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SEGA and Atlus E3 2016 line-up revealed

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SEGA has just issued a press release laying out just what attendees can expect to find at their E3 2016 booth, which as we’ve detailed before will be shared with Atlus. While the press release was issued by the London offices, the booth itself is being run by SEGA of America and Atlus USA, however there will be select titles that will also be making their way to Europe. First up is Relic Entertainment’s Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, which is set to release in 2017 for Microsoft Windows PC. SEGA’s Yakuza 0, due out in 2017 for PS4 in the Americas and Europe, and Atlus’s Persona 5, due out in February 2017 in the Americas, will also be playable. Sonic will also have a presence with Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice for the Nintendo 3DS which is due out in the Americas and Europe in September 2016. And last but not least, 7th Dragon III Code: VFD for the Nintendo 3DS, which is due out in July 2016 in the Americas, will also be on display.

Jurgen Post, COO For SEGA Europe Ltd., called the lineup “one of the strongest line-ups we have had at E3 for quite a few years”, which is arguably true. Though given SEGA didn’t have a booth in 2015, and 2014 heavily featured the critical bomb that was Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, it’s not hard too hard to declare 2016’s showing as a strong one comparatively. Personally, I think 2016’s E3 lineup is lacking that one big new title that 2014 had with Alien: Isolation. Yakuza 0 and 7th Dragon III Code: VFD are sure to be fun, but they are also titles that have already been released in Japan for some time. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III and Persona 5 both look great, but I wouldn’t say Warhammer is game your average SEGA fan has been chomping at the bit for, and obviously the other is an Atlus title. Also of note, no signs of any Xbox One or Wii U games.

Still, it is great to see SEGA returning to E3 and we wish them a great show. Hopefully this is just a baby step after their massive restructuring and we have more reveals to come leading up to or after the event. Sonic fans and even SEGA themselves have been heavily teasing that the Sonic 25th Anniversary event in July is something to watch out for, so maybe the big new Sonic game will be revealed there amongst one thousand fans who will undoubtably spread the word via fan sites and social media rather than at a trade show.

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SEGA News Bits: SEGA to Shut Down Sonic Runners

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Sonic Runners has traversed a rocky road, after personally disappointing us in 2015 and ending up a financial failure in SEGA’s eyes. Now, SEGA Networks has confirmed that the game will be shutting down in late July. In this SEGA News Bits, Barry and George break down what they think caused Sonic Runners to be killed, if we can expect to ever play the game after its servers shut down and what lessons SEGA could learn from the game’s failures. It’s not all negative, as we also talk about what we liked about the game and give it a fitting eulogy.

If you enjoy the SEGA News Bits video formats make sure to like, share and subscribe to our YouTube for more.

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Atlus announces Persona 5 launch date for the Americas, reveals Premium and Launch Editions

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Get hyped Persona fans, as Atlus has revealed Persona 5‘s release date for the Americas as well two sweet editions of the game featuring tons of swag. Fans can expect to get the game in their hands on February 14th, 2017. The game will release to both Playstation 4 and Playstation 3 consoles and PS4 owners will have the option of the Persona 5 SteelBook Launch Edition and the Persona 5 “Take Your Heart” Premium Edition. It appears that the PS3 will not have a special edition. The PS4 SteelBook Launch Edition, priced at $59.99 US/$79.99 CA will feature a SteelBook collectible case – seemingly similar to the recent PS4 Valkyria Chronicles Remastered metal case although this one appears to be an official SteelBook. The “Take Your Heart” Premium Edition will set you back $89.99 US/$109.99 CA, but looks well worth it. Fans will not only get the SteelBook case, but will also get a soundtrack CD, a 4″ Morgana plush, a 64-page art book, a school bag designed to resemble traditional Japanese school bags complete with a Shujin Academy crest and all that will be in a collectible outer box. Atlus touts this as the largest premium edition in Atlus’ history!

You can pre-order the game at the links above, and after the break check out the full press release as well as a gallery of photos.

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Convention Report: MomoCon 2016

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Conventions never really…felt like something I’d enjoy doing. Crowds of people, loudness everywhere, difficulty in navigation, pains to manage, and sore legs did not sound like an experience that was worthwhile. I experienced all of these at some point or another, and truth be told…it was incredible. MomoCon was an experience I’ll never forget; my first con, my first meetup with people I only knew from internet interactions, my first time helping with a panel, etc.

But it wasn’t a solo experience. Me, my coworker and friend Kori-Maru, and a twenty four pack of bottled water had a mission: do something cool. Something we could return to the site and say “we bring you news!” or “we bring you neat things!”. Unfortunately, SEGA was not at MomoCon in any official capacity this year. So we had to rely on the old fan community to do something worthwhile. Hit the jump to see what we did.

