Author Archives: George

SEGA News Bits: Q&A #1 – Sonic, Rom Hacks and more

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Today on the SEGA News Bits we don’t discuss any news. So what are we doing? We will be answering your questions. A week or so ago we decided to ask you guys if you had any questions and you guys submitted your Q&A on Sonic, Rom Hacks and more. Listen to us talk about our opinions on if SEGA should buy Capcom, Sonic’s anime influences, real opinions on Sonic Forces, and much more. Its a interesting discussion and I want to thank everyone that sent the Q&A questions on Sonic, Rom Hacks and more. If you guys want to see all the questions asked, check out the questions below.

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SEGA News Bits: Sonic Forces Villains Trailer Reaction

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SEGA has finally released their big Sonic Forces villains trailer at E3 2017, giving us a show case of Sonic’s gallery of rogues that will be in the full game later this fall. But we also saw a new character called Infinite. On this episode of the SEGA News Bits Barry and George discuss the Sonic Forces villains trailer, the idea of Sonic’s past villains teaming up, the new character Infinite, fan theories, and a lot more. So join us for our reactions to the Sonic Forces villains trailer, as we try to make sense of where Sonic Forces is heading when it comes out this fall on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC this fall. But you let us know what you think of the latest Sonic Forces villains trailer in the comments below. Do you think Sonic Forces needs its own brand new villain, like Infinite, to make the game more interesting?

If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us: Give us a sub and give this video a like so it shows up on more like minded fans YouTube recommendations. You know, how that new YouTube algorithm is. Thanks for the support.

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SEGA says ‘Yakuza’ and ‘Persona’ added to their SEGA PC Ports list

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SEGAPCPorts
SEGA had a pretty good start this year releasing the widely acclaimed titlesYakuza 0 which saw a brand new audience in the west and Persona 5, which happens to be the best selling entry in the franchise. One thing both these titles share is that they are Sony exclusive titles, so if you don’t own a Sony PlayStation 3 or 4, you won’t be able to experience the goodness that is Yakuza 0 or Persona 5. Seeing that SEGA Europe has been very kind to their SEGA PC ports list in the last few months, by having Platinum Games port over both Bayonetta and Vanquish to PC platforms. The guys over at PC gamer asked SEGA Europe’s senior vice president of commercial publishing, John Clark, what they are looking into porting over to the good old steam store:

“If I asked you to write me a list of ten games you want Sega to bring out on PC, it probably isn’t any different from the list [we have], I could ask anyone at Sega: write me a list. And what motivates it? I think there’s a certain catalogue that people just have an affinity with. If you send [your] list over I’ll tell you which ones we can tick, which ones are on our list, which ones are possibilities, which ones are not possibilities, which ones we’ve talked about, which ones we’re talking about, which ones we’re working on, you know, they’ll be on that list.”  

Since Mr. Clark didn’t go into specifics, PC Gamer pressed him and asked if a franchise like Yakuza would fit their type of list.

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First 4 Figures shows off their amazing Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary figure

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The people over at First 4 Figures making some amazing, quality figures that can be rather expensive (quality costs money) and it seems they have out did themselves with their latest Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary figure. You can see the scale of the Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary figure above and the figure is HUGE! So huge, I capitalized huge. How huge is that? The Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary figure goes for pre-order on June 6th and will cost you a cool $384.99! A figure for the serious collectors.

If you want to see more of the statue, the guys over at First 4 Figures will have a live stream on June 6th:

  • 7:00am (California)
  • 10:00am (New York),
  • 3:00pm (London)
  • 4:00pm (Germany)
  • 10:00pm (Hong Kong)

First 4 Figures will also be giving away reward points, if you follow these instructions on their facebook page. First 4 Figures also has a wide array of other SEGA IP premium figures on their website; including Shenmue, Virtua Fighter, Jet Set Radio and even Skies of Arcadia. So if the blue blur isn’t for you, you should check out what other SEGA IPs they have done figures for.  What do you guys think of this Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary figure? Are you picking up one? Let us know in the comments below.

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SEGA News Bits: Sonic Mania Price and Release Date Reaction

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SEGA has now given us a Sonic Mania price and release date. So on this episode of the SEGA News Bits George and Barry discuss the Sonic Mania price and release date, have a first glimpse at Stardust Speedway stage, discuss if the collector’s edition is worth it over the digital only copy, and even rant about those animated cutscenes teased in the pre-order trailer. So give this episode a gander and let us know what your thoughts on the Sonic Mania price and release date are in the comments below. Sonic Mania hits digital store shelves on August 15, 2017 for only $19.99 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

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Superdimension Neptune vs Sega Hard Girls hits PC June 12

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shg3For PC gamers that have been waiting for Superdimension Neptune vs Sega Hard Girls to hit PC, your wait is almost over. According to the Superdimension Neptune vs Sega Hard Girls steam store page, the game is set to release on the platform on June 12. Superdimension Neptune vs Sega Hard Girls on PC will be a PlayStation Vita port that promises up to 1080p graphics and other improvements over the original release.

