*SEGA Europe posted the ‘launch trailer’.
*SEGA USA is giving away an Iron Man 2 goodie pack with a comic, poster and hardcover book.
*Machinima added a preview of one of the game’s music tracks to Youtube.
*PS3Trophies posted the game’s trophies.
*Eurogamer was the first site to review the game.
*Remember the Aliens RPG? Well, according to Obsidian this cancelled game was ‘ready to ship’. Full story HERE.
*More cancelled game news; someone actually obtained a Dreamcast dev-kit with a version of Thief 2 on its harddisk. As the Thief series is highly regarded, this is quite a find!
*Our friends at SegaOnline posted the latest Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -episode 1 screenshots. Take a look.
*Jeuxvideo posted some cool new screenshots of Alpha Protocol. See what you think, we liked them.
*Appmodo posted a review (complete with gameplay footage) of the iPhone version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
19 new screenshots can be seen HERE. It’s an impressive lot.
*After we posted the ‘rumours’ some days back, SEGA Europe now officially confirmed the existance of Wii versions of L.A. Machineguns and Gunblade NY. Good stuff.
*More arcade rumours; Project Berkley 2 (Shenmue 2) to hit XBLA? These screenshots suggest so.
*That’s not all, though. Perhaps even an XBLA version of the Dreamcast classic Jet Set Radio will become reality.
*SEGA Europe posted the ‘prologue’ trailer of Iron Man 2. PlayStation Home users will also be able to play an Iron Man 2 minigame.
*High Voltage loves us all, really. Read their message concerning Conduit 2 (and The Conduit) HERE.
*SEGA Japan will release two limited edition PSP kits, to transform your PSP (3000) into Project DIVA style. They will contain items like a silicon cover, a ‘decoration seal’, a strap (naturally), a carry case and an UMD slip cover. They’re planned to go on sale the same day Project DIVA 2nd hits the shops. (July 29th).
*Are you a big fan of the Phantasy Star franchise? If so, check out SEGA Japan’s recently opened Phantasy Star Youtube channel!
*And more SEGA Japan news (they’re a rather busy bunch!): they’re actually paying players to download the After Burner Climax demo..well, almost:
Every Japanese XBOX Live user that downloads the After Burner Climax demo (or full version) before the 9th of May will be entered into a draw to win 200 Microsoft points (800 for the full version). It’s not much, but it’s the ‘thought that counts’..or something.
*Only veeeeery slightly SEGA related but still: G-REV’s Senko no Ronde Duo (the sequel to the game that so nearly hit the Dreamcast in those good old days) scored 7/7/8/7 in the latest Famitsu Xbox 360 magazine.
All-format, budget price
[#7](-1) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
Wii, full price
[#4](-1) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
[#5](-1) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
Nintendo DS, full price
[#8](+1) Sonic Classic Collection
[#10](-) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter games
PC, full price
[#1](-) Football Manager 2010
[#3](+1) Napoleon: Total War
PSP, full price
[#6](+1) Football Manager 2010
PlayStation 3, budget
[#1](+1) SEGA Megadrive Ultimate Collection
XBOX 360, budget
[#6](+5) SEGA Megadrive Ultimate Collection
PC, budget
[#4](-2) Rome: Total War
After two Project DIVA titles on the PSP, SEGA Japan now announced a special package for the PlayStation 3 called ‘Dreamy Theater’. Basicly, users will be able to link up the PSP games to their PS3 with a special USB cable and enjoy improved graphics and new content.
Players will also be able to used saved data. The Project DIVA -Dreamy Theater pack will available from the PlayStation Network only and will hit the ‘digital shelves’ this summer.
Screenshots can be found HERE.
SEGA will switch its focus to downloadable games. SEGA was hit yesterday by 73 layoffs as part of a business reorganization that will see the company focusing more on social and digital games.
“In recent years, digital platforms have taken an increasing share of video gaming revenues and we believe this growth is set to continue,” said the statement. “Sega has already enjoyed commercial success within this new and exciting gaming medium and it is now the company’s intention to fully embrace change and set a strategy not only to maximize revenues within the digital space but, through innovation and quality, take up a leadership position.”
