Latest news with #DavidCole
Straits Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Sonic The Hedgehog creator Sega eyes return to 1990s gaming glory
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The big-screen success of 1990s video game speedster Sonic The Hedgehog has brought new fans to Japan's Sega. TOKYO – The big-screen success of 1990s video game speedster Sonic The Hedgehog has brought new fans to Japan's Sega, which says it is poised for a comeback after two tough decades. In 2025, all eyes have been on Nintendo, whose Switch 2 recently became the fastest-selling console in history. But unlike its former arch-rival, Sega has not sold gaming hardware since its Dreamcast console was discontinued in 2001, instead focusing on making games for other platforms. Now, as record tourism to Japan helps boost global appetite for the country's pop culture, the company sees a chance to reinvent itself – including through nostalgic game remakes and movie adaptations like the hit Sonic series. Sega opens its first flagship merchandise store in Japan on July 18, having launched a similar shop in Shanghai in May. 'Opportunities are expanding,' Sega chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi told AFP. 'We've been struggling... for a while, but now we are coming back.' The company aims to expand its business globally 'rather than focusing on the Japanese market', he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning Singapore Kpod vapes, zombie kids: Why it's time to raise the alarm Singapore NEA monitoring E. coli at Sentosa after elevated bacteria levels delays World Aquatics events Opinion The workplace needs to step up on mental health to match Singapore's efforts at the national level Life First look at the new Singapore Oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa Singapore Singapore Zoo celebrates reptile baby boom, including hatchings of endangered species Business Market versus mission: What will Income Insurance choose? Business Singapore key exports surprise with 13% rebound in June amid tariff uncertainty Sega was a top industry player in the 1980s and 1990s, its name synonymous with noisy arcades, home consoles and game franchises, such as beat-em-up Streets Of Rage and ninja series Shinobi. But it struggled to keep up with intense competition, falling on hard times financially as multiplayer online titles from US publishers, such as World Of Warcraft, took off in the 2000s. After Sega quit the hardware business, its game offerings 'got a little stale', said Mr David Cole of US-based games market research firm DFC Intelligence. But 'the kids who grew up in the 1990s are now in their 30s, 40s, even older, and really like those franchises' – and are introducing them to their own children. It is 'untapped value' that Sega is trying to capitalise on through new movies, stores and theme park rides, Mr Cole added. In 2024, the film Sonic The Hedgehog 3, starring Jim Carrey as the villain, zipped to the top of the North American box office in one of the best December openings in years. It followed the first live-action Sonic movie in 2020, as Sega cashes in on a video-game movie craze that saw The Super Mario Bros. Movie, based on the Nintendo characters, become the second-highest grossing film of 2023. Shinobi is also being turned into a film, while Sega's Yakuza game series has been adapted for television. When asked if cult franchise 'Persona' could be next, Sega's Mr Utsumi said fans should 'stay tuned'. Sega is working on what it calls a 'Super Game' with big-budget international ambition and a scope that is 'not only just a game – communication, social, maybe potentially AI', Mr Utsumi said. 'The competition in the game market is very fierce,' he cautioned. Parent company Sega Sammy said in May its 'Sonic' intellectual property 'has contributed to an increase in both game and character licensing revenue'. Young tourists in Tokyo shopping near Sega's new store ahead of the opening seemed to confirm this. 'I've always liked Sega. I kind of grew up around their games,' said 19-year-old American Danny Villasenor. 'They're pretty retro. But I think they've evolved with time pretty well.' AFP
Business Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Japan's Sega eyes return to 1990s gaming glory
[TOKYO] The big-screen success of 1990s video game speedster Sonic the Hedgehog has brought new fans to Japan's Sega, which says it is poised for a comeback after two tough decades. This year all eyes have been on Nintendo, whose Switch 2 recently became the fastest-selling console in history. But unlike its former arch-rival, Sega has not sold gaming hardware since its Dreamcast console was discontinued in 2001, instead focusing on making games for other platforms. Now, as record tourism to Japan helps boost global appetite for the country's pop culture, the company sees a chance to reinvent itself - including through nostalgic game remakes and movie adaptations like the hit Sonic series. Sega opens its first flagship merchandise store in Japan on Friday, having launched a similar shop in Shanghai in May. 'Opportunities are expanding,' chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi told AFP. 'We've been struggling... for a while, but now we are coming back.' BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up The company aims 'to expand our business globally rather than focusing on the Japanese market', he said. Sega was a top industry player in the 1980s and 1990s, its name synonymous with noisy arcades, home consoles and game franchises, such as beat-em-up Streets of Rage and ninja series Shinobi. But it struggled to keep up with intense competition, falling on hard times financially as multiplayer online titles from US publishers, such as World of Warcraft, took off in the 2000s. 