SEGA News

Devolver Digital wants to make a new Seaman game

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Seaman

The Seaman franchise caused a lot of confusion for us here at SEGAbits when it was announced and, well, probably more confusion when we first played it on Dreamcast. That doesn’t mean the game didn’t have a fanbase, the game was the third highest selling Dreamcast game in Japan when it was released and the sequel Seaman 2 (Japan only) sold similar numbers when released in 2007.

In 2008 the creator and company president behind Seaman and Seaman 2, Vivarium Inc, actually tried to get a Seaman spin-off called GABO! on to the Apple App Store. Sadly they where rejected by Apple and doesn’t seem like the game ever came out.

Now flash forward to the present, Chief Financial Officer from the US publisher Devolver Digital has openly asked SEGA to allow them to handle a new entry to the Seaman franchise via the power of Twitter. Devolver Digital is known for publishing titles like Hotline Miami, Shadow Warriror and bringing back the Serious Sam franchise. The only issue I see here is that Devolver Digital is a publisher, basically what SEGA (and their other company they own, Atlus) does already (and has been doing for decades).

But since SEGA hasn’t done anything with the the IP in 8 years, can it really hurt them to license it to another publisher and get it off the ground? What are your thoughts?

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SEGAbits Round Table: Our Favorite SEGA Games of 2014

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It has been an interesting year for SEGA games. During the first few months of 2014, Western SEGA fans had very little when it came to new games, while those in Japan enjoyed the puzzle mashup Puyo Puyo Tetris and the Yakuza spinoff Ryu ga Gotoku: Ishin!. Thankfully, those in the West had Alien: Isolation and Platinum Games’ Bayonetta 2 to look forward to, and in early February it was revealed that Sonic Boom would be releasing to the Wii U and 3DS. Another reveal came, much to the delight of the Hatsune Miku fanbase, with the announcement that Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd was set for a Western release in November. Meanwhile, fans of Relic Entertainment and The Creative Assembly’s real time strategy PC titles were treated to Total War: Rome II DLC and Company of Heroes 2 standalone expansions Ardennes Assault and The Western Front Armies.

Suffice it to say, the year has been mixed but not a disappointment. While certain blue hedgehogs failed to give us a good game, fans who step outside their comfort zone of Sonic and traditional SEGA games will find several great titles from SEGA. What are these great games? Read on to find out what our favorite SEGA games of 2014 were in our annual year end round table!

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“Sonic Runners” officially announced, smartphone game due in 2015

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Takashi Iizuka has officially announced Sonic Runners, the rumoured game we previously reported on, during a Sonic event as Tokyo Joypolis.

The game is set to come to smartphones, with 2015 being mentioned as a release window, and is being developed by Sonic Team once again. That being said, very little is currently known about the game; more details are apparently set to be released in January. Whether Sonic Team have anything else in the works for next year is currently a mystery, but to be perfectly honest, I would like to think they’ve spent the past year or so since Lost World’s release doing more than a smartphone game, and one that it’s currently tentative in just about every way. It can at least be assumed “smartphones” refers to both Android and iOS versions of the game being on the way.

Once more details come out we’ll report on them, so stay tuned for Sonic Runners news!

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“Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls” Episode 12 AND Episode 13 are here as the series concludes, Impressions

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Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls episodes 12 and 13 are now up on Crunchyroll, as the series reaches it’s end!

The girls aren’t far off graduating, with Medal counts into the 80s… except for Saturn, who’s only got 78. Before the next lesson can begin however, Center-Sensei is hacked into once again; and this time, things get really messy, with him turning into Black Asobin, an evil sod who promptly takes all of the credit medals the girls have accumulated; Saturn keeps one for some reason, a rare moment of good luck for her. The only way they can reclaim their medals is to enter Black Asobin World, a theme park of doom and stuff… this is beginning to sound like the Dreamcast’s Illbleed. Thankfully, the biggest threats here are SEGA games, not demon Sonic the Hedgehogs.

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Yakuza Zero branded limited edition Playstation 4 consoles come in four variants

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Goro Majima Black & White Edition
Goro Majima Black & White Edition

This isn’t the first Yakuza branded Sony console to hit the scene and it won’t be the last. This one will be avalible in two versions: the Kazuma Kiryu edition and the Goro Majima edition. The console will feature a laser etched design on the case, featuring tattoos of both of the game’s protagonist.

