Sega’s Transmedia Push Fuels Rise in Non-Playing Fans

In a September 7 interview with *Nikkei Gaming*, Sega president and COO Shuji Utsumi explained that the company’s “transmedia” strategy has produced a noticeable increase in people who follow Sega’s intellectual property (IP) despite never having played the games. Utsumi said this trend appears across all of Sega’s major franchises, from *Sonic the Hedgehog* to *Persona* and the *Like a Dragon* (formerly *Yakuza*) series.

Sega president says there’s been a rise in “fans who don’t play the games,” and their engagement with IPs can be even higher than that of gamers

Sega has expanded its flagship titles into film, television, streaming content, and a broad range of merchandise. The three live-action *Sonic* movies have generated box-office revenue, and a new *Persona* series is in development for Netflix. These cross-media extensions create multiple entry points for audiences who may first encounter a franchise through a movie, a YouTube channel, or a popular streamer rather than through gameplay.

Sega president says there’s been a rise in “fans who don’t play the games,” and their engagement with IPs can be even higher than that of gamers

Utsumi highlighted that merchandise tied to the *Like a Dragon* series is performing especially well, with about 60-70 % of purchasers being women. He noted that many of these customers become fans of the series’ story and characters after watching official YouTube content or influencer streams, even though they have never played the games themselves. The president also described similar patterns for the *Yakuza* franchise, where a sizable portion of the audience engages primarily through merchandising and media.

Sega president says there’s been a rise in “fans who don’t play the games,” and their engagement with IPs can be even higher than that of gamers

According to Utsumi, Sega treats all individuals who engage with its IPs as “gamers,” regardless of whether they have ever used a controller. He argued that transmedia’s strength lies in increasing “entry points and contact points” for potential fans, and that in some cases the engagement of non-playing fans can surpass that of traditional gamers. The company plans to continue expanding this approach, with 2026 earmarked as a significant year for *Persona* and *Angry Birds* projects.

Sega president says there’s been a rise in “fans who don’t play the games,” and their engagement with IPs can be even higher than that of gamers

Sega’s acknowledgment that non-players can be high-engagement fans challenges conventional definitions of the gaming audience. By counting these fans as gamers, the company may justify broader merchandising strategies and allocate resources toward media adaptations rather than solely focusing on game development. If other publishers adopt similar transmedia models, the industry could see a shift toward revenue streams that rely more on ancillary content and less on direct game sales.

Sega president says there’s been a rise in “fans who don’t play the games,” and their engagement with IPs can be even higher than that of gamers