There has been a management buy-out at Sega Amusements International.
Managing director Paul Williams, who has led the London-based amusement games supplier for most of his 22 years with Sega, has led a team to complete the purchase of the business from Sega Corporation of Japan.
The new company will retain the name under a royalty agreement with the Japanese owner and will also retain the manufacturing and distribution rights of Sega developed games to effectively a world-wide basis, to most territories outside of Japan. It will continue to offer parts, service and technical support for all Sega amusement games previously sold into the market, along with a wide range of merchandise.
Williams said: “I am extremely pleased to have concluded this deal, which secures the future of my team of employees who have supported me over the years. We will continue to work closely with our friends and colleagues at Sega Japan to develop amusement games for the western market, alongside game development with our in-house R&D team headed by Patrick Michael. These products, in conjunction with the games from our third-party suppliers, will ensure that we remain at the very pinnacle of game development, manufacture and distribution to the amusement sector. We have a pipeline of product in development and to be shortly released that will deliver a series of blockbuster games. Certainly, exciting times ahead!“
A statement from Sega Corporation said: “Paul and his team have done a tremendous job building up a local R&D resource in the western world that can now fully develop games suitable to the market at the right price. This along with the excellent business relationships that have been developed with third-party suppliers and customers, has led to year-on-year growth. It is only right and fitting that Paul now leads his team into the future as a separate company, focusing on the western market. Sega Japan will still work very closely with SAI for future developments and distribution of Sega Japan developed amusement games into the western market and look forward to watching SAI grow.”
