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New Sega CEO Doesn't Duck Anything
by Steven Kent for Gamers Today
Hideki Sato, Sega Enterprises' new president, is a short man with round shoulders and a square jaw. A ruggedly built man who, as I learned when I met with Sato in his Haneda offices, on March 16, does not back away from tough questions. What neither of us knew at the time we met was that later that day Isao Okawa, the chairman of Sega and its parent company, CSK, would pass away due to heart failure.
Okawa's passing may change some of Sega's future directions; but Sato demonstrated a clear vision for his company. Whether it was the decision to use less memory in Dreamcast or the decision to make Saturn a primarily 2D system, Sato says the ultimate decisions come out of his office even when other sources blame his superiors.
And it is this candid willingness to accept responsibility that makes Sato's other claims so believable.
Ask Sato about Sega's future as a software publisher and he sees a bright future. "Sega, of course, [must have an] open stance," says Sato. "So as a third-party [publisher], we have concerns about which platform is best for our titles. We have to think about the total install base of the hardware platforms. If Playstation 2 has a huge install base, it's a good business area. And if Xbox succeeds, in that case Sega will port titles to Xbox. But it depends on the hardware, install base conditions, circumstances..."
Run correctly, Sato sees Sega becoming a world power in a few short years. But he also sees increased competition for his company. "It [being able to compete with Electronic Arts] will take us years," says Sato. "Not next year."
As to hardware, Sato cautions that you should never say "never." "Now the hardware business has become a very tough business. It requires a huge investment. So for a while Sega should concentrate on software. Of course, Sega is focusing on the arcade business also. Someday Sega may begin hardware; but that is someday."
