2 – The Two Companies Are Very Compatible
SEGA and Atlus both have very similar profiles as gaming corporations. Both own a stable of iconic gaming brands (and no I’m not talking about Sonic the Hedgehog). Both also have a strong foothold in the local Japanese gaming market, developing games that are released overseas first before they come out in North America. This deal makes sense from a philosophical standpoint, as it brings together two corporate cultures that are very much alike. As Atlus’s leadership calls it, their relationship with SEGA can best be described as a “symbiosis” of like-minded firms.
1 – Atlus Would Not Exist Without This Deal
The simple fact is, SEGA saved Atlus, and it might have gone bankrupt without SEGA’s takeover. Back in 2013, Atlus’s parent, Index Holdings, was getting ready to file for bankruptcy and faced restructuring at the hands of creditors. That meant there was a very real possibility that the game properties of Atlus, which Index owned, could have been on the chopping block. There was a desperate search for a company which could buy-out Index, and SEGA came to the rescue later in September of that year. So, without SEGA’s takeover, we might have seen the end of iconic series like Persona and others. Sonic the Hedgehog is looking a little better now, right?
Corporate takeovers in gaming have gotten a bad name recently, and for good reason. But the SEGA takeover of Atlus is (and has already been) good news for both companies – and for gamers. It is a mutually-beneficial arrangement between two gaming icons that will not only ensure that we can continue to play some of our most beloved series, but we in North America will get to see even more of them come across the Pacific. Now, please SEGA, hurry up and finish Yakuza 0!