The news that SEGA had acquired Index Corp, and by extension Atlus, shook the gaming world yesterday and left many fans worried for the future of the developer. Atlus’ Head of Consumer Software has released an open letter to the customers to reassure them of Atlus’ future:
SEGA is teaming up with the Japanese animation studio Gonzo to bring us something incredible: a Bayonetta anime movie!
The movie will be getting a limited release in Japanese theatres on November 23rd. You can check out the site here.
Seems like SEGA took their sweet time porting over Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing to Android, especially when you consider the fact that the game came out two years ago. But hey, it’s here now and you can own it for $1.99! This is port of the DS version, cleaned up for higher resolution phones.
The game just came out and reviews aren’t that positive. Out of three reviews, two of them have been one stars and the other was three. Hopefully SEGA addresses issues of lag and other complaints.
SEGA has released two trailers for the upcoming Playstation exclusive, Yakuza Ishin. The first one and the one we embeded above is the gameplay trailer showing off the combat system, forging system and a few other tidbits.
Now the other trailer is the story trailer, this one uses the intro from the cinematic trailer shown off at the Sony conference, which was also awesome. The game comes out in Japan on both Playstation 3 and Playstation 4 on February 22nd, 2014.
The trailer shows a bit of gameplay and CGI, while using the word “Confidential” a lot. Looks like PSO2 battle system with a bit of Tri-ace flavor, IMO.
Phantary Star Nova will be out on the Vita in Japan in 2014.
FOX’s live action sitcom Dads, from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, is one of the fall season’s worst shows reviews-wise. Perhaps the production crew knew they had a stinker on their hands and threw a Dreamcast into the set dressing. Hey, if it worked for The Drew Carey Show, it could work for them. The series follows two guys named Warner and Eli who are successful video game developers who are forced to have their fathers move in with them, thus explaining the Dreamcast sitting on Seth Green’s desk. Why a modern game developer would have so many pieces of 90’s era hardware on his work desk is unknown. Perhaps they’re indie Dreamcast developers? In any case, save yourself the trouble watching the show and just enjoy the image above.
Atlus, shmatlus. What you really want is more Sonic Lost World footage! Straight from TGS comes a new trailer over 3 minutes long packed with never before seen footage including how the 3DS/WiiU connection works and a short cutscene with Amy Rose. There are little details everywhere so Sonic fans might to check it out at least twice. Listen to this person-a, this game will be hotter than a Dragon’s Crown!
It’s impossible to talk about the Dreamcast without eventually talking about Soul Calibur. Still arguably one of the best 3D fighting games ever made, the original Soul Calibur was absolutely groundbreaking in its day both in its spectacular next generation visuals and its supremely fluid and accessible game play. On top of all of this, the game had a presentation that was surprisingly grandiose for its time. While many of its contemporaries either tried to play themselves off as silly, over-the-top, or ridiculous, Soul Calibur presented itself with dignity. It was not just a fighter, it was “the stage of history!” You will not find a kick boxing kangaroos, bouncy boob physics, or gory fatalities here: only fighters battling their way toward their ultimate destiny.
This attitude is reflected in the game’s spectacular soundtrack. The game is filled to the brim with beautiful orchestrated themes meant to compliment the diverse characters and locations in the game. Back in its day, this soundtrack helped give the game a special epic quality that other fighters lacked. I confess, I do find the soundtrack to be a little dated by modern standards: these tracks were clearly produced on a budget with a limited orchestra, but that doesn’t mean they don’t still sound damn good. For your benefit, I’ve decided to feature the far superior “Soul Mix” version of the game’s epic theme song. You can check out the original track below.
Nikkei reports that SEGA Sammy Holdings has succeeded in the bid war to acquire Index Corp. This means the company now completely owns Index as well as it’s subsidiaries including Atlus Co. Ltd. All assets and properties will transfer ownership by November. Appearance of Atlus property to appear in Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed? Still up in the air, but suffice to say, Atlus is now going to be part of SEGA’s growing empire. SEGA is certainly no stranger to the company as they have assisted in publishing Atlus titles in Japan. Surely though, the most important news is they can collaborate once again to make a true sequel to the hottest Dreamcast title, Maken X.
We will report on more as it develops.
We have an update from “Service Games: Rise and Fall of Sega ” author David Munoz, who we interviewed last month:
Hi everyone,
Good news: we have found our editor. I can’t go into specifics just yet, but all of you should be familiar with his work in one way or another. I have already seen some of the edited beginning and the increase in quality is night and day. Hopefully everyone agrees! This is your last chance to send in any edits before the text is finalized, so don’t delay if you know of things we may have missed.
We have a new timeline now. Hopefully way before this, but our plan is now to get everything to you guys before Christmas. This is obviously past our original date of this past August, but hopefully the extra additions and editing make up for it. As soon as we get the final text we will then send out the questionnaires. Print has the highest priority, followed by ebook. People who are waiting on a signed copy may not get their books before Christmas due to shipping times. If you are one of these people and you’d rather get it on time, please message or email me (servicegamessega at gmail.com) and we will refund you the difference and not sign them.
