Sega, the company known for Sonic the Hedgehog (and the game consoles, if you’re old enough), appears to be breaking into the music industry, kinda. The brand recently invested in the mobile music service Flutin.
According to a report by Gamesindustry.biz, Sega has invested in the Indian startup company for an undisclosed amount. The business centers around providing a music app that tracks the user’s music habits in order to recommend indie, emerging, and lesser-known artists that might fit their interests.
The app is already a fair success, having over nine million downloads and 300,000 active daily users. With Sega’s investment, they hope to break through into other markets, such as the United States.
Sega investment director Toshihisa Kiyomiya spoke about the deal, believing that they can help create a healthy growth for everyone through this partnership.
Honestly, I don’t expect much of anything to come of this. We’re not going to see strange Sonic mashup songs or a new record label or anything of that nature. This, at its core, is a major corporation using their wealth to make more money. They’re investors, nothing more.
That’s a shame, too. Hearing that Sega is getting into the music industry sounds really cool at a glance. I’ve always been a fan of how their game developers handled music in the classic Sonic games, having a variety of artists, each in different genres, making soundtracks for each character. The feel-good rock and roll from Crush 40 continues to be an energetic blast of nostalgia. But I digress.