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SEGA Crowned Metacritic’s Publisher of the Year 2024

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In 2024, SEGA delivered an impressive lineup of games, solidifying its position as a powerhouse in the gaming industry. The year began with the highly acclaimed releases of Persona 3 Reload and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the latter of which expanded the Yakuza franchise by taking its beloved characters to new international settings. Over the summer, SEGA continued its winning streak with the multiplatform release of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengence, which had previously been exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. However, the crown jewel of Sega’s year was Metaphor: ReFantazio, a brand-new IP from Atlus that garnered widespread praise and multiple awards for its innovative story and gameplay. These successes not only showcased Sega’s ability to reinvent its franchises but also its commitment to delivering fresh, high-quality experiences. Not surprising, SEGA has announced they will be focusing more on these two properties. 

SEGA’s stellar year culminated in it being named Metacritic’s Publisher of the Year, a title it has now won multiple times in the past. Metacritic calculates this award by averaging each publisher’s game scores and factoring in the ratio of positive to negative reviews. With a total of 325.5 points, SEGA surged from 9th place in 2023 to claim the top spot in 2024. This victory marks another milestone in Sega’s history, as it previously won the award in 2020, thanks to hits like Persona 5 Royal and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Capcom, the 2023 winner, came close to repeating its success with 323 points, while Microsoft also made significant strides, climbing to 9th place with 301 points. Sega’s 2024 triumph underscores its consistent ability to produce critically acclaimed games and reaffirms its legacy as one of the industry’s most respected publishers.

 

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SEGA’s New Focus: Why Sonic, Yakuza, and Atlus Are Top Priorities

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SEGA-Sammy’s latest fanicial report made one thing clear: The company will be focusing on what they consider its holy trinity which is Atlus JRPGs, Yakuza aka Like a Dragon titles and of course Sonic the Hedgehog brand. The wild thing is, SEGA is actually more focused on Japanese title more than ever because a decade a go Like a Dragon wasn’t considered a big pillar for SEGA; but seems to have released the Total War franchise on SEGA’s top three list. SEGA Europe’s issues are definitely something to talk about in its own post.

Let’s look at what this new focus could mean:

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SONIC WEEKLY: Episode 102 Gamma + CrossWorlds First Impressions

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This week, Grant can’t pronounce “Gamma” but does have some thoughts on playing CrossWorlds closed network beta test and the conversation surrounding it. David pontificates about the journey of E-102 Gamma and the existential themes of Sonic Adventure and Bo updates us from Rings of Saturn.

Listen to SONIC WEEKLY on YouTube above or on your podcast service of choice by searching SONIC WEEKLY

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The House of the Dead 2: Remake DEMO Now Available To Play During Steam Next Fest!

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Steam Next Fest has officially launched with a playable demo of THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake from Mega Pixel Studio S.A. and Forever Entertainment. THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake is a remake of the second entry in the well-known and popular arcade rail-shooter series by SEGA. Take on the lone role of a secret agent as James or Gary, or team up in co-op mode to neutralize the dangerous undead monsters standing in your way.

The demo includes:

• First level of the game
• Co-op mode
• Remastered music (with the classic soundtrack also available in the game)
• Modern graphics
• Gameplay faithful to the original game

Give this demo a shot and let us know what your impressions are!

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SONIC WEEKLY: Hopes and Dreams for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

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Recorded just prior to the closed beta test for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds on PS5, this week Team Sonic Weekly ideate around dream features, characters, and courses that could be included in the final game. Next week: our first impressions, so stay tuned!

Listen to SONIC WEEKLY on YouTube above or on your podcast service of choice by searching SONIC WEEKLY

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SEGA Talk #158: Sonic & SEGA Theme Parks

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This week on SEGA Talk, join George and Barry as they embark on a whirlwind tour of SEGA’s fascinating history with theme parks! From the ambitious SEGA World Sydney, dubbed “Australia’s Interactive Disneyland,” to the futuristic Joypolis centers in Japan and beyond, we explore the rise and fall (and sometimes rise again) of SEGA’s ventures into themed entertainment. We’ll delve into the unique attractions, the iconic logos, and the stories behind parks like Centre Sega Paris, Festival Disney, SEGA Arena Taichung, SEGA Republic in Dubai, and the ill-fated SEGA VirtuaLand in Las Vegas. Did you know SEGA even had a presence inside Disneyland Paris?

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – Download]

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, have your memories read on the show, select the games we talk about!

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NetEase to Close Nagoshi Studio Amid Major Cuts

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Nearly three years have passed since Toshihiro Nagoshi departed SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio to establish his own venture, Nagoshi Studio, under NetEase. Unfortunately, reports indicate the studio may not see its debut project come to fruition. According to Bloomberg, Nagoshi Studio is among the casualties of NetEase’s recent restructuring, facing closure.

While the studio will be granted time to finalize its current projects, but will not receive further time, funding or marketing support. This severely limits the game’s prospects for widespread release and promotion.

Speculation now turns to Toshihiro Nagoshi’s future. His departure from SEGA was reportedly fueled by dissatisfaction with a demotion and disagreements over company expenditures. Regardless, Nagoshi’s reputation remains strong within the Japanese gaming industry. It would not be surprising if other publishers are already expressing interest in his services. Who would that be?