Full story HERE.
*It seems like nothing can stop SEGA Japan from increasing their Yakuza revenue as work on a PSP spin-off has started. The project is called ‘Project K’ (wasn’t that the working title of REZ?) and more info can be found HERE.
*Despite being ‘not so good’ the iPhone version of Sonic the Hedgehog sold pretty well. Reason enough for a sequel, which is out now.
*Japanese gamers without an XBOX 360 will soon be able to buy a special bundle including Bayonetta, Forza Motorsport 3 and a 120GB harddisk.
Price: ¥29,800.
After Burner Climax has hit the XBLA today and will hit PSN tomorrow.
Some facts:
-The game will cost 800 points / $9.99 / £7.99
-There’s a total of 12 achievements.
-There are two unlockable game icons
-There are two ‘avatar awards’: a t-shirt and a pilot helmet.
-There’s a system theme, which costs 250 points (XBOX 360) / £2.39 (PS3).
-A gameplay video can be seen HERE.
-Two more review ratings came in: 8.5/10 (Official XBOX magazine), 7/10 (VideoGamer)
Right, get ready for the final take off!
*Eurogamer reviewed both After Burner Climax and Ryu go Gotoku 4. They earned a 7 and an 8 respectively. 1UP also rated After Burner Climax and gave it an ‘A’ rating.
*It’s Alpha Protocol week at Destructoid, you can look forward to daily new videos of Obsidian’s ‘modern day spy RPG’.
*SEGA Europe posted a ‘Lamb of God’ -behind the scenes- video of Iron Man 2.
*Amazon France posted a release date for Vanquish: November 30. As we all know they have a tendency of ‘making up’ release dates, it’s best to take this with a grain of salt.
*Sonic the Hedgehog (’06) was added to the European XBOX Live ‘Games on Demand’ service.
All-format, full price
[#10](-2) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
All-format, budget price
[#6](+2) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
Wii, full price
[#3](-) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
[#4](-) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
Nintendo DS, full price
[#8](+1) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
[#9](+1) Sonic Classic Collection
[#10](-3) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter games
PC, full price
[#1](-) Football Manager 2010
[#4](-1) Napoleon: Total War
PlayStation 3, full price
[#10](-2) Aliens vs Predator
PSP, full price
[#7](-) Football Manager 2010
PlayStation 3, budget
[#2](-) SEGA Megadrive Ultimate Collection
PC, budget
[#4](-1) Rome: Total War
This probably won’t be a regular feature, so in short: Crazy Taxi will hit XBLA sometime this year.
Pictures HERE.
SEGASAMMY posted a forecast Q4 2010. SEGASAMMY estimates net sales of $4.08 billion, which -despite being 9.5 percent lower than expected- still contribute to a net income of $193 million, which is $32 million more than expected (still with us?).
Sales of SAMMY’s pachislo and pachinko machines helped (despite selling less but with improved margins), as did sales of games like Bayonetta, Aliens vs Predator and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter games.
On the downside, the arcade market is still decreasing and sales of SEGA’s games in the US have been disappointing.
Several newsposts on this financial forecast:
[SEGASAMMY] [Gamasutra] [Joystiq] [Gamespot UK]
Hurrah for us!
In other SEGA news:
*All copies of the regular edition of Rush Rush Rally Racing are SOLD OUT. Good news for publisher Redspotgames and developer SenileTeam and a big step towards another DC project.
*SEGA Japan and Matsuya foods got together for another promotion of -yes!- Ryu go Gotoku 4. Loads of pictures with rice HERE.
*It seems SEGA is more than ever focused on the Apple market; another iPhone / iPod touch game by the name of Tower Smashers has just hit the Japanese Apple App store.
*Wii owners are a very lucky bunch: two more classic arcade games are planned for release on their console. L.A. machineguns & Gunblade NY to be exact. The ’Arcade hits pack’ will contain both games. (thanks: SegaOnline)
*SEGA will use the ‘Uniloc’ DRM for the PC version of Alpha Protocol. The game is due on the 28th of May.
