Sega president Shuji Utsumi has expressed the company's struggle with creating competitive live-service games, acknowledging it as their biggest challenge in the gaming market. Utsumi highlighted Sega's acquisition of Rovio, known for the Angry Birds franchise, as a strategic move to tap into their expertise in mobile games and develop Sonic Rumble, a mobile party game. He emphasized the importance of expanding Sega's global presence in the games as a service sector, particularly in emerging markets like the Middle East and Africa, as they aim to build a large community around their titles. This move comes after the cancellation of the looter shooter Hyenas and a still-unrevealed Super Game project aimed at attracting active users.
What challenges is Sega facing in the live-service gaming market?
Sega struggles to establish a competitive presence in the live-service gaming sector, relying on Rovio’s expertise to help develop engaging titles and expand their global reach.
Sonic Rumble represents Sega's latest attempt to create a successful mobile experience. This spin-off game features characters from the beloved Sonic franchise and aims to attract both casual users and fans of the series. The collaboration with Rovio is a pivotal step in Sega's strategy to revitalize their portfolio, as the company seeks to leverage Rovio's knowledge in mobile gaming to build a solid live-service infrastructure. This reflects a broader industry trend where established gaming companies are increasingly looking to adapt their strategies for mobile and live-service formats to capture new player demographics.
Comments
Sega diving into live-service games feels like watching your favorite arcade veteran try to master battle royales—it’s a whole new game, but hey, at least they’ve got Angry Birds in their corner now.
Sonic Rumble could be a fun mobile romp, but let’s hope Sega remembers that even live-service games need that speedy, pick-up-and-play magic Sonic’s known for.
Live-service games are a tough nut to crack, especially when you're known for single-player hits like Sonic. Hopefully, teaming up with Rovio gives Sega the mobile mojo it needs without losing that classic charm.
Interesting to see Sega pivot to mobile after Hyenas flopped—guess even the blue blur needs a live-service win these days.