Sega moved headquarters in 2018 from its location in Otorii, Tokyo to a new centralized building in Ousaki, Tokyo. As a result, the old Sega headquarters went up for sale. The building has recently been sold and is expected to be torn down.
Sega Sammy Holdings, the parent corporation of Sega, announced on February 19 that it had sold the old Sega headquarters for about 5.2 billion yen ($46.8 million, according to gamebiz via Siliconera). As a result of the sale, many Sega and former Sega employees have gone to visit the old Sega building. Yuji Naka, former head of Sonic Team and programmer on Sonic the Hedgehog, visited his old workplace over the weekend.
セガ・エンタープライゼス本社の場所と建物が無くなると言うので、子供達と写真撮って来ました。ここの7階でパパがソニック作ったんだよと言ったら「へーそうなんだ」と言う感想でした。
たくさん人が集まって来たので、みんなセガの写真撮りに来たのかと思ったらポケモンGOのレイドバトルでした。 pic.twitter.com/o4XkFB0AFV— Yuji Naka / 中 裕司 (@nakayuji) February 24, 2019
Yuji Naka apparently managed to visit his old workplace while a bunch of people were there playing Pokemon Go. At first, he thought they were also there to reminisce about the old Sega headquarters, but then realized it was a raid battle in Pokemon Go.
The new owners are expected to tear down the old Sega headquarters and build on the site. In response to the news, Sega fans have been reminiscing online about their favorite games made at the building. Some fans in Japan have gone over to the building, taking photos and sharing them online.
The old Sega headquarters was the home of Sega for decades. The Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, and Genesis were all developed at the building. Of course, it was the birthplace of Sonic the Hedgehog and was the model for Virtua Cop‘s EVL Headquarters. Sega announced it was moving in 2017, with a new building being constructed in Ousaki, Tokyo. The new building opened last year.
Sega Sammy Holdings was formed in 2004 when Sega and Sammy merged. Sammy developed pachinko and pachislot machines, while Sega has maintained its foothold in video game development. The new headquarters has consolidated both subsidiary companies into a single location. As a result, Sega and Sammy are consolidating their head office functions.
Photo: Yuji Naka on Twitter
