SEGA Network’s new teaser site shows world map and countdown

SEGARepairSEGA Network’s new teaser site is titled ‘Repair’, with a world map and a clock that counts backwards. At first, when Siliconera posted it the map only pin pointed on Florida but now it moved its point to somewhere in Europe. I want to say Italy or one of the small surrounding countries. Another clue is what happens when you click the red location dots, if you click on Florida it says 1492 AD which was the year of the European Discovery and Settlement of the State. But if you highlight the European red dot you get the year 0027 BC which would mark the end of the Roman Republic.

So what do I think it is? I think its going to a be SEGA Network’s new mobile game that will have to do with world history. Maybe something like Civilization series but on mobile.  At least if the years on the teaser page are anything to go by. SEGA Network’s new teaser site is set to stop its countdown clock on August 8, 2016.

What do you think it is?

SEGA asking for Easter Eggs in “new mobile game”

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In one of the oddest requests for fan input in a while, the SEGA Facebook page is asking for fans to submit ideas for Easter Eggs for a “new mobile game that will include many of your favorite SEGA characters.” Responses seem to vary from character cameos to sly references, but at the least everyone has done one thing; share some love for their favorite franchises.

The “new mobile game” referred to here is possibly SEGA Blast Heroes, the recently leaked SRPG crossover game dug up by Segalization. The fact that they’re asking for franchises in general and the header image above features Sonic alongside Streets of Rage, Shinobi, and Crazy Taxi not only points to the game being a crossover, but also likely teases their inclusion in whatever game SEGA has planned. It is possible SEGA Blast Heroes was nothing more than a testing the waters from SEGA Networks, with only mock-up screens created, and other concepts are also being developed internally. It is also possible that SEGA Blast Heroes was not even created by SEGA Networks. If any more direct or indirect info on SEGA Blast Heroes – or whatever the mobile game is – should surface, we’ll let you know.

SEGA News Bits: Crossover SRPG “SEGA Blast Heroes” Leaked

Earlier in July, a mobile game called SEGA Blast Heroes was seemingly leaked via Facebook ads. In this SEGA News Bits, George and Barry discuss this rumored new game that sets out to assemble an all-star cast of SEGA characters in a SRPG setting. Could SEGA Blast Heroes be the real deal, or is SEGA simply testing the waters and the game is nothing more than some mocked up screenshots?

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Rumor: SEGA Blast Heroes a new mobile SRPG gets leaked

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According to the mobile game website PocketGamer there is a new mobile game by SEGA, which features classic game IPs. Not only that, mobile ads for SEGA Blast Heroes (the games name) have been popping up. The ads describe the title as a ‘strategy RPG’. The Facebook page behind the ads leads to a page called ‘SEGA Mobile’ which has a bit over 150 likes at he moment. If you click to download the app from the ad, it takes you to StoreMaven, which is a service to help test upcoming app store conversion rates.

Below are some screenshots of the supposed game called SEGA Blast Heroes. Of course, it looks like it would play like Chain Chronicle. Just looking at the screenshots leaked so far I see Samba De Amigo, Space Channel 5, Sakura Wars, Valkyria Chronicles, Jet Set Radio, Wonder Boy, Alex Kidd, and a lot of unknowns populating the screens. It also seems that you will be fighting generic looking villains, which is a bummer.

This game doesn’t surprise me considering SEGA’s mobile division put out a survey asking fans about classic SEGA franchises. What are your thoughts on the rumor? Would you play SEGA Blast Heroes?

[Via: Segalization]

SEGA News Bits: Flappy Bird Comes To Dreamcast’s VMU

Remember Flappy Bird, the mobile game that apparently destroyed people’s lives because of its simplicity? A SEGA fan going by the name of guacasaurus_mex has recreated Flappy Bird for SEGA’s Visual Memory Unit, so if you want to play it make sure you have some spare CR-2032 lithium batteries and lots of patience. Hit the play above and listen to me and Barry talk about Flappy Bird, VMUs and even Rappy Bird?

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Cranky Food Friends closing on March 31st, 2016

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The SEGA mobile closures continue, as the infamous Puyo Puyo!! Quest reskin Cranky Food Friends is closing on March 31st. Both Cranky Food Friends and Puzzle & Glory were announced at the same time, but unlike Puzzle & Glory, Cranky Food Friends experienced a much harsher time. Not even getting past the soft release phase and having reports of being very buggy to the point of being game breaking, Cranky Food Friends being closed down was not a surprise. This is especially good in the case of Puyo Puyo fans out there still bitter about the game.

SEGA’s Monster Gear gets an English soft launch in the Philippines

01-monster-gear-2.jpgSEGA’s Monster Gear  was one of the biggest mobile games to hit Japan last year, now SEGA is getting the game ready for an English audience. Like most mobile games, this title will have a soft launch; so if you live in the Philippines you can download the game now via the PlayStore.

[edit: We where asked to take down the APK file and complied, call us sell outs in the comments. Thanks] So far the game has some 1 star reviews stating that it isn’t very user friendly, maybe something that SEGA can tweak before its official Western launch.

Find out more about the game, hit the jump!

Chain Chronicle Global shutting down February 29th

chain-chronicle.jpgIf you play Chain Chronicle outside of Japan, I got some bad news for you, it will be closed down next month, and the app has already been removed from the appstores. Before you go blaming SEGA, Chain Chronicle Global is actually published by Gumi and not SEGA.

This is the game closure notice they gave fans:

Dear Captains,

It is with heavy hearts that we must announce that Chain Chronicle Global is closing on February 29th, 2016.

It was a very hard choice to make, but despite the overwhelming support of our loyal fan base, it was the way it had to go. We appreciate your participation in what ended up being a very positive experience for us all, and we would like you all to know that it was thanks to you that Chain Chronicle Global made it as far as it did.

