SEGA just said the quiet part out loud. In a shareholder Q&A session during their second quarter financial briefing, the publisher finally acknowledged what players have been screaming for years – their habit of releasing full-priced definitive editions without upgrade paths is training customers to wait instead of buying games at launch. While SEGA tried to blame marketing and genre competition for disappointing sales despite strong reviews, they couldn’t dodge the elephant in the room. When you condition players to expect a better version in two years that forces them to pay full price again, don’t act surprised when they stop being early adopters.
What SEGA Actually Said to Shareholders
During their financial briefing for the fiscal year ending March 2026, SEGA addressed questions about why critically acclaimed titles aren’t translating into strong sales. The company released a recap of the Q&A session that covered declining catalog title sales and revenue concerns around both new full-price releases and free-to-play games. Despite launching several well-reviewed titles recently, the numbers simply aren’t meeting expectations.
SEGA’s response included multiple theories about potential causes. They cited competition from successful games in the same genres and concerns about initial pricing strategies. But the most significant admission was acknowledging that players might be holding off on purchases in anticipation of future definitive editions. The company stated they haven’t been able to pinpoint a precise cause for the underperformance, but believe part of the problem lies in marketing that wasn’t able to sufficiently convey the appeal of their games to users.
The Atlus Pattern Everyone Recognizes
While SEGA didn’t specify which titles underperformed, Japanese players and the broader gaming community immediately connected this to Atlus games. The pattern is so predictable it’s become a meme – Atlus releases a major JRPG, waits 2-3 years, then launches a definitive edition with substantial new content at full price with no upgrade path for existing owners. This strategy has been consistent across the Persona series and recently extended to Shin Megami Tensei V.
Shin Megami Tensei V launched in late 2021, and the expanded Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance arrived in mid-2024, less than three years later. Vengeance added an entirely new storyline, additional demons, quality-of-life improvements, and various gameplay enhancements. Original owners who wanted to experience this content had exactly one option – buy the game again at full price. The only concession was a limited save transfer feature on Nintendo Switch that let players move three demons to the compendium and receive minor bonuses based on endings reached.
The Persona 5 Royal Controversy
Persona 5 Royal represents the textbook example of this problematic strategy. The original Persona 5 launched in 2017 in Japan and 2017 in the West. Persona 5 Royal arrived in 2019 in Japan and 2020 worldwide with significant additions including a new semester, additional character, reworked confidant paths, quality-of-life improvements, and gameplay adjustments. Players who supported the original at launch were offered no discount or upgrade path – you paid full price or didn’t get Royal’s content.
The situation got worse when Atlus ported Royal to modern platforms in 2022. PlayStation 4 owners who bought Royal couldn’t upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version – they had to purchase it again. No cross-buy, no upgrade discount, no save transfer. The community backlash was intense, with players pointing out that Atlus was essentially punishing their most loyal fans by making them rebuy the same game multiple times to experience all content on their preferred platform.
How This Trained Players to Wait
The Reddit discussion on r/Games reveals exactly how SEGA and Atlus created this problem. One highly upvoted comment perfectly summarized the consumer mindset – “I learned my lesson with Persona 5. Now I either wait for their games to go on sale or hold out for the next version, whether it’s Royal, Vengeance, or whatever monarchy-themed name they come up with next.” This sentiment echoes throughout the gaming community, with players openly admitting they’ve stopped buying Atlus games at launch.
Another commenter noted they typically hold off until definitive editions are discounted years after initial launch, which compounds SEGA’s problem. Not only are players waiting for the better version, they’re also waiting for that better version to go on sale. This creates a cycle where SEGA sees poor launch sales, poor definitive edition sales, and ultimately less revenue than if they’d simply offered reasonable upgrade paths from the beginning.
The Trust Problem
The most damaging aspect of this strategy is how it erodes trust between publisher and customer. When players know with near certainty that a better version is coming in 2-3 years, early adoption becomes financially irresponsible. One Reddit user explained they’ll continue assuming definitive editions are on the agenda and will hold off until major sales unless SEGA explicitly clarifies their plans for each release. This puts SEGA in an impossible position – they can’t sell launch copies because players assume a better version is coming, but they can’t promise no definitive edition exists because that limits future monetization options.
The Sonic Origins Disaster
SEGA’s definitive edition problems extend beyond Atlus titles. Sonic Origins launched in 2022 as a compilation of remastered classic Sonic games and immediately faced criticism for its implementation quality. Simon Thomley from Headcannon Games, who worked on the remasters, publicly expressed frustration about the final product on Twitter. He explained that what shipped in Origins wasn’t what his team submitted, and that integration by SEGA introduced wild bugs that conventional logic would suggest were Headcannon’s responsibility when they weren’t.
Thomley revealed that the team asked to make major fixes near submission but weren’t allowed due to submission and approval rules. They requested delays early and repeatedly but were told delays weren’t possible. The team offered to return for post-release fixes and updates but at the time didn’t know if that would happen. This paints a picture of SEGA rushing a definitive collection to market despite known quality issues, then facing community backlash when players discovered collision problems, sound glitches, muffled audio, and various other bugs.
DLC Controversy Made It Worse
Sonic Origins also sparked controversy by locking modes, music tracks, and even menu animations behind three separate DLC packs. SEGA delisted the original standalone games before Origins launched, forcing players who wanted legitimate access to these classics to buy the new compilation with its controversial DLC structure. This combination of quality issues and aggressive monetization soured many fans on SEGA’s remaster efforts entirely.
