Sega, the beloved titan of video game worlds, has decided to sprinkle a little extra cash on its employees. Yes, folks, it’s salary-raising season again – three years since the last time employees got a taste of the green!
Money Talks: A Press Release with a Twist
In an effort to ensure that employees aren’t eating instant ramen every night – not that there’s anything wrong with that – the company has announced some pretty significant changes. According to what appears to be something straight out of a corporate motivational seminar, Sega is aiming to adjust the salary levels for full-time employees at its Japanese branch and boost the starting salary for fresh-faced recruits.
The Grand Salary Adventure: Starting April 2026
Mark those calendars, because come April 1, 2026 (no, this isn’t an elaborate prank), existing full-time employees can expect their base salaries to increase by an average of around 10%. How will this magic happen? Like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat, Sega plans to integrate part of its bonus system into the base pay. Voilà! Money! And if that wasn’t enough, there’s talk of making the compensation system more flexible, depending on each employee’s role – because why not add a hint of chaos to the mix?
Newbies Rejoice! An Increase for New Graduates
New employees, those at the start of their quest, will also be rewarded. Starting salaries for university graduates will jump by 10%, leaping from ¥300,000 ($1,937) per month to a whopping ¥330,000 ($2,130). “More money, less ramen!” might just become a new motto.
Building a Dream Team
In a statement that could make any HR manager swoon, Sega remarked, “Human resources are essential to achieving our mission.” Because nothing says “we care” quite like a buzzword-laden pep talk. The company claims to be reforming its personnel system to ensure employees have a plush, comfortable working environment, preferably one that doesn’t involve cubicles filled with motivational posters of kittens.
The Fami+ and Job+ Systems: Not Your Average HR Initiative
As if the salary increases weren’t enough to make employees feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Sega is also ramping up its support for work-life balance. Enter the Fami+ System for childcare and nursing care and the Job+ System, which encourages side hustles (perfect for those aspiring to be the next influencer or YouTube sensation). Because who wouldn’t want to juggle caregiving and gaming on the side?
Keeping Up with the Joneses: Peers in the Industry
Not to be outdone by their competition, other Japanese companies have started to follow suit with salary increases. Just last April, FromSoftware flexed its financial muscle by hiking up the average salary by a staggering 11.8%. Starting salaries for fresh graduates leaped from ¥260,000 ($1,678) to ¥300,000 ($1,937), making sure new graduates could also afford things like food and rent.
Capcom also jumped on the bandwagon this year, raising starting salaries to a very stylish ¥300,000 ($1,937), a considerable 25% bump from the previous pay for new graduates of ¥235,000 ($1,517). Current employees got a “one-time special payment” – because sometimes a little extra cash goes a long way, especially when representing “an investment in the people who support the future of the company.”
So, with salary boosts flying around like power-ups in a video game, it’s certainly a fascinating time for Sega employees. Let’s see how they level up in this new era of increased pay!
