In the aftermath of Activision Blizzard’s emergence, Sega Europe boss Mike Hayes has told MCV that it could be the next publisher to snap up a rival.

As Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games sped to the number one spot in the ChartTrack All Formats listings, Hayes hinted that there could be further industry consolidation to come – as Sega looks to strengthen its business.

“The growth challenge is never over,” said Hayes. “Therefore like most other publishers we are always on the look-out for new signings – product or company.”

And having gained a reputation for taking on scores of new personnel in the last couple of years, Sega’s organic growth isn’t over yet.

“We have taken staff on at a rapid rate simply because we have been building our infrastructure and studios to enable us to be a successful publisher through Europe,” added Hayes.

“For the most part this 'establishment’ strategy is complete. However we are still looking for several key staff to continue our growth.”

The news comes as Sega celebrates another year climbing the publisher rankings – an achivement to be proud of, added Hayes: “All the new platforms have done exceptionally well for Sega. We had a strong start with PS3, as well as good sales on 360 and Wii and good share on PSP – whilst Sonic Rush still remains Europe’s best selling third party DS title.”