sega
Latest
With the Switch, Nintendo could make controllers great again
There was no more exciting time to be a peripheral fan than 1999. For me, someone who loved the custom controls of the arcades, the Dreamcast was a fantasy come true. Its Visual Memory Unit (VMU) was a memory card with a screen that slotted into the controller -- and a micro-console in its own right. Games like Power Stone and Seaman let you load mini-games onto the VMU to play on the go, but more interesting was its dual-screen potential.
Aaron Souppouris10.21.2016
Sega harnesses nostalgia to sell you 'Sonic Mania'
Ever since, uh, 1995, it's been a hard few years for Sonic The Hedgehog fans as we're promised a new game that'll remedy all those past transgressions. In order to commemorate the original's 25th anniversary, Sega is launching Sonic Mania, a new title that reimagines levels from the first (and best) four games in the series. But that's not the only thing that Sega is reimagining, which you'll see if you take a look at the commercial that's being used to pimp the collector's edition box set.
Daniel Cooper09.21.2016
'Yakuza 6' adds the thrill of running your own cat cafe
As Sega attempts to tie up the long-running (typically late-to-translation) Yakuza series, its producer has revealed that the sixth iteration will have plenty of ridiculous mini-games and side jobs, offering some mundane distractions from the boot-to-face Japanese gangster brawls that typically make up a large part of the games. While calming a weepy baby is certainly dull IRL, if you're a speedy enough typer (through your DualShock controller) you'll be able to charm webcam girls online -- for those days when the protagonist can't quite make it to his regular hostess club. And that's just for starters.
Mat Smith09.16.2016
Disney 16-bit classics including 'Aladdin' coming to GOG.com
Nothing says '90s gaming like the Sega Genesis and 16-bit Disney classics like Aladdin. You can bathe in that nostalgia again thanks to GOG.com and Disney's re-release of Aladdin, The Lion King and Jungle Book. Those titles, originally developed for the Super NES and Sega Genesis, were groundbreaking at the time for the hand drawn "Digicel" tech used. All were eventually ported to the NES, Amiga, PC and other systems, but GOG cheekily said that the Aladdin update is based on the "obviously superior" Sega/PC version.
Steve Dent08.04.2016
'Sonic Mania' looks like the 2D sequel fans deserve
Sonic The Hedgehog is more than just a trash-talking Twitter account. To celebrate the franchise's 25 year anniversary, Sega is taking the series back to its 2D roots. Sonic Mania looks like it'll strip away all the extraneous bloat that's barnacled itself to the core gameplay since the Blue Blur's glory days, with a focus on what always worked so well. Namely, going fast, collecting rings and moving from left to right.
Timothy J. Seppala07.22.2016
Sega Saturn copy protection gets cracked two decades later
Sega Saturn fans have a problem: while the console has long supported unofficial code on CDs thanks to mod chips, that's no good if you want to use software in any other format. How will you play anything if your decades-old CD drive dies? You can rest easy after today. After years of work, enthusiast Dr. Abrasive has found a way to crack the Saturn's copy protection system and let it run software from a card with USB support. This was no mean feat, as it turns out -- the Saturn has a notoriously difficult-to-read anti-copying system that isolates itself from many cracking methods.
Jon Fingas07.12.2016
'Persona 5' and other Atlus games are coming to Europe
If you're a fan of the Persona series and its stylised take on the JRPG formula, good news -- Persona 5 is coming to Europe. The region was notably absent when the game was announced for the US last month. Now we know why -- Atlus and Sega are relying on Deep Silver, the publisher of Homefront: The Revolution, to distribute the title across the continent. It's an unusual move given that Sega is a publisher in its own right, and perhaps indicative of a wider business decision. Aside from the occasional Sonic game, there's little for the company to get behind these days.
Nick Summers07.06.2016
My pointless quest to achieve perfect retro console fidelity
It all started about four years ago when I came into an old Sega Saturn system from the mid-90s. It was an entire console catalog that I completely skipped over back in the day. I hooked it up to my TV and soon I was knee-deep in classic fighting games like Street Fighter vs. X-Men and shoot-em-ups like Thunderforce V. The low-poly art style was gorgeously retro, but I quickly realized that the image was stretched and distorted on my HDTV. I Googled "retro console fidelity," and that's where it all went wrong.
Zach Hines06.27.2016
Sega is 'investigating' a 'Shenmue' HD remaster
Shenmue fans may have some significant announcements to look forward to from Sega if all goes well. The company, when responding to a recent fan question about possible HD remasters of the Dreamcast's seminal 1999 role-playing game Shenmue and its 2001 sequel, expressed that it's "currently investigating" the idea.
Brittany Vincent05.13.2016
Sonic grabs top honors as World Video Game Hall of Fame inductee
After getting snubbed in the inaugural class of World Video Game Hall of Fame inductees, 25-year-old Sonic the Hedgehog is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Along with Grand Theft Auto III, The Legend of Zelda, The Oregon Trail, The Sims, and Space Invaders, Sega's 1991 release is on the list of 2016 hall of famers at the National Museum of Play.
Andrew Dalton05.05.2016
Sega to support modded Genesis games on Steam
Sega's Mega Drive console (or the Genesis, depending on where you lived at the time) still boasts an impressive library of 16-bit games. Many of those are now available on Steam and Sega, hoping to attract some new collectors, has developed a virtual playground for them called the Mega Drive Classics Hub. Notably, this also comes with Steam Workshop support, allowing PC players to share "modified versions" of their favorite games from the early 90s. That's pretty unusual, given most developers and publishers are opposed to fan-driven emulation and modification of classic games -- no doubt because of its relationship with piracy.