'Persona' movie? After Sega quit the hardware business, its game offerings 'got a little stale', said David Cole of the US-based games market research firm DFC Intelligence. But 'the kids who grew up in the 1990s are now in their 30s, 40s, even older, and really like those franchises' - and are introducing them to their own children - he told AFP. 'It's untapped value' that Sega - just like its Japanese peers including Nintendo - is trying to capitalise on through new movies, stores and theme park rides, Cole added. Last year, the film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 starring Jim Carrey as the villain zipped to the top of the North American box office in one of the best December openings in years. It followed the first live-action Sonic movie in 2020, as Sega cashes in on a video-game movie craze that saw The Super Mario Bros. Movie, based on the Nintendo characters, become the second-highest grossing film of 2023. Shinobi is also being turned into a film, while Sega's Yakuza game series has been adapted for television. When asked if cult franchise Persona could be next, Sega's Utsumi said fans should 'stay tuned'. 'We are talking to a lot of interesting potential partners. So we are under some discussions, but I can't say too much about it,' he said. Super Game Sega bought Finland's Rovio, creator of Angry Birds, in 2023, seeking to expand into the mobile gaming market. 'Gamers' behaviour has been changing' since Sega's original heyday, going beyond TV-connected consoles, Utsumi said. But Cole said that in the long run Sega should concentrate on 'high-end' gaming: larger-scale, more involved titles that encourage brand loyalty. Sega is working on what it calls a 'Super Game' with big-budget international ambition and a scope that is 'not only just a game - communication, social, maybe potentially AI', Utsumi said. 'The competition in the game market is very fierce,' he cautioned. 'It's important to really have a fan base close to us. But at the same time, when we develop a great game, it takes time.' Sega's parent company Sega Sammy also makes arcade and gambling machines, including those used in Japanese 'pachinko' parlours, whose numbers are in decline. That makes Sega's entertainment business 'really the growth opportunity for the company', Cole said. Sega Sammy said in May its Sonic intellectual property 'has contributed to an increase in both game and character licensing revenue'. Young tourists in Tokyo shopping near Sega's new store ahead of the opening seemed to confirm this. 'I've always liked Sega. I kind of grew up around their games,' said 19-year-old American Danny Villasenor. 'They're pretty retro. But I think they've evolved with time pretty well.' William Harrington, 24, who lives in Los Angeles, said his father 'put me on to a lot of the older games back in the day', and so to him, Sega 'feels like childhood'. AFP
Al Jazeera
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Trump's immigration crackdown explained
United States President Donald Trump has promised the 'largest deportation operation in American history', targeting millions of undocumented immigrants. His tough stance on immigration helped to get him elected, but the way he is going about his immigration crackdown is causing alarm among many people and has led to violent protests in Los Angeles. Start Here with Sandra Gathmann explains what is going on. This episode features: Nayna Gupta – Policy director, American Immigration Council Kathleen Bush-Joseph – Policy analyst, Migration Policy Institute David Cole – Professor in law and public policy, Georgetown University Andrea Flores – Vice president of Immigration and Campaigns,
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Switch 2 launch could be "significantly bigger" than the OG Switch's, but only if Nintendo can keep up: "When in history [...] did a launch for a popular new console go smoothly?"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. We're fast approaching the launch of the Switch 2, and despite cries to "drop the price," pre-orders have been selling out around the world. Some analysts are already expecting a "significantly bigger" launch than what we saw with the OG Switch, but it all hinges on one key factor: supply. Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Japan games industry consultancy Kantan Games, is one analyst who's expecting a "significantly" larger release for the console compared to the Switch 1. Speaking to GamesRadar+, he says that "the initial momentum for Switch 2 vs 1 is like night and day," pointing out that in 2017, Nintendo had "just suffered from the massive failure with the Wii U," meaning that "not too many people took the Switch seriously." With the Switch 2, he expects the console "will be not only sold out at launch (a banality) but also hard to get for weeks or perhaps even months after." He adds: "Sorry, but we as an industry have seen so many console launches now: When in the history of the video gaming business did a launch for a popular new console go smoothly?" He continues: "I hope I am wrong and I understand Nintendo will try their best, but I would be very surprised if you can just walk into a store and buy a Switch 2 before late summer at the earliest." This sentiment is echoed by David