Rome 2: Total War Officially Announced (Awesome Live Action Trailer)

Rome 2: Total War has been officially announced! Rome 2 has been the most anticipated game in the Total War series since the original Rome released in 2004. The budget for Rome 2 is said to be 40% larger then that of Shogun 2.

I began playing the Total War series with the original Shogun: Total War but it was Rome that really grabbed me and made me a fan of this series. Needless to say Rome 2 cannot come soon enough.

Rome 2 will release for PC in 2013. P.S check out that fantastic live action trailer!

The Weekly Five: Reasons why Sega is failing in the western markets

 

It’s sad to see how bad Sega is doing these days. With the whole restructuring and with many offices closing it’s hard not to worry about our favorite game company’s future. Heck, if I were Kellie, Ken or the rest of the community staff, I’d be dusting off my resume’s right about now. But I feel many of us kinda saw this coming. We promoted and championed our favorite new Sega games (and still do) only to see them poorly marketed and handled like garbage with little promotion outside of Sega’s own website. So why is Sega doing so badly as of late? What are they doing wrong? Read on to see my own personal feelings on the matter. Just remember folks, this is an opinion article.

Hands-on with Rhythm Thief: Find out why this should be on your radar

There’s no doubt about it; there are many games out there, all of them vying for your money and attention in a competitive marketplace. At a time when the industry’s favoring, by and large, a play-it-safe approach to development, it’s always a breath of fresh air when a game surfaces that feels like something truly unique. Judging by its latest demo (now available on the 3DS’ North American eShop) Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure is one such game.

Project X Zone releasing the same day as Bravely Default in Japan; Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen!

Looks like RPG fans on the 3DS will have quite a choice to make this October. It’s being reported that SEGA’s mashup with Namco and Capcom, Project X Zone, will be releasing not only in the same month, but on the same day, as Square-Enix’s upcoming handheld RPG, Bravely Default.

Both titles will see release for the 3DS on October 11th in Japan, with no Western plans yet announced for either; given Square-Enix’s localization track record in recent years, however, Bravely Default’s Western release is looking a bit more likely.

Do you think it’s a smart idea to go up against Square-Enix? Or does Project X Zone have the brand name recognition to crush the new IP? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Viking: Battle for Asgard Added to Steam Registry

Sega and Creative Assembly’s 2008 game Viking: Battle for Asgard has turned up on the Steam registry and we assume will soon be available for purchase from the Steam store. This marks Viking: Battle for Asgards début on the PC having released exclusively for Xbox360 and PS3 in 2008.

If this is the beginning for Sega’s new digital strategy then I’m all for it. I absolutely loved Viking, Whilst flawed in some areas the game was full of potential and the epic battles were a thing of beauty. If this means we might get a sequel to Viking then I’ll happily double dip.

You can visit the Viking: Battle for Asgard EULA page HERE.

[On another note, I’m back! I’ve been in America for the past three months with limited internet access, hello again Sega fans!]

 

 

Check out the first limited edition run of Project X Zone

Here is the first edition run of Project X Zone. Looks pretty awesome, right? What do you get?

  • A 48-page full color book that includes all the various games, also promotional art and much more.
  • You also get the “Crossover Soundtrack CD” that comes with music from the game.
So how do you get it? Well, its only for the first print run, once the package runs out it will be gone forever. This version and the regular version will cost the same, so if you are planning on importing it, do that now.

SEGA closes European and Australian offices


Another sad day in SEGA land folks, SEGA has announced today that they will be closing their European and Australian offices. Koch Media will be the distribution partner for the European territories, except for Benelux, which will be handled by Level03 Distribution. Australia territory will be handled by 5 Star. SEGA UK will remain open as the European HQ. So it isn’t all that bad.

“SEGA is entering a new and exciting phase that will position the company as a content led organisation maximising sales with strong and balanced IP such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Total War, Football Manager and the Aliens franchise. The company will benefit from a clear focus and realigned strategy for our digital business and packaged goods and we are confident that this will lead to a successful future.” – COO of Sega Europe Jurgen Post

This goes with the rumor they sort of predicted during E3, only that the rumor wasn’t 100% right. Actually still think the guy just guessed and happen to hit some of the mark. What do you guys think? Is this ‘new and exciting phase’ for SEGA or is this bad?

Rhythm Thief demo now available on U.S. 3DS E-Shop

Finally! U.S. gamers can get their hands on a demo of the upcoming rhythm-based game, Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure. The demo feature 3 levels to give you a good feel for the game. Here’s a quote from Sega’s announcement this morning.