We are planning on launching the “hardback” only Kickstarter in January. This will give second-chance offers to everyone to get the color hardback editions, but will also help cover the added costs that all the delays accrued. We are planning on doing something special for backers of the original who want to back the new version, so stay tuned for that!
That’s it for news. Feel free to ask any questions and thanks for supporting this project… the end is in sight!
-David
After the break, check out a message from David, responding to comments posted on our interview with him.
Watch live video from vidyaretro on TwitchTV
The stream is done for the day, despite technical difficulties. The stream is embedded in the video above which features gameplay from Sonic Adventure 2, Jet Grind Radio, Unreal Tournament, Soulcalibur, Dynamite Cop, Spider-Man, Sonic Shuffle, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing, Looney Tunes: Space Race and South Park: Chef’s Luv Shack.
The Dreamcast is still thinking this month with another set of hits (and misses!) streaming live on Vidya Retro which should be underway if you’re reading this. Be sure to talk with other fans in the Twitch channel and for any particular requests you may have.
Hey, I know you guys are asking why I picked Sonic Shuffle for this week’s Sequel Saturdays. I mean, the first game wasn’t that good (at least in my opinion) and it wasn’t a ‘Dreamcast classic’ compared to something like Jet Set Radio, Shenmue or Skies of Arcadia. Well, I think there is a huge market for a Sonic the Hedgehog party franchise and Sonic Shuffle had potential to fill it.
So if there was to be a sequel, what should the sequel improve upon? Well, that is this week’s Sequel Saturday article!
It’s incredibly rare for a failed system to carry with it such a long-lasting legacy. With the closing of one console generation comes the opening of another, and with time, the systems of old one fade into the realm of memories.
The Dreamcast didn’t get to see the end of the sixth generation of video game systems; at least, not in a traditional sense. But its thriving indie scene was then created, living on for years after the system’s discontinuation, with small independent games released, even today, for SEGA’s white box. Digital remasters of Dreamcast games on HD consoles continue to be greeted with interest and enthusiasm, this anticipation reaching even beyond the SEGA community.
For those of us who owned a Dreamcast from 1999 through 2001, we know that the system was truly something special. It was the only video game console to see its launch at the tail-end of the 90s, carrying with it not only the cultural magic that was the year 1999, but also carrying on its shoulders the last remnants of a dying arcade industry, without a doubt making the most of both. But the Dreamcast also had an eye to the future. As the first sixth gen video game system, it lead the way for many of the games we would go on to experience in a generation that saw storytelling and presentation make a significant jump. The Dreamcast’s games were not (for the most part) the types of linear “movie-games” we see today, but they were certainly cinematic; far more than what came before. They were innovative, they were different, they were funky, and they had soul.
They were art.
SEGAbits partner site The Dreamcast Junkyard has set up a poll which includes every single Dreamcast game from all regions, including indie titles. The mission: to create a definitive top 200 list of the best Dreamcast games. If this sounds familiar, it’s because back in 2009, a top 100 list was created by The Dreamcast Junkyard using data collected from a similar poll. Given attitudes towards certain games have likely changed with time and rereleases, as well as the additions of new indie Dreamcast games to the console’s library, now it a good time as any to revisit and expand the list.
To contribute, simply head on over to the polling site and select every game that you would deem to be a worthy addition to a top 200 list. You can select as many as you’d like, and it is encouraged that you select a sizable amount. This is not a popularity contest for one specific title. It is a comparison of many (at the time of this writing, 100+) Dreamcast fan’s lists. Games that appear one more lists are the ones that are more likely to make it near the top. The poll runs until November 18th and the results will be revealed on November 27th, which is the Dreamcast’s 15 anniversary in Japan.
SEGA of Japan has opened their 2013 Tokyo Game Show website, which reveals their game lineup for the show. Titles include Yakuza Ishin (PS3, PS4), Phantasy Star Online 2 (PC), Phantasy Star Nova (Vita), Hatsune Miku Project Mirai 2 (3DS), Hatsune Miku Project Diva-F 2nd (Vita, PS3), the recently revealed Puyo Puyo Tetris (PS3, Wii U, 3DS, Vita), Hero Bank (3DS) Song Set 575 (Vita), Lets make a Pro Soccer Club! (PS3, Vita), and Sonic Lost World (Wii U, 3DS). The site also offers a look at the SEGA booth, the show program, a list of swag being given out (probably my favorite page), and a shopping page where you’ll see a cute Sonic coffee mug and an awesome Mega Drive 25th anniversary shirt. Yet to be unlocked are movie and photo pages.
Tokyo Game Show begins September 19th, stay tuned to SEGAbits for more Tokyo Game Show news! After the break, check out some Puyo Puyo Tetris and Phantasy Star Nova screens from the SEGA TGS site.