The Mission Pyramid is the basis of SEGA SAMMY Group’s “Basic policy for human resource development”.

 

 

Today, the world is changing rapidly, and our lifestyles have diversified as new technologies always arise, and the environment around us changes so fast. In the business field, the changing speed is also so fast. Under these circumstances, SEGA SAMMY Group has been propelling business expansion not only domestically but also on a global scale. We established the Mission Pyramid in 2017 and have shared it since to identify “What SEGA SAMMY Group should do to society?” and “What is SEGA SAMMY Group’s mission?”

 

 

What kind of talents are sought for people to work together under the Mission Pyramid’s common philosophy and create new impressions while demonstrating their personality?

What can the talent field do to exercise our meaning of existence in a constantly changing world?

SEGA SAMMY Group established the “HR Transformation Vision” in November 2020 as the “Basic policy for talent development” to provide direction for changes.

“HR Transformation Vision” provides ideal forms in the human resources field and a direction for changes for demonstrating the group’s strength by bringing out each group company and individual’s diversity the most.

 

■SEGA SAMMY Group “HR Transformation Vision”: Three important requirements

 

SEGA SAMMY Group has been investing in talents and creating a system for all individuals to continue being a “Game Changer (an innovator)” who can “Constantly Creating, Forever Captivating”.

We have set up the “HR Transformation Vision” as a policy consisting of three (3) requirements.

(1)       The common absolute axis is to achieve the Mission Pyramid

(2)       Seniority phase-out: the environment for those who demonstrate their will and abilities to have opportunities to challenge and play an active role

(3)       Maximization of opportunities for talents to play an active role (as a group)

 

SEGA SAMMY Group has been propelling innovation in the human resource field of talent development, creation of the environment, system amendment, and culture fostering to achieve the vision.

 

 

SEGA SAMMY Group promotes productive education and training systems to develop talents as we consider “Progress of individuals is the progress of organization”.

Employees of SEGA SAMMY should aim to be a “Game Changer (an innovator)” as stated in SEGA SAMMY Group’s “Vision (ideal figure)”. “SEGA SAMMY Five Skills: S.S. Five (5)” is set as a thinking style and behavior as this vision’s foundation.

In our talent development, we aim to foster an organizational culture that can make a revolution by nurturing diverse employees with “five (5) skills” who utilize each other’s abilities and talents to create synergy.

 

 

■SEGA SAMMY College (SS-College)

We have various training sessions in each theme, such as compliance and IT, as well as “SEGA SAMMY College” as an in-house college.

“SEGA SAMMY College” is an in-house college founded in 2018 with the purpose of “creating a growth opportunity to become a SEGA SAMMY leader” and “providing employees with a place to learn whenever they want to”.

We consolidate the nurturing environment that doesn’t stop “learning” to propel cross-sectional human resource education in the SEGA SAMMY Group.

 

1） SEGA SAMMY College System Diagram

“SEGA SAMMY College” consists of three major courses. A wide variety of training programs for group cross-sectional human resources from newly entered to managers are offered.

 

 

“Dojo” is the training course that everyone can take. “Stratified training” is the course provided for specified layers. “Selection-type training” is the course only selected personnel from each group can take. Courses have been improved to respond to the needs of management strategies and society, including languages, digital skills, diversity, leadership development, and universal business skills to support self-directive carrier formation. By providing these educational environments, we aim to further increase “Game Changer (an innovator)” in our group company.

 

(1)Management school (selection-type training)　 Selected people learn and make friends　Human ability x management ability/leadership development

(2)Stratified training Those who need to learn when they should learn Knowledge・skill/leadership development

(3)Dojo (raise hands to participate) Everybody who wants to learn can learn Knowledge・skill/mind development

(4)Language learning (volunteer/selection)

 

 

2 ）Participation in SEGA SAMMY College in the past Four years (from 2018 to 2023)

From the foundation in 2018, 29,600 participants in total learned in college until March 2022. Since 2020, online training and e-learning have been added to conventional face-to-face training, which achieved a more flexible training style with no limit in place and time.

 

3） Sample curriculum in SEGA SAMMY College in FY2023

To be able to respond to various needs of students, from those who want to improve their skills as the role changes as well to those who want to “reskill” themselves, various training courses are provided. The system has been set up for students to continue learning throughout the year.

