Takashi Iizuka Reveals Why SEGA Put Sonic in ZETA DIVISION as Part of New Asia Strategy

Sonic’s surprise stint with ZETA DIVISION was not something the esports organization pitched to SEGA. According to Takashi Iizuka, SEGA approached ZETA itself as part of a wider effort to grow Sonic across Japan and Asia.

In a new interview with Famitsu, the Sonic series producer explained the thinking behind one of the stranger collaborations of the 35th anniversary. SEGA has been trying to expand Sonic beyond its traditional strength in Europe and North America, with Japan, South Korea, China and Southeast Asia now particular areas of focus.

When Famitsu asked how Sonic ended up joining ZETA DIVISION’s Creator division, Iizuka said the idea came from SEGA.

“As part of our efforts to spread Sonic throughout Asia, including Japan, we approached them from the SEGA side and asked if there was something interesting we could do with Sonic.”

He was also unusually candid about why SEGA is looking for less conventional ways to reach people.

“The orthodox approach hasn’t been very successful so far, so we’re experimenting with initiatives that can introduce Sonic to different audiences from many different directions.”

That includes Sonic’s ZETA DIVISION membership, but Iizuka also pointed to collaborations with YouTubers and VTubers as part of the same strategy.

As Sonic City reported when the collaboration was announced, Sonic temporarily joined ZETA DIVISION’s Creator division in July as part of the organization’s fifth anniversary celebrations. The collaboration later expanded into merchandise, a SEGA Lounge at Tokyo Game Show and a planned Sonic vs. k4sen stage event.

Famitsu’s interview now makes clear that the collaboration was about more than putting Sonic alongside one of Japan’s best-known esports organizations. SEGA is trying to reach an audience that may watch games without necessarily buying and playing them.

Iizuka said one problem in Japan and other parts of Asia is that some people simply have little familiarity with Sonic’s games. Buying hardware and then purchasing a game presents a higher barrier than watching a video or stream, so SEGA sees other forms of content as an easier entry point.

That shift is beginning to affect the games themselves.

Asked whether Sonic Team now thinks about making games entertaining to watch, Iizuka said it does.

“In recent years, we’ve started thinking about that.”

Sonic Team has always concentrated on making the games fun to play, but Iizuka said developers now also include elements such as cool cutscenes that can make somebody watching think, “This game looks interesting.”

“The idea of making something visually impactful wasn’t something we really thought about much when developing games in the past.”

That is a notable change in how Sonic Team approaches development. Streaming, YouTube and social video mean a Sonic game is no longer being designed solely for the person holding the controller. The experience of someone watching somebody else play now matters too.

Iizuka also described how much his own job has changed as Sonic has expanded. Game development remains his main responsibility, but he said that, in terms of the time he spends working, he now spends more time dealing with Sonic projects outside games.

Those projects stretch across movies, animation, merchandise, events, collaborations and location-based businesses. Iizuka said he can feel the Sonic brand becoming more widely established, and that its recent rise in popularity has made it easier to talk with major manufacturers about collaborations.

The strategy is a long way from Sonic’s original position inside SEGA. Iizuka explained that the character was conceived from the beginning with the global market in mind, particularly North America and Europe. Even Green Hill’s palm trees and blue skies were influenced by an image of California.

Now SEGA is trying to build a similarly strong foothold closer to home, but Iizuka’s comments suggest the company does not expect the same old marketing playbook to get it there. ZETA DIVISION, YouTubers, VTubers and even changes in how Sonic games are presented are all part of that push.

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