Author Archives: Barry

SEGA West Restructuring, Downsizing and Canceling Certain Games

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Ah, it’s Friday. Let’s check the news. Wonder if we’ll see a Sonic 4 trailer today… wait. What the fuck is this?! Pardon my language, but some breaking news!

SEGA Sammy announced today that it will carry out “structural reform” of consumer business. SEGA Sammy also said it will “streamline” video game operations in the west to “create a smaller company positioned for sustained profitability”. Part of this streamlining will include cutting the number of SEGA games produced and canceling some titles already in development.

The statement read as follows:

The Sega consumer business is expected to post operating loss due to the challenging economic climate and significant changes in the home video game software market environment in the US and Europe.

It is essential to streamline [our] organisation in the field of home video game software, while shifting to a structure that corresponds to a change in environment, including strengthening development in the field of digital content.

We decided to narrow down sales titles to strong IPs such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Football Manager, Total War and Aliens which are expected to continue posting solid earnings. In accordance with this, we are cancelling the development of some game software titles.

SEGA will still post profits of £152m for the 12 months ending March 2012. However, it will see a one-off “extraordinary loss” of £54m. This money will be spent on cutting back and restructuring. No word on what games are being cancelled or just who will be laid-off. Is this the end of crazy unique SEGA games? Or are the more risky games being relegated to digital services, and only the big IPs will get disc releases? Freak out in the comments section.

Update: According to IGN, with information said to come from sources within SEGA, all non-franchise titles will be dropped:

Earlier today, four franchises were overtly announced as being safe: Sonic, Football Manager, Total War, and Aliens. Our sources have revealed that any currently announced game that isn’t included on that list will not be published by SEGA, leaving a decent amount of the publisher’s upcoming publishing roster in jeopardy.

What does this mean for upcoming games like Rhythm Thief? At this point, it’s anybody’s guess. The source goes onto report that North America’s QA team has been axed entirely, with staff cuts also being made in the following departments: marketing, social, design, and development.

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Check It Out: Sonic the Hedgehog Medley Performed Live!

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Full disclosure: I know the bass player in this video, he’s marrying my wife’s best friend. But regardless of whether I know him or not, it’s a good set! I was there live the night they played this. The group is called Beta Test and they perform in and around the Philadelphia, PA area. The night they performed this, March 3, 2012, they also played music from Super Mario Land and the Zelda series. I asked my wife which set she liked most and she said the Sonic one. I asked if she was just saying that because I was the one asking, but she said she honestly liked the Sonic music the most! If she had said “Mario”, it would not have been a good night.

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XBLA Monster World and Alex Kidd Vintage Collections Revealed

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Thanks to the spoileriffic xbox360achievements.org, two XBLA SEGA Vintage Collections have been revealed! Unlike past Vintage Collection releases, these bundle three games in one. The first collection is Alex Kidd & Company. A weird collection, the release combines Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Revenge of Shinobi and Super Hang-On. Because, you know, those all go well together. Thankfully, this odd assortment will have some cool features: an option to turn on the original Japanese dialogue in Alex Kidd, a 3D mode for Super Hang-On and in-game juke boxes.

The second collection is really exciting: Wonder Boy’s Monster World trilogy! The Monster World collection has Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Wonder Boy in Monster World and the long awaited english version of Monster World IV. Screens reveal an awesome 3D menu of a Monster World themed room, complete with an arcade machine and two Genesis consoles. Both collections will have leaderboards, achievements, recordable and downloadable game sessions and new trial modes. SEGA has not officially announced the titles, nor have they mentioned a release date, but they’re sure to soon. After the break, check out the many screens!

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Rumor: Two More Virtua Fighters to Cameo in Dead or Alive 5

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Akira isn’t the only SEGA fighter looking to kick some Tecmo ass. A NeoGAF member claims to have hacked into the Dead or Alive 5 demo code and discovered alternate costume data. This data, in turn, revealed what very well could be the final roster. Given that we’re a SEGA fan site, I’ll skip the Dead or Alive characters and get to the characters we really care about, the Virtua Fighters! Sarah Bryant and Pai Chan will be joining Akira Yuki as crossover guests. Very exciting, if it proves to be true. What do you all think?

