Sega has opened up on its secretive “Super Game” initiative, and rather than one game, it looks to be encapsulating to several different games, some of which will include cloud and NFT technology.
In an interview with Sega Japan’s recruitment website and translated by our friends at VGC, several Sega executives explained that to qualify under the Super Game banner, the new projects must be “multi-platform, global multi-language development, simultaneous worldwide release, and AAA titles”.
“In other words, you can imagine that the scale of game development will be that of a global blockbuster,” Sega explained.
“Sega offers a wide range of game content, including hardware and arcade content, which is made possible by its diverse range of technologies,” executive VP Shuji Utsumi added. “We have defined ‘Super Game’ as the development of AAA titles that cross over SEGA’s comprehensive range of technologies, and we will aim to achieve this in our five-year plan.”
“Several titles are being developed within the framework of Super Game, and while each title will vary, there is no doubt that they will be interactive titles that go beyond the traditional framework of games.
“For example, in the past, people who played games were called gamers, but now watching games has become a culture in itself, and such people could no longer be called gamers. I think there is great potential in the relationship between people who play and watch games,” he added. “We are thinking of creating new entertainment within these possibilities.”
Sega first mentioned its “Super Game” project to investors back in May last year, when it dubbed the initiative a “priority strategy” for the next five years. A few months later, in November, the Japanese firm then announced plans to explore a “strategic alliance” with Xbox to produce “large-scale, global” games built using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.
The Sonic maker said the agreement would form “a key part of Sega’s mid to long-term strategy”, which it then dubbed “Super Game”. This initiative is designed to develop games “where the key focuses are ‘global’, ‘online’, ‘community’ and ‘IP utilisation'”.
“Several projects are currently underway for SuperGame. In my department, around 50 people are already involved in the initial stages. We expect that the final number of employees will be several hundred,” added Sega’s general manager, Katsuya Hisai.
As for cloud tech and NFTs? Sega producer Masayoshi Kikuchi discussed how “gaming has a history of expansion through the connection of various cultures and technologies” like “social networking and game video viewing”.
“It is a natural extension for the future of gaming that it will expand to involve new areas such as cloud gaming and NFT,” Kikuchi said. “We are also developing Super Game from the perspective of how far different games can be connected to each other.”