Not only that, each version comes in either white or black, which is a nice option. The console will set you back 41,980 yen (about $348 USD) plus tax. Sadly the game isn’t included, but there is a bundle with the game for 6,480 yen (about $54 USD) more.

So, which one do you guys like the best?

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Price for upcoming unreleased SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis game ‘It Came from the Desert’ revealed

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Back in July we shared the news that the unreleased SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis game It Came from the Desert was finally seeing release by way of the efforts of Watermelon Games and the original developers Cinemaware. The game, originally slated for a 1990 release, was deemed by publisher EA to be too difficult and was troubled by a game crashing bug. Watermelon Games promises that both issues will be fixed.

Until now we did not know the price of the game, and as our headline suggests, well now we do! For $55, shipping not included, fans of long lost 16-bit titles will receive the limited edition release which will contain a case and slipcover, manual, poster, and of course the cartridge. Cinemaware promises that this price is final and will not change, and that more news is to come after the holidays including the start of pre-orders in January 2015.

Learn more about Cinemaware and their work at their official site.

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“Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls” anime Episode 11 is out, Impressions

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Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls episode 11 is now up on Crunchyroll, and it’s time for a crossover once again!

In this episode, the girls enter the world of the Shining series, something I will right off the bat say I have next to no clue about. In slightly more familiar territory, the girls are also told by Center-Sensei (who I’m going to stop referring to as Asobin as that’s just the disguise he seems to be using) that they’ll get 15 medals if they beat the boss of the area wearing a special Phantasy Star Online 2 costume. As such, the girls enter into Shining Force Cross Exlesia to go slay some stuff.

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After Burner Climax likely to be delisted from PSN and XBLA on December 24th

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If you want to own one of the greatest SEGA arcade games from the 2000s, better buy it now as we are hearing reports that After Burner Climax will be delisted from PSN and XBLA (and potentially iOS) on December 24th. This information comes from XBLA news tweeter lifelower, and the information is believable given OutRun Online Arcade was also delisted not too long ago due to an expiring contract with Ferrari. Retro Collect speculates that After Burner Climax is being pulled for the same reason as OutRun Online Arcade – it is likely SEGA’s contract with Boeing and Northrop Gruman, plane whose jet models are used in the game, expires at the end of the year.

We’ll find out for ourselves if this delisting is a sure thing, and in the meantime if you don’t own the game yourself it really is well worth owning. Pending delisting or not! You can find the game on Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network for $9.99 and on the App Store and Google Play Store for just 99¢.

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Sonic Boom and Mega Man X join the upcoming “Worlds Unite” Archie Comics crossover

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IGN have revealed that the forthcoming crossover event “Worlds Unite” will feature characters from the Sonic Boom and Mega Man X universes, as well as the normal Sonic and Classic Mega Man universes!

The mini-series will be written by Ian Flynn, with covers by Patrick “Spaz” Spaziante; no interior artist has been announced as of yet. From the looks of things, the mini-series will indeed see all four universes meet; that platform Sticks is standing on in the promo is the Item-1 of the Classic Mega Man series.

Archie Action editor Paul Kaminski said the following:

“The Sonic Boom comic series is part of the latest multi-media initiative from Sega, which includes video games, toys, and an all-new TV series on cartoon Network! Mega Man X has been a staple of video game culture for decades, and we were thrilled to begin exploring that futuristic universe in 2014’s Dawn of X storyline in the Mega Man comics! How will the slapstick antics of the ever-paranoid Sticks the Badger measure up against the futuristic action of X and the Maverick Hunters? Pick up Worlds Unite, starting this spring from Archie Action, to find out! And this is only the tip of the iceberg…”

Worlds Unite is set to kick off in Spring 2015, and you can be sure I’ll be grabbing it as soon as possible; thank goodness for import shops!

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SEGA planning development of TV and film adaptations of video game properties

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Variety reports that SEGA has begun planning the development of classic and modern video game franchises for film and television. SEGA has tapped Break Media executive Evan Cholfin to lead the efforts at Tokyo-based Stories International, a joint venture between SEGA and Hakuhodo DY Group launched in 2011.

