Sega had a strong 2024, earning recognition as Metacritic’s highest-rated publisher thanks to titles like Metaphor: Refantazio and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Now, the company is preparing to adjust its strategy to boost sales, despite positive critical reception for its games.
While media reviews have been favorable, Sega has observed that high ratings haven’t necessarily translated into increased sales. PC Gamer reports that Sega Sammy’s president and COO, Haruki Satomi, addressed the issue during a recent earnings call.
“Although the development costs of our major titles are lower than those of so-called AAA titles in the industry, we are keenly aware that our strength lies in the high level of praise for quality,” Satomi stated in a recent financial report. “we also recognize that these high evaluations have not yet translated into further increases in sales volume.”
Sega believes the solution lies in both continuing to develop high-quality games and improving its marketing and sales approaches. The company outlined its future strategy, stating:
“While continuing to hone our development capabilities – the source of our strength – we believe there is still significant room for improvement and revenue gains in ‘sales capabilities,’ namely marketing and sales mechanisms. As mentioned previously, we are currently undertaking reforms to achieve an expansion of sales scale.”
The news comes as the gaming industry increasingly focuses on converting critical acclaim into commercial success. Despite the sales challenge, Sega highlighted that its Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, including related ventures like the recent film, has generated record profits.
