Author Archives: Barry

Check out the overly exciting trailer for Sega-Sammy Creation, a casino machine manufacturing division

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Sega-Sammy Creation Inc. is a new group within Sega-Sammy devoted to the development, manufacturing, and selling of casino machines as well as the consigned development and offering of advice on game machines. The groups fist release, SICBO BONUS JACKPOT, is an elaborate casino game featuring digital screens and dice suspended by blowing air in tubes given the name D.F.S. (Dice Floatation System). Sega-Sammy Creation’s target appears to be Chinese speaking countries, as their games and website are translated to the language. Sega-Sammy Creation and SICBO BONUS JACKPOT received an overly dramatic announcement video, seen above, which feels like something straight out of Segagaga.

I’ll admit, as a SEGA fan the trailer got me a bit excited despite the fact that the whole thing is just promoting a casino game. Shots of modern SEGA arcade and console games coupled with the narrator proclaiming: “The two leading companies from Japan have come together and combined DNA! The ultimate gaming manufacturer that transcends gaming boundaries and revolutionizes entertainment”, what’s not to love?

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Swingin’ Report Show #62: Console Wars with Tom Kalinske – SEGA of America’s President (’90-’96)

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This is it! Our third Console Wars focused episode of the Swingin’ Report Show in which we speak with the man himself, SEGA of America’s former President Tom Kalinske! Tom has an amazing history with the toy and game industry. Before his years with SEGA, Tom served as President and CEO of Mattel, reviving the Barbie brand and creating the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line. During his time at SEGA, Tom reinvigorated the SEGA Genesis brand, helped in the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, and led the launch of many famous pieces of SEGA hardware including the Game Gear, Pico, 32X, Nomad, and Saturn.

Tom Kalinske’s career is chronicled in the book “Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation” by Blake J. Harris, and if you haven’t purchased a copy yet, do so today. If you’ve read the book, are reading the book, are awaiting delivery of the book, or are simply a fan of SEGA during the 90’s, our latest show is a must listen!

Also, make sure to check out our other Console Wars interviews including our discussion of SEGA’s marketing efforts with SEGA’s former Director of Marketing Al Nilsen and our interview with the author of Console Wars, Blake J. Harris.

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Marza Animation Planet’s “Harlock: Space Pirate” movie headed to Netflix August 1st

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IGN has revealed that “Harlock: Space Pirate”, an animated film from the SEGA owned Marza Animation Planet, will be releasing exclusively to Netflix in all territories beginning August 1st. The movie is a sci-fi action adventure based on the character from Leiji Matsumo’s Space Pirate Captain Harlock manga series. Marza Animation Planet is probably best known to SEGA fans as the group that animated the Sonic the Hedgehog “Night of the Werehog” short film, as well as animating cutscenes for SEGA games including Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA 2nd, Sonic Colors, and Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg.

We’ll keep you posted on any promotional materials that may release between then and now, and once the film releases I think a SEGA Cinema is in order!

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Rumor: SEGA renews the Shenmue trademark – could Shenmue HD be back on track?

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Via NeoGAF and hokanko-alt.com comes news that SEGA has renewed the trademark for Shenmue. Fans will probably remember that back in February we reported that SEGA had lost the trademark for Shenmue – specifically in reference to “computer game programs and prerecorded discs and ROMs for computer game programs” and “entertainment services, namely, providing an online computer game”. We speculated that these trademarks refer to the original Dreamcast releases and the cancelled Shenmue Online. While we don’t have the specifics on this new trademark filing, such as country of origin or the specific uses, it is possible that SEGA has gotten back on track with releasing the rumored Shenmue 1&2 HD rerelease. Both games have been rumored to be complete and ready for release for quite some time, and back in 2012 when asked what the next SEGA Heritage releases would be, SEGA responded with “it’s gonna be Shenmue and Skies of Arcadia as well”.

Of course, this is speculation on our part, but if SEGA truly has renewed the Shenmue trademark then they must be making some sort of use out of it. As soon as we learn more, we’ll be sure to share it! For now, we’re filing this as a rumor, even if the trademark renewal is legitimate.

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SEGA in the Media: Tony Soprano wants you to turn off the SEGA Dreamcast

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This is a SEGA in the Media I’ve been sitting on for a while, mainly because it was difficult for me to obtain decent screens from HBO shows. Thankfully, starting today Amazon Prime members have access to HBO content, including the excellent The Sopranos! As a Dreamcast enthusiast, I always keep my eyes open when watching TV and movies from the late 90’s and early 2000’s in hopes that I’ll catch a glimpse of SEGA’s final console. While I usually end up disappointed, as I was during The Sopranos first season in which Tony Soprano’s son Anthony Junior owned a Nintendo 64, season 2 delivered!

