Remember, last December a statement from Shuji Utsumi, the current CEO of Sega America and Europe, disappointed some in the retrogaming community. At the head of an empire that dominated the video game market in the 90s and backed by iconic franchises, the Japanese executive declared:

“We are not a retro company. We truly appreciate our heritage, we value it, but at the same time, we want to offer something new, otherwise we will become a thing of the past. That is not our goal.”

This statement is quite understandable when you look at the number of remasters, remakes, and reboots of series that often fall into easy solutions (although Sega does not forbid itself from this with remakes/reboots planned for Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio…), but it had upset some players who would like to see Sega more openly embrace its heritage and play on players' nostalgia.

Utsumi came back to his vision for Sega and the company’s direction in an interview given to The Game Business Show, admitting he wants to rediscover that classic Sega spirit:

“I would really like to revive that Sega spirit. Around 2000, and even already in the 80s, we were regarded as a very cultural company. If you compare it to the music industry, I think Sega represented rock and roll. In the arcade halls, we really had that rock and roll mindset, always trying to bring something new. Today, we want Sega to continue innovating, while respecting the heritage of the past.”

That “rock and roll” spirit he mentions refers to the vibrant creativity and boldness of the arcade years, a time when Sega was synonymous with offbeat innovations and memorable arcade cabinets and games.

Utsumi clarifies his thoughts:

“This is a topic I constantly discuss with studios and developers. Even if we take care of our old games, we must also innovate to attract a new audience. Luckily, nowadays, everything related to the 2000s is becoming trendy again. It’s a favorable tailwind for us. But at the same time, we need to integrate new elements into the games. Developers know and understand that the nostalgic element, the old, and the new are both important.”

As mentioned at the start of the article, Sega is currently working on reboots of cult franchises like Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Crazy Taxi, and Shinobi. Utsumi explains the different approaches depending on the titles:

“Some of our franchises like Sonic are less risky; we can count on a good return. But for others, we try wilder things. It’s riskier, but the return can be much higher.”

His strategy: target less broadly but more accurately:

“We target certain audiences more specifically. You might think a game appeals to a niche, but if it is well exploited… it can sometimes reach a much larger audience.”

You can find the full statement at this link.