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SEGA News Bits: 7th Dragon III: Code VFD First Impressions

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On this SEGA News Bits we will be giving you our first impressions on 7th Dragon III: Code VFD a JRPG exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS. The video covers the first few chapters of 7th Dragon III: Code VFD and gives you a feeling on what to expect July 12th, 2016 when the game launches in North America.

7th Dragon III: Code VFD features music by Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage) and is co-produced by Rieko Kodama (Phantasy Star & Skies of Arcadia), which are a couple of big names to make die hard SEGA fans happy. Give the video a play and tell us what you think in the comments below. Like always, if you want to see more don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube.

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Dreamcast 2 Fan Project Shuts Down

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sega-dreamcast-2Last year a group of fans got together to try and get a Dreamcast 2 console off the ground. They aggressively tried to use petition sites like Change.org and showed off several videos showing off concepts like the menus. We even did an opinion piece on the project, pointing out concerns we had with how it was being handled.

It seems that what we expected came true and now ‘Project Dream’ is officially dead. Yes, that means there is no Dreamcast 2.  They have now shut down their website and facebook group. But left this message as an explanation:

“The project has been taken offline. This is due to a schism within the team caused by inefficient and amateurish conduct resulting in members being removed and others leaving the team. In light of such unprofessional behavior and an embarrassing lack of progress, seasoned members of the gaming industry have chosen to distance themselves from the project. I too am stepping away from Project Dream. Please note the Twitter account @Project_DreamDC is no longer associated with this group.”

According to a inside source from Dreamcast Junkyard, there is a lot of ‘schism’ within the team and in-fighting. This turned into a rift between core members of Project Dream. Let’s be honest, SEGA said in 2001 that they were leaving the console hardware space, they aren’t coming back. This was bound to fail even without the in-fighting between the members. I mean why would SEGA even call it the Dreamcast 2? What are your thoughts?

[Source: Dreamcast Junkyard]

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Retro Sumus cancels Kickstarter campaign for indie Dreamcast game Xenocider

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As great as it is to see so many SEGA-related Kickstarter campaigns, inevitably some will not reach their goals. In the past we saw Mega-Bit figures and Night Trap Revamped fail to make their money, and today we are sad to report that Xenocider has thrown in the Kickstarter towel. Xenocider is a 3D shooter inspired by the SEGA classic Space Harrier, and was planned to be released to Dreamcast, PC, Mac, Linux and 3DS. At the time of cancelling the campaign, the game had 342 backers and raised $24,061 of the $92,000 goal with 6 days remaining.

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Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap remake revealed

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2016 continues to be the year of retro revivals, as a remake of the SEGA Master System classic Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap has just been announced. Published by DotEmu and developed by Lizardcube and based on Westone Bit Entertainment’s original game, the Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap remake is said to be made with the blessing of LAT and the cooperation of series creator Ryuichi Nishizawa. The game seemingly has no connecting with Wonder Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, despite also being made in cooperation with Ryuichi Nishizawa.

Interestingly, no mention of SEGA is made anywhere on the remake’s site, despite SEGA seemingly owning Wonder Boy. However, it is noted on the game’s website that “with the help of Ryuichi Nishizawa (Westone), Shinji Fujiwara (LAT), and a relentless commitment of DotEmu to untangle a bunch of documents covered in pixellated dustwebs, we have licensed the IP to create this new version (a first since 1994).”

The game has an unknown release date, and platforms are listed as consoles and PC. Check out the trailer above, and after the break read the full press release and check out some screenshots and artwork. More news on the remake as we hear it!

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Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice Launch Edition announced for the Americas

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SEGA is at it once again with their launch editions. In the past we’ve seen everything from stickers to lanyards to art books. Now, Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice for the Nintendo 3DS will have its own launch edition featuring a collector’s box and a special DVD featuring three episodes from the TV series for $39.99. The episodes include “Chili Dog Day Afternoon”, “It Wasn’t Me, It Was the One-Armed Hedgehog” which features Metal Sonic, and the season one finale “It Takes a Village to Defeat a Hedgehog” which sees the introduction of Shadow the Hedgehog. The launch edition is, so far, exclusive to the Americas. This will mark the Sonic Boom TV series’ DVD debut in North America, as the UK has been seeing volume releases of the series with “Sonic Boom Volume 2: Hedgehog Day” releasing this past week.

Also revealed, though speculated by us for some time now, is that Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice will be playable for the first time at E3 in the SEGA of America/Atlus USA booth. Meanwhile, SEGA Europe will showcase the PC side of things and other games in a meeting room at the Concourse Level at booth OFMR 8413. It’s confusing, we know.

After the break, read the full press release.