Here is a overview of Superdimension Neptune vs Sega Hard Girls on PC:

[Source: Gematsu]

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SEGA Europe COO and President Jurgen Post departs

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JurgenPostLeavesSEGASEGA Europe has announced that Jurgen Post has left his position in the company as COO and President. Before Jurgen Post got his title as COO and President at SEGA Europe, he worked as managing director and senior vice president.

Jurgen Post was responsible for taking over as COO and President in 2012 where he streamlined SEGA Europe’s pillar structure which included Creative Assembly, Sports Interactive and moving SEGA more into the PC market place. He was also responsible for the latest wave of older SEGA PC ports which included Bayonetta and Vanquish.

“Jurgen leaving us is a huge loss, but he leaves Sega Europe with the business in a fantastic position and in the capable hands of a superb team who will strive to keep moving it forward. We wish Jurgen all the very best for the future and in his new role and hope that his employees there will find him as inspirational and as motivating as we did here.” – Tatsuyuki Miyazaki, SEGA West CEO

Its a bit weird that this just came out, seeing that not even 24 hours ago Jurgen Post gave a interview with GamesIndustry.biz where he said, “The Sega brand will come back and start to flourish again”. Hopefully he is right, but it will be sad to take this ride without him.

Until they find a replacement, SEGA Europe’s CFO John Ward will act as interim COO as the publisher looks for a replacement. What are your thoughts on this news? Do you think its all of a sudden? Let us know in the comments below.

[Source: MCVUK]

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SEGA promotes James Schall to VP of digital business

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JamesSchallVPDigitalBusinessSEGA Europe has announced that they have promoted James Schall to vice president of its digital business from previously being director of digital distribution where he increased SEGA’s digital business success across consoles and PCs. As VP of digital business, James Schall will work with a growing number of third party studios to launch SEGA’s upcoming catalog of digital titles.

“James has made a huge contribution to Sega’s growth over recent years and I’m delighted by his promotion. With this appointment we are well positioned to continue our initiatives and further strengthen the fantastic partner and studio relationships we have.” – John Clark Senior VP of Commercial Publishing at SEGA

SEGA’s recent digital game successes include the release of Bayonetta, launching Warhammer: Dawn of War III and Total War: Warhammer 2.  SEGA also recently announced that they will be reviving their older IPs on their ‘road to 2020’, but those are set to be packaged games, while I wouldn’t be shocked if some of those are digital.

“I’m excited by the new role as it will enable me to work more closely with our development studios, continuing to focus on delivering our amazing content to our passionate fans and communities.” – James Schall, VP of Digital Games SEGA Europe

I think SEGA Europe’s digital branch has been kicking ass on their releases, my only complaint is that they don’t come fast enough. Though we are getting Vanquish PC port a month after Bayonetta, that’s an improvement. I hope James Schall really does look into what ‘passionate fans and communities‘ want. Maybe look at some sort of list conducted by votes from SEGA fans… Like some sort of Top 100 SEGA games list…

[Source: MCVUK]

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SEGA News Bits: Top 100 SEGA Games Discussion

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On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we discuss the Top 100 SEGA Games list we posted up earlier this month, so if you haven’t checked it out give it a gander. Join us to listen to us rant about how the list was put together, which games surprised us on the list, which games didn’t make the list, how SEGA games are under-appreciated on other top gaming lists, and much more. Sadly we don’t cover all the top 100 SEGA games that are represented on the list, that would take too long, but I hope the games we talked about was entertaining enough. Let us know if you agree or disagree with the top 100 SEGA games list and what your top three SEGA games would be in the comments below.

If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us: Give us a sub and give this video a like so it shows up on more like minded fans YouTube recommendations. You know, how that new YouTube algorithm is.

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Persona 5 sold five times more than Persona 4 in the USA

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Persona5v4salesAtlus has shown that you can turn a cult classic game into a massive world wide selling IP if you stick with the franchise and continue making quality releases each time. According to the USA game tracking company, NPD, Persona 5 sold five times more copies than Persona 4 in its debut month in the USA. Its not surprising considering that Persona 4 seems to be one of those titles that got popular due to word of mouth and became one of the best selling titles on the PlayStation Vita. While Persona 5 sold more than ever, April also saw an increase in software sales in the United States compared to last year. An increase of 6%. The reason for the sales increase are due to the massive popularity of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Persona 5 and strong second month sales of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. “The industry drove the highest April hardware dollar sales since April 2011,” said NPD group in their report. Oddly enough all top three huge selling titles are Japanese developed games.

