Japan

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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Shining Ark gets Shining Wind character cameo

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If you live in Japan, you might want to know that if you pre-order the next Shining RPG, Shining Ark, SEGA will be giving you a crossover character from Shining Wind for free. You will get Rouna Murasame, she won’t have story elements but will be playable during battle.

Sucks that we won’t see this game in the west. Shining Ark comes out February 28th on the PSP.

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SEGA Archives reveals Space Harrier 3DS details – simulate the arcade experience!

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SEGA’s recently launched Archives site reveals more details of the 3D rerelease of Space Harrier, including release date, price, features and more. The game is set to release on December 26th in Japan, for 600 yen (about $7). According to a translation of the site, features include: the ability to put in credits to increase your playtime, stage select screens, the ability to save the game at any time, the ability to save and watch replays, control with either the circle pad or the d-pad or the touchscreen, change difficulty, change the number of lives you start out with, change rate of fire, a time trial mode, change the range of movement, an enhanced sound test and a variety of screen sizes (seen below).

Perhaps the most interesting feature is, what appears to be, a mode which simulates the arcade experience: “When ON, the game screen is tilted up, down, left and right according to the movement of the player.” Environmental sounds also play, which are said to simulate the various sounds that were heard from the arcade machine based on the movement of the player. For an idea of what that might feel like, check out a YouTube video of the arcade machine in action after the break.

No details have been given on a Western release, but when we hear something from SEGA we’ll be sure to share it! This is looking to be a truly awesome rerelease of a SEGA arcade classic.

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Happy 14th Birthday, SEGA Dreamcast!

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Fourteen years ago today, in Japan, the final SEGA console released: the Dreamcast. Of course, being an English speaking blog, we tend to put more emphasis on 9-9-99. Still, 11-27-98 is just as, if not more, important than any other Dreamcast launch date simply because it was the first. Also, it is the day before my birthday. A-hem! Anyway, Japanese launch titles included: Sonic Adventure, Pen Pen TriIcelon, Godzilla Generations, July, and Virtua Fighter 3tb. July and Godzilla Generations never made it outside Japan. Considering Famitsu gave Godzilla Generations a 20 out of 40, and Western import reviews were even worse, it seems those outside Japan weren’t missing out on Godzilla.

To celebrate, enjoy the hilarious Japanese Dreamcast commercials starring Senior Managing Director of SEGA Hidekazu Yukawa. The man truly was the Segata Sanshiro of the Dreamcast era, though he acted the complete opposite. Yukawa appeared on the Japanese Dreamcast box, he had his own game, his own merchandise including a cell phone charm, and even appeared in a cameo in the Shenmue demo “What’s Shenmue?”. You can see a complete playthrough of that after the break. Happy 14th Birthday, SEGA Dreamcast!

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Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f has sold over 230,000 units

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Back when the game was released in September, it reported it sold 186,000 copies. Now a few months after its release, SEGA reports that the title has reached 230,000 copies sold. Sadly SEGA didn’t specify if they included Playstation Store digital units in the sales figure or not.

The developers have stated that the game might have had too big of a budget and that they were aiming on this title being the best selling Vita game for 2012. So was it? Well, its competition is actually Persona 4: Golden, a Vita port of the PS2 Atlus RPG Persona 4, which has sold 260,000 copies in Japan. The year isn’t over, Hatsune Miku can still take the crown for the best selling Vita game of 2012. The only issue is, Persona 4: Golden is coming out in the west and Project Diva f isn’t.

 

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Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F hitting PS3 spring 2013

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SEGA already released Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f on Vita. Notice how they now capitalized the F for the Playstation 3 version that was recently announced to be coming out in Spring 2013? Clever, clever.

The Playstation 3 version of the game will feature six new songs, new modules and customization items. All your system data and edit information for the Vita game will transfer to the Playstation 3 version when it’s released. Famitsu teased that new modes are being planned, but no details have been provided yet.

Vita only features like AR and scratched notes are obviously not going to translate into the Playstation 3, so instead you have a star icon. What does it do? Sorry, SEGA hasn’t provided information on this either. Of course, this is a Japan only game as well.

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Yakuza 1&2 HD edition: PS2 vs. PS3 version

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Sony has been pumping HD collections for awhile and gamers have had mix opinions, but this time its SEGA’s first time and I’m excited. I’m a big Yakuza fan, so having the first two (especially the 2nd one) in HD with some nice widescreen and softing up of the jaggies.

Want to see more comparisons? Hit up Siliconera’s article with a ton more photos. Sadly no US release date for the collection has been announced.

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New Initial D7 trailer released

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SEGA’s long running manga adapted racing game, Initial D will be releasing the 7th version of the game next month. So to celebrate the countdown, here is a new trailer to a game we will probably never play over here in the States. Enjoy.

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Vanquish gets re-released on PSN, bundled with DLC

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Vanquish has been re-released on the Japanese Playstation Network, this time it is bundled with all the DLC for the not so low price of 3,600 yen ($46). No word if the game will have a similar release on the US or EU PSN.

What DLC does it include? The limited Weapons pack that was a pre-order item. I guess its not so exciting news.

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Yakuza 5: Making ramen and racing chickens

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One of the many mini-games in Yakuza 5 is going to be cooking noodles. The game will have you make noodles for customers who come into the shop and order them. It’s a rhythm mini-game, where you have to be careful pressing buttons. If you mash the buttons like crazy you will overcook those noodles and no one likes overcooked noodles.

That’s not all, hit the jump to hear about comedy duo mini-game, racing chickens and more. Including more photos.

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SEGA expanding on Hostess dating in Yakuza 5

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I know that Yakuza franchise is known for beating the crap out of Japanese gangsters, but it is also known for its hostess mini-games. SEGA is bringing this back (don’t they always?) and expanding on it. In the past games conversations with the hostess where always in text. In Yakuza 5, they will have spoken lines with regional dialects and a new free action system should give players more realistic conversations as well.

If the hostess likes you, you can take her out on a date. This will actually allow you to walk around with her in town and take her places. The more you explore the cities, the more conversation starters you get. Dating will open up side stories for each character you play as, making it unique and expands on the game’s story. Check out more pictures by hitting the jump.

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Project X Zone gets a new frantic gameplay trailer

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXbalVMNliY

Check out the latest Project X Zone trailer, this one is showing off the in-game’s crazy fighting engine. It looks pretty intense. Sadly the game has only been announced for release in Japan. I guess we can look at it and envy them Japanese people.

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Valkyria Duel browser game heading to iOS and Android

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While it isn’t making its way to Western gamers (yet), SEGA has announced that the free-to-play browser-based card-battling strategy game Valkyria Duel is heading to Android and iOS. The game has been playable on PC’s for a while, but SEGA and developer NHN Japan promise that the iOS and Android versions will allow players to play the game both at home and on-the-go, with data shared between platforms. Those aren’t lofty promises, so I could see the game delivering on that. Hopefully with the shift to mobile devices, SEGA West will localize the game and give it a release. We’ll have to wait and see.

Thanks to Aki At for the heads up. After the break, screens of the game in action.

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