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00:00Good morning!
00:05How do you do? I'm Kotaro Uegaki, character business journalist for Fuji TV.
00:11Today, I'm at SEGA headquarters.
00:15I'm here to learn how SEGA sells games and characters.
00:21It's true that SEGA has a strong image of games.
00:24Today, I'm going to learn about licensors.
00:28Licensors are companies that actually have the right to sell characters.
00:33I'm going to learn about licensors.
00:36I'm going to do my best to find out about SEGA's charms.
00:43Charms!
00:44Charms!
00:45I'm sorry.
00:46Japan's character business market is 2.6 trillion yen.
00:53In addition, the market is expanding at a global level.
00:57Out of the world's top ten IP sales rankings, five of them are ranked by Japanese characters.
01:04This is an industry where demand is growing worldwide and in Japan.
01:11I, Kotaro Uegaki, will cover the current situation of the industry, which is attracting attention from all over the world.
01:20This is my office.
01:23It's really beautiful.
01:25It's spacious.
01:27Oh, there she is.
01:30Nice to meet you.
01:31Nice to meet you.
01:32I'm Nishi, a candidate.
01:34Nice to meet you.
01:36Nice to meet you.
01:38The name SEGA has that character in it.
01:42That's right.
01:43And right behind you.
01:45Yes, this is Sonic.
01:48He is our representative character who will celebrate his 33rd birthday this year.
01:53This is where we welcome our guests.
01:55Yes, this is the general reception area.
01:59In 2018, when a group of companies that had been in Tokyo gathered here,
02:05we designed this floor with the concept of a port that makes you feel like you're on a grand journey.
02:12That's why it's made with a boat and a port as the motif.
02:17It's like we're about to start a luxury passenger ship trip.
02:23I hope you enjoy your trip with SEGA.
02:29Actually, there's a hidden Sonic on this floor.
02:34Not this girl?
02:35No, not this Sonic.
02:37There's a hidden Sonic.
02:39Where is it?
02:41Is this pattern Sonic?
02:43No, it's not.
02:44It's not?
02:45Yes.
02:46Where is it?
02:47But still, it feels really good.
02:50Did you notice anything?
02:52Huh?
02:53Oh, I noticed!
02:56If you look at it from here, you can see Sonic floating in the air.
03:01This is the hidden Sonic.
03:04I see.
03:06There's a picture of him.
03:09Yes.
03:10This map shows the port towns of each country.
03:17There are so many port towns.
03:19These are all the names of the conference rooms.
03:24The walls and designs of the conference rooms represent the port towns.
03:30You're right.
03:32We can talk about the port towns for the future.
03:35Yes.
03:38This is an arcade game called OutRun, which was released in 1986.
03:44I see.
03:45It's one of SEGA's most famous arcade games.
03:50There are so many games displayed here.
03:54Could you tell us about SEGA?
03:58Yes.
03:59In June 1960, SEGA's first company, Nihonbussan Co., Ltd., was established.
04:06Nihonbussan Co., Ltd. was a company that sold amusement machines for business.
04:15Nihonbussan Co., Ltd. is now a full-fledged company.
04:20I see.
04:22There are about 5,000 employees in SEGA Group.
04:275,000?
04:28Yes.
04:29There are more than 300 departments in SEGA Group.
04:33This is our dining room.
04:37It smells delicious.
04:40Wow.
04:41The balloons are so stylish.
04:44Yes.
04:45It's Halloween now, so we change the decorations every season.
04:51Wow.
04:52I can see all the way over there.
04:54Yes.
04:55It's about three or four times the size of Fuji TV's staff dining room.
05:03I'm sorry.
05:04Can I take as many photos as I want?
05:06The price depends on the weight.
05:10I see.
05:11You can put them on this scale.
05:13I see.
05:15I see.
05:17Can I talk to the staff over there?
05:22Yes.
05:23You can talk to them.
05:25Can I?
05:26Hello.
05:27I'm sorry to interrupt.
05:29Not at all.
05:30I'm Kotaro Uegaki, a character license journalist for Fuji TV.
05:34Nice to meet you.
05:35I didn't know you were in SEGA.
05:38Why did you join SEGA?
05:41I have a long history with SEGA.
05:44I used to be a Dreamcast player when I was a kid.
05:47Dreamcast?
05:48Yes.
05:49There was a white console.
