Naoto Hiraoka is stepping down as Atlus USA president and CEO, the company announced today. Hiraoka had been in the role since 2012, and will remain with the company as brand owner. Atlus and parent company Sega announced the move along with new appointments to fill Hiraoka’s role.
Ian Curran, Sega of America president and COO, will take on the dual role of Atlus USA president and COO. His position puts him at the head of both companies in the United States. Curran joined Sega in August of this year, in the past he has worked at THQ and Acclaim. He released a statement today regarding the news.
“I’m eager to grow my role as the new President and COO of Atlus USA, and greatly appreciate the support that Mr. Hiraoka has given me up to this point,” he said.
Sega West CEO Tatsuyuki Miyazaki will assume the role of Atlus USA CEO. Miyazaki has been with Sega since the early 2000s.
“I’m thrilled to play a greater role in the continued success of Atlus USA and work alongside Ian,” he said.
Naoto Hiraoka’s role will now be to “further expand the Atlus brand worldwide.” He will remain on the board of directors at Atlus USA and Sega of America.
“I look forward to creating more exciting projects with the creative team at Atlus in Japan,” said Hiraoka, “and wish my colleagues the best of luck growing the business in the Americas and EMEA.”
Atlus is known for the Shin Megami Tensei series, and the spinoff series Persona. Persona 5 is the most recent main release in that series, having released in April 2017. We adored the game at release, and gave our highest score. That title’s presentation — graphics, UI, soundtrack, and dual language audio — wowed us. The story and gameplay were no slouches either, tackling real-world issues with aplomb through an exemplary suite of combat mechanics.
