Sega Plans to Adapt Numerous Video Games Into Films & Series

Video game developer Sega has major plans to turn its titles into movies, TV shows, and digital media, and they recently hired former Break Media executive Evan Cholfin to spearhead the effort.

Cholfin will now be the head of development and production at Tokyo-based Stories International, a joint venture of Sega and ad agency Hakuhodo DY Group, who produces the content.

Stories has, and will exercise, the rights to adapt “Altered Beast,” “Streets of Rage,” “Shinobi,” “Rise of Nightmares,” and “Crazy Taxi,” initially as English-language spin-offs in both live action and animation. “Virtua Fighter” and “Golden Axe” are also included in the portfolio.

“With his impeccable taste and experience developing and producing entertainment in nearly every format imaginable, Evan is the unique executive to revitalize and canonize our partners’ brands by working with Hollywood to create stories that will last for centuries,” said Stories president and CEO Tomoya Suzuki.

Sega also has completed a minority investment in All Nippon Entertainment Works through a stock deal. The deal is expected to help Stories bolster its entertainment efforts in Hollywood by gaining access to 20 Japanese rights holders who own films, TV shows, books, toys, and manga titles.

Turning video games into other media isn’t unheard of nowadays, with Electronic Arts having recently developed “Need for Speed” through its own film division, and Ubisoft has its own in-house adaptation crew that has turned titles like “Assassin’s Creed,” “Splinter Cell,” and “Watch Dogs” into films.

[via Variety]