 

 

Establishment and Efforts of SEGA SAMMY College, a Corporate University（Recruit）

 

We carry out compliance awareness initiatives to enhance both awareness and understanding of compliance among our employees. We offer group training sessions led by both internal and external instructors in a fully remote setting, ensuring easy participation from our local offices. Furthermore, we deploy e-learning, deliver email newsletters, and host ‘Compliance Awareness Month’ to further bolster our employees’ knowledge and vigilance. Specifically, concerning our efforts to eradicate harassment, we assess employee perceptions regarding harassment. Based on the findings, we emphasize awareness by featuring special articles on harassment and offering training sessions to address the disparities in employee perceptions.

 

(FY2023)	Participants	Sessions	Companies
New executive officers Training	16	1	33 Group Companies *This term, executives from nine group companies participated in the program.
Current executive officers Training	148	2	33 Group Companies
General Staff Training	1458	38	17 Group Companies
Management Training Lv1	152	4
Management Training Lv2	417	17
Management Training Lv3	531	21

 

 

At the SEGA SAMMY Group, we believe that a state in which human resources with diverse values work together vividly to realize the Group’s mission will contribute to the continued creation of moving experiences. With the aim of achieving a state in which human resources, as human capital, are engaged in the mission that the Group aims to achieve, we have established engagement scores at major Group companies in Japan as indicators.

 

 

■Target Engagement Score

In a situation where values are diversifying and individual ways of working are changing, it is important to have a relationship of trust and mutual respect between companies and individuals. If companies and employees can face each other and work together on an equal basis, we can create more game change and excitement through synergy. For this reason,  SEGA SAMMY Group uses a private motivation engagement survey to conduct quantitative surveys of engagement scores in a comprehensive range of categories.

As of December 2022, our engagement score was a B-grade of 52.6, and we aim to raise this score to at least an A-grade of 58 or higher in 2030.

 

 

A video message from President and Group CEO Haruki Satomi is streamed via the companyʼs internal web portal at the start of each month with the aim of stimulating communication between management and employees in the SEGA SAMMY Group. In his December 2021 message, Mr. Satomi spoke to employees about the importance of environmental problems and other aspects of sustainability. He also described recent trends in thinking about these issues and shared examples of the linkage between environmental issues and business activities. The February 2022 message focused on human rights issues, diversity, equity and inclusion. Mr. Satomi shared his thoughts about initiatives and decision-making in this area. Other topics covered in Mr. Satomiʼs messages include the Group Mission (“Constantly Creating, Forever Captivating̶Making Life More Colorful”), his thoughts on various initiatives, and interviews with employees who are playing key roles in the Group. Group employees in Japan and overseas watch these messages and recognize their value as a new communication tool. The SEGA SAMMY Group will continue to develop working environments in which diverse individuals can enjoy exciting careers.

 

 

To ensure the safety of its employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Group has adopted workstyles that combine remote and onsite work according to work and operational requirements. We will continue our efforts to prevent the spread of the disease while maintaining and improving productivity.

In order to improve work efficiency amid the growing shift to remote working and the adoption of diverse workstyles for the “era of coexistence with COVID-19,” the Group companies such as SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS, SEGA, and SAMMY began introducing electronic contract systems in October 2020. These systems are progressively being introduced by other companies within the SEGA SAMMY Group. An electronic contract is concluded by means of digital signatures on digital documents, in place of paper documents imprinted with seals. Contracts are stored on corporate servers as digital data. The introduction of electronic contracts represents another step toward the paperless office. It will also facilitate contract administration in a remote working environment by eliminating the need to use seals. We will continue our efforts to digitalize contract processes with the understanding and support of our customers and suppliers.

• Health Management Declaration

SEGA SAMMY Group has set “Constantly Creating, Forever Captivating
-Making Life More Colorful-” as its Group Mission/Purpose and
“Be a Game Changer” as its Group Vision. In order to create an environment where employees who demonstrate ambition and ability can flourish and grow to fulfill the Group Mission/Purpose, we believe it is essential to promote health management initiatives that enhance the health and wellbeing of our employees. Therefore, we have formulated the SEGA SAMMY Group Health Management Declaration as follows.

 

SEGA SAMMY Group have set up a working environment without the burden of “time and place” for a variety of human resources to play an active role without giving up their careers. By expanding and improving the existing flextime, reduced work time, and remote work (telework) systems, we will set up an environment where everyone can “comfortably continue working” by offering time and place for them to select depending on their personal conditions and support childcare, elderly care, and women’s active work.

