- Sega America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi has discussed 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 not be any further mini retro consoles
In some bad news for retro game enjoyers, Sega America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi has suggested that the company will not be making any more mini retro consoles.
The words come from a recent interview with The Guardian in which Utsumi discusses the company’s current philosophy. “Gamers loved Sega because we showed a new style, attitude and lifestyle to gamers,” he said. “I want to bring that feeling back. But we are not just a nostalgic company, we need 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 in addition to new entries in long-running fan-favorite franchises like Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. The company has also seen success in its multimedia efforts, with the new Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film already performing well at the box office.
When asked whether the company would pursue any new mini consoles, presumably to follow up the popular Sega Genesis (or Sega Mega Drive for those outside of the US) Mini, he simply replied: “I’m not going for the mini direction. It’s not me. I want to embrace modern gamers”.
The Guardian also states that Sega then clarified that this meant there are currently no plans for any more mini consoles, which is going to be a bit of disappointment for anyone looking forward to a potential Sega Dreamcast Mini or Sega Saturn Mini.
Even so, Utsumi rounds off the interview by reiterating his forward-facing point of view. “We are not a retro company,” he said. “We really appreciate our legacy, we value it, but at the same time, we want to deliver something new – otherwise we’ll become history.”