SEGA's PS5 Games Have Been Getting Good Reviews, But It'll Have to Do More to Boost Sales Numbers 1
Image: Push Square

SEGA's recent software lineup has been enjoying overall very strong reception from critics — but that has "yet to translate into a further increase in unit sales", the publisher has said.

This comes from a recent Q&A all about the company's Q3 financial results.

In response to a question about "scaling up" the games published by SEGA and Atlus, the company acknowledged that there's a disconnect between critical reception and sales, and that efforts need to be made in other areas.

"While the development costs per title for our mainstay titles are lower compared to so-called AAA titles in the industry, we recognize that our strength lies in the relatively high acclaim we receive for quality. On the other hand, we also recognize that such high evaluations have yet to translate into a further increase in unit sales. While continuing to hone our development capabilities—the source of our strength—we believe there is still significant room for improvement and earnings upside in our "power to sell," namely our marketing and sales mechanisms. As explained earlier, we are currently undergoing reforms in this area to realize a scale-up in sales."

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Essentially what SEGA is saying is that its games aren't really the problem, it just needs to ramp up its efforts in marketing and sales departments to push its titles further.

On PS5, SEGA has released many highly-regarded games, such as Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Two Point Museum, Sonic X Shadow Generations, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and more.

On top of that are Atlus games like Persona 5 Royal, Persona 3 Reload, and Metaphor: ReFantazio.

All of these have been broadly well received by both the gaming press and fans, and while some will have sold better than others, it seems making a quality game alone isn't enough. In a nutshell, SEGA next needs to step up its efforts in marketing.

The publisher says it's "lagging in initiatives such as digital sales and data-driven marketing", and that it's looking to reorganise its publishing structure to better align its global marketing efforts.

We know the company has a lot in the pipeline, with various franchise revivals in production such as Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio.

With its reliable series like Sonic, Persona, and Like a Dragon no doubt bolstering its future lineup, it seems it has the games — now it just needs to make sure they're given the best chance at success with a stronger marketing approach.

[source segasammy.co.jp, via videogameschronicle.com]