 

 

■ Select the time system

Employees caring for their children or elderly can decide when to work.

・Can choose agreed working hours from 4 to 7 hours per day

・Full-time working hours (8 hours) by using gap times

 

■  Select location system

Employees who need to take care of their parents away from home or whose spouse has relocated can select working styles without the burden of the workplace.

 ・ Can choose working places depending on the conditions and use a telework system

 ・ This system is limited to employees whose type of business allows telework (need to work at the office once or twice a month)

「“SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS INCLUDES NEW CAREER SUPPORT MEASURES FOR SELECTING WORKING HOURS AND PLACES”(Only available in Japanese)」

Our childcare support is more fulfilling than the legal support by extending the duration of leave and introducing a flextime system to support both work and childcare. In addition, the system that pays a lump-sum allowance of one million yen for childbirth and nursing and gives a monetary gift for the child at the age of entering elementary school has been established to support parents who care for their children (the system varies in each company).

 

Category	Details
Extension of childcare leave	Law: until before the child turns two (2) years old SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS: until the first of April after the child turns two (2) years old * Only applied when the child cannot enroll in a nursery school.
Reduced work time for childcare	Law: until before the child turns three (3) years old SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS: until before the child becomes a 4th-grade student in elementary school * Please note that up to one (1) hour early leaving is admitted until before the child becomes a 4th-grade student after entering elementary school
Childcare leave using accumulated paid holiday	The accumulated paid holiday can be used when childcare leave is less than 20 days. * The holiday is treated as a paid holiday.
The short-time flexible time system	When the employee who is qualified to use the short-time work system for childcare wants to use the system,they can use a flextime system calculated by the following: agreed work time = work time (agreed by each employee, less than 6 to 8 hours) x specified working days per month.
In-house nursery SEGA SAMMY Soramori Nursery School	We have established an in-house nursery to help employees and local residents balance work and childcare. In addition to supporting a smooth return to work and different work styles after maternity or childcare leave, we are working to create an environment in which everyone with children can continue to play an active role. SEGA SAMMY Soramori Nursery School Web site

Like childcare support, we have a system more fulfilling than the law and have set up a support system to reduce caretakers’ economic burden arising from elderly care and the physical burden from traveling home.

 

Category	Details
Monetary support during elderly care leave (no pay period)	SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS care leave period is 93 business days, which exceeds the law,however, care leave benefits supplied from the employment insurance for the exceeded period are not delivered.  SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS compensates for the no-pay period.
Support for travel expense to return home to caring	We compensate part of the travel expense for employees who do not live with their parents and need to travel for care.
Lending conditions	Not only temporal expenses for family care but also continual expenses will be lent.
Maximum period for using a reduced work schedule for caring	Law: Three (3) years SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS : five (5) years * The number is decided from the average caring period of five (5) years.
Flexible time to start working the next day (the day) when traveling to caring	When employees travel for caring their parents, the time to start working the next day (or the same day) they return from home can be delayed to reduce their physical burden.
Maximum number of times to use the system of reduced worktime period	Law: up to two (2) times SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS : up to four (4) times * The number is decided to four (4) to be able to use the system more flexibly depending on the condition of the person in need of care
The short-time flexible time system	When an employee who is qualified to use the short-time work system for family care wants to use the system,they can use a flextime system calculated by the following: agreed work time = work time (agreed by each employee, less than 6 to 8 hours) x specified working days per month.

Sega Sammy Group has various systems for same-sex partners to be treated as legal spouses with the same legal rights and status.

As a result of our efforts, SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS, SEGA and Sammy have received Gold in the “PRIDE Index”, an indicator for evaluating the efforts of companies and organizations regarding sexual minorities, for five consecutive years from 2019.
In addition, in 2023, we received Rainbow for the first time, which recognizes companies that promote cross-sector collaboration with the national government, local governments, academic institutions, and NPOs/NGOs.

