SEGA president wants better GAAS results with Angry Bird developer given access to beloved IPs, including Sonic

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SEGA is known as one of the most recognized video game publishers, alongside Nintendo. They produce a wide variety of top-quality series like Yakuza and Persona (from Atlus), but without a doubt, their most iconic intellectual property ever is Sonic. Although they’re doing well when it comes to single-player games, SEGA’s president and COO have expressed their goal to achieve better results in the games-as-a-service sector. They are collaborating with the Angry Birds developer to gain access to beloved IPs such as Sonic for mobile game development.

SEGA president wants to crack the live-service business

During a recent visit to Summer Game Fest, Christopher Dring from The Game Business had the opportunity to chat with SEGA’s president and COO, Utsumi-san. Their enlightening conversation has now been shared, having been published on July 1st. It delves into a variety of intriguing topics.

One topic under discussion was live-service games, and it seems many publishers are eager to find success with games-as-a-service (GAAS) offerings, with Sony being a notable example. Despite setbacks like the collapse of Concord and the cancellation of several projects including The Last of Us Factions, Sony has remained committed to delving deeper into the live-service genre.

In praise of the company’s successful single-player games, Utsumi-san admitted that their live-service business represents SEGA’s most significant hurdle at present. The president and COO further explained, “Our console/PC standalone business is improving, but we are actively striving to expand our GAAS (Game as a Service) business worldwide.

In the year 2023, SEGA acquired Rovio, the company behind Angry Birds, for approximately $776 million. As stated by Utsumi-san, Rovio plays a crucial role in SEGA’s current emphasis on Game as a Service (GAAS), particularly in their strategy of offering free-to-play mobile games.

A sample of a Sonic game produced by Rovio is named Sonic Rumble. This is a free-to-play adventure, planned for both mobile devices and PC via Steam. As of now, pre-registration is open. It’s a 32-player multiplayer party game that bears resemblance to Fall Guys in appearance.

Alongside Sonic Rumble, another ongoing live-service project by SEGA is Persona X. Essentially, this is Atlus’ take on a gacha game for the Persona series, and it can be played on mobile devices and PCs. There are whispers that it might also become accessible on PS5 in the future.

If you’re not a fan of games that rely on cloud-based streaming (GAAS), don’t fret – SEGA won’t be neglecting their classic console and PC game experiences. As for Sonic, there’s an exciting new racing game called “Sonic Racing Crossoworlds” coming out in September. Additionally, it’s expected that a new single-player Sonic game will be unveiled in 2026, marking the blue hedgehog’s 35th anniversary.

Explore The Game Business’ complete interview for further engaging discussions about the future of gaming consoles, SEGA’s approach towards Hollywood, and other intriguing topics with their president.

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2025-07-02 16:41