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An Industry-wide Celebration of a New Home, New Company & New Product Elk Grove Village, IL, – Sega Amusements USA, Inc. (SAU) hosted a celebratory Open
House event in their new location on March 15th. Industry members were welcomed in to enjoy great company,
words of thanks and direction by top principals, and an energetic array of coin-op games.
The story dates back to the beginning of 2005 when Sega
Amusements USA decided to relocate and revamp their office, in
conjunction with a revitalizing merger between Sammy and Sega
Corporations. Executives found a deeper meaning to the office
move than the already significant goals to modernize the space and
expand for future growth of the company. The idea was to
consolidate the unique and bright qualities of each entity and unify
them into one cohesive team, under a common roof. This meant
bringing the former Sega Service department to Elk Grove,
housing all warehouse operations onsite, and creating a brighter
corporate image with a newly organized operation and atmosphere.While planning the relocation  lasted for many months, the official move-in landed on January 16th, 2006. The
Sega Amusements team, lead in this effort by Executive Vice President Jim Miskell, had successfully packed up
boxes of files and office equipment as well as a 30,000 sq. ft. warehouse, and transferred to the new location at
800 Arthur. Sega is quite proud of their state-of-the-art, young building, which was renovated entirely to the
company’s liking. The overall space of the building is 70,000 square feet, composed of a comfortable 15,000
sq. ft. office floor and an abundant 55,000 sq. ft., 12 dock warehouse. At the Open House event, President and
COO of SAU, Mr. Rick Rochetti, expressed his appreciation for his Elk Grove staff and acknowledged that this
project “could not have been done without teamwork and dedication.”The company had decided to share its pride and excitement for their new digs, and would best do this by hosting an Open House Celebration. On the 15th of March, the company welcomed industry members and several guests from parent company, Sega Corporation of Tokyo, Japan, totaling an impressive 300 in attendance. The day began beautifully with guests convening in the clean and spacious warehouse after following an informative office tour guided by Sega staff members. Once in the warehouse, the attendees could view a neat layout and vivid collection of Sega coin-op games, put in place by the hard work of the production and parts teams led by Kiyo Nishimura, Vice President of Production, and Operations Director Jerry Korbecki. The games on display included Metal Slug 6, Virtua Tennis 3, Derby Owners Club – World Edition – EX, House of the Dead 4, Virtua Striker 4 – 2006, SpongeBob Squarepants, and Kids Trading Card Games: MushiKing, Dinosaur King, and Love & Berry… 
However, the fun did not stop there. Guests were hugely impressed by three of Sega’s newest attractions, its latest hunting game and first online title, Extreme Hunting Tournament Edition linked by ALL.Net, the alluring SEGA UFO Catcher crane game decorated with colorful Disney plush provided by Sega of Japan, and a very gigantic display of the House of the Dead – 4 Special, a simulated experience of the zombie crushing game. Both Extreme Hunting Tournament Edition and SEGA UFO Catcher are scheduled for a Summer release, just following the debut of Sega’s first licensed plush line (to be announced soon!). The release of House of the Dead - 4 Special is to be determined, but the game exposed great potential as customers lined up to learn more about it. In addition to a vibrant layout, Sega Amusements conducted a much anticipated presentation by top company principals of the company. Guests gathered in silence as our first speaker, President and COO of SAU, Mr. Rick Rochetti, took center court. His speech began with a sincere ‘thank you’ to the industry as well as the top Sega principals, whom have all been “very true and faithful” to the former Sammy and Sega Amusement organizations. Rochetti also discussed the company’s hiring spree, succes s of the “cutting-edge” Lindbergh Hardware System, his excitement for the U.K. creation, Ford Racing Full Blown, and his commitment to the New Business Division, focusing on trading card games that market to children 6 to 12 years old. He also pointed out the power of ALL.Net, the online network that has reached 7 titles, 45,000 linked boards, and 2800 locations in Japan. SAU will be introducing it to the American market in June on the all-new Extreme Hunting Tournament Edition. Rochetti concluded his grateful speech by emphasizing his pride in the company and support it has achieved, as well as Sega’s commitment to “exceptional product, customer service and innovations.” Next to speak was a man of 40 years in the coin-op