SEGA News

Want to see more images of the SEGA Note PC, and a learn a few more details?

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Courtesy of Eurogamer comes a few new photos of the SEGA Note PC, and this time they aren’t just mock-ups! On display is the general blue SEGA branded laptop, both in use and being carried. We also get a peek at the desktop, which features a snazzy Dreamcast themed wallpaper. According to Eurogamer, while the laptops will probably not include SEGA emulators or games, they will include SEGA Windows themes and SEGA music pre-loaded onto the laptop. A full list of the specs can be found here, and after the break check out a gallery of new images.

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VideoGamer compares Aliens: Colonial Marines final build to last year’s demo

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VideoGamer has dug up demo footage of Aliens: Colonial Marines, apparently from a demo shown off last year, and compares it scene-for-scene with what we ended up with in the final product. The results are fairly shocking; the graphics, resolution, and the presentation itself are significantly better in this demo in almost every conceivable aspect.

It’s hard to say where development went so wrong on what will likely (and unfortunately) be SEGA’s biggest game this year, but this video speaks for itself.

One day maybe we’ll learn the full story…

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Gearbox developer takes to Reddit to shed light on Aliens: Colonial Marines let down

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The developer on Reddit basically confirms that Gearbox didn’t have too much to do with Aliens: Colonial Marines due to the fact that the developer was doing Borderlands 2. They basically got TimeGate to do most of the single player campaign due to this. In my opinion, Gearbox and SEGA should never work again. This game was in the works for 6 years and Gearbox couldn’t give less of a shit about it, it seems. Pecan = code name for Aliens: Colonial Marines.

“Additionally, campaign (which was being developed by TimeGate) was extremely far behind, even as Pecan’s Beta deadline got closer and closer. In April or May (can’t remember which), Pecan was supposed to hit beta, but GBX instead came to an agreement with SEGA that they would push the release date back one more time, buying GBX around 9 mos extension.

Considering that SEGA was pretty close to taking legal action against GBX, asking for an extension wasn’t an option, and so Pecan crash-landed through certification and shipping. Features that were planned were oversimplified, or shoved in (a good example of this are challenges, which are in an incredibly illogical order). Issues that didn’t cause 100% blockers were generally ignored, with the exception of absolutely horrible problems. This isn’t because GBX didn’t care, mind you. At a certain point, they couldn’t risk changing ANYTHING that might cause them to fail certification or break some other system. And so, the product you see is what you get.”

You can read more over at Reddit, even ask the guy some of your questions.

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SEGA joins the DOTA clone train, picks up Chaos Heroes Online

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Ever since the free-to-play DOTA clone, Leagues of Legends ranked up millions and millions of players many publishers have tried to replicate its success. Seems that SEGA is now one of the publishers picking up the Japanese DOTA clone Chaos Heroes Online.

SEGA is picking up the title to localize in Japan, this was developed by Korean developer Neoact. The game is set to start service this spring and will be free-to-play.

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Ex-Gearbox employee says game was outsourced, SEGA denies (sort of)

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Well, seems that Aliens: Colonial Marines isn’t being as well received as we would have hoped and now everyone is pointing fingers. First comes a statement made by a ex-Gearbox employee, stating that Gearbox didn’t really develop most of the title and that the game was outsourced. The anonymous employee who goes by the forum handle “mugwurt” posted:

“Hate to say it, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up too high for Colonial Marines. I used to work at Gearbox, and the development of that game has been a total train wreck, going on what, 6 years now? Gearbox isn’t even making the game, except for the multiplayer. Primary development was outsourced to TimeGate Studios, which has a less than stellar past.” – Link to response 

When asked about this, SEGA’s Senior Producer Matthew J. Powers had this to say:

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New release Tuesday – Aliens: Colonial Marines and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed 3DS

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It’s a big day for packaged SEGA games in the US today! Aliens: Colonial Marines releases to Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed releases on the Nintendo 3DS. In the case of Aliens: Colonial Marines, there is a Wii U version coming in March for the US and sometime in the first quarter for other regions. Both games feature bonus content, with Aliens: Colonial Marines featuring pre-order content from Gamestop in the form of playable movie characters, a flame thrower, and additional marine customization. Aliens: Colonial Marines also has a Collector’s Edition for PS3 and 360 owners, which includes a load of goodies including a figurine, the pre-order DLC, and a number of replica print materials from the Aliens universe. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed for the 3DS features the same bonus content that the 360, PS3, Wii U and Vita had, with a playable Metal Sonic racer and an OutRun track. The content is downloaded to your 3DS via codes, and the codes are contained within the game case. The bonus content is limited to the first run of the game.