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Lock your windows! Night Trap director promises that the infamous game “will come back”

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Big news for Night Trap fans – the game’s director James Riley has promised the game’s Facebook community that Night Trap will return on an unspecified platform. Fans have been pressuring Riley to rerelease the game, and Riley has replied “I appreciate your on-going interest, but please understand I do plan to re-release Night Trap and have been talking with a number of interested parties to do so. However, the specific platform(s) have not been confirmed (including online) and I will let you know once we have a definite plan and release schedule. Night Trap will come back, in better resolution and game play than before, we just want to be sure it’s the best strategy for all involved.”

The original Night Trap was a controversial video game developed by Digital Pictures for DOS and Macintosh computers, the 3DO and the Sega Mega-CD. It is also one of six Mega CD 32X games. It was notable for being one of the games that led to congressional hearings on violent video games, and the creation of the ESRB.

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Super Monkey Ball Bounce coming soon to mobile platforms

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SEGA has announced a new Super Monkey Ball game for mobile platforms entitled Super Monkey Ball Bounce. Slated to release soon to the App Store and Google Play, the game features Aiai and his friends in a pachinko-inspired aim-and-shoot game which touts over 120 levels and 8 playable characters. After the break, check out the full press release.

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Ecco the Dolphin Fixed and Enhanced Edition for PC now available to play

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Ecco the Dolphin fan site Caverns of Hope have been hard at work on a fixed and enhanced version of Ecco the Dolphin for Windows PC. The original game, which was released for Windows 95, had become harder and harder to play thanks to the inevitable new versions of Windows over the years. You might say “well I can always emulate the SEGA CD or Genesis version of the game”, but then you’d be missing out on the many enhancements found in the PC version. Ecco the Dolphin for Windows PC features redrawn high resolution graphics, the CD Audio soundtrack from the MegaCD/SegaCD versions, the 3D rendered videos from Tides of Time, a save/restore system removing the need to use Passwords, a new difficulty system and translations to several languages.

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Classic SEGA Ads: The Godzilla VMU proves that size doesn’t matter

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In celebration of Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla, we’re bringing you four Godzilla SEGA ads!

1998 was a terrible year for Godzilla, but an excellent year for SEGA fans. While the big G’s legacy was shat upon by director Roland Emmerich, SEGA fans in Japan were enjoying the 128-bit Dreamcast. Despite the awfulness that was 1998’s Godzilla, something good did come of it by way of a Godzilla branded VMU featuring a little Godzilla that puts Sonic Adventure‘s Chao to shame. Today’s first featured SEGA advert depicts a young Japanese boy who is hooked on SEGA’s virtual Godzilla VMU game. The boy, who is likely playing the game so intensely in an effort to forget having seen Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla, bumps into a cute Japanese woman who is also playing the game and the two partake in some VMU connectivity. If only it were that easy to meet chicks.

The second commercial seen in the video above, kicks off with some good ol’ classic Godzilla footage of Mothra and is promoting standard VMU’s that were pre-loaded with Godzilla content and bundled with small Godzilla character figures. The third commercial, clocking in at 15 seconds, features an all out VMU subway battle of Godzilla proportions! Again, the VMU Godzilla figure bundles are being promoted, but this time the giant flying turtle Gamera – friend of all children – gets a shout out.

After the break, check out our fourth Godzilla SEGA advert in which Godzilla Generations puts a damper on an otherwise happy day in Japan.

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Check out the trailer for ‘Hypertension: Harmony of Darkness’ – an upcoming indie SEGA Dreamcast game

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For those who have had their fill of shmups, comes an indie SEGA Dreamcast game that dares to be a first person shooter. Hypertension: Harmony of Darkness is a bloody shooter inspired by the likes of MS-DOS games like Blood and Shadow Warrior. Featuring an engine built on Doom, Hypertension features 3D enemies and environments and is to feature both single player and multi-player modes. Also, interestingly enough, is an appearance from the flash cartoon character Salad Fingers. Yup, Salad Fingers and SEGA Dreamcast, together at last.

Goat Store Publishing and the game’s developer, Isotope Studios and TDGMods, plan to release the game to disc later this year. In the meantime, check out the creepy trailer above.

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SEGAbits to host Too Many Games 2014 panel on Saturday, June 28th at 12pm in Oaks, PA

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No SEGA Dreamcast consoles were harmed in the making of this panel.

