Sega has appointed Justin Scarpone, a former executive at Disney and Scopely, to lead its transmedia initiatives. Starting on April 1, 2024, Scarpone will join Sega as the Executive Vice President and head of the Global Transmedia Group.
This new division will spearhead Sega’s strategy to expand its intellectual properties (IP) such as Persona and Angry Birds across various media platforms. Scarpone brings expertise in content development and cross-platform storytelling to drive this initiative.
With over 30 years of experience, Scarpone has a proven track record in developing entertainment strategies across Asia Pacific and the West. During his time at Walt Disney Japan, he played a key role in the consumer products division, managing the licensing and distribution of merchandise for popular brands like Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars in the region. He also successfully expanded their gaming business in Asia by launching well-received titles such as Kingdom Hearts, Marvel Future Fight, Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War, and Disney Tsum Tsum.
Prior to joining Sega, Scarpone worked at Scopely, where he played a role in the company’s growth, including the acquisition of Digit Game Studios and expansion into Barcelona and Dublin.
Scarpone mentioned in a statement, “I’m excited to enable Asian audiences to enjoy Scopely games and am looking forward to collaborating with the talented global team at the company.”
Driving the Transmedia Push
Disney’s recent $1.5 billion investment in Fortnite developer Epic Games signals a strategic move in the entertainment giant’s approach to the gaming industry. This investment demonstrates Disney’s commitment to expanding its gaming presence, utilizing the innovation and creativity of Epic Games to develop new experiences for fans – a move influenced by Scarpone’s work.
In a significant step to enhance its transmedia efforts, Sega acquired Rovio, the company behind Angry Birds, last year. This acquisition aimed to strengthen Sega’s mobile gaming division and extend its reach across different platforms, laying the foundation for the creation of innovative games.
With Rovio now part of its portfolio, Sega is gearing up for the “Segaverse,” a concept that combines its iconic IPs with Rovio’s expertise in mobile gaming to shape the company’s transmedia future.
