"He Was Literally Frothing At The Mouth" - Yuji Naka Really Didn't Want Sega To Make Mature Games - Time Extension
December 16, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Yuji Naka Pushed Back Hard Against Sega Making Mature Games, Says Ex-Exec Mike Fischer
In a candid Time Extension interview, industry veteran Mike Fischer (Namco, Xbox, Sega) recalls intense internal clashes at Sega as the company pivoted from making hardware to becoming a third-party publisher.
Inside Sega’s studio structure and the market shift
- By the early 2000s, Sega’s Japanese studio heads operated as semi-autonomous units. They could “borrow” internal funds to build the games they wanted, then repay the loans—an accounting setup that encouraged passion projects.
- This approach delivered creative highs like Jet Set Radio, Phantasy Star Online, and Panzer Dragoon Saga, as well as experimental titles such as Seaman. But it also led to overreliance on straight arcade ports that no longer matched market demand.
- Fischer says the audience had moved on. With Grand Theft Auto drawing in new players and games being resold to GameStop within days, Sega needed longer, stickier experiences.
Peter Moore’s “player manifesto” and the new direction
- Fischer’s boss, Peter Moore, asked him to help communicate a new mandate to Sega Japan: make longer, narrative-driven games exploring adult themes, or build evergreen multiplayer titles with lasting replay value.
- The goal was to keep players engaged for hundreds of hours, counter quick trade-ins, and compete with the era’s biggest hits.
Yuji Naka’s furious reaction
- Not everyone agreed—especially Sonic co-creator Yuji Naka. According to Fischer, Naka believed in a Disney-like, family-friendly vision and bristled at the push toward mature content.
- During a meeting, Naka snapped: “You? You’re telling me how to make games? Why don’t you just tell us to make porn? That’s what you want.” Fischer says Naka was “literally frothing at the mouth.”
- Tensions were already high; Naka had previously clashed with Moore, who once told him to “f**k off.”
- Fischer tried to point to Toshiro Nagoshi’s Super Monkey Ball as a model—innovative, replayable, and well-supported with marketing assets. Yu Suzuki pushed back too, and Fischer says he was “pretty much eaten alive.” He notes the language barrier (presenting in Japanese) may have dulled his message.
Ironic ending: the Yakuza era
- Fischer later saw Sega move in the very direction he advocated. Nagoshi went on to create the Yakuza series—long, story-driven, adult-themed, and exactly the type of experience Fischer had urged Sega to pursue.
Key titles mentioned: Jet Set Radio, Phantasy Star Online, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Seaman, Super Monkey Ball, Yakuza, and the market benchmark Grand Theft Auto.
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