industry, who instills dedication and high standards in his businesses, Mr. Hajime Satomi, Chairman and CEO of Sega Sammy Holdings, Inc. Greeted with a very powerful round of applause, Satomi took the podium with strong conviction, and delivered many positive and direct messages regarding the merger. The Chairman opened by stating, “Two strong leaders in the amusement entertainment business joined forces for one goal. That goal is to become the world’s number one entertainment company.” He went on to announce his investment in reorganization and placing the right people in the right jobs to enhance the group’s organizational strength. Satomi explained the merger also brought about the financial backing that Sega had been missing, which has enabled the new company to “convert (great) ideas into solid business opportunities.” Additionally, the former Sammy now offers a stronger product appeal by its inheritance of Sega’s “premium-quality content and advanced technological development capabilities.” He announced a significant boost in the company’s market competitiveness by now meeting the demands of a wider customer base. This is a result of the marriage between Sega’s high-end product background and Sammy’s lower cost, child geared products. Lastly, Satomi proclaimed his commitment to the diverse needs of all their overseas industries, and assured he is actively investing in effort to “construct an unassailable market position.” Last to the podium to conduct a toast was President and COO of Sega Corporation, Mr. Hisao Oguchi. As the creator of Crazy Taxi, Jurassic Park and Derby Owners Club, Oguchi is a force to be reckoned with at Sega and was the perfect end speaker to the company’s well-done presentation. Bringing with him his lively spirit, Oguchi reiterated that business is good all-around, especially in amusement machine sales. He then directed a very spirit-filled toast to the industry, which ended with a strong “Cheers!” The presentation portion buttoned up with a photo-esque  ribbon cutting celebration in
front of the Sega Amusements building,
which was nicely accented with
abnormally sunny, winter weather. Top
dignitaries of the U.S. and abroad
companies lined up and placed a hand on
the ribbon, as the perfect metaphor for their
contributions to Sega Amusements.
Representing the city of Elk Grove Village,
Mayor Craig Johnson stood center stage
and spoke many kind words of the
company’s loyalty to the city. Taking the
scissors to his left was Mr. Satomi who
proceeded in cutting the ribbon. The slice
was well done and signified good luck and
success in Sega’s many years to follow.The commencement of the event was positively portrayed with great attendance to the very end. The sales team, consisting of Vince Moreno, Tom Keil, Katie Healy, and Director of Sales, Ron Malinowski, along with Merchandise staff, Laurie Jezuit, Daria Szpiczakowska, Candice Lozano, and Katherine Braun, led by Vice President of Merchandise, Dave Cane, had their hands full all day meeting with customers and providing detailed product presentations. With the assistance of support teams from Sega Corporation, the staff did an excellent job bringing forth the most important aspect to the business, the product. Sega Amusements USA is very grateful for not only those that attended the celebration, but for the overall encouragement from the coin-op industry as a whole. Sega has ambitions and goals in these steps ahead and it relies on members of the trade for further cooperation. In closing, Sega proposes Oguchi’s toast once again for the success of our common business and “to everyone’s good health and prosperity in the Amusement industry. Ladies and gentlemen…Cheers!” A special thank you to the following individuals: Sega Sammy Holdings Hajime Satomi, Chairman and CEO Masakimi Hotta, Executive Officer, President Office Haruki Satomi, Corporate Director, SAU, SOA, SEUI Masahiro Kurosaki, Corporate Director, SAU, SOA, SEUI Sega Corporation Hisao Oguchi, President and COO Keiji Mori, Corporate Director, Overseas Amusement Business Division Yoshiharu Suzuki, Managing Director, Amusement Business Division Yukio Sugino, Corporate Officer, Amusement R&D Division Hiroshi Yagi, Corporate Officer, Amusement R&D Division Masao Yoshimoto, R&D Creative Officer, Amusement Related R&D Group Sega of America, Inc. Naoya Tsurumi, Corporate Officer, CEO Sega Entertainment USA, Inc. Ben Kitay, President and COO Akitoshi Ogawa, Executive Vice President Takashi Uchijima, Vice President Tristan Higgins-Goodell, Senior Legal Counsel, SAU & SEUI Mayor Craig Johnson, Mayor of Elk Grove Village Sega Amusements USA staff: Rick Rochetti, President and COO Jim Miskell, Executive Vice President Takeshi Inoue, Executive Vice President Kiyo Nishimura, Vice President of Production Dave Cane, Vice President of Merchandise Tad Nagamatsu, General Manager Game