A new studio has been created by SEGA on December 1, 2021. However, SEGA has only now made this known recently in an announcement (Translated by Gematsu). The aim of this studio is to work on software development and debugging. The studio was created in Sapporo, Japan, and is led by CEO Takaya Sagawa.
Takaya Sagawa joined SEGA back in 1992 and has worked on numerous games. He worked as a Producer of games such as Phantasy Star Online 2, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, and Yakyuu Tsuku!! He also has worked minor roles in games such as Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, World Series Baseball, and Kanzen Chuukei Pro Yakyuu Greatest Nine.
SEGA Sapporo Studio was created to secure a high-quality and stable development line in response to the global expansion of the video games market. At the studio, locally hired staff will design, program, and debug game software.
The choice in the city is a very well-made strategic choice if Gematsu's post is anything to go by:
With nearly two million residents, the city of Sapporo offers numerous educational institutions such as universities and vocational schools, making it a hotspot for recruiting new talent.
SEGA hopes to expand employment opportunities for those who would like to work in their native prefecture, as well as offer options for staff who wish to make a U-turn (when an employee chooses to return to their native prefecture) or I-turn (when an employee moves elsewhere to work after working in their native prefecture) within the company.
In other SEGA-related news, the company has declared that while studies on the subject are undergoing, the current stance is not to proceed with the addition of blockchain/NFTs if it is perceived as 'simple money-making'. Additionally, the company's flagship series Yakuza has made over 2.8 million unit sales on the PC platform alone.
