Toshihiro Nagoshi to step down from Sega board of directors
The chief creative officer and Yakuza producer is to remain at the company as creative director
Veteran Yakuza producer and executive director Toshihiro Nagoshi will be stepping down from Sega's board of directors on April 1.
He will also be leaving his role as Sega's chief creative officer, but will however remain at the company as creative director, Kotaku reported.
The Yakuza franchise had a successful 2020, with its remastered collection making it to the top ten in the UK charts and its latest entry, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, selling over 450,000 units in Asia in just a few months. This good performance boosted Sega's financial results for the 12 months ended March 31, 2020, with full-year sales reaching $3.4 billion.
Sega also announced a partnership with 1212 Entertainment and Wild Sheep Content to produce a new film based on the Yakuza franchise last September.
Toshihiro Nagoshi was promoted to the CCO role in 2012, following an executive reshuffle after the retirement of Okitane Usui from his position as COO.
This move was announced just as the company is undergoing important internal changes, with Sega Sammy splitting apart its video games and amusement divisions. From now on, Sega Group Corporation will be the arm dedicated to video games, while Sammy Corporation will cover its pachinko machines-related business. Haruki Satomi was appointed as the new group CEO of Sega Sammy Holdings.