SEGA planning development of TV and film adaptations of video game properties

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Variety reports that SEGA has begun planning the development of classic and modern video game franchises for film and television. SEGA has tapped Break Media executive Evan Cholfin to lead the efforts at Tokyo-based Stories International, a joint venture between SEGA and Hakuhodo DY Group launched in 2011.

The first titles SEGA plans to move forward with are “Altered Beast,” “Streets of Rage,” “Shinobi,” “Rise of Nightmares” and “Crazy Taxi”. Plans are for English-language live action and animated spinoffs. “Virtua Fighter” and “Golden Axe” are also being considered.

SEGA also has a minority investment in All Nippon Entertainment Works through a stock deal. The deal with ANEW will help the Stories group expand its efforts by gaining access to twenty Japanese rights holders with connections to films, TV shows, books, toys and manga.

With the news of a joint venture with Sony Pictures to produce a Sonic the Hedgehog movie, SEGA will have a big presence in Hollywood in the coming years! In the comments, let us know which confirmed franchise you’re most looking forward to.

Review: Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal (Nintendo 3DS)

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In late October, SEGA released the first piece of the Sonic Boom franchise by way of the Archie comic book series of the same name. Despite the much touted TV series and video games, the comic book was our first official trip into the Sonic Boom universe. In my review of the first issue, I noted that I really enjoyed the fun, loose, self-referential nature of the comic book series. I compared the Sonic Boom comic to Archie’s early Sonic the Hedgehog issues. My exposure to the franchise continued with the TV series, which I also enjoyed, noting that the series felt very much like DiC’s 1993 series Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. By this point, I was feeling fairly positive about Sonic Boom. And then the video games released.

My Life with SEGA runs and guns his way through Metal Slug for the Saturn

This week on My Life with SEGA, Andrew and Mickey Mac dive into the trenches with a run-and-gun arcade classic from SNK, Metal Slug.

While the game is both addictive and exciting as a single player experience, it’s best enjoyed with a friend. Sadly, we’re getting these two jackasses that aren’t even capable of taking on the Empire without wanting to kill each other.

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Atlus bringing Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker to the US in early 2015

Atlus USA just announced that they’re bringing the upcoming 3DS game Devil Survivor 2: Break Record to the west with the subtitle changed to Record Breaker. The game is an updated version of Devil Survivor 2 for the DS and contains almost double the amount of stuff and the story fully voiced in English.

You can expect the game to be released in the US in early 2015 for $49.99. As usual with Atlus localizations, no release date has been given for Europe and it can take a while for it to be released there.

Let’s Get Scratchin’! “Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls” anime Episode 10 is here, Impressions

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“JET SET RADIOOOOOO!” Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls episode 10 has gone up on Crunchyroll, so “let’s look at the funk-” I mean, episode!

Today’s episode sees the girls enter the world of Jet Set Radio (or Jet Grind Radio to those of you in the US)! Asobin gives them two tasks to complete; pull off a cool trick for 5 medals, and be the first to reach a specific goal and spray graffiti of what they want to be in the future, for 15 medals! Mega Drive is unsurprisingly none too happy about the idea of skating, and attempts to fake illness; it fails, and thus the girls enter Shibuya-Cho.

Sonic & SEGA Fan Jam 2014: Impressions

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Hello SEGAbits readers, Kori-Maru here and fresh from our fan convention event in Savannah, Ga. I would like to thank everyone who’ve attended our event and The Guild Hall for their support and using their venue for the event. Met new friends and had some great moments at the event. Want to learn how SEGA & Sonic Fan Jam came to be and how the even turned out? Hit the jump of my impressions of Sonic & SEGA Fan Jam 2014 including a ton pictures.

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SEGA and Sony partner up to bring Yakuza 5 to US and Europe

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SEGA certainly kept us waiting on this one but it’s finally official, Yakuza 5 is hitting European and American Playstation 3’s for 2015. Partnering with Sony and part of the #buildingthelist hashtag, Yakuza 5 was one of the most requested titles and the dream is finally real. Talking about the announcement, series creator and software division head Toshihiro Nagoshi had this to say;

“After receiving so many requests from fans of the series, we have decided to bring Yakuza 5 to the US and Europe. This title was enjoyed by over one million gamers in Japan. I’m looking forward to seeing how Yakuza 5 will be received by the gamers in the U.S. and Europe.”

So far the only information we have is that the title will be available digitally via Playstation Network but that wasn’t all, also announced was Yakuza 4 and Yakuza: Dead Souls will also be released on Playstation Network.

