Sega announced its major business goals as part of its “Road to 2020” presentation. A pillar of their strategy moving forward is the revival of classic Sega IP.
As part of the presentation, the company noted that bringing back dormant IP was important. They mentioned this as part of their plans in the “packaged game field.” This field covers full retail releases, and Sega included Persona 5, Yakuza 6 and Football Manager 2017 as examples of the types of games in this field.
The report also mentions that Sega would like to “expand development regions” and “release simultaneously around the globe” for future games. For story driven games, such as Yakuza 0 and Persona 5, the worldwide release has lagged behind the Japanese release by several months. Going forward, it appears the company will try to achieve a global release whenever possible.
While Sega didn’t announce any IP it plans to revive, a survey from last year may provide some insight. Sega of Japan asked fans which franchises they would like brought back. Taking the top spot was Sakura Wars. The series is a tactical RPG with dating sim and visual novel elements thrown in. A long running series in Japan, only one game has ever been localized for Western release; 2010’s Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love for the Wii and PlayStation 2.
While many of the franchises in the poll have seen limited or no release outside of Japan, there were some big names on the list. Jet Set Radio took the number 2 spot. The series hasn’t seen a new game since 2002’s Jet Set Radio Future. Panzer Dragoon, Skies of Arcadia, and Streets of Rage also landed in the top 10.
Expect more news about Sega’s future plans closer to E3. While the company won’t hold a press conference, they will have a booth. In addition to showcasing Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces, it’s possible they also show one of their IP revivals. What classic Sega IP would you look to see brought back? Let us know in the comments!
