This announcement was kind of spoiled back in January, but this is the “official” Sega announcement. The next installment of the popular strategy series Total War will be Total War: Warhammer. Yes, the tabletop strategy game is going to be a strategy videogame, with all the usual fantasy races for you to play as. This is supposedly the beginning of a trilogy, which always seems like counting your chickens before they hatch, but seeing as this union of strategy franchises makes sense, I’d say it’s a safe bet, provided it resonates with their audience. Read more…
Yakuza feels like Sega’s obligation in the West. The games don’t sell that hot, they’re certainly niche, but damn if they are not interesting games with a dedicated fanbase. But it seems like fans have to fight tooth and nail for every release to get translated. (Case in point: 2012’s Yakuza 5 is just getting a translation in Q3 2015.) Most spin-offs or merchandise are destined to remain in Japan. So forgive me for talking about these awesome limited edition Yakuza Zero PS4s when we likely won’t ever see them in the US or Europe. They come in glacier white or jet black, with the choice of a tattoo design from protagonists Kazuma Kiryu (above) or Mashima Goro. PS4s are region-free, so if you feel like importing one, be prepared to part with ¥41,980 on March 12. Read more…
Sega is putting fans of Alien in a very awkward position right now. They’re publishing Alien: Isolation, a game that promises to emulate the first movie’s horror and tension instead of taking its cues from Aliens. Now, you can pre-order anywhere and get upgraded to the Nostromo Edition, which includes a bonus mission, “Crew Expendable.” The mission will feature Sigourney Weever and other original cast from the film and let you play as Ellen Ripley, Dallas, or Parker as they try to lure the xenomorph to the airlock after Brett’s death. If you preorder from Gamestop, you also get “Last Survivor,” which has Ripley trying to escape on the Narcissus during the film’s climax. Those missions sound great, but that’s not the problem. Read more…
Audiences were very receptive to The Social Network and Moneyball, so it makes sense to make more films that dramatize how companies operate. In that spirit, Seth Rogen and frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg will be writing and directing Console Wars, a dramatization of how Sega challenged Nintendo’s industry dominance with the help of Tom Kalinske. (Scott Rudin will produce.) With console wars still raging today, this will be a good way for today’s kids to get some perspective on what a real console war was like. But for everyone else, they’re in for a treat, because the story of Sega’s rise to power with the Genesis is actually interesting. I’ll admit that I don’t think Rogen is that funny, but he seems like a great guy who is talented, and he seems to work well with Goldberg, so it’ll be worth looking forward to whatever is done with this. Read more…
If you’re a retro games enthusiast, chances are you’ve bought certain games more than once. Sonic the Hedgehog has been rereleased at least ten times in the last decade, between Virtual Console releases, cellphones, compilation discs, and more. Now you can add yet another rerelease to it, but at least this release has something new to offer. Sega recently converted several Genesis games into 3D for Japanese release on the 3DS. Not every game released on the system needs to be in 3D, especially retro games, but Nintendo and other companies have done so occasionally to offer a new reason to repurchase old classics. It was strange that the games were Japan-only, but now Sega has announced that all eight of them will be coming West before the end of the year. You’ve got Sonic, Ecco the Dolphin, Streets of Rage, Shinobi, and more to pick from. Check out the list below! Read more…
While WayForward is busy remaking the NES’s DuckTales with Capcom, Sega is also reviving a classic Disney game: Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse. E3 brings us the first footage of the remake, and it’s looking sharp. There may be a few more fans of Magical Quest on SNES, but this HD remake seems like a fun romp through a dark children’s fantasy world. My only question is whether or not the original game will be included as well; I always think that’s a nice touch. Read more…
IGN recently got a chance to look at the E3 demo of SEGA’s upcoming Wii U and 3DS exclusive, Sonic Lost Worlds. Now I know the prevailing narrative is that Sonic games suck, right? Aside from Generations, that is. Well, it looks like SEGA is on the right track here with Sonic Lost Worlds, because it looks great! I’m definitely getting some Super Mario Galaxy vibes here, but I don’t find that a problem at all. While the Wii U version looks great and I want to try it now, the 3DS version is also surprisingly good in the visuals department. Videos for both below the break. Read more…
First Ducktales (NES) was announced to have an HD remake in the works, and now Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (Genesis) is getting an HD remake! Unlike Ducktales, which is being made by WayForward Technologies for Capcom, Castle of Illusion is being remade by Sega Studios Australia. Read more…
It was a long shot, but Namco Bandai is actually bringing Project X Zone to America. The 3DS game is a crossover between tons of game franchises from Namco Bandai, Capcom, and Sega. Tekken, Street Fighter, .hack, Valkyria Chronicles, Mega Man X, Tales, Resident Evil, and more are represented in the strategy RPG. With that many licenses, even from only three companies, it seemed unlikely that the game would reach our shores. But hey, it’s happening! Read more…
Project X Zone (pronounced Project “Cross” Zone) is a massive crossover game being made by Namco Bandai for 3DS. While Namco has previously worked with Capcom on the crossover games Namco x Capcom, Street Fighter X Tekken, and the upcoming Tekken X Street Fighter, this is the first time that Sega is being brought into the mix. The game features characters from a long list of various game franchises, which is usually a good indication that the game would remain in Japan; for example, Namco x Capcom was never localized. However, that has the potential to change. Read more…
Any Yakuza fans out there? SEGA has released two new trailers to ride of the wave of news coming out of Tokyo Game Show 2012, and they look crazy – in the good way. The videos will give you a look at the open-world gameplay, as well as the assortment of mini-games. You know, I don’t think there are many other games out there that have dancing mini-games, bear hunting, baseball, and hitting on girls… in addition to all the usual gangster entertainment. I’m really hoping this comes westward, so until it’s announced I’ll glare angrily at SEGA. Read more…