The first titles SEGA plans to move forward with are “Altered Beast,” “Streets of Rage,” “Shinobi,” “Rise of Nightmares” and “Crazy Taxi”. Plans are for English-language live action and animated spinoffs. “Virtua Fighter” and “Golden Axe” are also being considered.

SEGA also has a minority investment in All Nippon Entertainment Works through a stock deal. The deal with ANEW will help the Stories group expand its efforts by gaining access to twenty Japanese rights holders with connections to films, TV shows, books, toys and manga.

With the news of a joint venture with Sony Pictures to produce a Sonic the Hedgehog movie, SEGA will have a big presence in Hollywood in the coming years! In the comments, let us know which confirmed franchise you’re most looking forward to.

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Let’s Get Scratchin’! “Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls” anime Episode 10 is here, Impressions

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“JET SET RADIOOOOOO!” Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls episode 10 has gone up on Crunchyroll, so “let’s look at the funk-” I mean, episode!

Today’s episode sees the girls enter the world of Jet Set Radio (or Jet Grind Radio to those of you in the US)! Asobin gives them two tasks to complete; pull off a cool trick for 5 medals, and be the first to reach a specific goal and spray graffiti of what they want to be in the future, for 15 medals! Mega Drive is unsurprisingly none too happy about the idea of skating, and attempts to fake illness; it fails, and thus the girls enter Shibuya-Cho.

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SEGA and Sony partner up to bring Yakuza 5 to US and Europe

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SEGA certainly kept us waiting on this one but it’s finally official, Yakuza 5 is hitting European and American Playstation 3’s for 2015. Partnering with Sony and part of the #buildingthelist hashtag, Yakuza 5 was one of the most requested titles and the dream is finally real. Talking about the announcement, series creator and software division head Toshihiro Nagoshi had this to say;

“After receiving so many requests from fans of the series, we have decided to bring Yakuza 5 to the US and Europe. This title was enjoyed by over one million gamers in Japan. I’m looking forward to seeing how Yakuza 5 will be received by the gamers in the U.S. and Europe.”

So far the only information we have is that the title will be available digitally via Playstation Network but that wasn’t all, also announced was Yakuza 4 and Yakuza: Dead Souls will also be released on Playstation Network.

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“Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls” anime Episode 9 is out, with Chain Chronicle

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Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls episode 9 has gone up on Crunchyroll, which means it’s time for my to roll out some impressions!

This week’s episode sees the girls enter the world of Chain Chronicle. If you don’t know what Chain Chronicle is… well, join the club, as before this episode I honestly had no idea either; my SEGA knowledge only extends so far, sadly! For those unaware, it’s an RPG for smartphones and Playstation Vita in Japan, and apparently SEGA and mobile games publisher gumi inc. are teaming up to distribute it elsewhere, meaning soon it might actually land in Western territories. Anyways, initially the girls harbour some reluctance to enter the smartphone as opposed to the TV, and a not-so-subtle dig is taken at the smartphone-isation of gaming today, including what I can only guess is a joke about the fate of SEGA for good measure!

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SEGA announces Total War Battles: Kingdom coming to PC, Mac and Tablets

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Seems that Creative Assembly’s free-to-play title Total War Battles: Kingdom is finally getting a closed beta on PC, SEGA confirmed today.

Total War Battles: Kingdom is being developed by Creative Assembly’s Digital Team (responsible for Total War Battles: Shogun), this entry will take you to the 10th century, unique time period weapons and plenty decisions to make. The game will feature kingdom building,  sim style gameplay and of course tactical battles across multiple devices.

Do you want to participate in the game’s beta? Sign up right here.

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SEGA announces new rhythm arcade game ‘Chunithm’

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SEGA has just announced another rhythm arcade game, this time called Chunithm, that has already been hitting CLUB SEGA Akihabra since November 28th. This new rhythm game joins SEGA’s last few rhythm games such as Crackin DJ, Project Diva and MaiMai.

Chunithum is also set to have songs from MaiMai in it. SEGA will be giving away a limited mini-soundtrack album to promote the new arcade. You can see the cabinet design and cover to the mini-soundtrack below. Am I the only one waiting for Virtua Fighter 6? What is this? What…

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