 

Category	Subcategory	Details
Holiday・leave	Congratulatory and condolence leave	Special holiday or leave at the marriage or death of a same-sex partner
	Family care	When the same-sex partner needs caring,care leave or reduced work time system for caring can be used.
Payment	Separation allowance/marriage allowance/celebration of a birth allowance	Same as the related rules for the spouse in the related rule.
	Condolence money	When the employee died,the same-sex partner receives condolence money.
Transfer・business trip	The miscellaneous expense for preliminary inspection・formal assignment/ relocation leave / formal assignment allowance/ travel expense for return home when working away from home	Same as the spouse in the related rule.
Benefit package	Loan	Same as the spouse in the related rule.
	Recreation facilities	The same-sex partner can also use with a “member” price.
Career support	Expansion of intended use of accumulated paid holiday	It can be used for transgender people to undergo gender reassignment surgery and hormone treatment to support their continuation of employment

SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS, SEGA and Sammy have received Gold in the “PRIDE Index”, an indicator for evaluating the efforts of companies and organizations regarding sexual minorities, for five consecutive years from 2019.
In addition, in 2023, we received Rainbow for the first time, which recognizes companies that promote cross-sector collaboration with the national government, local governments, academic institutions, and NPOs/NGOs.

In May 2021, SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS endorsed the Business Support for LGBT Equality Declaration, a campaign aimed at the creation of an inclusive society and working environments in which everyone is treated equally, through the introduction of LGBT＋ equality legislation that would prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in Japan.

One of the social issues faced by same-sex couples is the fact that they are not legally recognized as being married, with the result that they are unable to enjoy the rights and the services that are available to families as a matter of course. SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS treats same-sex partners on an equal footing with spouses under its various internal systems. Currently, notarized declarations are required when making applications relating to a same-sex partner, but we also plan to accept partnership certificates issued by the Famiee Project.

SEGA SAMMY Holdings has implemented a range of initiatives toward the development of a highly creative corporate culture, including the introduction of a system under which same-sex partners are treated in the same way as marriage partners. As part of these efforts, in March 2021 we endorsed the “Business for Marriage Equality” campaign, which seeks to raise the visibility of companies that support marriage equality and the legalization of same-sex marriage. Through this endorsement, we hope to enhance job satisfaction, increase diversity, and eliminate inequality throughout the Group, all of which are key people-related items in the SEGA SAMMY Group materiality. We will work to raise awareness of these issues and encourage practical efforts across the entire Group.

* Business for Marriage Equality: This campaign aims to raise the visibility of companies that support marriage equality (the legalization of same-sex marriage). It is jointly operated by three Japanese non-profit organizations: Marriage For All Japan, Lawyers for LGBT & Allies Network, and Nijiiro Diversity. As of April 2022, 223 companies and other organizations in Japan had expressed their support for marriage equality.

 

 

SEGA SAMMY Group believes that understanding and respecting diversity leads to the creation of new business opportunities, and is actively engaged in diversity management. As part of this effort, we have been a sponsor of “TOKYO RAINBOW PRIDE” since 2019, which is held with the aim of realizing a society where LGBT+ people can live positively without being subject to discrimination or prejudice.
In 2023, at the “Pride Festival & Parade” held in April, we set up a photo booth at the festival site, which was used by more than 1,500 visitors over two days. In addition, a total of 40 people, including Group employees and their families, participated in the parade.
In addition, during the period including the event term, Group headquarters offered special menu items at the company cafeteria and decorated the general reception area in rainbow colors to promote LGBT+ understanding among Group employees. In addition, the corporate logos on the websites of group companies and on SNS and other owned media were changed to rainbow colors to support LGBT+ people and their supporters (allies).

The SEGA SAMMY Group promotes LGBT+ understanding around the world.

In 2023, Sega of America, Inc. donated to Orange County Pride, an organization that helps organize Pride-related events. During Pride Month in June, employees participated in a parade at OC Pride, a rainbow pride event held by the organization in Orange County, California, where the company is based, and gave away rainbow-colored items such as sunglasses and stickers at the SEGA booth.

Additionally, Sega of America, Inc. also started an Employee Resource Group initiative in 2023 which includes the formation of an internal group to support and celebrate its LGBTQ+ employees year-round.

At the start of Pride Month, SEGA Europe Limited. posted a tweet expressing solidarity with the LGBT+ community, garnering 4.3 million views on X (formerly Twitter) and increased engagement on other social networks such as Facebook and Instagram. The company’s social networking team also held a livestream event where officially partnered streamers played various SEGA games live on stream to receive donations from viewers. The livestream raised a total of £12,588 (about ¥2.29 million) in one week, which was donated to the Kaleidoscope Trust, a UK- based charity that works internationally to promote the human rights of LGBT+ people.

