Sega plans to revive old IP, giving us all hope for beloved franchises

Sega published its presentation for investors called the “road to 2020”, which includes some insight into games we should be looking out for. In it, the publisher stated:

its mission is to “continue to create moving experiences” with the vision of being “a game changer,” aiming to reach at least 300 billion yen in yearly sales and 30 billion yen in operating income.

That’s a nice goal, but the how is particularly interesting for old school gamers. Instead of “middle hits”, the company is going to focus investment on aiming for “big hits”, shifting the business from device-centric to IP-centric. This will obviously include existing IP, as Total War: Warhammer and Persona 5 drove game sales for Sega in the latest reporting period. However, the publisher is also looking to revive some dormant IP, a move that will definitely get old school fans excited.

Personally, I’m just really excited at the idea of a new Valkyrie game. I thoroughly enjoyed the game before, and it would be cool to see that unique blend of tactics, RPG and storytelling return on new consoles. I’m sure this commitment will also intrigue Darryn who is desperately waiting for more Bayonetta. However, there are even older, long-forgotten IPs that might even make Geoff smile if they return.

Could we see a new Fist of the North Star? Or how about some new Jet Set Radio? Sega even made Jurassic Park games in the 90s, why not jump on the success of Jurassic World to make more games in that franchise?

The latest Sonic games haven’t been what they should have, and it feels like that IP needs a bit of a break and soul-searching before Sega churns out another lacklustre performance. But with so many other cool IPs to choose from, this could be exactly the move they need to win our hearts again. Now if only Konami would announce the same I could get excited at the prospect of one day playing more Suikoden.

Last Updated: May 15, 2017