A recent job posting suggests that Sega may be looking to promote the metaverse as part of the company’s future strategy.
Metaverse is no longer a new term for us but how will Sega develop it?
Over the decades, Sega has been an important player in the video game industry, thanks in large part to the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog along with Yakuza, Phantasy Star Online and others. Now, among many game companies looking to invest in new technology trends, be it the metaverse or web 3.0, Sega seems to be looking to join the trend as well. In fact, it looks like the company may have ambitions for a metaverse of its own.
Since its release in the early ’90s, Sonic the Hedgehog has remained one of Sega’s most popular franchises over the years. Thanks to two recent films, its fanbase and appeal continue to show promise as the company looks to grow the franchise even further. Over the past few months, Sega has announced several upcoming Sonic projects including the classic-style Sonic Origins as well as another mainline title called Sonic Frontiers. However, one of the company’s recent job postings indicates that Sega may have plans to merge with Sonic’s future.
The post lists a vacancy for a senior producer for mobile and metaverse games at producer Sonic’s office in Burbank, CA. Accordingly, the senior manufacturer will help deliver mobile products and the Sonic the Hedgehog metaverse will be developed for the global market. Among many other responsibilities and requirements, the role also states that the candidate must have an understanding of what “solid mobile experiences, as well as future metaverse experiences, could be” and be aware of the different needs and constraints of the metaverse “to stay successful and relevant”.
With the latest 2 movies of Sonic, it has brought many positive signals for this brand.
As seen in recent months, Sega has put a lot of effort around the Sonic brand, especially with upcoming products. Additionally, the company mentioned that digital versions of classic Sonic titles will be delisted in May following the release of Sonic Origins. This means that fans may not be able to play Sonic 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles and the CD outside of Sonic Origins. This could also be a sign that Sega may be preparing a franchise-specific universe in the future.
Of course, Sega isn’t the only company giving a boost to the metaverse. Bandai Namco invested $150 million in an “IP metaverse,” and more recently, Epic teamed up with LEGO for a metaverse project of its own. While it’s still unclear what Sega’s metaverse might look like, it will be interesting to see how this space plays out in the gaming industry.
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