05:51I used to play it with my dad.
05:53I used to play Sonic Adventure, Jet Set Radio, and Crazy Taxi.
05:59I thought it would be fun to join SEGA.
06:02That's why I joined SEGA.
06:04I see.
06:05So you've been a fan of Sonic since you were a kid?
06:11Yes.
06:12It's fun to play games, so I wanted to work with Sonic.
06:17I see.
06:19Is there a moment when you feel it's worth doing?
06:22When I feel it's worth doing?
06:24When my name is on the end roll of a game,
06:27it means that I'm involved in entertainment.
06:31I'm glad that my name is on the end roll of a game.
06:34I heard you were excited. Is that right?
06:36Yes.
06:37I'm glad that my name is on the end roll of a game.
06:40My family is happy when they see my name on the end roll of a game.
06:44I'm glad that your name is on the end roll of a game.
06:51Thank you very much.
06:53Please look around you.
06:55There are a lot of fun things.
06:57Please look around you.
06:59Which one is the most fun?
07:01The one over there is the most fun.
07:03There are board games, billiards, and so on.
07:07I see.
07:08This is it.
07:09Yes.
07:10This is what you showed us earlier.
07:12Yes.
07:13This is the bar.
07:16Wow.
07:17It's amazing.
07:18During the day, you can use it as a cafe.
07:21At night, you can use it as a bar.
07:24It's called an end bar.
07:26This darts machine is also made by SEGA.
07:31I see.
07:32There are people who are playing right now.
07:35Yes.
07:36There are two people over there.
07:39I can't believe there are darts machines in the company.
07:42I agree.
07:43I think it's because SEGA has a group company.
07:47We are an entertainment company.
07:49I want to have a good time.
07:52I think so, too.
07:54I want to learn from Fuji TV.
07:57I've been thinking about it for a long time.
07:59What is your favorite SEGA character?
08:03I like Kazuma Kiryu, the main character of the Ryuga Otoku series.
08:09Did you like him before you joined the company?
08:11Yes, I did.
08:12He is cool and cool.
08:14I like a man who everyone admires.
08:17I see.
08:18Do you have a favorite SEGA character?
08:20I like Sonic.
08:21I knew it.
08:23When I was in elementary school, everyone didn't know Sonic.
08:28I was playing a game with my friends where Sonic played as a character in another game.
08:34I knew the existence of Sonic.
08:36I've been using that character all the time.
08:39I really like it.
08:41I'm glad you joined SEGA.
08:44I'm glad you joined the company.
08:49Next, I'll show you the free portal.
08:54This is a working space for employees called the free portal.
09:00Employees can freely share information with other companies, such as anime and manga.
09:05They can learn and use it for their work.
09:10If you have a favorite SEGA character, please let me know.
09:14I'm here now.
09:17I like a character called Love&Berry.
09:21I applied to SEGA to work with this character.
09:27I see.
09:28Love&Berry?
09:30That's right.
09:31It's an arcade game that was very popular when I was in elementary school.
09:35I haven't been able to see it on the market since 2008.
09:40I love Love&Berry so much that it's like a dream come true.
09:44I thought I could meet Love&Berry again if I joined SEGA.
09:49That's why I decided to join SEGA.
09:52Do you have a chance to work with Love&Berry now?
09:58Yes, I'm in charge of Love&Berry now.
10:01Congratulations.
10:03This is the 20th anniversary of Love&Berry.
10:07I've been working on a large-scale commercial for a long time.
10:11Now I'm doing a job like monitoring and planning.
10:15It's a career that has been pierced by love for characters.
10:18That's right.
10:19What is your favorite character?
10:22I'm in charge of Ryuga Gotoku now.
10:26I love the first protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, who is like a dragon.
10:31I see.
10:34Oh, wow.
10:36I'm in charge of the production of the goods that were released at the game show.
10:41This is my favorite character.
10:45It's a big impact.
10:48It's a large-scale commercial, right?
10:51That's right.
10:54Wow.
10:57I see.
11:01Finally, I would like to introduce you to the conference room area where you can see the history of SEGA.
11:09This is the guest conference room area where SEGA's great game consoles were exhibited.
11:16The name of the game console is attached to this conference room.
11:21Wow.
11:22This is SEGA's first home game console, SG-1000.
11:27This is SEGA's first home game console.