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Nagoshi discusses the next Yakuza title – promises a more physical experience

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Yakuza series producer and SEGA of Japan CCO Toshihiro Nagoshi discussed the next Yakuza title this weeks issue in Dengeki PlayStation magazine. According to Nagoshi, the development team will be taking a programmatic approach with the next title, meaning players can have a more physical experience. The game’s battle system is said to see new innovations, and in general the plan to broaden gameplay. The next Yakuza game will most likely not be seen on the Playstation 3, as Nagoshi believes that Yakuza 5 will be the last entry for the series on the current Sony console. Given the interview taking place in a Playstation magazine, the next game will probably end up on Sony’s next gen console. Nagoshi hopes to show something related to the new game this year.

Thanks to SEGAbits forum member Aki-at for the tip!

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SEGA partners with Enterbrain to create SEGA Note PCs

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You wanted SEGA hardware? Here’s your SEGA hardware! SEGA has teamed up with Japanese PC retailer Enterbrain to create the SEGA Note PCs. Features of the entry-level include an Intel Pentium 2020M chip with a 500GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM, the next model up features an Intel Core i3-3120M processor, 500GB hard drive and 8GB of RAM, and replaces the lower model’s DVD drive with a Blu-ray reader. The third version has an Core i7-3630QM chip with 8GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD, and the top-end model matches those specs and replaces the Blu-ray reader with a writer. All models feature a Full HD 15.6″ display, and a choice of four lid finishes – a basic SEGA blue, Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast. The top-tier model comes with all four lid types, which can be easily swapped out. Prices range from ¥99,750 to ¥194,250. Currently, these are Japan only. Pre-orders are currently being taken for the hardware, and it appears that if a certain number is not reached, the PCs will not be produced. Imagine: a SEGA PC loaded with all the SEGA PC game releases. That is a SEGA game on SEGA hardware! Close enough, right?

Thanks to SEGAbits forum member ROJM for the tip. After the break, check out a gallery of the various awesome lids!

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Aliens: Colonial Marines “Bug Mode” coming in March

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We posted that Aliens: Colonial Marines was going to get a season pass, this obviously means that DLC was going to be announced very soon and guess what? Here is the first pack, titled “Bug Mode”. If you pick up the upcoming Aliens: Colonial Marines at Wal-Mart, you will get the Bug Mode DLC for free. How much does it cost solo? Well, Gearbox Software  or SEGA haven’t revealed that just yet. Wal-Mart says its a ‘$14.99 dollar value’.

We also posted about the season pass DLC here before, back then the season pass  was only confirmed for PC. Now Gearbox has confirmed it for all consoles. You pay $29.99 dollars now and you recieve all four DLC packs at a discounted rate. If the first ‘Bug Mode’ is going to cost $14.99, then that is a pretty good deal. Bug Mode will basically be Horde Mode (Gears of War) or Invasion Mode (Binary Domain). Basically you and friends take on waves of enemies that increase in difficulty as you progress.

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Giant egg appears in London, Billy Hatcher fans sad to learn it is Aliens: Colonial Marines related

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ITV is reporting on a bit of bizarre marketing from SEGA West, in which a giant 20 foot tall alien egg has on the lawn of London’s Potters Field Park today. The egg is reported to be guarded by Colonial Marines who are also on the lookout for a Xenomorph. ITV appears to be the first to report on the marketing event, and given the quality photos credited to Lunch PR, it could be that SEGA tasked Lunch PR to put this event together and the PR agency reached out to ITV to “report” on the event. Once we learn more about the event, and receive more photos, we’ll be sure to share!

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Microsoft didn’t aquire SEGA due to lack of ‘muscle’

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Right now Microsoft is a big player in the game console race, but a decade ago they weren’t in the same position as they are now. Like a bad stereotype, before Microsoft entered the market with the Xbox, there were tons of rumors about them purchasing a gaming company, and one of those comapnies was SEGA.

So why didn’t Microsoft ever pick up SEGA? Well, according to then-CEO Bill Gates, he thought that the house of Sonic lacked the ‘muscle’ to compete with a company like Sony. This is what Joachim Kempin, who worked at Microsoft from 1983 to 2003, had to say:

“There were three companies at that point in time, I think this was [Sony,] Sega and Nintendo. There was always talk maybe we buy Sega or something like that; that never materialized, but we were actually able to license them what they call Windows CE, the younger brother of Windows, to run on their system and make that their platform. But for Bill [Gates] this wasn’t enough, he didn’t think that Sega had enough muscle to eventually stop Sony so we did our own Xbox thing.”

He did state that SEGA was “a very different bird” which we can all agree. But its not like they hated everything SEGA did, I mean, they did put the Xbox in the hands of Dreamcast era SEGA COO Peter Moore.