The Solution Nobody’s Implementing
The fix for this problem is blindingly obvious – offer upgrade paths. The gaming community has repeatedly stated they’d happily pay $20-30 to upgrade from the base game to the definitive edition. This pricing would acknowledge their initial support while still generating revenue from the additional content. Instead, SEGA insists on full $60-70 pricing for definitive editions, which mathematically means asking launch buyers to spend $120-140 total for the complete experience.
Other publishers have demonstrated this model works. CD Projekt Red offered free next-gen upgrades for Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3. Bethesda provided upgrade paths for various titles. Even when charging for upgrades, companies like Bandai Namco with Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC allow existing owners to pay only for new content rather than repurchasing the entire game. SEGA and Atlus remain stubborn holdouts insisting full repurchase is the only option.
SEGA’s Weak Defense
SEGA’s statement that they believe the problem lies in marketing that wasn’t able to sufficiently convey appeal rings hollow when the games receive critical acclaim. Metaphor ReFantazio, for example, launched in 2024 to exceptional reviews with many outlets calling it one of the best JRPGs in years. The marketing successfully conveyed the game’s quality – the problem is players are now conditioned to wait for Metaphor ReFantazio Royal or whatever Atlus eventually calls the inevitable definitive edition.
Blaming genre competition also feels like deflection. Yes, the JRPG market is more crowded than ever, but that doesn’t explain why specifically SEGA and Atlus games underperform relative to critical reception while other publishers’ JRPGs meet sales expectations. The issue isn’t market saturation – it’s that SEGA has trained customers to view their games as incomplete products at launch with better versions coming later.
Will Anything Actually Change?
Despite acknowledging the problem, there’s little indication SEGA plans meaningful changes. Some Reddit users claim SEGA stated that for Metaphor and moving forward they would no longer produce enhanced editions, but this hasn’t been officially confirmed and contradicts SEGA’s historical pattern. Other commenters correctly note that enhanced versions of Persona titles consistently perform well in sales relative to development costs, making them hard for SEGA to abandon from a pure profit perspective.
The cynical take, which many Reddit users embrace, is that this acknowledgment changes nothing. SEGA will continue releasing definitive editions at full price, players will continue waiting for them, launch sales will continue disappointing, and this exact same conversation will happen again during next year’s shareholder meeting. Until SEGA actually implements upgrade pricing or commits to no longer releasing definitive editions, there’s no reason to believe anything improves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did SEGA admit about definitive editions?
In a November 2025 shareholder Q&A, SEGA acknowledged that players waiting for definitive editions of their games could be contributing to lower-than-expected launch sales despite strong critical reviews. They also cited marketing and genre competition as potential factors.
Which SEGA games are affected by this problem?
While SEGA didn’t specify titles, the pattern is most obvious with Atlus games including Persona 5/Royal, Persona 3 Reload, Shin Megami Tensei V/Vengeance, and other JRPGs. Sonic Origins also faced criticism for quality issues and DLC practices.
Do SEGA games offer upgrade paths to definitive editions?
No, SEGA and Atlus typically require players to repurchase definitive editions at full price with no discount or upgrade option for owners of the original version. Save transfers are limited or non-existent depending on the game.
How much does Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance cost if you own the original?
Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance costs full price ($59.99 at launch) even if you own the original SMT V. Nintendo Switch players can transfer three demons from their original save file, but there’s no pricing discount.
Can you upgrade Persona 5 to Persona 5 Royal?
No, Persona 5 Royal must be purchased as a completely separate full-priced game. Additionally, PS4 owners of Royal couldn’t upgrade to the PS5 version when it released in 2022 – that also required a full repurchase.
What happened with Sonic Origins?
Sonic Origins launched in 2022 with numerous bugs that developers blamed on SEGA’s integration process. The compilation locked content behind multiple DLC packs and SEGA delisted the original games beforehand, forcing players to buy Origins for legitimate access to classic Sonic titles.
Will SEGA change their definitive edition strategy?
SEGA acknowledged the issue but hasn’t announced concrete changes. Some unconfirmed reports suggest they won’t make definitive editions for Metaphor ReFantazio and future titles, but this hasn’t been officially confirmed and contradicts their historical pattern.
Why don’t SEGA games offer upgrade pricing?
SEGA hasn’t officially explained why they don’t offer upgrade paths. The community theorizes it’s purely profit-driven, as enhanced editions consistently sell well despite the full repurchase requirement, making it financially beneficial for SEGA even if it damages long-term customer trust.
Conclusion
SEGA’s admission that definitive editions might be hurting launch sales would be groundbreaking if it led to actual policy changes. Instead, it feels like a corporation acknowledging a self-inflicted wound while refusing treatment. The solution is obvious, widely supported by the community, and successfully implemented by competitors – offer upgrade paths at reasonable prices. Until SEGA actually commits to this approach or definitively abandons enhanced editions entirely, they’ll continue training players to wait while wondering why launch sales disappoint. The most frustrating aspect is that this entirely avoidable. SEGA makes genuinely excellent games that receive critical acclaim and passionate fan support. They’re squandering that goodwill by insisting players pay $120+ for the complete experience when they could charge $80 with an upgrade path and make everyone happy. Whether this shareholder acknowledgment represents the first step toward change or just another empty recognition of a problem they’ll continue ignoring remains to be seen. Based on decades of Atlus behavior and SEGA’s track record, smart money says nothing changes and we have this exact same conversation again next year.