SEGA and Microsoft have just announced a new “strategic alliance”to help SEGA develop next-generation games using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. The alliance will allow SEGA to move forward with what it calls “Super Game,”a new game development initiative focused specifically on “Global, Online, Community”and, curiously, “Use of IP.”
Just what “Super Game “is is anyone’s guess, but from the sound of it, it sounds like an outdated IP repackaged as an online multiplayer game with social features like Destiny or maybe even Fortnite. SEGA doesn’t seem to have a shortage of instantly recognizable and successful IPs like Sonic, Phantasy Star, and more recently, Lost Judgment. It will be interesting to see what the “Super Game”really is, and whether this new alliance with Microsoft could hint that the next few SEGA games will be Xbox/Windows exclusives.
SEGA enters alliance with Microsoft to create “next generation development environment”
Neither SEGA nor Microsoft have actually talked about the exclusive status of future games from the publisher, but this cannot be completely excluded from the realm of possibility.
“SEGA has played such an iconic role in the gaming industry and has been a great partner over the years,” commented Sarah Bond, Microsoft Corporation CVP. “We look forward to working together as they explore new ways to create the unique gaming experience of the future using Microsoft cloud technology.”
This new alliance appears to be a forward-thinking move by seasoned game developers to anticipate future trends and accelerate and streamline the development process using Microsoft Azure cloud services.
“As we consider a strategic partnership with Microsoft, we are committed to further developing our games so that our games can be enjoyed by fans around the world,” said Yukio Sugino, President and COO of SEGA Corporation. “In this regard, we aim to build an alliance that will leverage both SEGA’s powerful game development capabilities and Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology and development environment.”