In SEGA’s latest Investor Q&A, the company was asked about the release of Sonic games on a yearly basis, raising concerns about the possible devaluation of the Sonic the Hedgehog IP. SEGA responded by stating that the frequent release of Sonic games is part of their strategy in order to expand the brand. They cited Sonic X Shadow Generations as an important release in their transmedia strategy, scheduled to coincide with the release of the third Sonic movie, while also mentioning the development of other Sonic games in different genres.
Q: New titles in the Sonic series will be released in the next fiscal year as well. Don’t you think releasing new titles one after another could damage the value of the IP?
A: The recently announced SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS’ is scheduled for release at the timing when the third installment of the Sonic movie following the consecutive hits is scheduled for release and we are positioning it as an important title in our transmedia strategy. Within the series, we are also developing the titles with diversity in genres, and we believe that continuous delivery of the appeal of IP is the key to our strategy in order to expand this IP.
This strategy is not too different from the early 2000s release frequency, with each year getting one or two games released on multiple platforms with different gameplay styles.
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Source: SEGA Investor Q&A
