SEGA and Microsoft form a strategic alliance
SEGA announced today that it has reached an agreement in principle with Microsoft. The two parties will form a strategic alliance to develop large-scale games using Microsoft’s cloud platform.
After Sega announced the news, the stock price rose by nearly 6%, reaching the highest level in the past six months. Yukio Sugino, President, and COO, SEGA Corporation says:
We are very pleased to announce today that we are considering a strategic alliance with Microsoft to help develop SEGA’s new “Super Game” initiative as well as build a next-generation game development environment. By considering a strategic partnership with Microsoft, we seek to further advance our game development so that our titles can be enjoyed by fans all over the world; in this regard, we aim to build an alliance that utilizes both SEGA’s powerful game development capabilities and Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology and development environment.
For Sega, this strategic alliance is a key component of its long-term strategy, including the so-called “Super Game” program, which focuses on “Global”, “Online”, and “Community” and “IP utilization”. Sega hopes to combine its own development capabilities with Microsoft’s development environment and technology to develop games for players all over the world.
Sarah Bond, CVP, Microsoft Corporation says:
SEGA has played such an iconic role in the gaming industry and has been a tremendous partner over the years. We look forward to working together as they explore new ways to create unique gaming experiences for the future using Microsoft cloud technologies. Together we will reimagine how games get built, hosted, and operated, with a goal of adding more value to players and SEGA alike.
The plans of the two parties are still in their infancy. It is estimated that it will be a few years from now to see the effect.
