United Kingdom, Sept. 9 -- Sega president and COO Shuji Utsumi has acknowledged that the company has seen a rise in fans who love its franchises without ever playing the games they are based on.

Speaking to Nikkei Gaming, Utsumi discussed Sega's growing focus on "transmedia", a strategy that expands major franchises beyond video games and into films, television, merchandise and other forms of entertainment.

The approach has helped series including Sonic the Hedgehog, Persona and Yakuza reach wider audiences, but it has also created a new type of fan who discovers these worlds through other media rather than through a controller.

When asked about the increase in people supporting intellectual properties despite never playing the games, ...