Akira and SEGA All-Stars Fighters with Dead or Alive releases September, 2012.

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SEGA Teases Next Dreamcast Collection Titles

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SEGA’s Ben Harbone is teasing Dreamcast fans, but it’s a good kind of teasing. In a video interview with Gamesreactor, Harbone hints at Shenmue and Skies of Arcadia being the next Dreamcast titles to hit download services. Said Harbone, “Those are a couple of our most requested games. I can’t say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ but we may be working on them.” Don’t let us down SEGA, both of those titles would sell like hotcakes, and I’d love to see them sell so well that we get a sequel for either one!

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Get a Better Look at Bosses in New Sonic 4 Episode 2 Screens!

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A new collection of Sonic 4 Episode 2 screens have hit the interwebs, and while they cover stages we’ve already seen, they also highlight a few boss battles. Egg Serpentleaf looks to be a huge boss, and this is only the first zone! Metal Sonic appears to have copied Sonic once again as he is seen executing a homing attack and taking out the ground below. After the break, check out the other screens and take a look at yet another gameplay video… this time competently played!

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The SEGA Five: Jet Set Radio Regional Rumble

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Continuing the Jet Set Radio hype, this week’s Weekly Five will be taking a look at three regional versions of Jet Set/Grind Radio. Those unacquainted with the US, European and Japanese versions of Jet Set Radio may be thinking: “whats the big deal? A ton of Dreamcast titles were released in three regions.” Well, unlike most Dreamcast games, Jet Set Radio had rather notable differences between regional releases. Each version features unique graffiti tags, unique songs, different stages, different character names and voices and even different titles. Of the three, which is the best? That’s what we’ll try to decide today, by comparing five aspects of the games and choosing a winner! Let’s begin.

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Virtua Fighter’s Akira Yuki Playable in Dead or Alive 5

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Akira Yuki of Virtua Fighter has been announced to be a guest character in Dead or Alive 5. Could this be an early sign of Virtua Fighter X DOA? Akira’s addition marks the first time that the Dead or Alive franchise has added a character from another fighting game to their roster. studio head of Team NINJA Yosuke Hayashi said, “Gamers will have an opportunity to enjoy an unforgettable battle with an esteemed competitor in Akira Yuki set in the Dead or Alive environment. This year will prove to be an amazing one for our loyal fighting fans as we are delivering a fantastic fighting game that can only been experienced in Dead or Alive 5.”

This SEGA fanboy says: Hayashi failed to note that an even more fantastic fighting game known as Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown is set for release this year.

Expect DOA5 to release this year to the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3. Once you buy VF5: Final Showdown, you are allowed to purchase DOA5.

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Total War Series Goes Mobile

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Real time strategy series Total War will enter the mobile world with Total War Battles. The game will be handled by Total War Digital, a new Creative Assembly team. Total War Battles lead designer Renaud Charpentier says that the game “isn’t the traditional Total War you might expect, we are working on a title that is specifically tailored to the play styles and control methods of mobile platforms. We want to deliver a game that plays to the strengths of handheld RTS mechanics, and perfectly adapts to a host of different platforms.” Platforms have yet to be announced, however iOS and Android are a given. The question is, will the title also see a release to the Vita and 3DS?

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Five Things You May Not Have Known About Jet Set Radio

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While I may write about Sonic a lot, my favorite SEGA franchise is actually Jet Set Radio. Ever since playing the original game in 2000, my perception of games has never been the same. Jet Set Radio was more than just a fun game, it was an experience. It introduced me to a world that oozed with color, funky music and over the top characters and settings. Unlike Sonic, however, the Jet Set Radio franchise is insanely small. All fans really have to soak up are two great games, a fun handheld title and the upcoming port. Articles about the series are rare, and the amount of Jet Set Radio merchandise produced could easily fill a small shelf. As a tribute to my favorite SEGA game, I thought I’d increase the web article count by one with five things about Jet Set Radio that the regular SEGA fan may not know about. If, after reading this weekly five, you have learned nothing then consider yourself a Jet Set Radio super fan!

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Sonic 4 Episode 2 American and European Website Gets Huge Update!

