All-format, budget
[#10](NEW) Samba de Amigo
Wii, full price
[#3](+2) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic games
[#4](-2) Sonic and the Black Knight
[#6](+1) The House of the Dead: Overkill
[#8](-2) MadWorld
DS, full price
[#9](+5) Mario and Sonic at the Olympics
PC, full price
[#1](0) Empire: Total War
[#2](0) Football Manager 2009
PSP, full price
[#4](0) Football Manager 2009
XBOX 360, budget
[#5](+1) SEGA Superstars Tennis
SEGA Online posted a bunch of pictures of the offices of Sumo digital, developers of SEGA Superstars Tennis, OutRun 2, OutRun 2: Coast 2 Coast and Virtua Tennis 3. Check out the pictures and see if you can spot their biggest development secrets!
*SEGA Europe posted some new Virtua Tennis 2009 screenshots. Why not check them out.
*SEGA Europe also reports that Rick Nielsen, founding member of the rock band Cheap Trick is composing guitar tracks for The Conduit. Read the full news story HERE. There’s also two new videos.
*SEGA USA reports that StormRise can now also be downloaded (by US costumers) from the Steam network.
*If you were waiting for the Sonic Unleashed level pack on the PS3, forget about it; it won’t be released on PSN (apart from in Japan, strangely). Reason; the recently added bandwidth surcharge by Sony; a silly concept that seems to ‘come back and bite them in the ass’ now.
No news today, but if you’re able to read Dutch or know how to use Babelfish check out ‘one heck of an article’ based on the history of SEGA in The Netherlands @ SEGA Online tomorrow. See you there!
Here’s an overview of the latest review ratings:
-Empire: Total War: 9.9/10 (Gamefocus)
-Empire: Total War: 9.2/10 (PC Format UK magazine)
-Empire: Total War: 9.4/10 (PC Zone UK magazine)
-Empire: Total War: 9.5/10 (ZTGameDomain)
-MadWorld: 8.8/10 (Gamefocus)
-MadWorld: 9/10 (NintendoWorldReport)
-MadWorld: 9.4/10 (Worthplaying)
-MadWorld: 8.5/10 (Kombo)
-MadWorld: 8.5/10 (DS-x2)
-MadWorld: 8/10 (PALGN)
-OutRun Online Arcade: 9/10 (Official Xbox magazine UK)
-OutRun Online Arcade: 7.7/10 (PSM3 UK)
-OutRun Online Arcade: 6/10 (Xbox World 360 magazine UK)
-Phantasy Star Portable: 3.7/5 (Cheat Code Central)
-Phantasy Star Portable: 7.5/10 (Worthplaying)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 7.3/10 (Gamefocus)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: C+ (Gameshark)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 4.5/10 (PALGN)
-StormRise: 7.9/10 (PSM3 UK)
-StormRise: 7.3/10 (TeamXbox)
-StormRise: 5/10 (Gameplayer)
*SEGA Europe posted two trailers: one for StormRise, another for Bleach: Dark Souls (DS).
*SEGA USA posted a lenghty Q&A with Creative Assembly (the developers behind Empire: Total War, if you needed telling)
*Nintendo USA announced a couple of new Virtual Console arcade games. The one that is worth mentioning on this blog: Space Harrier. Space Harrier (Arcade version) will hit the Virtual Console soon and will cost 500 points.
*Kotaku reports on Aliens: Colonial Marines. The game is still very much alive and kicking. Good to know.
Quite a few games dipping out the all-format chart this week, but with four games in the Wii chart and the first two spots in the PC chart, it’s not all bad news.
Wii, full price
[#2](+3) Sonic and the Black Knight
[#5](-2) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic games
[#6](NEW) MadWorld
[#7](-3) The House of the Dead: Overkill
PC, full price
[#1](0) Empire: Total War
[#2](0) Football Manager 2009
PSP, full price
[#4](-1) Football Manager 2009
PlayStation 3, full price
[#8](-1) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
XBOX 360, full price
[#10](-2) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
XBOX 360, budget
[#6](+4) SEGA Superstars Tennis
[#10](+5) Condemned 2: Bloodshot
PlayStation 2, budget
[#6](-1) Sonic Unleashed
*IGN posted an interview with High Voltage Software (creators of The Conduit). Check it out HERE.
*SegaOnline posted the list of achievements for Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram, plus a picture of the (digital) boxart.
