Sega has named Justin Scarpone, a former executive at Disney and Scopely to lead its transmedia initiatives. Starting April 1, 2024 Scarpone will join Sega as executive VP and head of global transmedia group.
This new division will drive Sega’s strategy to expand its IP such as Persona and Angry Birds, across media platforms, leveraging Scarpone’s expertise in content development and cross-platform storytelling.
With more than 30 years of experience, Scarpone has a proven track record in developing entertainment strategies across Asia Pacific and the West.
During his tenure at Walt Disney Japan, Scarpone held a leadership role in the consumer products division where he managed the licensing and distribution of merchandise for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars brands across the nation. He successfully expanded their gaming businesses in Asia, launching popular titles such as Kingdom Hearts, Marvel Future Fight, Pirates of the Carribean: Tides of War and Disney Tsum Tsum in the region.
Scarpone joined Scopely after the company surpassed $1 billion in lifetime revenue and had acquiring Digit Game Studios while expanding its footprint in Barcelona and Dublin.
“I’m eager to help unlock opportunities for Asian audiences to experience Scopely games, and am thrilled to join forces with the company’s impressive team of leaders around the globe,” he wrote at the time.
Fueling transmedia push
Disney’s recent $1.5 billion investment in Fortnite developer Epic Games, signals a significant shift in the entertainment giant’s approach to the gaming industry. This move demonstrates Disney’s commitment to expanding its presence in the gaming space, leveraging the creativity and innovation of Epic Games to develop new experiences for fans with Scarpone’s work setting the scene.
In a bold move to boost its transmedia efforts, Sega acquired Angry Birds company Rovio last year to strengthen its mobile gaming division and expand its reach across multiple platforms, paving the way for the development of new and innovative games.
With Rovio under its wing, Sega is gearing up for its “Segaverse” which brings together its iconic IPs with Rovio’s mobile gaming expertise to shape the company’s transmedia future.