Sega could release its own game subscription service

By Patrick Hearn Published December 21, 2024

Between Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and even Nintendo Switch Online, it feels like every company has its own subscription. Throw in Ubisoft+, EA Play, and multiple other companies and you have a veritable free-for-all. Now, Sega’s new president, Shuji Utsumi, says the beloved company is considering a similar offer, although he remained tight-lipped on details.

In an interview with the BBC, Utsumi said, “We’re thinking something — and discussing something — we cannot disclose right now,” he said. The statement followed Utsumi saying the subscription services were “very interesting.”

Of course, the community response to the news has been mixed. Many gamers already chafe at the number of subscription services and the ever-rising costs of each. With Sega titles on nearly every platform, it raises the question: If Sega opens its own service, would Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and other streamers lose access to those games?

The answer isn’t clear. However, during the interview, Utsumi said, “I want to make Sega really shiny again,” referencing the so-called golden days of the company in the ’90s. Sega has focused more heavily on its domestic market than an international market, and to break out of that rut and raise the company’s standing, he wants to “bring a rock and roll” mindset back to gaming.

Anyone who lived through the ’90s will remember the bitter rivalry between Nintendo and Sega when Sonic the Hedgehog was positioned as an edgy, cool character versus the mustachioed plumber.

If Sega launches a streaming service, the company certainly has a lot to pull from. Recent releases like Sonic X Shadow Generations, Shin Megami Tensei V, and the Like a Dragon series all bring their own appeal to the table. If those are yanked from other platforms and isolated into a Sega-only subscription, it will drive customers to it — but perhaps at the cost of community goodwill.

Utsumi disclosed next to no details in the interview, often saying that he couldn’t say more. It isn’t clear what direction Sega will choose to go in, but if the company plans to enter the already-crowded streaming market, it will need to stand out from the crowd.