Sega is set to open an official store in the same building as Nintendo Tokyo

Sega is set to follow Nintendo, Capcom, and Square Enix in opening its own official store in Tokyo, Japan, it’s revealed.

Speaking to VGC at Gamescom Asia, Sega’s transmedia boss Justin Scarpone said the store will open next summer in Shibuya’s Parco department complex – the same building which already houses Nintendo Tokyo, the official Capcom store, and a Pokemon Center.

A second Sega store will open in Shanghai, China, via a partner company, he said.

Scarpone – who joined Sega earlier this year following a lengthy career at Disney and others – said the decision to launch a physical Sega outlet was motivated by the desire to put the Sega brand in front of more consumers, particularly following the sale of its Japanese arcade business.

“One of the core things about our transmedia team is we are really focused on elevating and strengthening the Sega brand,” he said. 

“Our portfolio is very broad, but the common thread is the Sega brand. Sega already has a surprising amount of fandom as a brand, and we need to look after those fans and offer new experiences to them, while putting the stamp of Sega on it more proudly.”

He added: “If you go to retail today, you don’t see ‘Sega’ enough. For example, we’re opening a Sega store next summer in [Tokyo’s] Parco. There will be a Sega store. We’re also going to be doing a similar project in Shanghai, where we’ll have a store there as well via a partner. 

“It’s really exciting and we need to do a lot more of that, because Sega is a consumer brand that is surprisingly not in front of consumers enough. Sonic is, but Sega isn’t. That’s one of 35 things I’m working on right now!”

Thanks partly to the successful Sonic movies and licensee deals with the likes of Lego, Sega’s transmedia business has enjoyed strong growth in recent years. The company says it now generates nearly $1 billion in annual retail sales of toys, clothing and merchandise alone.

Having joined the company six months ago, Scarpone said his task is now to replicate the success Sega’s seen with the Sonic the Hedgehog brand across its other franchises, such as Persona and Like A Dragon.

“My sights are set on trying to compete with the best the Hollywood studios when it comes to managing IP, because I think if we strive to reach that level of excellence, we should do pretty well,” he said.

“When I worked for Disney, Sega were my licensees, so I’d had a long relationship with the executive team. But what shouted out to me after I joined as a reason why it’s grown so much [outside of video games] over the last few years were good decisions around partnerships.

He added: “[That includes] Paramount and Netflix, which has really allowed us to reach a broader audience. But also other things like Roblox, which has blown out our reach with younger demographics in most key territories.

“It’s a combination of these multiplatform approaches to getting the IP out there in the case of Sonic, which then feeds the consumer products business. 

“I think our core team, particularly in Burbank who were leading that over the past five years with the film and streaming deals, and driving the consumer product business for Sonic, are a key reason why we are where we are. Now I’m coming in and trying to replicate that in other territories, but also blow it out across our library of IP, which is the logical next phase.”