Sega have recently registered the following trademarks
-Rusty Hearts
-Border Break Union
-Deko Boko Chibi Kart
-Lop It
-Yume, Kanaeshimono
Border Break Union appears to be a new version of Segas hit Arcade game Border Break and Yume, Kanaeshimono is the sub-name of Yakuza 5. As for the others, we’ll just have to wait and see. If I was to hazard a guess I would say Lop It and Deko Boko Chibi Kart sound like Arcade games whilst Rusty Hearts sounds more like a JRPG.
I’m very happy to report that Sega has finally announced Phantasy Star Online 2 will be released in Europe and North America. I’m sure we all suspected it was only a matter of time but it’s always nice to know it’s official. 2013 though? That seems like a long, long way away. Then again I’ve waited over a decade for a true sequal to PSO I suppose I can wait another six months.
I only hope that by the time it releases in the west it has all of the updates the Japanese version will have received in the meantime and all available from the start. I really hope there isn’t a repeat of Phantasy Star Universe where the Japanese were always far ahead when it came to updates.
Rome 2: Total War has been officially announced! Rome 2 has been the most anticipated game in the Total War series since the original Rome released in 2004. The budget for Rome 2 is said to be 40% larger then that of Shogun 2.
I began playing the Total War series with the original Shogun: Total War but it was Rome that really grabbed me and made me a fan of this series. Needless to say Rome 2 cannot come soon enough.
Rome 2 will release for PC in 2013. P.S check out that fantastic live action trailer!
Sega and Creative Assembly’s 2008 game Viking: Battle for Asgard has turned up on the Steam registry and we assume will soon be available for purchase from the Steam store. This marks Viking: Battle for Asgards début on the PC having released exclusively for Xbox360 and PS3 in 2008.
If this is the beginning for Sega’s new digital strategy then I’m all for it. I absolutely loved Viking, Whilst flawed in some areas the game was full of potential and the epic battles were a thing of beauty. If this means we might get a sequel to Viking then I’ll happily double dip.
You can visit the Viking: Battle for Asgard EULA page HERE.
[On another note, I’m back! I’ve been in America for the past three months with limited internet access, hello again Sega fans!]
A clearer video of the Dengeki Event video has been uploaded to the internet, titled “PSO2 Closed Beta New Elements.” The trailer details some of the new features players will come across in the closed beta. Mags baby!
Closed Beta Features
Now the lobby from the Alpha Test has expanded into two areas. There’s a Gate area and Shop area, with some new facilities like the Medical Center.
New weapon category, Partisans that has a “twirl” move which can fill up the “gear gauge.” It’s quicker than the sword and can hit surrounding enemies.
Launchers, it is heavier than the assault rifle, so you can’t move and shoot at the same time. Its projectiles can give explosive damage.
Talis (Cards), like a shooting weapon, you can just throw it to give damage. Or, you can throw it and cast technics off of it.
Mags, an artificial life form that grows up when you feed it items. It can attack enemies directly if it becomes a “Striking” type Mag. If it is a “Range” type mag, it can shoot from a distance from the player’s position. It can offer support to the player too. With an item called a “device”, actions can be added by specific conditions.
Photon Blasts, by filling the blast gauge, mags can transform into a mythical beast and fight alongside with the player.
Phantasy Star Online 2′s second Media Briefing will take place on Monday March 26th, 2012 @ 13:30 JST. It will feature infomation about the closed beta, billing infomation, future development schedule and new game information.
Good news everyone. We begged, we pleaded and it finally happened! Bayonetta joins Jack of Mad World fame and a host of other off the wall characters as a playable fighter in Sega and Platinum Games’ 16 player online beat-em-up Anarchy Reigns!
Which begs the question, who could possibly be next? I’m holding out hope for Sam Gideon from VANQUISH, which is probably my all time favourite 3rd person shooter. (Go buy it!) But I would also LOVE to see Shinobi make an appearance, am I asking for too much? I don’t think so!
