The number of fans who don’t play the Yakuza series is increasing, and Sega still considers them “gamers”

Japanese publisher SEGA The company has been focusing on a cross-media strategy for some time, aiming to expand its key intellectual property rights beyond video games through film adaptations, merchandising, online content and other media. In a recent interview with Nikkei, President and Chief Operating Officer Shuji Uchimi also discussed the consequences of this strategy: Growth in the number of viewers interested in the company’s series Even without playing video games directly.

What’s the point of playing?

In recent years, SEGA has seen an increase in fans who don’t play video games, a phenomenon that affects several of the company’s IPs. In the cited example, first there is Like a dragon/like a dragon, The series seems to have found a particularly interested audience even outside of the traditional video game market.

An important statistic comes from the merchandising associated with the series: approx. 60-70% of buyers are women. Utsumi explained that some viewers are exposed to the story and characters of “Yakuza” through content posted on YouTube or by watching live streams and videos produced by content creators. “A lot of them have never actually played a video game,” the executive explained.

However, for SEGA, the fact that they have not played the game does not prevent us from considering these people as true fans. In fact, Utsumi emphasized that the company He still considers them “players”highlighting how video game intellectual property is acquired today through the many different access points. After all, the “gamer” trend is first and foremost a trend, one sustained by buying fluorescent lights and colorful chairs, certainly not by playing video games.

This is one of the goals of Sega’s cross-media strategy: to ensure that the series reaches the public not only through video games, but also through merchandising, online videos, adaptations and other forms of entertainment. Once you are interested in the narrative universe, The public can also watch the game closerwhich seems to be less and less important to a gamer.

Utsumi also pointed out that in some cases, Participation of people who don’t play games Maybe even higher than the player. Sega’s president didn’t specify how this engagement is measured, but the company appears to consider activities such as purchasing merchandise, participating in events, and interest in adaptations and content related to its series.

Sega intends to continue on this path in the coming years. Utsumi noted that 2026 is an especially important year for Persona and Angry Birds, and that the company will continue to develop cross-media plans for both games.