How SEGA Became Synonymous with Gaming

According to Vantage Market Research, the global gaming market is estimated to be valued at $682 billion by 2030 with growth of 13.6% in the next seven years. The Licensing International 2023 Global Licensing Industry Study found 9% of global sales revenue from licensed merchandise and services was from video games, software and apps. With such a large share of the licensed consumer product market attributed to video games, it’s a business worth investing in. 

Queue SEGA, a multinational video game and entertainment company founded in 1960. The company has been a leader in the gaming space for years, particularly after the inception of its “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise in 1991. More than 30 years have passed, and the company is still a mainstay in gaming. The SEGA portfolio has become synonymous with gaming, which is a growing marketplace for nostalgia and long-standing brands. 

“Over the past 64 years, SEGA has established itself as a world leader within the video games industry by cultivating beloved characters such as Sonic the Hedgehog and continuing to bring forth innovative new experiences for core brands,” says Alex Gomez, senior director, licensing and partnerships, SEGA. “Gaming is an increasingly exciting marketplace for us for several reasons. As technology evolves, we’ve been able to remaster our classic experiences for the latest generation of gaming platforms, bringing fresh versions of our nostalgic experiences to fans, new and old. While we always aim to stay true to the core elements of long-standing franchises that fans know and love, it’s exciting to build upon those franchises with new characters and storylines to keep them moving forward.” 

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That existing power for each SEGA brand and franchise is coming to life in new ways (such as the Sonic the Hedgehog movie trio, with the latest due in December) as new on-ramps are created for existing and new fans. 

“We’re always looking for new ways to expand our beloved game franchises into new experiences for our fans,” says Gomez. “For the Sonic the Hedgehog brand, we’re continuing to focus on developing new games while exploring new partnership opportunities. This year, Sonic fans can look forward to the upcoming console experience, ‘Sonic X Shadow Generations,’ in autumn 2024 and Paramount Pictures’ ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ this holiday season. On the SEGA Atlus side, as we revealed at The Game Awards this past December, we’re currently in the process of rebooting a handful of our beloved retro franchises, including Crazy Taxi, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio and Shinobi. We’re excited to share more on those projects when the time comes.” 

Regarding bringing the SEGA portfolio to fans in increasingly new ways, SEGA is hoping to continue its momentum this year, with new experiences through consumer products. 

“In 2024, we hope to continue surprising fans with innovative experiences across our franchises,” says Gomez. “It’s a privilege to bring our iconic characters like Sonic to new mediums and platforms, and we look forward to introducing a variety of new experiences this year. We have a lot of new content coming in 2024, including the upcoming release of the third Sonic the Hedgehog movie and the ‘Sonic X Shadow Generations,’ and we’re excited to see how our fanbase resonates with it.” 

Want more SEGA news? Check out our latest interview with the brand in our February issue.