- Sega America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi spoke about the company’s philosophy in a recent interview.
- He stated that Sega “needs to be innovative” to remain relevant
- He also confirmed that there will be no more retro mini consoles.
In bad news for retro game lovers, Sega America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi has suggested that the company will no longer be making retro mini-consoles.
The words come from a recent interview with The Guardian in which Utsumi discusses the company’s current philosophy. “The players loved Sega because we showed them a new style, attitude and lifestyle,” he said. “I want to get that feeling back. But we are not just a nostalgic company, we have to be innovative.”
This approach seems evident in Sega’s recent output, which has included a number of successful new titles such as Metaphor: ReFantazio plus new entries in long-running fan-favorite franchises like Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. The company has also found success in its multimedia efforts, with the new Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie already doing well at the box office.
When asked if the company would pursue new mini consoles, presumably to follow the popular Sega Genesis (or Sega Mega Drive for those outside the US), he simply responded: “I’m not going in the mini direction. It’s not me. “I want to welcome modern players.”
The Guardian also claims that Sega later clarified that this meant there are currently no plans for more mini-consoles, which will be a bit disappointing for anyone hoping for a possible Sega Dreamcast Mini or Sega Saturn Mini.
Still, Utsumi ends the interview by reiterating his point of view for the future. “We’re not a retro company,” he said. “We really appreciate our heritage, we value it, but at the same time we want to offer something new, otherwise we will go down in history.”
