Sega is considering launching a subscription service

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By Rita Ora

The BBC had the opportunity to speak with Shuji Utsumi, the president of Sega, on the occasion of the premiere of Sonic 3, the movie. The executive has left a couple of interesting headlines, which deal with the possibility of the company launching a subscription service and the adoption of a more offensive stance so that Sega «shines again.»

Regarding the subscription service, Utsumi has said the least to attract attention. The president of Sega assures that these types of products are «very interesting» and that the company is «evaluating the opportunities.» «We are thinking and discussing something, but I can't tell you anything else at the moment,» he adds. If Sega's subscription service ends up becoming a reality, it would not be the first to take a step in this direction. Electronic Arts and Ubisoft already have their own initiative, while Microsoft has Game Pass as its star product and Sony offers a catalog of games with PlayStation Plus.

Thanks to its history, Sega's subscription service could have current games, among which it could include those from Atlus, and also add many classic titles in the same way that Nintendo does with Nintendo Switch Online.

Shuji Utsumi has also commented that his goal is for Sega to «shine again.» In his opinion, Sega has focused too much on success in Japan and now needs to take its place again on the global board. The executive remembers that Sega has many role-playing games and well-known intellectual properties, so «now is not the time to be defensive, but to be offensive,» says Utsumi. The president says the company should not be so concerned with controlling costs and should have «a rock and roll mentality.»

In recent years, Sega has occupied much more space within the video game industry and has strived to be successful beyond Japan. For example, Atlus role-playing games come with subtitles in multiple languages ​​including Spanish, while the Persona saga now sells millions of units around the world. The same has happened with Yakuza/Like a Dragon, another franchise that has conquered new markets and launched many more titles. On the other hand, we have Sonic, which in addition to 2D and 3D titles has conquered cinemas with three films. The third premieres next week in Spain and the fourth already has the green light. Additionally, last year Sega bought Rovio (Angry Birds).