Sega President and Chief Operating Officer Shuji Uchimi recently discussed with Nikkei the company’s strategy in recent years to develop a global “cross-media approach,” which includes expanding popular game franchises through film adaptations, tie-in products and other media formats. One of the topics of the conversation was the phenomenon of “game fans who don’t play games themselves” and why Sega considers this group of people important.
Utsumi said that in recent years, the company has seen an increase in the number of fans who don’t necessarily play the games themselves. While this trend is common among Sega’s IPs, he singled out the Yakuza series as an example. Related products have achieved excellent sales results, with about 60-70% of buyers being women. Utsumi explained that this fan community often learns about Yakuza’s story and characters through official YouTube content or broadcasts on popular streamers, “and many of them have never actually played the games.”
However, Utsumi said that even if a person has never played the game, Sega still considers them a fan and a “gamer.” The president noted that interest in game franchises stems from multiple entry points, which is a strength of Sega’s cross-media strategy. Furthermore, Utsumi believes that in some cases, such fans may even be more engaged than those who directly play the game. He didn’t specify what that involvement means, but it’s a safe bet that the company generates significant revenue from non-gamer fans through the sale of merchandise, movie adaptations, events, and other media products tied to major franchises.
In the future, SEGA plans to further develop in the direction of cross-media.