Sales: Ron Malinowski, Katie Healy, Tom Keil, Vince Moreno Merchandise: Laurie Jezuit, Katherine Braun, Daria Szpiczakowska, Candice Lozano Information Technology: Ben Kadish, Paul Lucer ALL.Net: Dan Zahnle Marketing: Bridget Bell, Jeff March New Business: Daisuke Yoshida Finance and Accounting: Hiram Gonzalez, Bettina DeTommaso, Patty Kohut, David Patrick, Bob Sherman Parts: Jerry Korbecki, Aaron Jacobson, Greg McKay, Angela Spinelle, Mike Sodora Production: John Lobosco, Tomohiro Saito, Kaz Wakasugi Research and Development: Jay Kuansathapontavee, Isao Matono, Kaz Watanabe Administration: Annalisa Golowacz About Sega Amusements USA, Inc. Serving the North and South American markets, Sega Amusements USA, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sega Corporation, Japan. Sega Amusements USA, Inc. is an industry leader in creating state-of-the-art interactive video, self contained merchandising, and redemption game play experiences through the utilization of complementary technologies and devices to enhance player enjoyment and loyalty. Products include singleplayer upright video games, self-contained merchandisers, and multi-player attendant operated simulators. Download the following speeches - The Movie The download time will vary, my cable moden took 15 mins. Click here to start. Speech by Rick Rochetti President and COO of Sega Amusements USA, Inc. Grand Opening Celebration – March 15, 2006 I’d like to begin by thanking everyone for making it out today  to celebrate our new office building
with us. It was really important for us to bring the industry together here today because all of you
have been very true and faithful to the former Sammy USA as well as Sega Amusements USA, and
for that I say thank you.At this time, I’d also like to welcome our special guests and thank them for their unrelenting support. Mr. Satomi, Chairman & CEO, Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. Mr. Oguchi, President & COO, Sega Corporation Mr. Mori, Corporate Director, Overseas Amusement Business Division, Sega Corp. Mr. Hotta, Executive Officer, President Office, Sega Sammy Holdings Mr. Sugino, Corporate Officer, Amusement R&D Division, Sega Corp. Mr. Yagi, Corporate Officer, Amusement R&D Division, Sega Corp. Mr. Tsurumi, Corporate Officer, CEO, Sega of America, Inc. Mr. Yoshimoto, R&D Creative Officer, Amusement Related R&D Group, Sega Corp. Mr. Satomi, Corporate Director, SAU, SOA, SEUI Mr. Kurosaki, Corporate Director, SAU, SOA, SEUI Mr. Ben Kitay, President & COO Sega Entertainment USA Inc. Mr. Ogawa, Executive Vice President, Sega Entertainment USA Mr. Uchijima, Vice President, Sega Entertainment USA Ms. Tristan Higgins-Goodell, Senior Legal Counsel, SAU & SEUI and representing the city of Elk Grove Village, Mayor Craig Johnson. As the world’s largest game manufacturer, Sega has three major group companies here in the US: Sega Amusements USA, Inc., Sega Entertainment USA Inc. and Sega of America, Inc. I’d like to acknowledge my own staff for their hard work this year and for what they have contributed to the company of Sega. We recently completed a major office move, which required hours of packing, labeling, organizing, and an immeasurable amount of work put into the warehouse in addition to their daily workload. This couldn’t be done without teamwork and dedication. I’d also like to point out the effort made by our ASI and Grand Opening teams. We’re putting on a great party and we hope the energy will continue through the show, which starts tomorrow. Sega Amusements USA has had a lot to speak for this year. The growth of our company does not stop with a beautiful new 70,000 square foot home, but we have successfully completed the merger into Sega Holdings USA, and we are in what you’d call a hiring spree right now. There’s much in store for product releases this year to follow up a successful 2005. Our Lindbergh Hardware system has been nothing but a success. I am proud to say that Sega’s technology is cutting-edge and top-of-the-line in the industry. As you can see behind me, we 2 have a sneak peek of new titles to come on the system, available now for viewing: the House of the Dead 4 Special, and Virtua Tennis 3. We are also gearing up to launch our first title on ALL.Net, which is the name for our online tournament network system. We can look forward to Extreme Hunting Tournament Edition early this summer. In Japan, there are currently 7 titles on ALL.Net, over 45,000 linked game boards in 2800 locations. We are very excited to be introducing it to the industry. I’d also like to point out that Ford Racing Full Blown debuted to rave reviews at the ATEI show in London. This licensed game was developed by a team in Europe. This is Sega Amusements Europe’s first title and a great one at that. We are proud to introduce it to you now, and excited to show it at the ASI show tomorrow. We have