Sega Offices and Staff Are Safe, as are Sonic 4 Contest Winners
It is now Saturday morning in Japan. They, we, and the rest of the world are juggling daunting tasks of both accounting for what is cataclysmic damage after the incredible earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan’s northcountry on Friday, while bracing for more to come.
In Japan, there are varying accounts of dead, injured, and missing, ranging to hundreds to thousands each. There are apparently several of Japan’s signature bullet trains lost in the wreckage. There is concern flooding from the tsunami waves may not recede for some time. The immediate concern around the world is the possible compromise of several nuclear plants near the quake’s epicenter, and in particular the Fukushima-Daiichi reactor, as Japanese news outlet NHK reports an evacuation spanning more than 6 miles from the plant has been ordered due to fears of inadequate cooling and increasing radiation output.
For many close to us in this community, the news is better. All indications are, for now, those in Tokyo south and west have escaped the worst. That includes the Japanese offices of Sega and Sega Sammy Holdings, as multiple reports have assured both employees and office space are safe. That said, IGN reports a Yakuza of the End signing event planned for this weekend has been cancelled.
That’s good news because, as it turned out, the North American winners of that Sonic 4 contest from last year chose this week to take their trip, and Sega of America Community Manager Aaron Webber was their chaperone. Both Kevin Eva and Julian Mehlfeld have confirmed via their Twitter accounts the contest winners and Webber himself are accounted for and safe. Whether they’ll be able to get home in a timely fashion, given the crippled travel environment in the country, remains to be seen.
Separately, The Sonic Stadium’s T-Bird has confirmed key Sonic sound composer Jun Senoue is also safe. We can confirm another Sega composer, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, is also accounted for. We know this because he Tweeted about it earlier Friday, assuring followers he is OK. Yuji Naka, the former Sonic Team head, founder of Prope, and an avid Twitter user has not said a peep on his account. We don’t want to speculate what that does or does not mean, since Mr. Naka has a family first to attend to in this time of crisis, and also because communication in Japan is crippled from the disaster.
We say everyone’s safe for now because this matter is not over. Aside from the uncertainty over nuclear reactors being compromised, dozens of aftershocks continue to rock the country, which could worsen what is already a dire situation.
Our thoughts are with the stranded, the affected, the displaced, and the mourning as this unfolds. We also should note the Red Cross is accepting donations to go toward disaster relief. The way things are going, they could use every penny you can afford. We will continue to pass along any more relevant developments as they come in.
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Even though the Sonic 4 contest winners are safe, I’m still glad I didn’t win or even enter.
Ah few, what a relief! Good to know Jun is safe too (:D)! Which reminds me, will this disrupt the Crush 40 concert in April?
Jakeiii: It certainly could. That may not be determined for a few days, though. Danny will touch base soon and we’ll try to get an update on that.
-T
I’m glad they’re safe, that wouldn’t be good if anything bad happened to them. As for everyone else I hope that things will get better, disasters like this are really hard to recover from.
Tristan – great article. News as it should be. Thumbs up.
But I want official confirmation Webber hasn’t been lost during this ordeal. God speed Aaron remember speed is something that is not given but earned.
@sonic_kun
I think that I´ve seen the Mr. Naka in TV-Nippon. He was same. He had the same face form, and he wearing the same hair with style and the SAME NERD GLASSES. 90% sure.
You’ve done well to keep in track of all of this Tristan. I have a new found respect for you!
Takashi Iizuka is so damn lucky…
He knew the world was going against him.
He said he could avoid physics, and he did.
^ Win.
ocean not Sonic 4 water, US?
Sonic 4 emits a strong field that negates real-world physics.
Good to know that Senoue himself is safe, but please tell me his cat-piano used for Sonic 4 has been destroyed.
I’m glad that the people they mentioned are safe, including the winners and Jun. But there’s one thing I didn’t understand and it’s that Sonic 4 Ep 1 has been out since October of last year and the winners decided to go now when they could’ve gone before the game was released. I’m just saying that if I were them I would’ve gone way before the game was released because wasn’t the point of the entire contest was to play Sonic 4 before anyone else did? Besides counting E3? Overall I’m still glad that they are all safe from this horrible disaster.
@soranamineforever Lol. I reckon it was dying whilst Sonic 4 music was being composed, listening to the music.
I’m glad that both Sega and Nintendo are fine.Now I’m anxiously waiting news about Naka,his family and the rest of Prope.
i’m glad people are safe i think i will donate money so they can finsh building the damage so the people can go back to work still how this hapend the eath qwake.
Anyone else see what looks like a cat in the picture? ;P
It is good to know that everyone is safe and well.