 

Sega Sammy Group considers it very important to provide places and opportunities for every employee to play an active role, as well as to create an environment in order to bring out the diverse values of our human resources to the maximum. One way to show our thoughts is to make and distribute the special neck strap with the logo of each company in the group decorated in the rainbow color. Distribution began in 2021 to employees who support “ally”, which means understanding and supporting LGBT+. As of April 2023, abound 570 employees in total in the group wear the strap to engage in their work.

As a company in which its human resources who have diverse possibilities can form their career regardless of their gender, Sega Sammy Group continues this kind of measure that leads to providing awareness of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI).

 

 

SEGA SAMMY Group is making various efforts aiming to strengthen further the foundation for everyone to participate and make advancement in working by setting a strategy of “promoting women’s participation and advancement in the workplace (regardless of gender)” as one of the human resources strategies in the major domestic companies.

In addition to enhancing and improving recruitment and system, by promoting women’s participation and career advancement in the workplace, we have set the target of up to twice the number of women managers in 2030 compared to the current number.

 

 

Measures for the promotion of women’s participation and career advancement in the workplace plan in March of FY2023

(1) Unconscious bias training for managers

(2) Support for women’s career development

(3) Town-hall meeting -for women to play an important role

(4) Seminar for femtech, wellness, and career

(5) Career workshop for young women employees

 

■Understanding and Controlling Unconscious Bias

To further promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are the cornerstones of management, our group conducts surveys, analyses, and seminars on unconscious bias (unconscious assumptions and prejudices). Through these activities, we aim to raise the common understanding that employees are aware of the existence of unconscious bias in their own minds and that controlling it will lead to company growth. At the SEGA SAMMY Sustainable Weeks held in October 2021 as the first initiative of the SEGA SAMMY Group, external experts and executives gave lectures to the management of 9 group companies, including SEGA SAMMY Holdings. They deepened their understanding of how to deal with unconscious bias and the tendency of unconscious bias at the management level of the SEGA SAMMY Group, which was revealed through a preliminary survey of participants. In 2022, the scope of seminars was expanded to include general managers of 10 group companies, including SEGA SAMMY Holdings, and to include section managers in 2023. Going forward, we will further promote awareness and culture by spreading these ideas and initiatives widely within the Group.

 

 

■Support for women’s career development (support of pregnancy, childbirth, and return to work)

One specific example of the measures above (2), “Support for women’s career development (support of pregnancy, childbirth, and return to work),” is the “Support preceding pregnancy (egg freezing)”. This gathered much attention not only from our employees but also from outside the company as not many companies actually introduced this kind of measure (name of the service: “Grace Bank”) (*).　

* “Grace Bank” is a private service for women’s egg freezing

https://gracebank.jp/

 

This “Support preceding pregnancy (egg freezing)” is the measure positioned to provide opportunities to plan own career and lifestyle from an early stage of life. By adding an option for women in their late 20s to early 30s when many of them think about which to choose between their career development and childbirth, we intend to provide them the third option of their lifestyle to take both and hope this leads to a decrease in their psychological burden.

This measure uses the “Grace Bank” service offered by Grace Group, and we support the following three items.

(1) Seminar to improve literacy (give an opportunity to know one’s body)

(2) Body inspection in the partner medical institutions

(3) Egg collection and freezing in the partner medical institutions

(4) Storing frozen egg

* Egg storing (4) is paid for by individuals.

 

The seminar on literacy can be audited by anyone who prefers. The “Grace Bank” service can be used without the supervisor’s permission.

Introducing these new measures enables us to establish a systematized pregnancy, childbirth, and reinstatement support plan.

「SEGA SAMMY Group Introduces System to “Support preceding pregnancy (egg freezing)” of Employees to Support Career Development before Pregnancy and Promote Women’s Active Participation」(Only available in Japanese)

 

■Town-hall meeting -for women to play an important role-

Sega Sammy Group organizes a town-hall meeting between managers and employees of our group companies to discuss.

In 2022, a town-hall meeting was held to discuss how to raise each group company employee’s awareness of gender equality and measures for promoting women’s participation and career advancement in the workplace between the CEOs in the group companies and five women managers. In the meeting, as QA tools were used to consider anonymity for sensitive agendas, smooth communication was performed, including active debate and questions.

 

 

■Seminar for femtech, wellness, and career

For women employees, the seminar, “New option -women’s wellness and career based on the femtech-” was held to confront and deepen knowledge of health issues specific to women, which have been taken as taboo in the past. In the seminar, a panel discussion was held with four lecturers, including three external lecturers at the forefront of business and a manager from our company, discussing their real experiences and tips for solving health problems using femtech.