NPD groups’ top ten selling games for April 2017:

  • Mario Kart 8
  • Persona 5
  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • MLB 17: The Show
  • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
  • Grand Theft Auto V
  • Mass Effect: Andromeda
  • NBA 2K17
  • Overwatch
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Its no surprise that Persona 5 is a massive success for Atlus and SEGA, considering all the rave reviews, fan hype and those dank memes hitting social media. Persona 5 is available now on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. Persona 5 sold five times more than Persona 4, did you guys see that one coming? Did you guys pick up a copy? Time for the Persona 5 spin-offs?

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Rumor: Shenmue HD Remasters are real says Just Add Water CEO

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shenmueOver on the infamous video game messaging board, NeoGAF the CEO of Just Add Water confirmed  that the Shenmue HD Remasters of the first two titles are real. First you’d ask yourself who the development team ‘Just Add Water’ really is. Well, I did some journalistic google searching and found their wikipedia page:

Just Add Water (Development) Ltd., doing business as Just Add Water, is an independent video game developer based in Otley, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Founded by Stewart Gilray in 2006, Just Add Water has worked on different titles for the PlayStation 3 and PC, notably the Oddworld series. They have teamed up with Oddworld Inhabitants, to recreate the series in high definition as well as working on new installments in the series.

The Just Add Water CEO didn’t confirm anything outside of a short ‘Oh, it’s real… :-)’ message, so we made this a rumor considering that he could just be kidding with fellow board members. Though you’d think someone that is a CEO of a company that specifically ports old games wouldn’t be joking about Shenmue HD Remasters being the works. Considering Shenmue news is serious business to fans that have been waiting for SEGA to port the games since forever. Maybe Shenmue HD Remasters will be shown off in some form come E3 next month? What are your thoughts about SEGA possibly doing Shenmue HD Remasters of the first two games? Would you purchase them again? Let us know in the comments below.

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SEGA News Bits: Sonic Forces Custom Character Reaction

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Sonic Forces custom character creator was revealed this morning, making this the 3rd game play style in the game. If you guys didn’t know, we discussed a Sonic Forces custom character (mostly as a rumor) in a couple of our past videos and now it seems that its actually true.  On this SEGA News Bits we discuss our thoughts on the Sonic Forces custom character game play, talk about the Sonic fan creation community, check out some hidden Easter eggs found in the trailer, and much more. So tune in to our special SEGA News Bits talking about Sonic Forces custom character reveal. What are your thoughts on Sonic Forces‘ using a custom character as its third gameplay? Let us know in the comments below.

If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us: Give us a sub and give this video a like so it shows up on more like minded fans YouTube recommendations. You know, how that new YouTube algorithm is.

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SEGA plans “revival of major IPs” on its “Road to 2020”

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Sonic___SEGA_All-Stars_Racing-PCArtwork4539Sonic_Racing_GroupSEGA plans “revival of major IPs”, which is a phrase that a lot of SEGA die hard fans have been waiting to hear from the company in a very long time. SEGA revealed this strategy when the company did their “Road to 2020” business presentation. If you look at the ‘Segment / Business Strategies’ on their latest fiscal report, it highlights the following big points:

Packaged Games Field (example titles: Total War: Warhammer, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Football Manager 2017, and Persona 5)

  • Expand existing IPs and obtain new IPs for North American and European PC games
  • Build revenue base by being entrusted with outsourced development
  • Challenge for new IPs
  • Revival of major IPs
  • Effective utilization of development engines

Digital Games Field (example titles: Puyo Puyo!! Quest, Hortensia Saga, Chain Chronicle 3, and Phantasy Star Online 2)

  • Create titles that will become global hits
  • Establish digital marketing business
  • Expand overseas publishing business
  • Maintain profits through long-term operation of existing titles
  • Develop next-generation titles

If you notice, they have a nice section where they highlight that they are planning not only original IPs but also SEGA plans “revival of major IPs”. But what would SEGA consider a “major IP”? One of the challenges SEGA has with reviving IPs is that they want them to be ‘global hits’, so what titles do you think are considered ‘global hits’? SEGA plans “revival of major IPs”, do you believe it or is it a ‘wait and see’ sort of thing?

[via: Gematsu]

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Round Table: Should the Yakuza franchise end after Yakuza 6?

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RoundTableYakuza6The Yakuza franchise has been the longest running new franchise launched by SEGA since going 3rd party, with the first one being released in Japan back on December 8, 2005. The franchise has received seven main entries, one remake, a bunch of spin-offs, and even a full featured length film. SEGA has made a huge deal about the franchise coming to an end, in the past, but seem to have continued churning out games. Yakuza 6 promises to be the end of Kazuma Kiryu’s story while at the same time SEGA has promised that the franchise would continue after Yakuza 6. On this week’s Round Table we ask should the Yakuza franchise end after Yakuza 6?

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