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Sega is keen on expanding Persona and Like A Dragon outside of video games, and it has some big plans for the future, including movies. The news comes from Sega chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi during a recent interview with CNBC, where Utsumi teased plans for Persona movies and another chance at life for older Sega properties (thanks, IGN).
“We just revived Sonic in a big way, not only through games but also remember movies and TV shows, and actually Sonic is in Roblox too, and we’re working closely now with Lego, so now Sonic is reviving,” Utsumi said. “We have other major IPs and also, I cannot say too much about it, but we are thinking of reviving other classical Sega IPs too.”
Sega would make me a very happy person if Shining Force is one of those, but Utsumi said that, for now, the company has two major IP it’s focusing on: Persona and Like A Dragon, two series that have two new games launching in the next three months.
However, he also said movies are just one way Sega wants to branch out. Utsumi mentioned the Roblox example again and said
Sega and 1212 Entertainment announced a live-action Like A Dragon movie in 2020, so unless plans have changed, plans for that IP probably include something else as well. There’s something ironically fitting about putting Kiryu in Roblox, almost the kind of thing you’d expect from a Yakuza substory, though it doesn’t quite seem like the thing for Roblox’s target audience.
Sega also tried turning Persona into a movie before, or several movies, when it released multiple feature-length adaptations of Persona 3. Those went under the radar outside Japan, though, and released at a time when the series didn’t enjoy as much popularity as it does now.
For now, Sega’s got plenty to keep busy with for both franchises. Persona 5 Tactica and Like A Dragon Gaiden are available now. Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth – RGG’s “monster-class” game – launches Jan. 26, 2024, and Persona 3 Reload releases on Feb. 2, 2024.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF