Segan ja Sammyn yhdistyminen..

[Har*]

Tämäpäs on mielenkiintoista

"Sega and pachinko machine makers Sammy have announced that they will be merging on 1st October. Sammy are also responsible for such games as Guilty Gear and King Of Fighters.

A statement read: "By combining both companies' technological and developmental abilities, Sammy's high growth power and Sega's global brand power, we will be able... to address the needs of a large range of global customers spanning a wide age range."

Sammy President Hajime Satomi will head the new company. Sega should account for slightly more of the company than Sammy in market value terms.

Exact details of the terms of the merger are expected in the coming months. We think 'Saggy' would be a good name for the new company though."

Lähde: www.gamesasylum.com

[feldon]

Tuo uutinen on nyt sitten virallinen. Sammy on pitkään ollut suur-osakkaana, mutta nyt firmat lyövät lopultakin hynttyyt yhteen. Syynä on pelialan alati kiristyvä kilpailuasetelma.


TOKYO, May 19 (Reuters) - Shares of Sega Corp (7964.T: Quote, Profile, Research) soared on Wednesday after its top shareholder, Sammy Corp (6426.T: Quote, Profile, Research) , said the previous day that it would buy out Sega and merge the two companies under a holding firm in a $1.4 billion stock deal.
Sega shares rose 13.8 percent to 1,138 yen by early afternoon trade after Sammy offered a 21 percent premium from Tuesday's closing share price of 1,000 yen as part of a share swap to create Sega Sammy Holdings Inc.

Sammy's stock fell 3.23 percent to 4,190 yen.

The merger would bring Sega's content library of game titles, such as the popular "Sonic the Hedgehog" series, to Sammy's hardware business, which includes slot machines, arcade video game machines and pachinko, a pinball-like game.

Despite the rise in Sega's shares, analysts expressed scepticism about a merger that failed once last year after the two sides disagreed on management style and other terms of the integration.

"The focus will be if the key assets of Sega's business, the creators, would be willing to work in this new environment. At the moment, I'd prefer to say that's not the case," said Hiroshi Kamide at KBC Securities.

Sega's shares shed nearly a quarter of their value in a span of three months before the merger was officially scrapped in May 2003, because the market could not see the merit in the deal.

Sammy then acquired a 22 percent stake in Sega in December and Sammy's chief executive, Hajime Satomi, was named chairman of Sega.

Now, Satomi aims to create an entertainment giant that forecasts sales to top 500 billion yen ($4.39 billion) in the business year ending March 31. The two companies generated combined sales 440 billion yen in the past business year.

Each share of Sammy will be swapped for one share of the holding company, while each share of Sega will be swapped for 0.28 share. The merger is pending approval from two-thirds of Sammy and Sega's respective shareholders.

Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Jay Defibaugh said in a note to clients that this latest merger attempt is different since Satomi has a better understanding of Sega, but cited the lack of significant synergies in the merger. Satomi told reporters on Tuesday that the new holding company, 72 percent owned by Sammy, could one day generate one trillion yen in revenues, although he declined to say when.

Part of Sega's allure for Satomi -- who owns 27.6 percent of Sammy's shares outstanding -- is using Sega's titles in Sammy's "Atomiswave" game machines for arcade use. Sega's arcades will also likely use the "Atomiswave" machines. ($1=114.03 yen)

© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.


http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=5185938
(REUTERS, Tue May 18, 2004 11:54 PM ET )