“Sonic the Hedgehog” makers: Sega Sammy are selling their Resort Seagaia!

Sega Sammy Group is one of the best game-makers in Japan. Guess how Sonic the Hedgehog became popular?

Sega Sammy Holdings Inc., sometimes known as the Sega Sammy Group, is a Japanese multinational holding corporation. It is a business founded in 2004 by the collaboration of Sega and Sammy Corporation. The two companies are active in the entertainment and gaming sector, like Sega with arcades, home video games, and pachinko machines.

Sega Sammy to sell its resort complex Seagaia to “Fortress Investment Group” of the U.S.

Recently, the news broke out that Sega Sammy Holdings, headquartered in Tokyo (originally from the United States) has announced that it will sell all of its shares in Phoenix Resort Company, which runs Seagaia in Miyazaki, southwestern Japan.
The company’s revenue increased tenfold in the previous five years. Sega Sammy’s resort companies have recovered their profit margins very recently. As per sources, they were hit hard by the global pandemic which resulted in less travelling to and within Japan. By handing over the management of Seagaia to Fortress group, Sega Sammy hopes to better focus on its core capabilities, such as video games. The Fortress Group is hugely owned by the Japanese telecommunications and technology corporation called SoftBank Group Corporation.

The Abu Dhabi investor named “Mubadala” announced in May 2023 that it would gain a controlling share in Fortress Investment from SoftBank. They stated their clear interest. However, the transaction is still incomplete because of legal regulations.

On the brighter side, the Sega Sammy board of directors agreed on this decision. They said this move would result in a gain of about 8.5 billion yen ($55 million). It will also fetch an exceptional income for the fiscal year ending March 2025. The directors explained that the Fortress was based in New York and it was picked for its experience. According to Sega Sammy, it has bought 176 hotels since 2011.

No need to get sad, as, Sega Sammy still has various amusements in their palm, including video games like “Persona 3 Reload,” which recorded 1 million downloads in the first week after its launch in February. Not to forget about the older but still famous “Angry Birds” and “Like a Dragon.”

History of Sega and Sammy corporations

Sega was launched in 1960 by an American businessman named Martin Bromley. The corporation sold slot machines to US establishments in Japan. “Sonic the Hedgehog” was created in 1991 as a successful franchise to represent Sega against Nintendo’s Mario. 15 million copies of Sonic the Hedgehog were sold. It inspired many sequels and became Sega’s flagship franchise.

On the other hand, a Japanese businessman called Hajime Satomi created Sammy Corporation in 1975. He named it Sammy Industry Co. Ltd. It was created by merging Satomi Corporation’s production and marketing departments for gaming arcade machines. After 10 years both the companies came together to build something we’ve never seen! A multi-business including Amusement theme parks, gaming arcades, video games, toys, CGI animation studios, and whatnot!