The Japanese video game company Sega announced Monday that it plans to \u00ab\u00a0explore a strategic alliance\u00a0\u00bb with Microsoft, which will see Sega build new games and\u2026<\/b>
\nThe Japanese video game company Sega announced Monday that it plans to \u201cexplore a strategic alliance\u201d with Microsoft, which will see Sega build new games and overhaul its development process via Microsoft\u2019s Azure platform. The new alliance is part of a forward-focused initiative at Sega called \u201cSuper Game.\u201d According to a news release, Microsoft\u2019s Azure provides Sega with a \u201cnext-generation development platform\u201d that Sega can customize to account for different styles of work and infrastructural changes. \u201cSEGA has played such an iconic role in the gaming industry and has been a tremendous partner over the years,\u201d Microsoft CVP Sarah Bond said in a statement. \u201cWe look forward to working together as they explore new ways to create unique gaming experiences for the future using Microsoft cloud technologies. Together we will reimagine how games get built, hosted, and operated, with a goal of adding more value to players and Sega alike.\u201d According to Sega, the key focuses behind Super Game are the keywords \u201cGlobal,\u201d \u201cOnline,\u201d \u201cCommunity,\u201d and \u201cIP utilization.\u201d With 5G on its way to supercharge cloud gaming in many parts of the world, Sega is explicitly using Microsoft Azure in an attempt to anticipate and serve whatever the next trend might be. The name of the initiative follows up on information spotted in Sega\u2019s March 2021 financial presentation, where the company stated that its strategy included the creation of a Super Game within the next five years, defined as a title that \u201ccan be expanded globally.\u201d With IP utilization as one of the Super Game\u2019s hallmarks, it suggests that Sega plans to turn one of its tentpole franchises \u2014 the same financial report mentioned Phantasy Star Online, Sonic the Hedgehog, Persona, Yakuza, and Total War as potential candidates \u2014 to be made into a big-ticket service game. Whatever that ends up being, its development process will be powered by Microsoft Azure. According to Reuters, the news caused Sega\u2019s stock to jump 6% on Monday. Sega is a Tokyo-based video game developer and publisher that might be best-known for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. It was previously a console manufacturer, but ended its hardware business in 2001 after the unfortunate failure of the Dreamcast. Since then, Sega has made and marketed a variety of video games as a third-party studio, including the popular Total War and Yakuza series. It originally began publishing titles for the Xbox platform in 2002 with the Japanese release of the action\/skating game Jet Set Radio Future, and many of its current titles are available on Xbox Game Pass. As such, the new strategic partnership is mostly of interest to people who are tracking Azure\u2019s value as a development platform. Just in terms of Sega games appearing on Microsoft platforms, the two companies have been pretty well strategically partnered already for almost 20 years. Sega did not offer a statement as to whether its new Azure-powered titles would involve exclusivity to the Xbox platform or how much money, if any, changed hands as a result of the deal.<\/p>\n