Sega points to consumer expectations for “definitive releases” as one potential reason for lower-than-expected sales of some of its recent games.
As he noticed GameBizYesterday, during a financial question and answer session with shareholders, Sonic the Hedgehog and Persona talked about their performance over the past few months. The Conversation (via Machine) Sega has addressed the thought process behind why sales of its recent premium and free-to-play games have failed to meet expectations despite generally positive reviews from critics and fans.
Sega says multiple elements could be contributing to the disappointing earnings, including competition from other releases in the same genre as well as launch prices. The game publisher also suggested that players may choose not to purchase games at launch, with the expectation that they will be able to purchase “definitive editions” of the same titles in the future.
Definitive Editions, which typically involve re-releases of video games with relatively minor visual improvements and additional content, have become a popular tactic for publishers over the past decade. Sega is no stranger to the idea either, especially when it comes to Persona and Shin Megami Tensei developer Atlus.
The studio has a long history of re-releases of games like Persona 4 and 5, which received Gold and Royal versions a few years after their initial release. There is also Shin Megami Tensei V, which was originally released in 2021 and arrived on more platforms in 2024 alongside its counterpart Vengeance. The latest version of Atlus, Metaphor: ReFantasiareleased overdue last year on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
Sega didn’t specifically mention any game or series, pointing to the Final Edition theory. The company overall seems hesitant to directly place blame on any one factor for now.
It is unclear whether Metaphor: ReFantazio or any other Sega series will receive a definitive edition or equivalent re-release in the future. For now, fans are eagerly awaiting any news that Atlus will be able to share Person 6. AND Persona 3 remakesubtitled Reload, released early last year, with Persona 4 Rebirth set to treat its sequel the same way sometime in the near future. Sega is also continuing to work on recent content for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, which premiered in September.
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Michael Cripe is a freelance writer at IGN. He is best known for his work on sites such as The Pitch, The Escapist and OnlySP. Be sure to follow him on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
