In its various financial reports, SEGA regularly mentions its intention to use its older licenses again. And this for several years. Recent events, and above all a success, have prompted the Japanese publisher to take a more serious look at the subject. This time, SEGA has also explicitly mentioned some of its older brands that deserve to be reused.
SEGA still intends to resume using some of its old licenses. Haruki Satomi’s firm confirmed this during its recent SEGA Management Meeting. If the publisher has already mentioned such intentions, interest in the process has recently grown significantly. For a very specific reason. Indeed, the great success met by Sonic, The Film has, according to SEGA, given ideas to other companies:
Due to the massive popularity of the Sonic movie, the value of our old licenses, including Sonic, is currently being reviewed. We receive a lot of inquiries regarding possible collaboration.
We have listed major examples of past licenses on the document. And we’re going to look at the correct deployment approach (of these licenses) and try to use them one after the other.
Do something new with old SEGA licenses
The old SEGA licenses listed on the document are: Shinobi, OutRun, Space Channel 5, After Burner, Crazy Taxi, Golden Ax and Jet Set Radio.
The fact that these licenses are mentioned explicitly will not fail to please some fans of SEGA. Even if the publisher specifies that it is here “ofexamples, “other fans may regret that their favorite licenses were not chosen as”major examples. “Shenmue does not appear here for example.
Video games, but not only?
In addition, the way that SEGA has to present the thing suggests that this use of old licenses will not necessarily involve new video games. To reuse the example of Shenmue, it appears that the immediate future of the latter will not go through the video game. It has indeed been announced that a Shenmue animated series is currently in production.
Sonic has found success in the movies. For its part, Netflix is preparing an animated series also inspired by the adventures of the hedgehog in a hurry. And as mentioned just now, a Shenmue anime is also about to be released. The return of old SEGA licenses could therefore take many forms.
What do you say about these statements from SEGA regarding its old licenses? Which series would you like to see return? Could any returns that don’t take the form of video games interest you? If so, under what conditions ? What old SEGA licenses would make good games in 2022? Tell us all in the comments below.