The past year has proven exceptionally fruitful for the Intellectual Property (IP), with its popularity soaring not only because of the widespread acclaim it has received, but also due to the upcoming film adaptation featuring Keanu Reeves in the titular role of Shadow the Hedgehog. In 2023, Sega’s narrative took an unconventional turn, prompting President and Chief Operating Officer Shuji Utsumi to share his insights on the matter.
In a Eurogamer interview, Utsumi addressed the franchise’s inconsistencies by referencing successful releases like and , while also noting the comparative disappointment of the 2023 side-scrolling game, which he deemed a “failure”.
The company’s innovative drive had driven us to try something novel with, he explained. Unfortunately, the outcome did not meet our expectations, falling short of the quality and standards we had set for ourselves. With the advent of new technologies like this and that, we’re seeing a convergence of narratives across media platforms – films and video games collaborating to amplify complex issues. Regardless of the setting, the heart of the matter is the sport itself. Unless the sport has exceptional appeal, its potential for transmedia influence is severely limited.
Just over a year after the launch of the sidescroller, Sega revealed that the game’s sales had gotten off to a slower-than-expected start, with the company later attributing this partly to the release timing being too close to another popular sidescroller.
At The Game Awards last week, Sega revealed the next installment in its iconic kart racing franchise.
