Sega has acknowledged that its recent games might not be selling as well as expected due to players opting to wait for "definitive editions" before making purchases. During a shareholder Q&A session, the company noted a decline in sales of its catalog titles, suggesting factors such as competitive genre releases and initial pricing affected performance. Sega believes that poor marketing may have failed to adequately highlight the appeal of its games. Notably, Atlus, a Sega subsidiary, has a history of releasing enhanced versions of its titles, which has led to anticipation among fans for potential upcoming definitive editions.
Why are players waiting for definitive editions of games like Persona 5?Players often wait for definitive editions because these versions typically include enhanced features, additional content, and improvements over the original release. This trend has been observed with previous Atlus games, where fans prefer to experience the most complete and polished version of a game rather than buying it at launch.
Atlus is well-known for its role-playing games, having developed critically acclaimed titles such as Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensei 5. Both franchises have established a loyal fanbase, leading to high expectations for new releases. With successful previous iterations often followed by definitive editions, many fans find it worthwhile to wait for these enhancements, impacting initial sales for new or recent titles from Sega and its subsidiaries.
Comments
Smart of Sega to recognize this trend, but maybe they should focus on making the initial release feel more definitive instead of planning for enhanced versions later. It’s a tricky balance when fans have been conditioned by past Atlus hits to expect the real experience down the line.
It's interesting how the wait for Game of the Year edition mindset has evolved from patient gaming into an industry-wide expectation. Sega's situation shows how developer patterns can unintentionally train audiences to hold off on day-one purchases.