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Out Now; New Game Plus and English VO Available with Day-1 Patch

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Aye ye land lubbers! We would like to inform you all that SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has officially launched the latest spin-off in the Like a Dragon series and one of 2025’s most anticipated games, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows and Steam (PC).

In addition to the launch, a new “Day One” patch is available for the game with New Game Plus, which allows players to start the game from the beginning, carrying money, fame, and the abilities of Majima and the crew from the completed story save data (story progression will be reset). English and Chinese voice over in addition to other technical adjustments are also included in the patch.

Don’t miss out and be sure to get yer hands on Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii today on these platforms.

Available Now on Amazon

Standard Edition: PlayStation 4 | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X

Collector’s Edition: PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X

Windows & PC: Steam

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Like A Dragon crossover DLC “Ichiban’s Holiday” coming soon to Dave the Diver

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Revealed in PlayStation’s State of Play presentation yesterday, February 12th, 2025, a new DLC crossover with the Like A Dragon series, Ichiban’s Holiday, is coming this April to the hit game Dave the Diver. After having already enjoyed crossovers with franchises like Godzilla and Guilty Gear, the Hero of Yokohama, Ichiban Kasuga, alongside the bartender of the Survive Bar, will be joining Dave The Diver in a new action-packed story expansion on all platforms that Dave The Diver is available on. This will include some new mini-games and a new beat-em-up style side game that’s sure to excite Dave the Diver fans.

For more info about this new expansive, dive in through the break.

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Golden Axe arcade game now ported to SNK’s Neo-Geo

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The arcade version of Golden Axe (1989) has now been ported to the Neo-Geo family of systems by h0ffman. This comes a couple of weeks after their homemade port of the arcade version of Shinobi (1988) to Neo-Geo, and the Golden Axe port was handled in much the same way. Now that their Golden Axe port is completed, it is now available to download for free from their itch.io page and ready to run on Neo-Geo AES, MVS, and CD hardware.

Unlike with their Shinobi port, they’ve added some extra special features to this new Neo-Geo port. You’ll find more information, along with a download link, right past the break.

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Demo Available Now On PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam

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During yesterday’s PlayStation State of Play, SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced a demo for the highly anticipated Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam, and it’s now available to play!

Players eager to get a taste of the action in the over-the-top, modern-day pirate adventure as ex-yakuza Goro Majima can access the demo and enjoy it for as long as they like. In the demo they’re able to explore a slice of the massive Honolulu map and kick arrrss with Majima’s Sea Dog & Mad Dog fighting styles, then head to the secret criminal haven of Madlantis to test their might in real-time ship & deck battles in the Pirates’ Coliseum naval arena.

Immerse yourself in thrilling action with furious combat and get a peek at some of the content available in the full game that also includes open-sea adventure, ship customization, crew building, an epic story and more!

Pre-Order on Amazon

Standard Edition: PlayStation 4 | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X

Collector’s Edition: PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X

Windows & PC: Steam

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SEGA News Bits Live: Sonic CrossWorlds REVEALED + Shinobi RETURNS

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Sony’s State of Play brought us tons of new information on Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds as well as a full reveal of the new Shinobi game, subtitled Art of Vengeance! Let’s take a look at both trailers and discuss additional details on this SEGA News Bits Live!

If you want to support this type of content, you can check out our Patreon!

If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us: Give us a sub and give this video a thumbs up so it shows up on more like-minded fans YouTube recommendations. You know, how that YouTube algorithm is.

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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Announce Trailer Revealed With Gameplay!

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Sonic and friends are back for another amazing racing event across land, sea, air, space, and time in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds! As seen in the announced gameplay trailer, warp through Travel Rings into new dimensions where something new awaits around every twist and turn. Speed to victory solo or as a team in a variety of offline and online modes and compete against players from around the world.

Build the ultimate machine to match your racing style, unlock gadgets to gain the upper hand, and unleash power-up items for the win! Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds also offers the largest roster of characters in any Sonic racing game, as well as a wide variety of customizable vehicles. Sonic Racing CrossWorlds will be soon available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

 

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SEGA Announces SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance; Releases on August 29, 2025

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Joe Musashi returns in the latest entry to the Shinobi series after a long hiatus with SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance, which was announced recently on Playstation’s State of Play. The game is being developed by Lizardcube, the talent behind Streets of Rage 4. Play as Joe Musashi in a new 2D action platformer that marks the return of the iconic SHINOBI franchise.

SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance follows longtime series protagonist and master of the ninja arts, Joe Musashi, who arrives home from a previous adventure to find his village burned to the ground and his clan turned into stone. Driven by vengeance, Joe sets off on an epic quest, battling hordes of enemies and larger-than-life bosses across stunning hand-drawn worlds. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance will be available for PS5/4, Xbox Series X|S/One, & Steam. Nintendo Switch and physical soon on August 29.

Pre-order now to receive a 10% discount and bonuses along with the Digital Deluxe Edition – includes the Ghost Outfit, 3 days early access, and more.

Hit the jump for more details on key features and the Digital Deluxe Edition.

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