Microsoft and Sega have unveiled the “Super Game” initiative, which will employ the Azure cloud gaming platform to develop “new and inventive” games. There have been speculations that Microsoft is planning to buy Sega as part of its effort to expand its Xbox Game Studios portfolio, and this new partnership might be the catalyst for those reports – if not the first step toward something bigger.
Sega announced the collaboration in a press statement. According to the release, Microsoft is assisting Sega with their “Super Game” effort, which will employ the Azure cloud gaming platform to create “next-gen” experiences that people worldwide can enjoy, using Sega’s intellectual assets, such as Sonic the Hedgehog.
This will be made feasible by the increasing capabilities of online infrastructure, which will allow game streaming technologies to become more reliable than previously. The announcement’s wording suggests that the partnership is still in its early stages. It may be some time before the public sees the results of this effort – aside from additional Sega games becoming available on Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service.
It’s no secret that the Xbox brand has failed to gain traction in Japan, particularly now that the Nintendo Switch has taken over the market. Xbox devices may struggle in Japan, but a paid streaming service that outperforms Amazon and Google’s services may be a hit, especially since new-gen systems like the Xbox Series X/S are still difficult to come by. Sega’s catalog of domestic intellectual assets has global appeal, and it could be the key to enabling Microsoft and the Xbox brand to break into Japan.
