SEGA has plans to plant its location-based entertainment flag in America and beyond, and a Sonic the Hedgehog theme park could be on the way.
During an interview with Attractions Magazine, Roberta Perry, president of the business development company Roberta Perry & Associates, explained that she has been working closely with SEGA to bring its beloved characters to life via theme parks. Perry specifically mentioned “lots of Sonic the Hedgehog” when detailing what attractions these could be. And while SEGA does have theme parks around the globe, Perry details that this attraction would be the first to have a home in the United States.
“I’m working with SEGA on some great projects,” said Perry. “This is the first time they’ve been in the location-based entertainment marketplace in the United States—a lot of Sonic the Hedgehog. We’re developing projects here, as well as in Europe, Japan, and South America. I’ve only been as far south as Columbia, and I’ll get to go further into South America, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Perry, who previously worked with Videlio-HMS to bring Super Nintendo World and How to Train Your Dragon: the Isle of Berk to life at Epic Universe, also revealed that she had recently “fallen in love with” the Sonic character, admitting that there is something “loving” about the Blue Blur.
With SEGA celebrating Sonic the Hedgehog’s 34th anniversary, it makes sense that the company is moving to ensure that it goes big for the commemoration. And what’s bigger than an amusement park where your flagship mascot and his friends bring joy to lifelong fans? I mean, look at Mario at Super Nintendo World. However, conversations regarding additional SEGA theme parks go back to 2016 — during Sonic’s 25th anniversary.
In an interview with Attractions Management, then-SEGA CEO Hajime Satomi mentioned that amusement parks and location-based attractions were a part of the company’s global expansion strategy.
“Going forward, SEGA’s keyword and main focus is entertainment, and I would like us to be recognized for entertainment internationally in the future,” said Satomi. “We must now focus on expanding into markets other than smartphones and online gaming – such as indoor theme parks in Asia.”
In the ’90s, SEGA introduced the CA SEGA Joypolis, a chain of indoor amusement parks that included attractions based on the company’s characters and worlds. Amid SEGA’s infamous financial woes in the early 2000s, most Joypolis amusement parks have been shut down, with only branches in Japan and China still going strong.
Now, with SEGA killing it on the gaming front and returning to glory with IPs like Persona, Yakuza, and Sonic the Hedgehog, it is planning to capitalize on the momentum with thrilling attractions to expand its footprint further. I guess it is true what they say: “Gotta go fast.”