Iwakura Productions to Fan Translate Sakura Taisen on PC

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Iwakura Productions, known for their work on numerous Japanese fan translated games, has taken charge of translating SEGA and Red’s best selling dating sim/tactical role-playing game, Sakura Taisen (Sakura Wars in the West) to English. The project is currently being worked on by three people and will have a brand new translation with no prior scripts to be used or referenced. So far, the game’s script is 1/12th finished. If anyone would like to volunteer for the translation project, click here and send comment to the project lead. For screenshots of the game in english, be sure to hit the jump!

Win a copy of Valkyria Chronicles for PC!

Valkyria Chronicles Segalization Giveaway

The PC port of Valkyria Chronicles has been a success for both the fans and Sega. In celebration of the franchise’s second wind in the West and our recent one-year anniversary as a website, Segalization is giving away five digital copies of the PC port of Valkyria Chronicles on Steam! For more details on the contest and to participate, just follow this link to our entry form over at Segalization. Winners will be determined on December 7th at 7:00 PM GMT / 2:00 PM EST, and they’ll receive the code via e-mail or through a gift on Steam in the following days. Good luck!

“Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls” anime Episode 9 is out, with Chain Chronicle

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Hi☆sCool! Seha Girls episode 9 has gone up on Crunchyroll, which means it’s time for my to roll out some impressions!

This week’s episode sees the girls enter the world of Chain Chronicle. If you don’t know what Chain Chronicle is… well, join the club, as before this episode I honestly had no idea either; my SEGA knowledge only extends so far, sadly! For those unaware, it’s an RPG for smartphones and Playstation Vita in Japan, and apparently SEGA and mobile games publisher gumi inc. are teaming up to distribute it elsewhere, meaning soon it might actually land in Western territories. Anyways, initially the girls harbour some reluctance to enter the smartphone as opposed to the TV, and a not-so-subtle dig is taken at the smartphone-isation of gaming today, including what I can only guess is a joke about the fate of SEGA for good measure!

SEGA announces Total War Battles: Kingdom coming to PC, Mac and Tablets

Seems that Creative Assembly’s free-to-play title Total War Battles: Kingdom is finally getting a closed beta on PC, SEGA confirmed today.

Total War Battles: Kingdom is being developed by Creative Assembly’s Digital Team (responsible for Total War Battles: Shogun), this entry will take you to the 10th century, unique time period weapons and plenty decisions to make. The game will feature kingdom building,  sim style gameplay and of course tactical battles across multiple devices.

Do you want to participate in the game’s beta? Sign up right here.

Atlus bringing Etrian Mystery Dungeon to North America

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A little over a week ago I posted that Etrian Odyssey x Mystery Dungeon game was announced and just like that Atlus has confirmed it is publishing it in America. Not only that, the game will be coming to America in Spring of 2015. You see, us SEGA fans are used to waiting up to a year after the game comes out in Japan before we even hear if its going to come to America and even then we best hope for the best.

Atlus is so ahead of the curb that there is already English translated screenshots and there hasn’t been ANY screenshots in Japanese released for the game. Atlus can you please publish Shining Resonance, Phantasy Star Nova and Yakuza 5? I mean, its even been over two years since SEGA announced Phantasy Star Online 2 was coming to America.

Check out the screenshots, game description after the break.

SEGA announces new rhythm arcade game ‘Chunithm’

SEGA has just announced another rhythm arcade game, this time called Chunithm, that has already been hitting CLUB SEGA Akihabra since November 28th. This new rhythm game joins SEGA’s last few rhythm games such as Crackin DJ, Project Diva and MaiMai.

Chunithum is also set to have songs from MaiMai in it. SEGA will be giving away a limited mini-soundtrack album to promote the new arcade. You can see the cabinet design and cover to the mini-soundtrack below. Am I the only one waiting for Virtua Fighter 6? What is this? What…

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SEGA reveals new traumatic DLC for Alien: Isolation

The latest DLC for Alien: Isolation‘s Survivor Mode is now available for you to download. This DLC is dubbed “Trauma” as it introduces Sevastopol’s medical officer, Dr. Lingard, as a playable character. You will control Dr. Lingard as you explore three new maps as she seeks to destroy her research on the Alien creature. The DLC has launched on PC,  Xbox One and of course Xbox 360. Sadly Sony gamers will have to wait for the store to update Thursday to get it on Playstation 3 and Playstation 4.

Trauma is the second DLC pack of five that SEGA is set to release and will join the first DLC titled ‘Corporate Lockdown’, that launched in October. The next pieces of DLC are set to be titled ‘Safe Haven’, ‘Lost Contact’ and ‘The Trigger’. You can get all the DLC for $30 in the game’s season pass, which is half off right now on Steam. Each DLC is priced at $8 individuality or you can just wait for the Game of the Year edition later next year, but that’s none of my business.