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SEGA announces ‘Hatsune Miku Symphony’ full orchestra concert

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20160530_101229SEGA has announced that they will be putting on the very first Hatsune Miku orchestra concert. They are calling the event ‘Hatsune Miku Symphony‘ and will be performed with Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Hatsune Miku Symphony will be performed at Chiyoda Ward of Tokyo on August 26, 2016. Hologram Hatsune Miku will be singing during the concert, of course.

Hatsune Miku Symphony tickets are set to cost 8,000 yen ($72 USD) for A-seats, 9,000 yen ($81 USD) for S-seats, and 14,800 ($126 USD) yen for ‘Special Seats’ that include limited edition goods. Tickets go on sale starting June 28th.

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SEGA’s survey asks fans about possible Sonic crossover games

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[Art by Haysey84]

During SEGA’s survey, they had a interesting bit where they asked fans what Sonic crossover games people were interested in. Franchises/companies included: Adventure Time, My Little Pony, Pixar, Capcom, Looney Toons, Disney, Nintendo, and of course Dragon Ball Z. I think its safe to say that Sonic the Hedgehog fans will find all these franchises appealing one way or another.

Here is the screenshot of the question:
3070658-1I’m 100% OK with Sonic crossover games, as long as they are handled with more care than we have seen with their Sonic & Mario At the Olympic Games titles. Can we not make them some low budget mini games compilation? That would be great.

What franchises would you like to see Sonic the Hedgehog crossover with? Let us know in the comments below.

[Via: Gamespot]

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Mobile game Sonic Runners to shut down on July 27th

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Sayonara, Sonic Runners. According to the Sonic Runners official site, the mobile experience from SEGA’s Sonic Team is coming to an end on July 27th, 2016. Released in late February last year, Sonic Runners made waves as being the first smart phone Sonic game to carry the Sonic Team label and seemingly be developed by members of Sonic Team themselves. Unfortunately, one year later it was revealed that SEGA Japan deemed the game a failure. While it was raking in over 30 million yen per month, it wasn’t enough to keep it afloat as SEGA has announced the game’s service will close on the aforementioned date of July 27th.

After this date, the game will no longer be playable at all as it relies on a mobile connection to the game’s servers to operate. There has been no word of an offline version being available. After the break, check out the full announcement.

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Original Sonic Adventure Sega Dreamcast website returns thanks to a true blue fan

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Remember the days of logging on to the Internet using your Sega Dreamcast? Even when games didn’t tout online multi-player, more often than not you’d encounter a webpage option which allowed you to visit the game’s website through the in-game menu. Of course, as time passed many of the Dreamcast webpages have since gone offline, into disrepair, or were bought up by some porn site. Thankfully, fan and friend of TSSMB member JmTsHaW purchased the sonic-adventure.com domain and has (mostly) restored the Sonic Adventure’s original site in all its 640 pixel wide glory! Features include the Updates Archives, Community links including Chao Gardens, Hints and Support information. Very cool to see this piece of SEGA internet history back up and running. Check it out for yourself here, bonus points if you use the Dreamcast.

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Madeon & SEGA collaborating on a “new Sonic game trailer”

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We have information that a new trailer is in the works and that licensed music will be used from Madeon, whether it’s for the new Sonic game constantly teased or something related to Sonic Boom Fire & Ice. Either way, the official Twitter for popular French musician Madeon and Sonic the Hedgehog accounts have talked about using Madeon’s music in a Sonic trailer. The exact context though is ambiguous, such as which song from Madeon or for what game.

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Valkyria: Azure Revolution to focus less on action and more on strategy due to demo feedback

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Valkyria: Azure Revolution, a spin-off from SEGA’s Valkyria Chronicles franchise, saw a demo released in Japan alongside the retail release of Valkyria Chronicles Remastered for PS4 in early February. While Valkyria Chronicles Remastered was met with positive reactions, reactions to the demo of Valkyria: Azure Revolution were mixed to say the least. According to Siliconera, via Hachima, developer Media.Vision received three times the amount of player feedback than expected and plenty of it was harsh. Based on what they heard, the developer has since reworked the battle system, which was more action oriented in the demo, to be more RPG-like in the final game.

Added is a new action gauge for both sides of combat which will allow players to strategize. The new system will allow actions to be done once the gauge fills, and players will be able to stop time while using weapons and abilities – much like a traditional RPG. The game’s director, Takeshi Ozawa, believed that since this is a Valkyria title, a more strategic battle system was required. It’s great that Media.Vision is taking the feedback to heart, but it is kind of odd that it took them this long to realize that a Valkyria Chronicles game functions best when the combat has strategy involved. Makes me wonder if this early demo was a test to see if a action Valkyria game would fly with fans.

The next demo for the game should be available this summer.

[Via: Siliconera]

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