Joe Kim, chief product officer at SEGA Networks

Last week, SEGA Networks launched the SEGA Slots casino app.

Available from the App Store and Google Play Store, SEGA Slots features Sonic the Hedgehog and other popular SEGA characters in free-to-play mobile slots.

After the launch, CasinoBeats spoke to Joe Kim, chief product officer at SEGA Networks, who explained the rationale behind the move.

“If you look back into SEGA’s history as a company, or at our parent company SEGA Sammy, you’ll see a focus on casino-style physical games like standalone casino slot machines in the 1950s, or the pachi slots and pachinko machines in Japan,” said Kim.

“In this initiative, we decided to go back to our roots to develop SEGA Slots and incorporate new progression mechanics. Additionally, we believed that adding our famous characters to the game would be popular within the genre and a good fit for the brands.”

The feedback has been good, said Kim. “Based on our early research and soft-launch findings, we’ve received very positive responses,” he said.

“Our intellectual property appeals to a broad demographic and we’ve tailored SEGA Slots with game mechanics that appeal to a mature female and male audience.

“Players can anticipate unique features in SEGA Slots, such as progression mechanics, with high polish and quality, and more interesting bonus games than you would typically see from other social casino games in the market.”

More titles will be added to the app in due course but, for now, Kim is naturally optimistic about the launch. “We look forward to how fans will respond to our first mobile casino title,” he said.