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Aaron Webber Resigns from Sega of America

Tristan Oliver
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An unexpected and major decision has been posted today on the Sega blog: Aaron Webber, known to many as RubyEclipse and one of the community’s most prominent advocates and liasions between fans the company, has resigned. Today is his last day.

Webber began at Sega as a moderator of the Sega forums. It then turned into a paid position as a community manager, which Aaron took on at just 19 years old. Webber leaves Sega as an associate producer, most recently promoting the Hatsune Miku localization for the West.
Webber posted this message on the Sega blog, in part:

I started at SEGA when I was 19.
I had a big dream, and lots of passion, and spent way too much time playing SEGA games. It was thanks to this combination, but particularly that passion, that new doors began to open. I was given the chance to leave my entire life behind me to work at SEGA, living in San Francisco. Without even knowing where I would stay or if I could make ends meet, I said yes.
I left everything – my family, my friends, and perhaps some rational thinking – behind me in order to pursue that dream. In hindsight, it was one of the best decisions I have made in my entire life.
I still can’t believe how surreal it has been. To go from being a fan to representing the fans, to representing SEGA – and now, with my final day on the horizon, I find myself filled with a desire to write one more journal in this series. A snapshot of my life at this exact moment, and a message of encouragement to all of you out there who seek to live for your dreams, too.
Thank you all, as fans and as friends, for always being so supportive. Meeting you at conventions, greeting those of you who came to our lobby, and seeing you at events like Sonic Boom were the moments that rejuvenated every aspect of the job for me. I posted your fan art at my desk and read each letter with a warm smile, happy to know people out there really cared. I’m humbled and honored to know each and every one of you.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ll state it one more time: Never give up on your own dreams. (Far too many people in this world do.) It was Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist that initially spurred me to send in my resume to SEGA years ahead of schedule, and I recommend the book to anyone out there who has an evening or two to read it.
Finally, it’s important to remember one’s roots: A huge thank you to Julian who believed in one of his moderators enough to interview him, and then offer him a job. My life would have taken such a different turn if not for that, and I’m eternally grateful.
Each of you reading this from SEGA: thank you all for making my six years here so wonderful, and full of so many amazing memories. I will always look back fondly upon my time here. I know you all will do wonderful things in the future, and I can’t wait to see what it holds.
To all of the fans out there: I’m sorry I couldn’t stick around longer. Sometimes, we know when it’s time to move on – and that day finally arrived for me. Against all logic and sane thinking (once again), it’s time to follow my dreams in a new direction entirely, this time outside of the industry.

You’ll forgive me for injecting some personal anecdote. In the many years I have covered New York Comic Con in New York, Aaron was always willing to speak, face-to-face, on the record, with as much depth as possible. He did so likely being told time and again how toxic this site was, and how detrimental it could potentially be toward Sega’s PR goals. I never made the interview easy, but he always made it easy to approach him–and he always made sure we had our story right.

Being able to accept and respond positively to that level of feedback wasn’t just a quality Aaron shared with me, but with everyone he met–even the faceless, sometimes atrocious remarks found in this community and elsewhere. He didn’t have to give me or any of the sharply negative opinions the time of day. But he did. That is respect. So not only will this site and I personally be poorer for Aaron’s departure–we all will.

Tags Born In The USAHatsune Miku (Series)SEGASEGA AmericaTSSZ News
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31 Comments

  1. I never thought I’d miss this man so much till he left…guess you really don’t know what you have till It’s gone.Best of good luck Aaron,live and learn from these experiences mate.

  3. He’s a great guy, and I’m sad to see him leave. But it’s good to see that he is still pursuing his goals and dreams.

  4. Good bye Aaron, and good luck. T.T
    It’s always sad to see someone go, especially when he’s as much of a fan as the rest of us. I hope he succeeds in whatever goals and dreams he pursues.
    Thank you for everything Aaron. I hope you become very successful.