*Two offers were added to SEGA Europe’s PSN spring sale:
-SEGA Mega Drive collection (PSP) -was £11.99 now £7.99
-Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars (PSP) -was £11.99 now £7.99
*It’s game over for the PC and PS2 versions of Phantasy Star Universe, as the servers closed March 31. SEGA USA posted a report of the final few hours the game was online.
*SEGA Japan sold another 18.000 copies of Ryu ga Gotoku 4 (Yakuza 4) last week for a total of 519.000.
*PS3trophies posted the Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -episode 1 trophies. Check them out HERE.
*Eurogamer reviewed Football Manager Handheld 2010 (iPhone/iPod touch) and rated it 7/10.
Gamefront posted 16 new screenshots of SEGA’s upcoming XBLA/PSN release (due next week). Go check them out HERE.
*More Football Manager ‘on the go’: SEGA Europe has just released Football Manager 2010 for the iPhone & iPod touch. Full details HERE.
*It’s been a while since we heard of Yuzo Koshiro’s studio Ancient, but now news has reached us a new game called ‘Mamotte Knight‘ is their latest project.
Mamotte Knight will be a four player action game with a true 8-bit feel to it. The game is planned for release on the XBOX 360 (as an Indie Games project) and Yuzo himself will provide the music
*American Wii owners will now be able to download the arcade version of Zaxxon for 800 points via the Virtual console.
*SEGA Japan added some footage of Project DIVA 2nd to their Youtube channel.
*Segadatabase network update: 2 videos were added to the Segadatabase Youtube channel: Jelly Boy (Mega Drive) and The Castle (SG-1000).
All-format, full price
[#8](-) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
[#10](-1) Aliens vs Predator
All-format, budget price
[#8](-) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
Wii, full price
[#3](+1) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
[#4](-1) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
Nintendo DS, full price
[#7](-) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter games
[#9](-) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
[#10](-) Sonic Classic Collection
PC, full price
[#1](-) Football Manager 2010
[#3](-) Napoleon: Total War
PlayStation 3, full price
[#8](-) Aliens vs Predator
[#10](+1) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
XBOX 360, full price
[#6](-) Aliens vs Predator
PSP, full price
[#7](-) Football Manager 2010
PlayStation 3, budget
[#2](-) SEGA Megadrive Ultimate Collection
PC, budget
[#3](+4) Rome: Total War
Nintendo Life posted an interview with High Voltage Software’s Jason Olson. They talk about the name change, the game’s online multiplayer modes, the new co-op mode and the possibility of motion-plus controller support.
Go check it out HERE.
==
’till next week!
-Infinite Space (DS) -3/5 (GamePro)
-Infinite Space (DS) -8/10 (Nintendo Life)
-Infinite Space (DS) -8.3/10 (Gaming trend)
-Napoleon: Total War -8.8/10 (Fragland)
-Napoleon: Total War -8.8/10 (Game Over Online)
-Resonance of Fate (XBOX 360 / PS3) -8/10 (RealGamer)
-Resonance of Fate (PS3) -3.5/5 (PlayStation Official Magazine US)
-Resonance of Fate (XBOX 360) -7/10 (Gameplanet)
-Resonance of Fate (XBOX 360) -7/10 (Console Monster)
-Resonance of Fate (XBOX 360) -7.9/10 (AceGamez)
-Sands of Destruction (DS) -6.7/10 (NGamer UK)
-Sands of Destruction (DS) -D+ (Gaming Age)
-Sands of Destruction (DS) -7/10 (Kombo)
-Sands of Destruction (DS) -C minus (Game Revolution)
-Sands of Destruction (DS) -8/10 (GameFocus)
-Sonic Classic Collection (DS) -8/10 (Fragland)
-Sonic Classic Collection (DS) -6/10 (Gamecell)
-Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition (iPad) -5/5 (iPad tablet)
-Yakuza 3 (PS3) -8.6/10 (Game Focus)
-Yakuza 3 (PS3) -6.5/10 (Games Xtreme)
-Yakuza 3 (PS3) -7.9/10 (Fragland)