Nick Summers04.21.2016
'Aliens: Colonial Marines' mod may actually make the game fun
When it released in early 2013, Aliens: Colonial Marines was an absolute garbage fire of a video game. There was a lawsuit regarding the wide gulf in quality between what developer Gearbox Software (of Borderlands and upcoming Battleborn fame) and publisher Sega showed prior to release and what customers actually got, and Gearbox's CEO Randy Pitchford remains ambivalent about Colonial Marines' quality and development process. Gearbox was eventually dropped from the suit, but it was a whole thing. The modding community sounds like it might've fixed some of the most egregious sins on the PC version, though.
Timothy J. Seppala04.04.2016
Sonic comes to the Apple TV
If even you still own an old Sega console, the chances are you haven't played it in years. Luckily, a number of the company's most popular games, including Sonic the Hedgehog, have been ported to modern app stores. That means you can get your gaming fix, even if it is on a mobile device. If you've already downloaded or are tempted to buy Sonic the Hedgehog 1, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or Sonic CD on your iPhone or iPad and own the new Apple TV, we have some good news: you'll soon be able to play them all directly on the box for the very first time.
Matt Brian03.17.2016
'Streets of Rage 2' soundtrack was remastered for vinyl release
Vinyl is all the rage (sorry) these days, and game soundtracks are hitting the medium on the regular. One of the upcoming releases is Streets of Rage 2, a title that's widely regarded as having one of the best and most influential 16-bit soundtracks. The audio compositions of Yuzo Koshiro are up for pre-order in three options: 2 x 180g transparent vinyl with smoke and blood splatter, 2 x 180g transparent vinyl with smoke and the traditional 2 x 180g black vinyl. Those first two are priced at £24.99 while the third will set you back £22.99 (that's around $35 and $32, respectively)
Billy Steele02.24.2016
'Jet Set Radio' is absolutely free on Steam
Cupid may have left you high and dry, but have no fear: Sega wants you to have some free games to make up for it. See, as part of the publisher's Make War Not Love event this year, everyone on Steam can grab gratis copies of Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe and all of Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit. Just hit the promo's Steam page to add the games to your library of (mostly) unplayed games.
Timothy J. Seppala02.16.2016
Sonic to star in a 'live-action and animation hybrid' movie
If you've played the most recent Sonic the Hedgehog games, you might be wondering how life can get any worse for the blue blur. Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric was universally panned by the press, and previous efforts such as Lost World and Unleashed didn't fare much better. How could his reputation be dragged any lower? Well, perhaps with a film. Not just any film though -- a worrying "live-action and animation hybrid." The project, which is currently still in the planning stages, was revealed by Sega president and CEO Hajime Satomi in an interview with The Worldfolio.
Nick Summers02.10.2016
The original 'Valkyria Chronicles' heads to PS4 in HD (in Japan)
Valkyria Chronicles, Sega's strategy RPG that hit the PlayStation 3 in 2008, is getting an HD upgrade for a launch on PS4, Famitsu reports (as translated by Gematsu). The remake is confirmed for a release in Japan on February 10th, with no mention of North American plans just yet. Sega is also working on a new entry in the series, Valkyria: Azure Revolution, slated to hit Japanese PS4s in winter 2016, according to Gematsu. Valkyria Chronicles debuted on PC in November 2014, and while that wasn't an HD remake, it featured dual-language support, Steam Achievements, customization options and all previously released DLC -- not bad for $20.
Jessica Conditt11.17.2015
Watch people play 'Desert Bus' for days in the name of charity
Penn & Teller's Desert Bus mini game is legendary for its tongue-in-cheek monotony (you drive 8 hours to score a single point), but it's also a force for good: the Desert Bus for Hope campaign has raised $2.4 million for the Child's Play hospital charity over the years. Well, the volunteer group is at it again with the just-launched Desert Bus 9... and this may be one of its most ambitious fundraising efforts yet. The team is planning to stream live gameplay from the notorious Sega Genesis title for as long as donations allow, which could be quite a while when last year's effort lasted for 158 hours -- that's nearly a full week. If you like the idea of an epic video game endurance test helping a noble cause, tune in below and consider sending some cash to Desert Bus for Hope at the source link. [Image credit: Andrew Ferguson]
Jon Fingas11.14.2015
Prepare your PS3s, North America: 'Yakuza 5' lands next month
Yakuza 5 launched in Japan for the PlayStation 3 in December 2012. Three years and one console generation later, it's heading to North American PS3s in "mid-November, if all goes to schedule." Sega announced the release window today in a blog post, noting, "It's a little later than we would've liked, and a few weird development bugs that popped up in localization caused the delay." Specifically, but not technically, Sega ran into issues with the on-screen text, which had to be flipped from Japanese to English. Once the bugs are squashed, Yakuza 5 is on track to hit PS3 digitally via PSN next month across North America.
Jessica Conditt10.16.2015
'Sonic the Hedgehog' tribute games reflect a mascot's fall from grace
It'd be an understatement to say that the Sonic the Hedgehog game franchise hasn't held up well over time. Sonic was once nearly as big as Mario, but a long string of bad titles (with exceptions) ruined his rep -- you're more likely to spot him in dodgy fan fiction and internet memes than a popular game. And the homebrew developers from Arcane Kids know it. They've built the Sonic Dreams Collection, a batch of tiny tribute games for Macs and Windows PCs that acknowledge the Sega mascot's fall from grace. It masquerades as a leaked set of Dreamcast protoypes, but it's really a nod to the weird places Sonic fandom has gone in the 21st century. There's a "Sonic Movie Maker" where the hedgehog calls you his dad, and "My Roommate Sonic..." well, let's just say it turns romance stories on their head.
Jon Fingas08.16.2015