established a “New Business” division as we wanted to have a team which will concentrate on the Kids Trading Card Games, targeted to the 6 to 12 year old player. MushiKing, The King of Beetles, Dinosaur King and Love & Berry will be the first products that this team will handle. These unique games feature collectible trading cards that have taken the Japanese market by storm. We look forward to bringing that success here to our market. Watch for our exciting launch coming soon! In closing, I would like to stop and acknowledge what Sega means to this industry and to me personally. We are here to deliver you exceptional product, customer service and innovations. Take a look around at what we have to offer. Look at us now at the end of the merger year, and also think what Sega promises for the future. I, myself, am very proud of who we are and I thank each and every one of you for supporting us Now it is my distinguished honor to introduce our next speaker. This is a man that for over 40 years has made a commitment to the coin-op industry and has always seen the importance in what we do. His dedication shows not only in this industry as a whole, but in our Sega Amusements division here in the US. With the unparalleled support and leadership of Mr. Satomi, we operate with the highest standards and dedication that you see today. So, at this moment, please welcome the Chairman and CEO of Sega Sammy Holdings: Mr. Hajime Satomi. [END] Speech by Hajime Satomi Chairman and CEO of Sega Sammy Holdings Grand Opening Celebration – March 15, 2006 As you are aware, there has been a merger between the Sega Corporation and the Sammy Corporation. Two strong leaders in the amusement entertainment business joining forces for one goal. That goal is to become the world’s number one entertainment company. Following the merger, the Sega Sammy Group embarked on ambitious business reorganization efforts to match the right employees with the right jobs. We appointed employees to positions in which they can exercise their individual talents to the fullest. I have high hopes that this redeployment will enhance the Group’s organizational strength. I am confident that, by allowing us to produce even more competitive products, that reorganization will contribute to our performance. Next, the merger has dramatically increased Sega’s business development capabilities. Although Sega has a rich stock of very promising ideas, it lacked the cash to translate them into concrete ventures. The merger has enabled Sega to convert those ideas into solid business opportunities. The merger would also enable Sammy to dramatically increase the appeal of its products by drawing on Sega’s premium-quality content and advanced technological development capabilities. Another advantage of the merge is an enriched product mix that will significantly boost the entire Groups’ business development capabilities. For example, in amusement machine sales Sega has expertise in high-end products, such as network games called All-Net. While Sammy’s forte lies in relatively low-end products that appeal to children. In other words, the diverse product mix resulting from the merger enables us to cover the needs of a wide customer base using both Sega’s and Sammy’s products to significantly boost the market competitiveness of the Amusement Machine Sales Business worldwide. For the future I see a burgeoning potential for the overseas markets. Few companies sell amusement machines. We aim to work hard to bolster our marketing organization to expand sales channels overseas. At the same time, we will spare no effort to increase the percentage of revenues generated outside of Japan by developing products that accurately reflect the considerable variations in demand from country to country. At present, the pace of realignment in Japan’s entertainment industry is increasing as companies try to ensure their survival. In that environment, Sega Sammy Group enjoys unmistakable advantages that will enable it to triumph. For example, we have completed business reorganization ahead of competitors; our balanced business portfolio is unmatched; and we have a solid operational platform that generates formidable cash flows. Of course, some of our businesses still need to be strengthened. We aim to beef up such operations by actively making investments. At the same time, we aim to further strengthen our robust businesses. Through these efforts, we want to construct an unassailable market position. The Sega Sammy Group has put forward a very ambitious vision of becoming the world’s number one comprehensive entertainment company. In closing, I ask you for your continued backing as we use the management merger to catapult the Sega Sammy Group to even greater heights. ©Pictures courtesy of Picture4ever Studio, Elk Grove Village, IL March 31, 2006 |
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