Good news everyone! The Rhythm Thief Demo launches today across North America in the 3DS E Shop! You play as Raphael, a normal every day kid by day, and Phantom R by night – the heroic thief who is famous among Parisians for stealing paintings only to return them a few days later. There’s a mystery afoot, with full map navigation across Paris, intricate and involved story, and tons of musical mini-games.

Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure will be available Tuesday, July 10th.

My Life with SEGA reviews Motocross Championship

I was never fortunate or rich enough growing up to own a 32X. Actually I never meet anyone around the time that actually had one. So its good to see A.J. crack down some 32x reviews, even if the game pisses him off.

“It’s another “classic” episode from the vault. If you thought my review of Cliffhanger was scathing, just you wait until you endure the horror that is Motocross Championship for the SEGA Genesis 32X.”

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Famitsu gives Anarchy Reigns high marks – so can we have the game already, SEGA?

I’m really getting sick of opening articles with a rundown of Anarchy Reigns delay in the west, so I’ll keep it short: SEGA delayed the game again and again, it now looks to be coming in 2013, and it pisses me off. To add salt to the wound, Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu reviewed the game, which releases July 5th in Japan by the name of Max Anarchy. What did they rate it? Straight 9’s for both XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 versions. So it appears the game is very, very good. 9,9,9,9 good. So tell my again why SEGA continues to delay the game? Excuse me while I belt out an old chestnut from Doctor Robotnik: “DUMBOTS!!!”

SEGA Tunes: Sonic Rush’s What U Need

Hideki Naganuma has a very distinct style that is very difficult to miss, often mixing Japanese techno with hip-hop and funk. He’s probably one of the most notable composers to ever work with SEGA, having contributed a number of songs to games like Jet Set Radio, Jet Set Radio Future, and Ollie King. His work set the tone for these games, and meshed very well with the off beat Japanese style of these games.

Needless to say, his work on Sonic Rush is similarly revered. It’s composed of some of the most eclectic, energetic and unique songs you’ll hear in a Sonic soundtrack, such as the above song. Fans of Naganuma will also be happy to hear that as of today, the Sonic Rush soundtrack is now available on iTunes for everyone to download!

The Dreamcast Junkyard takes a look at the Gunlord Limited Edition

SEGA Network partner The Dreamcast Junkyard has uploaded a great unboxing and gameplay video of the latest indie Dreamcast game, Gunlord. DCJY writer The GagaMan(n) got his hands on the Limited Edition version of the game, which includes a soundtrack CD along with the game. The package art looks beautiful, and the booklet is loaded with great artwork. The game itself looks unlike any other indie Dreamcast game we’ve seen, despite the storyline having ties to NG:Dev.Team’s Last Hope: Pink Bullets. Check out the video here!

Have any readers picked the game up? If so, what do you think of it? I’ve ordered the limited edition earlier this week, and hope to get my hands on it before July 4th. I figure all the shooting can act as our fireworks this year. You can buy yourself a copy at NG:Dev.Team’s shop.

Jet Set Radio HD achievements revealed – game to include JSRF tunes?

Achievements for the upcoming release of Jet Set Radio HD have been revealed, and with them comes a hint towards a bonus that SEGA has yet to speak of. At the top of the list of thirty achievements is one titled “Back to the Future” with the description “Unlock all songs in the bonus menu”. To my knowledge, there was never a bonus menu that unlocked songs in the original game. There was a sound test, but that was complete from the start. No unlocking necessary. The achievement’s title mentions “future”, which of course was in the title of the franchise’s second game Jet Set Radio Future. Could SEGA be adding an option to play select tunes from Jet Set Radio Future? Or is it simply a nod to the sequel and nothing more? After the break, the full list of achievements.

Project X Zone to include over 200 characters


Now, just because they promise 200 characters, doesn’t mean there will be 200 playable characters. It just means there will be a ton of cameos, some will be villains others NPCs. If you haven’t heard about Project X Zone, it will feature characters from SEGA, Namco-Bandai and Capcom in a tactical RPG on the Nintendo 3DS.

I know what you are saying, “When is the game out?” Sadly, the game hasn’t been announced for release outside of Japan and I doubt it will make its way out of there. Namco x Capcom on the PS2 stayed Japan exclusive as well.

SEGA Memories: Sonic Adventure 2 Commercials

http://youtu.be/btocx2o5gZQ

Of all the things I remember about the Dreamcast days, the Sonic Adventure 2 commercial is about the only ad that actually sticks in my mind. Why? Well, for one, it was the only Dreamcast ad I ever actually saw on television. Thanks to Youtube I know that the Dreamcast had the sort of ads that console makers never even bother with these days. I don’t know what Master Chief and Marcus Fenix are doing in my Xbox, but I know exactly what Sonic and other Dreamcast stars are doing in my little white box: having a never ending dance party!