11:32This is Genesis.
11:35This is Genesis.
11:36In Japan, it is called Mega Drive.
11:41It was sold mainly in North America under the name Genesis.
11:45I see.
11:47This is Dreamcast.
11:50Dreamcast.
11:51This is SEGA's last home game console.
11:54Since then, home game consoles have not been sold.
11:58I see.
12:00Various products have changed over time.
12:07I'm here to learn about character business.
12:12Which character should I focus on and study?
12:16I think Sonic is the best.
12:21I want to know a lot about Sonic, the representative of SEGA.
12:26I want to know a lot about Sonic, the representative of SEGA.
12:32Excuse me.
12:38Wow.
12:40Excuse me.
12:42Transmedia
12:49Please tell me your department.
12:52I'm the director of the Transmedia office.
12:58I'd like to talk about Sonic today.
13:03By the way, did you know Sonic?
13:06Of course I know Sonic's name.
13:11I'm sorry, but I didn't know much about Sonic until I heard about this program.
13:20Sonic has a history of more than 30 years.
13:25In the past 10 years, Sonic has done a lot of business in Europe and the United States.
13:33I see.
13:35Sonic is so popular in Europe and the United States that no one knows him.
13:40Some people think Sonic is an American character without knowing he was born in Japan.
13:49So I think Sonic is more than 90% popular.
13:54I see.
13:55It's amazing that Sonic is so popular that no one knows him.
13:59How popular is Sonic in Europe and the United States?
14:0395% of Sonic's global sales are overseas.
14:10I see.
14:12For example, in the second movie, Sonic's industrial revenue was more than $400 million.
14:20$400 million?
14:21It's a record.
14:23In terms of games, the total revenue was more than 1.6 billion.
14:30Also, there is a popular platform called Roblox.
14:34Roblox is a popular platform.
14:36Yes.
14:37Roblox is developing Sonic games.
14:4148 million people access Roblox every month.
14:4648 million people access Roblox every month?
14:48Yes.
14:49All over the world?
14:50Yes.
14:51Roblox is the number one single-character game in the world.
14:57I see.
14:59Do you have any other opportunities to see Sonic in real life?
15:05For example, Sonic has a concert series in Europe and the United States.
15:09I see.
15:10It's a big event with a large number of people.
15:14For example, there are 3,000 people in one concert.
15:17You can listen to music from Sonic games.
15:21It's a very fun event for fans who like Sonic games.
15:27It has been held in Europe and the United States for several years.
15:30I see.
15:31We are also working on an animation series for Netflix.
15:36We are also working on an animation series for Netflix.
15:41I see.
15:42Netflix is a great platform.
15:45It's a new platform that can reach many parents and children.
15:51It was a game at first.
15:53Yes.
15:54But you jumped out of the game.
15:56That's right.
15:57There were various developments.
16:00What do you think is the charm of Sonic?
16:05I think there are several.
16:07For example, Americans like fast games.
16:11Sega's games are fast, cool, and playful.
16:17Sonic has a lot of action, laughter, and emotions.
16:21Sonic has a lot of action, laughter, and emotions.
16:23Sonic has a lot of the basics required for a Hollywood movie.
16:28Sonic has a lot of the basics required for a Hollywood movie.
16:29So Sonic is simply obsessed with American characters.
16:36It has been a while since Sonic was so popular in the US.
16:41So, why did Sonic become so popular in the US and beyond?
16:50Please tell us about how it happened.
16:52Yes.
16:53If that's the case, I think we should start with Hoshino, our Creative Director.
17:04We're walking through the office.
17:06This is the Sonic area.
17:09There are a lot of Sonic goods on the desks.
17:14You can see that the employees are working with love for Sonic.
17:18Oh, is this it?
17:21Hoshino-san, nice to meet you.
17:24I'm Hoshino, the Creative Director.
17:26Hoshino-san, the Creative Director of Sonic.
17:37Mr. Scalpone said earlier that Sonic is more popular overseas than in Japan.
17:44I'd like to ask you about that.
17:46First of all, please tell us about the background and history of Sonic.
17:50Yes.
17:51It was the beginning of 1990.
17:55At that time, there was a dispute over the distribution of game consoles.
18:01Sega was fighting for third place in Japan.
18:05At that time, the management said they had to invest more in the game industry.
18:11They wanted to make something interesting and sell it.
