Sega today announced the establishment of a new, independent development studio by the name of Prope. Its president will be the head of Sega's game software operations and internal development studio Sonic Team, Yuuji Naka. Unlike Sega's internal development teams like Sonic Team, AM2 and Sega WOW, Prope won't be a wholly owned subsidiary of Sega, though. Instead, Naka's longtime employer has only provided 10% of Prope's funding capital. The aim behind Prope's establishment is the creation of an independent development studio where developers can create unique content. Those entities will be staffed and funded only marginally by Sega's financial and human capital. Specifically, Sega aims to provide less than 20% of such a company's total capital.

When Prope officially begins operations on June 1st, it will actually serve as a testing case for more such ventures, as Sega will be offering developers with a proven track record the chance to get involved in enterprises like Prope.