  5. Take care, Aaron Webber. I hope that all goes well in your future, thanks for all the work you put in at Sega 🙂

  6. This guy was the coolest. I was in contact with him fairly often a few years back when Sonic 4 was first being unveiled. I entered a contest and won a prize — which never reached me. That is until Aaron stepped in and responded to my PM’s on the Sega Blog and sent me an awesome box filled with the prize I had won as well as many more extra goodies that he threw in just to make up for the delay. During those PM’s he recommended to me none other than The Alchemist to read whenever life got hard or I needed inspiration. He also commented on one of my Youtube videos at the time and told me that my editing skills were really impressive for someone my age. I was so proud and excited that someone at Sega was watching and enjoying what I made, and I continued on to make many more videos and gain (as of now) nearly 30,000 subscribers and about 19,000,000 total views. He’s not by any means the only person who encouraged or inspired me to do this, but he is certainly the one I remember the most. This kind, awesome, caring dude will certainly be missed.

  7. Best of luck to you, Aaron.
    The more of I think about this and Sonic as a whole, the worse this whole Boom thing looks to me.

  8. I’m not surprised. Following him on Twitter, it seems like he’s been drifting away a little bit.
    I wish him good luck, though.

    1. Excellent point–I have my theories but nothing anywhere near substantiated.
      -T

    2. It seems like he’s just got bigger goals than being part of SEGA and Sonic. I don’t think there’s really anything more to it than that.

  10. Good bye Aaron, thanks for everything! Also nice words Tristan, I completely agree.

  11. From his writing, it sounded like he made the decision himself, versus a layoff/being fired. The gaming industry is different, and definitely not for everyone. Even if they think it’s for them.
    He had a HUGE hand in bringing SEGA/Sonic to a more positive light with his great interactions with fans, even if the games have flopped. I was always happy to know that SEGA had fans like him on the team to help out, in some fashion.
    Will definitely miss you Aaron.

  12. Literally a saint of a man to manage a community like this. Met him a couple times and was always very bright and very real. Best of luck to him.

  14. I was completely shock of this , first my sister is having surgery now this 🙁 if your hearing this Mr. webber I deeply respected you for being a spokesman for sega from interviews to reaching out to the sega and sonic community and just so you know I wanted to at least talk to not about upcoming sega games but how I wanted to be just like you and how to earn a job at sega. Our deep condolences from a long time sega fan we’ll miss you but hay your future has just begun.

    1. Oh geez! That suddenly got personal.
      Um, is she okay? If you don’t mind me asking that is… 😐

        1. Okay, GOOD! Man, for a second there I was reminded of reality on this website. That’s something that almost never happens around here… 😐

  16. I can’t help but think this has something to do with Sonic Boom. It’s going to be a train wreck and Aaron doesn’t wanna be around when it derails.

    1. It has little, if nothing to do with Sonic Boom. Sega’s global software publishing brand is in shambles. The main Japanese HQs is moving towards a completely different business direction. Replacing conventional multiplatform publishing with mobile and PC games, and returning back to 1st party publishing,licensing,manufacturing of home consumer products. As of May 2011, SOJ has cut off funding for future multi platform games and has eliminated all resources for marketing said titles.
      “Sega Corporation,Inc” is on its death bed, as SEGA is preparing its NEW re-branded DBA name: Sega Entertainment Corporation,Ltd Worldwide and its NEW subsidiarity that will come alongside it: Sega Networks,Ltd International, who will also be involved with net media,networking,mobile phone branding and selling of their own mobile product line called “Tokio Tech” the “Tokio Smart” line and “Tokio Tablet” line.
      Webber’s departure means Sega of America has no resources left to remain a publisher. It indicates that Sega is abandoning the 3rd party multiplatform business.

  18. Pfft this sucks. First Ken Balough now Aaron. I’ll miss this little goofball.
    Good luck.

  19. Best of luck to him :D. Good can very much come with people like that .. now who’s gonna take his and kens space.. well maybe it just gonna be one instead of two. But I won’t mind those two people on the new Sega channel that goes behind the scenes and stuff. :/

    1. Sega is pretty much done for as a publisher. The main HQs have plans to transform the whole company and are actively seeking a NEW business direction. There’s a reason why the list of multiplatform releases has shrunk further and further since 2011(when it was 12). It’s now down to just 3 for the year.
      Webber won’t be quickly replaced. Sega plans on restructuring Sega of America as a whole.

      1. Whether you have sources or not on this info…I sense something deeply wrong within the HQ…and its not very promising as of yet…I don’t know what exactly yet but something is deeply wrong in the Sega HQ. That’s all I’m gonna say. Might just be more of my madness too but everyone don’t jump the gun yet!

  20. I don’t really feel too sorry for him. Because I don’t know this guy but farewell to him I guess.

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