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When I criticized the SEGA West Sonic 4 website, I didn’t think SEGA would answer my complaints! Okay, so it wasn’t actually my article that brought about the update, but it’s great to see SEGA bringing a bit more epicness and unity to the Sonic 4 site. When visiting the site you’ll find that the world map as seen in Episode 1 has expanded to the right to include Episode 2. Could this mean the maps connect when you have both games on your device? SEGA also gives a little backstory and attempts to connect the two episodes. Apparently Eggman was searching for something in Lost Labyrinth, and Mad Gear was built to do something for some purpose beyond just being an homage to Metropolis Zone. And yes, Sonic CD fans, the ominous planet floating above the Episode 2 screens IS Little Planet. Head on over to the site and click around!

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Toshihiro Nagoshi Becomes Sega’s Chief Creative Officer on April 1st – No Foolin’!

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Starting April 1st, theres a new CCO in town: Toshihiro Nagoshi. SEGA Sammy has announced that starting in April a bit of corporate reshuffling will go into effect, due to the retirement of some of SEGA’s higher ups. Naoya Tsurumi takes over the President and Chief Operating Officer role from the retiring Okitane Usu. Toshihiro Nagoshi, creator of Yakuza and producer of the recently released Binary Domain, will fill a newly formed Chief Creative Officer position. All I can say is that this is some great news! I know nothing about Naoya Tsurumi, but Nagoshi in a CCO role? Very cool. Always a good thing to see a talented person in a high level creative position. Check out the full report here in PDF form.

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R.I.P. Grind: Jet SET Radio Coming this Summer in Widescreen!

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Courtesy of the SEGA Blog comes some very exciting bits of info regarding the recently hinted at Dreamcast rerelease. For starters, the game being released is Jet Set Radio (as if there was any doubt). The second confirmation is that the game will be known as Jet Set Radio, so say goodbye to the original US title “Jet Grind Radio” (and good riddance!). Thirdly, the game will be in beautiful widescreen as seen in the screen shot above and after the break. Fourthly, the game is coming to XBLA, PSN, and Windows PC Digital Download this summer! SEGA has also announced a contest where fans can get there art in the game and win prizes for doing so. Reminds me of when the game originally released, I recall SEGA having a similar contest.

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A Friendly Robot Reminder: Binary Domain in Stores NOW!

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BEGIN COMMUNICATION Greetings carbon based lifeforms, SEGAbits-bot here. SEGA and Yakuza Studio’s newest game Binary Domain is now available to purchase and play in most human territories. I would direct you to a site that aggregates reviews for the game, but my subprocessors tell me that humans prefer the opinions of their peers. In the case of Binary Domain, it is advised to head on over to our forums to read the positive views expressed by SEGA fans who have already bought and played the game:

“I finished the game last night on survival difficulty – this is my favorite third person shooter campaign EVER.

Great and satisfying shooting mechanics, great and unique AI for the enemies, huge variety of enemies with really good designs…. and above all that one of the best boss battles in all time and i mean it! the bosses in this game is beyond incredible!”

-Suzuki Yu

“Very impressive for the team’s first third person shooter, I hope this does indeed become a series for SEGA!”

-Aki-at

For more information about the game, please allow me to direct you to our interview with the game’s producer. A happy release day and enjoy the game. END COMMUNICATION

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First Hands-On Video of Sonic 4 Episode 2 PLUS a Tentative Release Date

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This has turned into the day for Sonic 4 news, hasn’t it? SEGA and NVIDIA surprised visitors to the Mobile World Congress 2012 with the first ever public demo of Sonic 4 Episode 2! While the dude playing the game is pretty bad at it (don’t all early demo videos feature inept players?), it does show off a good two minutes of gameplay footage. I’m sure Sonic fans will be pouring over this little clip for the next month. Is a video not enough for you? Well SEGA has let slip a tentative release date, and it’s not May as XBOX Marketplace had originally suggested.

The game wasn’t perfectly smooth being mirrored on an HD television but Sega urged us to note that the build they were showing wasn’t at all final. When can you expect that final build, you ask? The wait won’t be too long – Sega tells us mid-April will be their target.

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