then SEGA.

  • coomber #2 2 years ago

    "SEGA launched a raft of new intellectual property in recent months, including the disappointing Alpha Protocol. "

    It may have been disappointing to EG, but to hundreds of thousands of people like me who bought it, (and understood the concept of it being an RPG and not a shooter), it was a fantastic game.

  • Shikasama #3 2 years ago

    Seems sensible.

    Hidden deep in the darkest recesses of my most private fantasies is the hope that one day we will get a Dreamcast 2.

    A man can dream dammit. Let me dream!

  • yagadoor #4 2 years ago

    They should be fine with what they decided to stay with. If they keep delivering great Total War and FM titles, SEGA fans will forgive them lack of Bayonetta 2.

  • nickthegun #5 2 years ago

    So how does this tie in with their discussion to completely destroy the sonic brand?

    But, srsly, Sonic is one game that needs focus testing.

    'No sonic n pals'
    'Hire someone who isnt from a mental institution to program the camera'

    Aaaaand so on..

  • Arcadiian #6 2 years ago

    Don't forget about Sumo Digital, SEGA Europe. Without them you would have no old-style SEGA games left.

  • rivuzu #7 2 years ago

    @yagadoor

    Like fuck we will. Total War I'm excited for, but Platinum Games creations have me more excited than any blue hedgehog or playing as a football god will.

    Stop focusing on stale series' Sega.

  • Optimaximal #8 2 years ago

    So SEGA are buying into the Activision/Kotick methodology of running a company WITHOUT a cash-cow/killer app? Seriously, FM & Total War are pretty niche and nobody can seem to work out a decent Sonic game any-more. Recipe for failure?

    Still, if it means they sell their abandoned IP to other companies, then I'm happy. Still haven't played Alpha Protocol (it's sitting on my Steam account undownloaded following the recent GMG pricing cock-up) but once my PC is fixed, I'll certainly be partaking.
    Edited by Optimaximal at 12/10/10 @ 10:01

  • AaronTurner #9 2 years ago

    He doesn't say anything about not doing new IPs. He just says the games which are the biggest earners.

  • madgerald Verified Studio Head of PR & Marketing, Colossal Games LTD #10 2 years ago

    Expect 1x Total War 1x Sonic and 1x FM every year going forward.

  • yagadoor #11 2 years ago

    @rivuzu

    I do not know the details of agreement between SEGA and PG, neither do I know who possesses IP right for Bayonetta franchise. But it is also not written anywhere that those can't be sold one day to another publisher. I believe Bayonetta 2 is just a matter of time. And probably it will be published by another publisher, not by SEGA.

  • photoboy #12 2 years ago

    Remember when Sega bombed out of the hardware business they claimed they were aiming to become the next EA? That went well for them didn't it? They've not even managed "successful medium-sized publisher" yet. It's no surprise they're performing so badly, their in-house development is always disappointing, the only good games they've had lately have been developed by other companies like Sumo and Platinum.

    Considering Sega had the creators of Out-Run, Sonic, Shenmue, Jet Set Radio, Virtua Fighter, Sega Rally, NiGHTS, Daytona, Afterburner, etc all under one roof and yet still managed to fail to be a successful publisher, it's clear their management is utterly f***ing useless.

  • Blazewamp #13 2 years ago

    much as i love Total war Get Aliens colonial marines out you dicks! and bring back the RPG while your at it
    Edited by Blazewamp at 12/10/10 @ 10:11

  • Machetazo #14 2 years ago

    "New IPs, such as Vanquish, and Alpha Protocol before that, will still be tried."...mentions the FULL article.

    My concern, when it comes to SEGA, is as-ever atm with Colonial Marines. I just don't like how wobbly the situation appears to be for that game, one bit. Gearbox may have stated their intentions, and confirmed their size/ability, but SEGA continues to say nothing. Still TBC, and they're going on about the little blue, aching, cashcow? (AVP was their fault, not ours.)

    Secondly, NO, I will NOT forgive SEGA, if there is no more Bayonetta! In fact, if there is no more Bayonetta after all of the first game, it would lead me to despair as to just what a third-party has to do, these days, to create, establish and maintain a creative, accessible, and success-eying IP. It would be disastrous, if there was no more Bayo.
    Edited by Machetazo at 12/10/10 @ 10:12

  • mingster #15 2 years ago

    It's obvious they have atrocious management to have fallen this far.
    very sad.

  • Pikmins #16 2 years ago

    Hum. I want more Valkyria Chronicles ,please !

  • richarddavies #17 2 years ago

    They didn't say anything about no longer supporting or releasing new franchises. They just said there going to concentrate on making t here most profitable franchises even more profitible. Makes sense to me.

  • Ryze #18 2 years ago

    SEGA MUST DIE.

  • crozon #19 2 years ago

    So two out of the three IPs that make Sega money are PC exclusives. Excellent.

  • Scirvir #20 2 years ago

    "Expect 1x Total War 1x Sonic and 1x FM every year going forward."

    I think you might be underestimating how many Sonic titles they'll be pumping out every year...

  • GamesConnoisseur #21 2 years ago

    Sad.

    Simple response, to the TOTAL lack of ambition and vision from a once great games company, in 80s and 90s, they produced too many good games.

    It's take AGES to be this good, SEGA?!

  • NimbusTLD #22 2 years ago

    It's quite sad to realise that two of those franchises are not Japanese :(

  • Stuz359 #23 2 years ago

    Anyone else remember when Sega had a soul?

  • Quak #24 2 years ago

    cement its position as a "successful, medium-sized publisher".

    When they first killed off the Dreamcast they were going on about how they were going to be the world's #1 publisher instead - yes, bigger than EA - so to "cement" its position as a medium-sized publisher today is nothing more than cementing failure.

  • kaya08 #25 2 years ago

    This is just sega europe surely?
    If its not that's patethic

  • Phantom_Dynamite #26 2 years ago

    Don't forget ruining every Marvel movie tie in they make, just let Raven develop them Wolverine was at least enjoyable.

  • CraigMcG #27 2 years ago

    Alpha Protocol was a superb rpg, played it through 4 times on ps3

  • Baggies1879 #28 2 years ago

    More bayonetta please.

  • pac666 #29 2 years ago

    They should focus on Shenmue, really hard!

  • Ryze #30 2 years ago

    SEGA's gaming properties need to be sold to competent game developers.

    SEGA must DIE in order for this to happen, I fear.

    /gives context