Check out this new video presentation from the Dengeki Festival.
In it Sakai-san demonstrates lots of great new additions to the PSO2 formula, including the return of some pretty cool Mags!
I cannot wait to get my paws on this game, I’ve been waiting for a true sequal to PSO for a decade now, this looks like it’ll be the one!
French artist Jean Giraud has sadly passed away today at age 73. He died of cancer. Jean earned world fame through his uniquely beautiful art style and worked on many comic books and films including Alien, Tron, The Fifth Element and even Star Wars. Sega fans will know his artwork from the fantastic 1995 game Panzer Dragoon released on the Sega Saturn.
Jean’s art was no doubt one of the biggest influences on the Panzer Dragoon series and went a long way in shaping its beautiful, melancholy world. I’ve personally always been a fan of his art, he created barren yet beautiful landscapes like no other. He will be missed. Rest in Peace, Mœbius.
Is there anyone reading Segabits that hasn’t picked up Sonic Geneations yet? If so, why? It’s the best Sonic game in years and a damn good platformer. If you are still on the fence then you’re in luck, Amazon.com is offering a pretty hot deal on the Steam (PC) version. Get your digital copy of Sonic Generations right now for only $10.19.
That’s a steal folks, not to mention the PC version is the best version and controls great with a USB Xbox360 controller.
Planet Harriers is a criminally underrated game from Sega’s history which is well over due a spotlight on SEGAbits, so here it is!
Planet Harriers is an on-rail shooter and part of the more widely recognized ‘Space Harrier’ series. It released in the year 2000 on the Sega Hikaru arcade board and while I believe plans for it to appear on the Dreamcast were afoot unfortunately it never materialized before the consoles untimely demise.
Planet Harriers uses a twin cabinet, which allows for two player Co-Op, or a networked two-player game. The cabinet has a seated configuration. Planet Harriers controls used a joystick with a missile and bullet trigger. ‘View change’ and bomb buttons were on the main panel.
So why do I think it needs to be given a spotlight on our front page? Well just look at that video! I think if there is ever a game that sums up what ‘Sega’ means to a whole host of older fans out there it’s games Planet Harriers. The game just drips with bright colours and that nostalgic ‘blue skies’ happy-go-lucky feeling a Sega game should. The graphics are beautiful too and I’m very impressed by the lighting. Not to mention the video above features the bonus character; SEGAbits’ adopted mascot OpaOpa!
Now if Sega ever wanted to bring this beauty to XBLA/PSN and Steam, this is something I could get behind!
It’s finally here, a meaty gameplay trailer. The trailer shows off the new graphics, engine, gameplay and of course Tails! It’s a vast improvment over the original.
Check out the launch trailer for Virtua Tennis 4 on the PS Vita. VT4: World Tour Edition includes some brand new features exclusive to the PS Vita including multiple control options, two player touch screen on one console, motion controlled first person view and more.
Apparently killing zombies can be hard work. Personally I’ve always found it to be quite a breeze, either way the Yakuza like to unwind after a long day of slayin’ and what better way to unwind than with some mini games? I was worried that with Yakuza:Dead Souls being a spin off based around fighting off undead hordes Sega might have seen fit to drop the mini games. However I’m pleasantly surprised to see there are just as many mini games appearing in Dead Souls as ever. It seems that even in a zombie outbreak there is always time for a spot of fishing when you’re as badass as Kazuma Kriyu.
Yakuza: Dead Souls releases for the PS3 on March 13th in America and 16th in Europe.
Another great trailer for Fall of the Samurai, the stand alone expansion to last years Total War: Shogun 2. Fall of the Samurai takes place during a turbulent time in the history of Japan where outside influence from Dutch, American and other European nations were influencing the way battle was fraught. With Gatling guns and rifles War would never be the same again leaving the future of the Samurai looking bleak.
Total War Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai will be available for PC in March.