There’s anime of nearly everything. World leaders in high school? Check. Ancient Japanese warriors as teenage girls? Check. Demon fighters powered by breast milk? Also check. Now we’re getting an anime adaption of the old-school Nintendo/Sega console wars. Based on an existing manga called Aoi Sekai no Chushin de, it features two warring states, Segua and Ninterudo, fighting over the land of Consume. Marcse (Mario) is the powerful overlord of Ninterudo, but the main character is Gear (Sonic), who rises up to take him on. Seems ridiculous? Yes. But also hilarious. Read more…
I know a lot of you out there love your Shenmue, so how about an officially licensed Hazuki Tiger hoodie from Insert Coin and SEGA? This is a pretty great rendition of Ryo Hazuki’s iconic jacket, but now in hoodie form! It’s hard to find well-made and good-looking game inspired clothing, so this is a pretty neat find. Check it out here for £35.00 in a variety of sizes.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on May 24, 2012 in Videogames
The other day, Nike released an over-the-top interactive video to promote their line of soccer — or football, if you prefer — cleats. The video, titled “My Time is Now” allows you to click on Easter eggs hidden throughout the clip for an in-depth look at the various aspects of the advertisement, some of which are more entertaining than others. One such hidden gem is this quick little Sonic the Hedgehog mini-game featured about two-thirds of the way through the ad, which can be accessed by clicking on a Sonic the Hedgehog-colored cleat pictured in the background. Read more…
Consider this another bizarre cross-promotion from Japan. Sega had previously featured model Yukie Kawamura in their Japanese advertisements, apparently with much success, because they’re bring her back, but this time as a Super Monkey Ball Vita map. Now you can roll down Yukie’s face, beside her image plastered on the skybox, and down her… breasts? This is just silly, especially given how amateur the map looks – it’s as though all they did was a quick texture-swap and called it a day. How bizarre! Watch out for some mildly questionable images below. Read more…
Here in the West, Sega’s Yakuza series is considered a bit niche, but that hasn’t kept its fans from falling in love with it. When Sega of America decided to skimp with their localizations, fans were passionately vocal in their opposition. In Japan however, the series has been so successful that it’s led to two films by acclaimed cult-director Takeshi Miike, and a television drama based on the PSP spin-off Yakuza: Black Panther. This April, the drama returns with a second season based on the upcoming sequel. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Mar 17, 2011 in Videogames
Both Capcom and Sega have announced plans to donate a portion of their profits to disaster relief efforts in Japan. For the rest of the week through Monday, Capcom has discounted the iOS version of Street Fighter 4 to just $0.99, and will donate all sales — this is in addition to the 100 million yen they’ve already contributed. Sega has also discounted all theirSonic the Hedgehog iOS titles, along with their Football Manager 2011 app, and are likewise offering all proceeds to disaster relief through Tuesday. For their part, Sega has already contributed 200 million yen to the Red Cross.
It’s still far from a confirmation, but during his 2011 Game Developers Conference panel, Sega producer Yu Suzuki shocked everyone by stating that he believes Sega will finally let him finish the Shenmue saga with the third and final installment of the trilogy. While the original titles were considered ground breaking both terms of gameplay and aesthetics, a number of factors ultimately led Sega to the cancel their plans for a third entry in the series. Read more…
Last weekend I attended MAGfest in Alexandria, Virginia. For those of you who aren’t already aware of the festival, it’s a relatively small convention held annually which features videogame-themed concerts, panels, guests, and more. while I was there I noticed a few posters for an upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog fan film. The movie is being produced by Eddie Lebron, the same man responsible for that niftyMega Man fan film released last year.Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Sep 21, 2010 in Videogames
Sega’s Yakuza series — known in Japan as Ryu Ga Gotoku — has had a rather interesting history in terms of localization. While the first game was given the full treatment, complete with English voice acting and uncut content, its sequels were released with mere subtitles and lacking much of the content the game had become infamous for — Japanese host clubs, mahjong parlors, and the like. That said, I absolutely loved every minute of the series. The characters were easy to relate with, while the story was entertaining, and provided a interesting look at the every day life of Yakuza, from their hardships to their more recreational ventures. So why would Sega finally decide to end the series as we know it?
These are screenshots from the upcoming K-ON! videogame Tea Time After School and Live which will be released at the end of September in japan for the PSP by Sega. The game will feature the K-ON! characters as 3D models playing popular songs after school — and there will also be a special bonus sticker book as well. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 16, 2010 in Videogames
Sonic the Hedgehog is now almost twenty years old! His first appearance was in 1991 and he has gone on to become the real mascot of Sega — which back then also made hardware. Shown above is the Sonic Colors trailer which just came out for E3 this week: The game will be available around Christmas this year.
This prologue trailer from Sega for the Iron Man 2 videogame looks terrible. It sort of reminds me of everything I hate about bad Dreamworks computer animated films: the voice acting is terrible, the animation is stiff and the humans have this very creepy not quite human feeling to them. My gut tells me that Iron Man 2 will be a great deal of fun, but my guess is that the videogame might be a bit rusty.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 6, 2010 in Videogames
This is a cute promotional video for Sega’s Valkyria Chronicles 2G game which will be out on the PSP. This battlefield simulation game is based on Valkyria Chronicles which came out for the PlayStation3 back in 2008 — although I think setting the game on a portable platform makes the anime aspect of this title even cuter. Read more…
