Sega president claims there has been an increase in 'fans who don't play the games'
Sega president Shuji Utsumi says the company is seeing more fans engage with its franchises through films, television and online content, even if they have never played the original games.
Sega president and COO Shuji Utsumi has acknowledged that the company has seen a rise in fans who love its franchises without ever playing the games they are based on.
Speaking to Nikkei Gaming, Utsumi discussed Sega’s growing focus on "transmedia", a strategy that expands major franchises beyond video games and into films, television, merchandise and other forms of entertainment.
The approach has helped series including Sonic the Hedgehog, Persona and Yakuza reach wider audiences, but it has also created a new type of fan who discovers these worlds through other media rather than through a controller.
When asked about the increase in people supporting intellectual properties despite never playing the games, Utsumi confirmed the trend was happening across Sega’s biggest brands.
Utsumi said: "We've seen an increase in such fans for every title in recent years."
He highlighted the Yakuza franchise as a key example, explaining that the series has attracted a significant audience through online videos, streaming content and its wider storytelling appeal.
Utsumi explained: "The Yakuza series has been doing exceptionally well in merchandising, with 60-70 per cent of its buyers being women.
"They've become fans of the Yakuza world, story, and characters after watching our YouTube channel and popular YouTubers' streams."
Rather than viewing these fans as less valuable, Sega considers them an important part of its gaming community.
Utsumi said: "Even people who have never played games are considered fans and gamers by us.
"Transmedia's strength lies in increasing the entry points and contact points for people to become interested in IP."
Utsumi added that some fans who discover franchises through non-gaming content can become even more deeply engaged than traditional players.
The executive also discussed how changing audiences have influenced Sega’s approach to merchandise.
He pointed to his previous experience working on romance games for women at Cybird, where he saw demand grow for lifestyle products such as clothing, cosmetics and limited-edition collaborations.
Sega’s transmedia strategy has already delivered major successes, with the Sonic the Hedgehog film series becoming a major box office hit and additional adaptations, including a Persona project for Netflix, in development.
While expanding franchises beyond games can introduce millions of new fans to Sega’s worlds, the company appears less concerned about whether every supporter eventually becomes a player.
For Utsumi, anyone who connects with a franchise is part of the gaming community, regardless of how they discovered it.
