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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.

[Download] [RSS] [iTunes] [Archive]

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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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Sonic Boom heading to New York, no Summer of Sonic this year

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Start spreading the news! Sonic Boom will be heading to New York on October 4th. Along with this news from Sega comes the sad news that Summer of Sonic will be on hiatus for this year. This is very sad news for Sonic fans in the U.K. who’ve come in droves year after year to the event. One bit of good news is that Summer of Sonic has inspired other, smaller Sonic conventions to appear such as Weston Super Sonic (returning on January 17 2015) and Sonic Revolution in Buena Park (on June 15 2014). Read on for a statement from both Summer of Sonic and Sega.

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Persona 4 Arena and its DLC removed from PSN in Europe

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It seems like Persona 4 Arena and Europe just don’t go well together. Atlus usually doesn’t publish it’s own games in Europe, so their games are often released far later there than in other countries. But Persona 4 Arena in particular had a problem with this, as it was also one of the few region locked games on PS3. So Europeans couldn’t import it and had to wait for it to be released in May 2013, nine months after Americans could get their hands on it.

Publisher Zen United brought it over back then, but now the downloadable version along with all of the DLC has been taken off PSN. While no response was given for this, a Facebook post from late last month tells us that Atlus is now handling the game in Europe. Which suggests that Zen United no longer has the publishing rights to the game. This is just speculation though, of course. This article will be updated when an official response will be given.

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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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Atlus has discounted all Persona PSP titles to $4.99

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Altus has now dropped the price of the following PSP Persona ports: Persona, Persona 2: Innocent Sin and arguably the best deal in the bunch Persona 3 Portable. The titles will now only cost you $4.99 and are playable on both the PSP and the Playstation Vita.

Persona 3: Portable is as enhanced remake of the PS2 Persona 3 game but with added content. The player can now play the game as a female, which alters the game including characters you meet and social links (which are important in this title). In my opinion, Persona 3 Portable is the best version of Persona 3 and its only $5, totally worth it.

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Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga gets a PSN release today

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Atlus is releasing another PS2 classic on PSN today, this time Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga. The game will cost a mere $9.99.

On the back of the box:
“Enter the world of the Junkyard, where rival tribes fight an endless war vying for supremacy and the right to ascend to Nirvana. Changed forever by mystrious light, Serph and his comrades now have the power to change into powerful demons… But with that power comes a price – an insatiable hunger to devour their enemies.”

Digital Devil Saga joins PSN along with the past Atlus titles that got released: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs the Soulless Army, Growlanser: Heritage of War and  Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES. So if you are  a SEGA fan that has never played a Atlus title, I suggest you start with Persona 3 FES. It is a really good game and totally worth the $9.99 asking price.

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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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Dynamite Deka gets light novel treatment titled “Dynamite Deka: Burning 2020”

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You all may remember Die Hard Arcade released in the arcade in 1996, which was originally titled Dynamite Deka in Japan and it’s sequel Dynamite Cop, developed by Golden Axe and Altered Beast creator, Makoto Uchida.

Announced a couple of weeks ago, Dynamite Deka will be returning in light novel form starring the main character Bruno Dillenger aka “Mr. Dynamite” retired from taking numerous cases and is on vacation in Tokyo, Japan as tourist in the year 2020 to later face a new threat. Tatsuro Iwamoto, a freelance illustrator who has worked on Capcom’s Ace Attorney series as art director, will be in charge of the illustration of the novel.

He has aged quite a bit since his last appearance but he still carries his signature items such as the broom and pepper to take down his enemies with. The book is now available in Japan for 760 yen plus tax and to purchase on Sakuranomori Books website here.

For more information on the story summary and pictures. Be sure to hit the jump without making an explosion!

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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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Phantasy Star Online 2es now playable on iOS devices

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We already know that the Android version of Phantasy Star Online 2es is out and we told you guys that the iOS version would be out this month. Now, it has officially been released.

Unlike the Android version that allows players to trade stuff with the PC and Vita versions, the iOS version will not allow that sadly. Phantasy Star Online 2es is compatible with iPhone 4s and up, iPad (3rd gen) and the iPad Mini. Check out our hands-on Phantasy Star Online 2es on Android with the Tweaker English patch.

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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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