18:15At that time, they made a game called Sonic the Hedgehog.
18:19The main character is Sonic.
18:23By the way, Hoshino-san, were you involved at that time?
18:27It was the year I joined the company that Sonic was released.
18:33At first, I was a newcomer.
18:35I was brought to the company by my senior.
18:38He said, look, this is the new Sonic.
18:42The person who made Sonic was my senior.
18:46That's how I joined the team.
18:49So you witnessed Sonic's heyday.
18:53Yes, I did.
18:55And you've been involved since then.
18:58Yes.
18:59I started my career as a character designer.
19:02I designed several Sonic characters.
19:05I made Emi, Metal Sonic, and Shadow.
19:14What kind of memories did you have of Sonic?
19:18Yes.
19:19I didn't want Sonic to be forgotten along with the development of hardware.
19:25I wanted Sonic to be loved for a long time even if the game system changes.
19:30If possible, I wanted to make Sonic a representative of SEGA.
19:38I see.
19:40He's a representative of SEGA now.
19:43He's not officially a corporate character.
19:48But I think he's active as a face.
19:50Yes, he's active as a face of SEGA.
19:53What was the reaction like in the early days?
19:57Yes.
19:58In Europe and America,
20:01there was a bit of a cheeky attitude and a pose that didn't appeal to people.
20:08I think it was important to have an edgy part as a character.
20:14I see.
20:15In addition to the character,
20:17the overwhelming speed of the game itself.
20:21I was impressed with this.
20:25In terms of the promotion of the game itself,
20:29in TV commercials,
20:32there was a comparison advertisement that was unacceptable in Japan.
20:36It was a popular game at the time.
20:39I lined up both monitors and said,
20:41look, Sonic is so fast.
20:44Did you say that?
20:45Yes.
20:46I think that's one of the reasons why I was so excited.
20:49I see.
20:50The name Sonic has a sense of speed, doesn't it?
20:55It's sharp.
20:56Yes. Sonic means speed of sound.
20:59This is a word that represents him.
21:02I think it's important to have a straightforward understanding of that.
21:06I agree.
21:07The Japanese word for Sonic is a bit...
21:10Is it okay?
21:11It's sporty.
21:12It's sporty, isn't it?
21:13It's sporty. It's definitely sporty.
21:15Character News
21:22This is Fuji TV Shop, Fuji-san Tokyo Station.
21:28A very cute Chii-kawa corner has been renewed.
21:34Chii-kawa Adventure Goods, which was also popular in Odaiba Adventure King 2024,
21:40and anime Chii-kawa goods are also on sale.
21:45Chii-kawa goods are very cute.
21:49A clear pouch with a collar that is perfect for daily use,
21:54and a cute face towel with a colorful color,
21:57and Chii-kawa goods that have become pirates in the store are on sale.
22:05In addition to Fuji-san Tokyo Station,
22:08they are also on sale at Odaiba, Lake Town, and Fuji TV official e-shop.
22:15Let's play with the original Shuuru character app!
22:21The game app for Mikan Seijin, Mikan Seijin no Ana, is currently being released for the iPhone.
22:29Mikan Seijin is a character that gained popularity in the legendary children's show Ugo Ugo Ruga in 1992.
22:38As an original Shuuru character, it gained popularity with its mysterious world view,
22:44and was revived by powering up peacefully!
22:49The content of the game is quite simple.
22:53All you have to do is throw Mikan Seijin, which looks like a ball, into the hole.
22:58There are more than 80 stages, including grassland, cliff, and space.
23:04Various stage gimmicks won't let you get bored.
23:08Please download and play!
23:15It became quite a hit overseas.
23:18Did it have the same impact in Japan?
23:21Yes. At that time, the Mega Drive hardware was not so popular.
23:28There was a big explosion in the United States, but there was no explosion.
23:33I see. That means it wasn't easy on ships in Japan.
23:39I think you can say it wasn't easy.
23:42How do you feel about Sonic?
23:46I think you've spent a lot of time with Sonic.
23:49What do you think of Sonic?
23:53I think he's at the level of a comrade.
23:56A comrade?
23:57Yes.
23:58What kind of trouble did you go through with him?
24:01We constantly make games.
24:04Every time, we do our best.
24:08I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
24:11I think there's another way to do it.
24:16That's what I think.
24:18I see.