The app is to be removed from the stores, though you will still be able to play the game for a period of time afterwards. Sales of Prysma, however, will end on January 18th, 2016.

While Gumi dropped support, the franchise is far from dead. SEGA is planning to release a anime series based in the game’s universe this year and the game still gets updated in Japan. Maybe now that Gumi has dropped the title, SEGA Networks can relaunch it with all the same content the Japanese version has (the Gumi version was behind).

SEGA partners with ‘goGame’ to publish Japanese mobile games globally

SEGA has now moved forward in their next step for mobile publishing by partnering up with goGame, which is a company SEGA Networks has a large stake in. They will be launching ‘goPlay’ a publishing platform for mobile developers (mostly being aimed in Japan). The idea is that there will be tiers of services the developers can purchase to fit their needs.

While stuff like localization, customer support and other features offered with this service cost money, there is a free option that includes access to SEGA’s Noah Pass ad network of over 100 million users in Japan. This will allow mobile developers to get ad revenue for their creations while SEGA gets a bit off the top. Another ‘free’ service is ‘goPay’ which allows developers to easily receive payments globally, goGame only starts to take 3% from transactions after the game generates over $100,000 dollars in revenue.

Its pretty ironic that SEGA is investing in these sort of companies focused on global publishing when they have one of the worse track records of localizing their own products.

SEGA secretly releases ‘War Pirates’ on Android

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Seems that the Western localization version of Sen No Kaizoku is called ‘War Pirates’ in America and is available to download on Android (coming later to iOS). The game is being created by Masayoshi Kikuchi, who is known by SEGA fans for his work on Jet Set Radio and Yakuza franchises.

War Pirates takes a mix of city building and turn-based naval combat to deliver a frantic pirate themed experience. According to a lot of reviews on the Google Playstore the game is having issues connecting to the game’s server and downloading game data. Just like all other SEGA free-to-play games, the user is forced to have a constant internet connection if they want to enjoy the game, so this could ruin your experience. Not to mention its a soft launch, so it most likely only available if your from a country like Canada.

If you download it, let us know what you think of the game in the comments below.

SEGA and LINE announce mobile RPG Fortisia for Android and iOS

SEGA has just announced that they are developing a new mobile RPG entitled Fortisia, due out for Android and iOS. The game is being jointly developed with LINE, a Japanese mobile company best known for their chat application that has since grown to include games. While LINE’s past games are more geared toward casual gamers, the hope is that Fortisia will draw in “mid-core” and perhaps even hardcore gamers.

Fortisia is described as a 3D action RPG and will feature multiplayer with up to four players. While players will be able to design their own characters, as is typical with most action RPGs, one unique element to the game is that the game’s weapons (called “Fortis”) contain the spirits of warriors which can be called upon to aid in battle. It is said that there are 400 of these weapons, and they are obtained via a gacha system (think capsule toy vending machine).

You can check out the game’s official site here for more screens and details.

[Via: 4GAMER.net & JRPG.moe]

Puyo Puyo!! Touch announced for Japanese mobile

SEGA Networks has revealed Puyo Puyo!! Touch, an upcoming game for mobile devices. The game is, at the moment, Japan only and given SEGA West’s recent reskin of Puyo Puyo Quest!!, it is debatable if this would ever release in the West. Unless of course kids are scrambling for more Cranky Food Friends games.

The game is in the same vein as Candy Crush, where players drag Puyo to clear other Puyo. The game differs from Puyo Puyo Quest!! in that it is a linear adventure. The game also features a cast of characters from past Puyo Puyo games including: Ringo, Arle, Amitie, Sig, Carbuncle, Rider, Skeleton-T, Schezo and Ms. Accord. There is no release date as of yet, though players can now register for the game.

For more screens and videos, check out the official SEGAbits forum topic. Thanks for FlareHabanero for the news tip!

Joseph Kim to lead SEGA West’s mobile efforts

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Yesterday SEGA announced that Joseph Kim, formerly of the studio FunPlus, has been named SEGA’s vice president of product. Kim is being tasked with managing the mobile product strategy in Western markets. Sega Networks COO Chris Olson said “This position is instrumental in pulling all three of our wholly owned studios and two studio investments together to drive Sega’s success on mobile. Kim’s rich background in successfully bringing games to market along with his experience in consulting and analytics makes him the best candidate for the job, and we look forward to seeing him work his magic.” Kim had this to say regarding his role: “In mobile gaming, the best is yet to come. I look forward to working with the teams at Sega to help deliver awesome game experiences to existing and future Sega customers.”

Of course, what really matters are Kim’s results, so it will be interesting to see if there is any major shifts in SEGA’s mobile output moving forward. Hey, Joseph, if you are reading this: bring some of those Puyo Puyo’s sitting with you to the West!

[Via: GameIndustry.biz]

SEGA’s publishes new trailer for their next big JRPG ‘The World Ends Eclipse’

SEGA Has released the following trailer for their next big upcoming JRPG titled ‘The World Ends Eclipse‘, which will be coming to Windows PC, Playstation Vita, and mobile devices. The game will have you conversing with big breasted, scantily clad dressed women who continuously call you ‘Captain’. This title is probably one of the bigger cross platform titles SEGA has done for mobile. What it seems like, that this is a mobile game that will be converted to play on both PC and Vita. I would say that’s a decent compromise for people that don’t like to play games on their phones.

We got a few more screenshots down below for you gander at. Yeah, the graphics aren’t anything impressive. Though I do like some of the character designs and if its got writing like Chain Chronicles, it will probably have good character stories as well. But will the game come West? With SEGA’s track record, maybe in a few years but reskinned to appease some focus group.