SEGA Japan opens up new subsidiary, SEGA Networks

There are a lot of people worried with the new SEGA restructuring, they just announced that SEGA Europe & Australia will be distributing their games via a different company, had tons of fired employees. Now SEGA Japan has opened the doors to a new subsidiary, SEGA Networks.

SEGA Networks is going to be SEGA’s high-end game developer that will deliver games for smartphones and tablets. This falls right in place with SEGA’s plan on releasing more digital titles. How does this make you guys feel? Is lower budget, less risk taking digital titles better for SEGA? SEGA Networks CEO is Haruki Satomi and will be based in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward. The company will start with 211 employees.

Sonic 4: Episode 2 release dates have been released


SEGA has revealed the release date for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2. So when can you pick the game up? If you are on PSN, you will be able to purchase the title on May 15th. Xbox 360 will have to wait until May 16th, the next day.

The iOS and PC version of the title will be coming out in May as well, but there hasn’t been a specific release date announced yet. If you are an Android user, you will be able to pick up the game in June and if you are a Windows Phone 7 user, you will have to wait all the way until July.

What platform are you picking it up on?

SEGA trademarks Flick of the Dead

SEGA has filed trademarks for Flick of the Dead. What could this possibly be? Well, first of all its going to be a House of the Dead spin-off, that much is for sure. If SEGA’s latest iOS title, Miku Flick, is any indication, its going to be a House of the Dead title on smartphones.

What do I want it to be? I wish it was a full console release game where you play zombie filled stages from various zombie movies from the past three or so decades. Come on, that’s cooler than a mobile game, right?

Phantasy Star Online 2 create demo coming April 5th, have new screens while you wait

Are you excided to hear that Phantasy Star Online 2 is going totally free to play? Do you want to try the game now and see how your PC will run it? Well, SEGA is setting up a ‘create demo’ for us Phantasy Star Online fiends that cannot wait much longer. There will be a demo released on April 5th, via the game’s official website, so mark your calendars. This demo will allow you to create a character, which you will be able to play as later when the game goes open beta. It also comes with a benchmark functionality to see if your PC is up to snuff.

If that wasn’t all, there have a been a ton of screenshots released… including the first smart phone screens! There are also some with new weapons and a new boss from the PC closed beta. Exciting.

Sonic CD skips Nintendo platforms due to size limit

It’s weird seeing Sonic CD announced for a ton of platforms, even one that always gets left out like Android, but not Wiiware. Why is that you ask? It seems that Nintendo has a strict 40mb size limit on files and to port the cd quality sound from Sonic CD, it would have exceed that. Since Nintendo won’t budge, no Sonic CD for Nintendo fans.

Is it just me or is it weird that SEGA has standards for their ports? I mean, if you have seen how they usually treat their Genesis ports, one would think they are just in it for the quick cash.

[Via: Sonic Stadium]

Takashi Iizuka confirms Sonic 4: Episode 2

The guys over at Siliconera had a chance to ask Iizuka if Sonic Team is planning a follow up to Sonic 4: Episode 1, in which he responded:

“We named Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, so there will be an episode 2. Since this year is the 20th anniversary of Sonic we wanted to focus on Sonic Generations. We don’t have a release date or anything.But, we can tell you it will be in the near future.”” – Takashi Iizuka

Near future? Iizuka and his love for time traveling plots. In all seriousness, it seems that Sonic Generations is getting the physics for cassic Sonic right. Would be interested if the physics being used in Generations will be used in Episode 2.

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Super Monkey Ball 2 coming to Windows Phone 7


Seems that SEGA is kin on supporting Windows Phone 7, last game they announced was Sonic 4 and now they are announcing Super Monkey Ball 2. The game will be released on April 6th and cost $4.99.

If that wasn’t enough for users, you can try the game before you buy. The full game will come with over 115 courses, so might be a steal for the price of entry.This is most likely the iOS version for WP7.

[Source: Appmodo]