Cole, CEO of research and consulting firm DFC Intelligence. He tells us that "the main issue is whether Nintendo can meet initial demand, and then continue to have enough units available this fall and into the holiday season," noting that "supply shortages could be a major issue in coming months." Games industry researcher Joost van Dreunen, who writes the SuperJoost Playlist and teaches at NYU Stern School of Business, also believes that "acquiring a Switch 2 at launch will likely be challenging." He adds: "I anticipate stock shortages to persist through the holiday season and potentially into Q1 2026. The current global trade situation and tariff uncertainties have likely prompted Nintendo to be even more cautious with their manufacturing and distribution strategies." Mat Piscatella, games industry analyst at Circana, reiterates "the success of the launch will depend on how many units will be available," noting: "Demand will likely be there globally, but that doesn't mean the units necessarily will be." If Nintendo is able to supply enough consoles, "I don't see why the launch of Switch 2 should not be bigger than the original Switch," he explains. The console's price and announced Nintendo Switch 2 launch games apparently don't matter too much in the immediate future, either, as he suggests: "Pricing and available games becomes much more important once we get outside the launch window, and we move away from the price insensitive Nintendo hyper-enthusiast day-one buyers more towards general gaming enthusiasts." Nintendo has predicted that it'll sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles in its first year, as well as 45 million games, but has already indicated that the demand for the device has exceeded its expectations. Let's just hope everyone who really wants one doesn't have to wait too long at the console's release. Keeping up with all the Nintendo Switch 2 news? Be sure to check out our roundup of upcoming Switch 2 games, too.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Switch 2 launch could be "significantly bigger" than the OG Switch's, but only if Nintendo can keep up: "When in history [...] did a launch for a popular new console go smoothly?"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. We're fast approaching the launch of the Switch 2, and despite cries to "drop the price," pre-orders have been selling out around the world. Some analysts are already expecting a "significantly bigger" launch than what we saw with the OG Switch, but it all hinges on one key factor: supply. Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Japan games industry consultancy Kantan Games, is one analyst who's expecting a "significantly" larger release for the console compared to the Switch 1. Speaking to GamesRadar+, he says that "the initial momentum for Switch 2 vs 1 is like night and day," pointing out that in 2017, Nintendo had "just suffered from the massive failure with the Wii U," meaning that "not too many people took the Switch seriously." With the Switch 2, he expects the console "will be not only sold out at launch (a banality) but also hard to get for weeks or perhaps even months after." He adds: "Sorry, but we as an industry have seen so many console launches now: When in the history of the video gaming business did a launch for a popular new console go smoothly?" He continues: "I hope I am wrong and I understand Nintendo will try their best, but I would be very surprised if you can just walk into a store and buy a Switch 2 before late summer at the earliest." This sentiment is echoed by David Cole, CEO of research and consulting firm DFC Intelligence. He tells us that "the main issue is whether Nintendo can meet initial demand, and then continue to have enough units available this fall and into the holiday season," noting that "supply shortages could be a major issue in coming months." Games industry researcher Joost van Dreunen, who writes the SuperJoost Playlist and teaches at NYU Stern School of Business, also believes that "acquiring a Switch 2 at launch will likely be challenging." He adds: "I anticipate stock shortages to persist through the holiday season and potentially into Q1 2026. The current global trade situation and tariff uncertainties have likely prompted Nintendo to be even more cautious with their manufacturing and distribution strategies." Mat Piscatella, games industry analyst at Circana, reiterates "the success of the launch will depend on how many units will be available," noting: "Demand will likely be there globally, but that doesn't mean the units necessarily will be." If Nintendo is able to supply enough consoles, "I don't see why the launch of Switch 2 should not be bigger than the original Switch," he explains. The console's price and announced Nintendo Switch 2 launch games apparently don't matter too much in the immediate future, either, as he suggests: "Pricing and available games becomes much more important once we get outside the launch window, and we move away from the price insensitive Nintendo hyper-enthusiast day-one buyers more towards general gaming enthusiasts." Nintendo has predicted that it'll sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles in its first year, as well as 45 million games, but has already indicated that the demand for the device has exceeded its expectations. Let's just hope everyone who really wants one doesn't have to wait too long at the console's release. Keeping up with all the Nintendo Switch 2 news? Be sure to check out our roundup of upcoming Switch 2 games, too.