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After Burner Climax available now on iOS for $2.99

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After announcing the title just three days ago, After Burner Climax for iOS has today appeared on the App Store for $2.99. The game is described as follows:

After Burner Climax is fast and frantic arcade-style action, putting you in the cockpit of the world’s fastest fighter plane. Dodge planes, rockets and bullets while trying to target multiple on-screen enemy aircraft. Built for all skill levels, everyone will be able to take to the air and blaze through a branching storyline of over 20 stages. Unlock achievements along the way to activate exclusive power ups using your experience and expertise.

Features include the ability to choose from three fighter planes: the F-14D Super Tomcat by Northrop Grumman, the F-15E Strike Eagle or F/A-18E Super Hornet by Boeing. Each fighter plane has four paint schemes to choose from. In addition to the 20+ stages, the game features Arcade Mode, Score Attack Mode and Climax Mode. iOS features include Airplay support, HDMI support, Retina Display on iPhone 4/4S/5 and iPad 3rd and 4th Gen, and iPad Mini support. After the break, check out a gallery of images of the game running on both iPhone and iPad.

Update: SEGA’s message to Android users: “Android version is coming out too, just around the corner!”

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Aaron Webber to host Behind the Scenes of Sonic the Hedgehog panel at AOD 2013

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The Sonic Stadium is reporting that Sonic Brand Manager Aaron Webber, also known as Ruby Eclipse on various social platforms, will be hosting a panel at Animation On Display 2013 entitled “Super Sonic: Behind the Scenes of Sonic the Hedgehog”. The panel is described as follows:

Explore the rise, fall, and recent resurgence of Sonic the Hedgehog in games and other media. An in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at Sonic’s creation, his rise to fame in the early 90′s, and his transition into 3D and the present day. Bring your questions and your passion for Sonic – all are welcomed! With Aaron Webber, Brand Manager, SEGA America

The event itself takes place from February 16th-17th at Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco, CA. The Sonic panel takes place on Saturday February 16th at 3pm PST in the Live Events 1 room. Early registration closes today, and tickets can be purchased here. Many fans are speculating that the next Sonic title will be revealed at the event, and this lines up with a rumor that the next main series Sonic title will be revealed mid-February. It is also important to note that Ken Pontac, the writer responsible for co-writing Sonic Colours and Sonic Generations, will also be at AOD 2013 and early materials list Ken as a writer for an upcoming Sonic game.

Update: Aaron has clarified for us on Twitter just what to expect from the panel: “Like the title and description read, it’s a look at Sonic’s history, from creation to now. No new game announcements – sorry! :)”

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SEGA of Japan teasing new game – most likely a Japanese release of the Korean game Chaos Online

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SEGA of Japan have posted up a teaser site for an upcoming game, with the date of “2.12” being the only text floating atop a series of painted fantasy lanscapes. Could it be a new Phantasy Star? A Sonic Chronicles 2? Shenmue 1.5: How Goro Got His Groove Back? No, the game being teased is in fact a Korean massive online battle arena game known as Chaos Online. Most likely, SEGA will be localizing and releasing it for Japan. As you can see after visiting the site, the above image appears in the rotation, without the character and game logo of course. Most likely, the game will not be released outside of Japan, so as they say “move along, move along”.

Thanks to SEGAbits forum members Trippled and Aki-at for the news tip and for solving the mystery.

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Breaking down and explaining the SEGA Sammy Q3 2013 results

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Numbers nerds rejoice, SEGA has released their 3rd quarter earnings for 2013! Of course, to the average SEGA fan, it’s a lot to take in and a bit difficult to work out the positives and negatives. Thankfully, the SEGAbits community has members who know their stuff. So a big thanks to Aki-at for sharing the news and making sense of the many PDFs. Overall net profits currently stand at ¥3 billion (£20,433,810/$32,003,400), this is from an original ¥7 billion which dropped to ¥3 billion due to costs. SEGA arcade sales operating profits were ¥2,6 billion (£17,742,998/$27,993,160) while the consumer division profited ¥519 million (£3,541,775.37/$5,587,865.40) and arcade centers profited ¥984 million (£6,715,042.32/$10,594,334.40).

Sammy, meanwhile, recorded ¥7.7 billion operating profits (£52,512,691/$82,168,240), a decrease from last year’s ¥71 billion (£483,600,170/$757,413,800). It is important to note, however, that the arcade division had no new major titles being sold and that some pachislot machines were delayed. A Fist of the Northstar pachislot machine was forecasted to sell over 200,000 units. As such, numbers were adjusted to account for this changing the net income projection down from  ¥40 billion to ¥12 billion.

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