Sega hires Disney veteran to lead its transmedia strategy

Sega has hired former Disney and Scopely executive Justin Scarpone to lead its transmedia strategy.

Scarpone previously held a variety of leadership positions during a 17-year spell at Disney, including serving as its general manager of consumer products and interactive division.

He left the company in 2019 to join Scopely, the developer and publisher behind games including Monopoly Go! and Stumble Guys, as the general manager of its Asia Pacific division.

Scarpone will assume the role of Sega executive vice president and global head of transmedia on April 1, 2024.

“The establishment of a Global Transmedia Group will allow the company to advance its transmedia strategy across its wide portfolio of IP, such as Persona, Like a Dragon, Angry Birds, and more, in the coming years,” the company said.

“I look forward to working with our team and partners around the world, harnessing the strength of Sega’s rich IP to deliver new stories, innovative consumer products, and new entertainment services, all while putting our fans and communities first,” Scarpone wrote on LinkedIn.

Following the success of its Sonic movies, Sega president Shuji Utsumi recently said the company wants to expand the reach of its other biggest franchises, like Persona and Yakuza, beyond video games.

In December, Sega announced that it’s developing new entries in the Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Shinobi and Crazy Taxi series.

While it’s unclear how big their budgets will be, the upcoming Crazy Taxi reboot will be a triple-A game, according to one of the studios working on it.