Prototype via Sega

If you're into Japanese video games, chances are pretty high that you're familiar with one of Sega'south core franchises. Whether it's Phantasy Star, Sonic, or even Yakuza, Sega'due south in-firm studios have a generally positive reception. With all of these developers working out of Tokyo, it was time for some expansion.

According to the company's official website, a new development studio based out of Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture's upper-case letter, bankrupt ground last month. Takaya Segawa leads the new Sapporo-based studio. With 30 years nether his belt at Sega, fans are most likely familiar with his role as producer on Phantasy Star Online 2.

The website provides a statement from Segawa addressing the studio's roles and aspirations. According to him, Sega Sapporo's chief roles involve debugging and developing titles from Sega's stable of intellectual properties. The post continues to read that Sega Sapporo will "take on the challenge of creating even more innovative content and providing a new and inspiring feel to the world."

Without the announcement of specific projects, it's unclear what exactly is being referenced. With that said, Sega fans shouldn't exist too worried about their investments. Beyond this expansion, its 2022 conquering of Atlus has paid off in contempo years, with the likes of Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensei 5 performing far above expectations.