We’re excited to announce that SEGAbits and Sonic Retro will be hosting a panel at Too Many Games 2014 on Saturday, June 28th at 12pm in Oaks, PA! Dubbed “Surviving the Dreamcast Apocalypse: SEGA Fans in the 21st Century”, the panel is to feature SEGAbits admin and writer Barry the Nomad, Sonic Retro admin and writer David the Lurker, creator of the YouTube series “My Life with SEGA” A.J. Rosa, and SEGAbits writer and The Website of the Dead owner Kori-Maru as they discuss that fateful day when SEGA discontinued the Dreamcast, and where both the company and its fans ended up over ten years later.

Highlights of this SEGA celebration include stories from SEGAbits and Sonic Retro, rare materials from the development of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and unseen clips from the “My Life with SEGA” series! Whether you’ve lived and breathed SEGA’s blue skies since you could hold a game controller, or have just recently been welcomed into the next level, this is the panel for you. Scream it with me now: “SEGA!”

We’ll also be hosting a SEGA trivia contest at the panel, with rare SEGA prizes to hand out as rewards for your knowledge!

Register today at TooManyGames.com and we hope to see you there!

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Swingin’ Report Show #61: Console Wars Release Day Party with Author Blake J. Harris

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Happy Console Wars release day! That’s right, the long talked about book “Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation” by Blake J. Harris is now available to purchase anywhere where books are sold.

For this week’s podcast, the book’s author Blake J. Harris joined Barry and George to talk about his influences, the process of writing such an epic story, his upcoming documentary, and his teaming up with Scott Rudin and Seth Rogen. Blake also shares stories that didn’t make the final cut, and his thoughts on modern day SEGA and Nintendo. We also reveal our Console Wars giveaway winners, so if you entered on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to win a copy of the book courtesy of HarperCollins, give the show a listen and find out if you’ve won! We’ll also make an official winners announcement on our social networks later today.

More “Console Wars” content is to come, including a podcast with Tom Kalinske himself!

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Exclusive Excerpt from “Console Wars”: SEGA of America’s first look at Sonic the Hedgehog

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Thanks to It Books, HarperCollins Publishers, and author Blake J. Harris, we have an exclusive excerpt from “Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation” which features the first time SEGA of America President Tom Kalinske and his staff laid their eyes on Sonic the Hedgehog in action! The full excerpt can be found after the break, and if you like what you read, make sure to pre-order a copy of the book today and enter our Twitter and Facebook contests to win a copy of the book. Contest winners will be announced on our release day podcast with the book’s author Blake J. Harris, which will debut alongside the book tomorrow!

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A look at the rare Sonic Adventure LCD game from Tiger Electronics

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Over at the Sonic Stadium message boards, fans got to talking about a rarely seen Sonic Adventure LCD game from Tiger Electronics released in 2000. The game, which resembles a tiny arcade cabinet, is unique in that is isn’t simply one of those low end Tiger handhelds. Instead, it is closer to the Game.com, which while still pretty low end, is capable of presenting multiple stages, enemies, and bosses. The Sonic Adventure LCD game was released as part of Tiger’s “Arcade Games” series which featured four other Dreamcast games: Q-Bert, NFL Blitz 2000, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing, and Hydro Thunder. In total, Sonic Adventure features seven stages: Emerald Coast, Windy Valley, Ice Cap, Speed Highway, Red Mountain, Sky Deck, and Final Egg. Some of the bosses include Chaos 0, Egg Hornet, and the Egg Viper. While a very rare game to find, thanks to Sonic Stadium forum member iDEATH, we now have a look at this rare game from Sonic’s Dreamcast days!

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[Update: Debunked & False] Rumor: Valkyria Chronicles 1, 2 & 3 remakes coming to Playstation 4

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A rumor has sprung up on NeoGAF stating that this week’s Famitsu will reveal a Valkyria Chronicles Remake and a Valkyria Chronicles 2&3 Remake coming out for Playstation 4. The post goes on to state that the first game will be releasing in the summer of this year, followed by 2&3 in the fall. The sequels appear to be bundled into one game. The first game will have a visual upgrade while 2&3 will have graphics based on the first game’s visual style. The releases are also to include all the DLC and feature lots of balance adjustments.

The NeoGAF post says the “source is 2ch leak but its reliable source so its basically confirmed.” The mention of 2&3 being a bundled collection can be found here. As with all the rumors, take this with a grain of salt until officially confirmed.

Update: Dualshockers did some digging and came up empty handed, stating that the rumor was false.

To confirm the legitimacy of the post, I reached out to Masaru-san, one of our readers that regularly receives Famitsu the afternoon before release and that often sends us information about its content, and he indeed confirmed that Valkyria Chronicles is nowhere to be found on the latest issue.

Drat drat and double drat! Despite being false, let’s hope SEGA still has plans to rerelease Valkyria Chronicles on some platform… PC perhaps?

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