 

■Career workshop for young women employees

From March FY2023, a workshop will be held for women employees working their 5th year of employment. This workshop is positioned as a place to acquire the right knowledge for career development to play an important role in the workplace beyond the life events specific to women, such as childbirth and childcare, as well as self-efficacy improvement.*Three major companies will participate in the first year of the event, and the target will be expanded to group companies.

 

In 2015, we founded a special subsidiary named “SEGA SAMMY BUSINESS SUPPORT,” aiming to offer a workplace where everyone can play an active role by respecting individuality regardless of disabilities. The employment ratio of disabled persons was 2.51% in SEGA SAMMY Group in March 2023. We are working to promote DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) of SEGA SAMMY Group through “employment of disabled persons” and for improving corporate value by aiming for expansion of the work field and promoting their employment as well as for improving quality of work.

 

▼Related page

SEGA SAMMY BUSINESS SUPPORT INC.Website　(Only available in Japanese)

 

In addition, we conducted an experience-based universal manner training targeted to managers of each group company for understanding disabled persons aiming for deepening understanding of reasonable accommodation through simulated experience. Fifty people received a classroom lecture and took four kinds of firsthand disability experience and their supports, including wheelchair use, impaired sight, auditory impediment, and age. The training with the same content was further increased to personnel of the human resource department in each group company in the 2023 business year ending in March.

 

 

SEGA SAMMY Holdings started participating in the “Art Para Fukagawa Talkative Art Festival” in 2021 as a partner company of the festival. In the art festival, the “Art Para Fukagawa Grand Prize” is awarded for disseminating the attraction and value of artworks of people with disabilities to society. The artworks are openly submitted from around the nation.

 

A SEGA SAMMY Holdings’ executive committee member joins as a judge and selects and awards the “SEGA SAMMY Holdings Award” as a sponsor company in the “Art Para Fukagawa Grand Prix”, which sheds light on the artists who are not yet known to the world. Won and awarded artworks are exhibited in the Fukagawa area during the Art Festival for many people to appreciate them.

 

SEGA SAMMY Group will continue being involved with various stakeholders through entertainment to develop initiatives to coexist better.

 

 

SEGA SAMMY Holdings and SEGA SAMMY BUSINESS SUPPORT conducted a special lecture in June 2022 by Professor Takanobu Nakajima in the Faculty of Business and Commerce at Keio University class “current status and future of employment of people with disabilities”. The first and second-year students in every faculty can receive this special lecture. The number of students interested in his lecture is increasing yearly. This time, he introduced SEGA SAMMY Group’s scheme for the employment of people with disabilities and the promotion of understanding sustainability and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in the lecture.

Recently, at Keio University, students who study sustainability-related fields, including environmental problems and support for people with disabilities, are increasing due to the growing needs inside and outside the country for promoting education to achieve SDGs. SEGA SAMMY Group continues working on sustainability through business activity to become the group that resonates with the students who will be leaders of the next generation and are needed by society.

 

 

In December 2020, Dance Base Yokohama, which is operated by the SEGA SAMMY Culture and Art Foundation, launched the “Dance Accessibility Lab— The Experience of Dancing with the Visually Impaired,” a project designed to explore new ways for people to enjoy dancing with those who are visually impaired.

 

 

SEGA SAMMY GOLF ENTERTAINMENT, which operates The North Country Golf Club in Chitose City, Hokkaido, has collaborated with Circle Eight, a Type B Employment Support Facility, since 2022 to provide job experience opportunities for people with mild disabilities.

We provide opportunities to engage in work such as maintenance at golf practice facilities, weed removal from around the clubhouse, and picking up garbage and branches, thus contributing to social employment opportunities, mental health support through work in nature, and self-fulfillment support.

We plan to continue to engage in activities in partnership with the local community and promote sustainability activities at the golf course in the future.

 

SEGA SAMMY Group has set up a “System for continued employment after retirement” to promote providing positions for middle and senior employees to continue working by using their knowledge and experience even after retirement. With this system, we aim to achieve a society in which people are active throughout their lifetime and where the senior people with will and skills can work regardless of their age.

These employees’ working time is decided according to the “Full-time workers’ rules of employment”; however, working time and days are flexibly adjusted depending on the employee’s desire to support the employees’ life after retirement.

 

The number of employees who continued working after retirement

SEGA SAMMY Group: 100% (3)

Sega: 91% (20)

* Between April 2020 and December 2022.