*Review score update:
-Empire: Total War: 8/10 (AceGamez)
-Empire: Total War: 9.5/10 (Worthplaying)
-MadWorld: 8.5/10 (play.tm)
-MadWorld: 4/5 (D+PAD magazine)
-MadWorld: 8/10 (Total video games)
-MadWorld: 9/10 (WonderwallWeb)
-MadWorld: 7.5/10 (Gameplayer)
-MadWorld: 8/10 (PU magazine)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 4/10 (DarkZero)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 5.5/10 (WonderwallWeb)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 5/10 (Zentendo)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 6.4/10 (PU magazine)
-StormRise: 8/10 (PU magazine)
We already posted the XBOX 360 achievements, but we can now let you know about the PS3 trophies, as they were posted on PS3Trophies. They’re exactly the same as the achievements really, but at least they should give you an idea which ones are worth a gold, silver or bronze trophy.
Sega news will be back on Monday, happy weekend!
*Were you expecting Outrun Online Arcade on XBLA next week? Well, tough luck, as the game is now planned for release on April the 15th. No news on the PS3 version.
*SEGA Europe posted four new Virtua Tennis 2009 screenshots. Not too sure about screenshot #3, but the other three are rather nice.
*GameKyo posted a new Sonic and the Black Knight trailer in which we get to see…the BLACK KNIGHT himself. Scary stuff.
*The MadWorld frenzy got into overdrive; sites like Eurogamer, GameKyo, FOX.com, Computer and Videogames and VGChartz all started to display advertisments for SEGA’s latest killer of a game. GameFAQs, IGN and Gamespot to follow? We wouldn’t be surprised.
*Live near New York or planning to visit it soon? Eurogamer reports about a new museum entirely devoted to classic videogames (including plenty of SEGA stuff, naturally) ‘The National Center for the History of Electronic Games has opened in New York, and claims to be “the only museum anywhere devoted solely to the study and interpretation of play’. Pay their site a visit why don’t you.
*Review score update (not much today):
-Empire: Total War: 4/5 (G4 X-Play)
-The House of the Dead: Overkill: 9.1/10 (Impulsegamer)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 4.5/10 (Insidegamer.nl)
*Japanese sales chart: 7th Dragon sold 22.000 copies (total now: 102.000), while Yakuza 3 sold another 24.000 copies (total now: 449.000, although THIS report states that the 500.000 mark already has been passed).
*The Japanese ‘website‘ for the mysterious ‘Project Ringo‘ now displays a short movie. Not much to see, but apparently we’ll know more on the 24th.
*The bi-monthly ‘First4Figures Sonic figures still not ready’ laugh/cry; their figures are now pushed back to Q2. Let’s see how long they can keep this up!
*SEGA Europe posted some new screenshots of both The Conduit and Outrun Online Arcade.
*In case you missed them, there were a couple of new trailers released as well; Alpha Protocol (now delayed untill October), StormRise (#1 and #2) and OutRun Online Arcade.
*Review score update:
-Empire: Total War: 9/10 (Gamezone)
-Empire: Total War: 9.4/10 (Games Master magazine)
-Empire: Total War: 9/10 (GamesTM magazine)
-Empire: Total War: 9/10 (Impulsegamer)
-MadWorld: 8/10 (GamesTM magazine)
-MadWorld: 8.5/10 (Gamervision)
-MadWorld: 8.8/10 (Gamer 2.0)
-MadWorld: 3.5/5 (Game positive)
-MadWorld: 9/10 (N-Europe)
-MadWorld: A- (Gameshark)
-MadWorld: 8/10 (Thunderbolt)
-Outrun Online Arcade: 8.7/10 (Games Master magazine)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 7.8/10 (Official Nintendo Magazine UK)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 3.5/5 (Hardcore gamer magazine)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 5.8/10 (Gamezone)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 5/10 (Videogamer)
*SEGA announced downloadable content for Valkyria Chronicles. Two entirely new missions and a HARD EX mode are planned for ‘Spring 2009′.
All-format, all prices
[#8](-7) Empire: Total War
[#10](+7) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games
All-format, full price
[#8](-7) Empire: Total War
[#10](+5) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games
Wii, full price
[#3](+1) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic games
[#4](+1) The House of the Dead: Overkill
[#5](NEW) Sonic and the Black Knight
PC, full price
[#1](0) Empire: Total War
[#2](0) Football Manager 2009
PSP, full price
[#3](0) Football Manager 2009
PlayStation 3, full price
[#7](-3) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
XBOX 360, full price
[#8](-3) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
XBOX 360, budget
[#10](0) SEGA Superstars Tennis
PlayStation 2, budget
[#5](+5) Sonic Unleashed
It’s been a while since we saw the likes of Half-Life and Propeller Arena, so it’s nice to hear another unreleased Dreamcast game has found its way to the net; Hellgate.
The game was developed by Horny Dog (an internal team of Jester Entertainment UK). According to the developer it’s a Wipeout/Quake crossever featuring a 4-player mode, time trials and -can you believe it- a link-up mode (!!).