The goal of the project is to “make darts a sport that can be enjoyed by everyone.” We want to contribute to solving social issues such as improving people’s health and revitalizing local communities by helping more people to enjoy playing darts as a sport.

Currently, we mainly conduct darts workshops for elementary, junior high, and high school students, the elderly, and people with disabilities. We are promoting the introduction of darts to local facilities so that people can continue to enjoy darts.

 

 

SPORTS DARTS PROJECT

In June 2020, Sega of America, Inc. responded to growing support for the “Black Lives Matter” anti-racism movement by issuing a statement condemning discrimination against people of color. In addition, in March 2021, both Sega of America, Inc. and SEGASAMMY HOLDINGS expressed their support for efforts to eradicate all forms of racial discrimination and violence following a rapid increase in the number of hate crimes being committed against people of Asian descent.

 

 

①　Support for the Helpline Services of the Recovery Support Network

The SEGA SAMMY Group began to implement initiatives against addiction following the establishment of the Society for Research on Pachinko Addiction in 2003. The Recovery Support Network (RSN), which was created in 2006 with the support of various groups within the industry, has also introduced a wide range of initiatives, including awareness-raising activities and telephone helpline services.

②　Activities during Pachinko and Pachislot Addiction Awareness Week

Pachinko and pachislot Addiction Awareness Week is held in Japan every year from May 14 to 20 with the aim of raising awareness about Pachinko and Pachislot addiction. Centered around Awareness Week, in addition to holding forums to broaden understanding of these issues, industry organizations are also engaged in Awareness Week poster campaigns and other activities.

 

 

At the World Health Assembly in May 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized “gaming disorder” as a disease, defining it as a pattern of excessive online and video gaming. In Japan, the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA), the Japan Online Game Association (JOGA), the Mobile Content Forum (MCF), and the Japan eSports Union (JeSU) jointly established a study group to conduct surveys and research relating to phenomena triggered by gaming, and to educate the public about appropriate ways to enjoy gaming. The four organizations are currently carrying out collaborative surveys and research with an outside expert study group about gaming disorder and exploring effective countermeasures for the future. The Group will continue to address these issues appropriately in cooperation with the study group.

SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS and Kyoto University are jointly conducting a process research project* on gambling addiction. The purpose of this research, which involves the collection and analysis of data on progression in gambling behavior, is to discover advance warning signs of dangerous gambling behavior by collecting and analyzing playing data from casinos. The SEGA SAMMY Group plans to use the results of this research to establish systems for the early identification of players showing signs of addiction, so that steps can be taken to prevent the escalation. We will also establish facility operations that encourage users to exercise self-control and restraint when using the facility. In this way, we aim to develop an integrated structure for gambling addiction countermeasures, from education and prevention through to treatment in collaboration with medical institutions and other organizations. Results from the joint research have shown that repeated gambling behavior results in a tendency to increase the size of wagers, regardless of whether the gambler wins or loses, and that this pattern is especially conspicuous after a win. It was also found that the percentage of people who will engage in risky gambling tends to increase after repeated wins. These results were published in the research journal “International Gambling Studies.”

* This research project will be carried out from December 2017 to March 2026 at the Kokoro Research Center Kyoto University

The Puyo Puyo eSports system has been updated to provide a color adjustment function for people with color vision deficiency, who have previously been hesitant to try Puyo Puyo games due to difficulty distinguishing the colors used in these titles. With guidance from the Color Universal Design Organization (CUDO), a non-profit organization, we added support for three types of color vision deficiency—protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia—as well as color intensity adjustment. In addition, we removed the flickering effect used on falling Puyo and increased the number of Puyo shapes to 16 to make it easier to distinguish them by their outlines. We also updated the online matchmaking system so that players using one of the three color vision modes can chose, through their personal screen settings, whether to play only against people who are also using those modes, or to play against people using the default settings. As a result of these changes, it is now possible for large numbers of people to play together.。

 

■Puyo Puyo experience event for people with color vision deficienty

On February 20, 2021, we staged an online Puyo Puyo experience event for people with color vision deficiency at the 47th CUD Supporter Association Conference hosted by the CUDO. The CUD Supporter Association is a group of people with a shared interest in the issues faced by people with color vision deficiency and color universal design (CUD).

 

Introduction of PuyoPuyo Programming, educational materials about programming (link to official educational site)