Check out the original website from ‘back in the day’ HERE. Because of the copyright police we won’t offer a download link here, but a quick google search should provide you with one.
*Gametrailers uploaded a movie with MadWorld ‘Death watch’ bloopers.
*Review score update:
-Empire: Total War: 8/10 (Hooked Gamers)
-Empire: Total War: (Fok! Games)
-MadWorld: 9/10 (Zentendo)
-Phantasy Star Portable: 8/10 (Gamedaily)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 3.2/5 (Cheat Code Central)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 5.7/10 (Gametrailers)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 4.5/10 (Gamespot)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: 4/10 (Total Video Games)
-Sonic and the Black Knight:5.6/10 (NGamer magazine)
*As reported last thursday, 7th Dragon sold 80,000 copies during its first week on sale. Perhaps this commercial helped achieving that.
It’s been rather quiet around Platinumgames’s other game; Bayonetta. Thankfully, some new screenshots can now be seen at Joystiq.
Rather good they are too!
*Yakuza 3 sold 53.000 copies during its second week on sale which earned it a fifth place in the Japanese all-format chart. 7th Dragon also sold well; it sold 80.000 copies during its first week on sale, earning it the second place in forementioned chart.
*Review score update:
-Empire: Total War: 4/5 (Giant Bomb)
-Empire: Total War: 9/10 (Videogamer)
-Empire: Total War: 8/10 (Hooked gamers)
-MadWorld: 9/10 (Game Informer)
-MadWorld: 7.5/10 (Gamespot)
-MadWorld: 4.5/5 (Cheat Code Central)
-MadWorld: 8.5/10 (Gametrailers)
-Sonic and the Black Knight 5.5/10 (Worth Playing)
*Something for the anime fans amongst you; SEGA USA posted pictures of the upcoming Valkyria Chronicles anime.
*SEGA Europe dedicated a whopping 7 updates to StormRise. Here’s them: [1]-[2]-[3]-[4]-[5]-[6]-[7]
*So we knew Sonic & Mario would return for a game based on the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, but what about the people not so fond of them? Don’t worry, SEGA have now announced that they will produce the official game as well.
*Review score update:
-Empire: Total War: 9/10 (Boomtown)
-Empire: Total War: 9/10 (Gameplayer)
-Empire: Total War: 9.3/10 (NZGamer)
-Empire: Total War: 4.5/5 (D+Pad magazine)
-MadWorld: 4/5 (Gamespy)
-MadWorld: 4/5 (G4 X-Play)
-Sonic and the Black Knight: C+ (1UP)
-The House of the Dead: Overkill: 8.2/10 (Nintendojo)
*Team Watermelon updated their Pier Solar website. For more information on this upcoming Megadrive/Genesis release check their news page. The game can still be pre-ordered.
*Gametrailers uploaded five new MadWorld movies. Go check them out.
*SEGA USA had a talk with Sonic and the Black Knight producer Tetsu Katano.
*So why did High Voltage Software drop the support for the motionplus technology in their game The Conduit? Read it here.
*A more unusual way of promoting a game; when buying a 350ml can of Coca Cola 0 (and tossing away the can after a single zip because of the lack of taste) people will receive various ‘promotional items’ (they seem like stickers to me) of Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Great War 3. Collect all 12!
*Segadatabase Network update: The merchandise database is now online. It has only been started so bear with us.
All-format, all prices
[#1](NEW) Empire: Total War
All-format, full price
[#1](NEW) Empire: Total War
Wii, full price
[#4](0) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic games
[#5](-2) The House of the Dead: Overkill
DS, full price
[#10](0) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic games
PC, full price
[#1](NEW) Empire: Total War
[#2](0) Football Manager 2009
PSP, full price
[#3](+1) Football Manager 2009
PlayStation 3, full price
[#4](-1) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
XBOX 360, full price
[#5](-2) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
XBOX 360, budget
[#10](-2) SEGA Superstars Tennis
PlayStation 2, budget
[#10](-6) Sonic Unleashed
Another day, another batch of review scores;
*Empire: Total War - 9/10 (EDGE magazine)
*Empire: Total War - 9.1/10 (Fragland)
*MadWorld - 9/10 (Nintendo Power)
*Phantasy Star Portable - A- (1UP)
*SEGA Megadrive Ultimate Collection - 8.5/10 (XBOXworld)
*SEGA Megadrive Ultimate Collection - 3.5/5 (D+Pad magazine)
*Sonic and the Black Knight - 6/10 (Gamervision)
*StormRise - 4/10 (EDGE magazine)
*A new trailer of The Conduit called ‘Conspiracy’ can be seen at Gametrailers.
*For Yakuza 3 they have an ‘extended overview’ trailer.
*A new trailer of OutRun Online Arcade from our friends at SegaOnline.