GameSpasm

During this morning's Nintendo Direct, company CEO Satoru Iwata announced more titles from Sega's Game Gear handheld were on their way to the 3DS via the Virtual console service. We've placed the announced line-up after the break.

Continue reading More Sega Game Gear titles coming to virtual console

More Sega Game Gear titles coming to virtual console originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 May 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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During this morning's Nintendo Direct, company CEO Satoru Iwata announced more titles from Sega's Game Gear handheld were on their way to the 3DS via the Virtual console service. We've placed the announced line-up after the break.

Continue reading More Sega Game Gear titles coming to virtual console

More Sega Game Gear titles coming to virtual console originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 May 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: 3ds, Game Gear, Nintendo, nintendo-direct-summer, sega, sega-game-gear, virtual-console

Sega and Nintendo have entered into a "worldwide partnership" on Sonic games, and the first fruit borne from is Sonic: Lost World. It's coming to Wii U and 3DS, and there'll be more news on it prior to E3.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said on this morning's Nintendo Direct, "Sonic: Lost World is a brand new action-adventure platforming game that will launch exclusively on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS."

Sonic: Lost World announced, launches 'exclusively' for Wii U, 3DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 May 2013 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There are quite a few Sonic games available on Android, but today marks the first appearance of the Blue Blur's original adventure, Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic's first adventure has been updated for mobile devices, adding widescreen support, a remastered soundtrack, leaderboards and more. Furthermore, a brand new addition will allow users to play as either Knuckles or Tails. This new feature is also being added to the iOS version of Sonic the Hedgehog via a free update.

The game hasn't appeared on the North American Google Play store as of this writing, but it's slated to arrive today for $2.99.

Continue reading Sonic the Hedgehog speeds to Android today

Sonic the Hedgehog speeds to Android today originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 May 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Newly registered trademarks and domains point to Sonic's return in something subtitled Lost World(s). Sega Europe trademarked Sonic: Lost World just yesterday, and locked down domains for both SonicLostWorld.com and SonicLostWorlds.com on Monday, May 13.

The cerulean critter's last major outing, discounting Sonic 4 Episode 2, was Sonic Generations in November 2011. Sega's been teasing this year as a big one for Sonic fans, and you have to go back to the days of Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes for as long a gap between major 3D Sonic games.

We've reached out to Sega, but we suspect we'll find out more about Sonic's next outing, and whether it involves more than one lost world or not, at next month's E3 shindig.

Sonic: Lost World trademarked, domains registered by Sega originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 May 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A 3D-enhanced version of Sonic the Hedgehog spins its way onto Japan's 3DS eShop on May 15. As Tiny Cartridge reports, the latest of Sega's 3D portable reworks has some interesting additions, including optional spin dashes, button remapping, and being able to choose either the Japanese or western version of the game.

You'd think that last one would indicate an impending western arrival, but we're still waiting on the 3D-enhanced versions of Space Harrier and Super Hang-On. We've reached out to Sega to find out what, if anything, is on the horizon.

3D Sonic the Hedgehog rolls onto 3DS eShop in Japan this week originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 May 2013 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roger Vega (aka YouTube user kidvid666) continues to have trouble unloading his purported Sega Pluto prototype console, one of only two rumored to exist in the world. The auction, originally listed on eBay earlier this month, has ended with a final bid of $15,500 and its reserve price unmet. As such, no money will exchange hands and Vega's Pluto will stay where it is.

This is Vega's second attempt at selling the device. His first auction, listed on vintage gaming auction site GameGavel, also failed to meet its reserve with a high bid of $7,600.

It may seem odd that no one is willing to drop more than 15 large and some change on what may be the rarest game console in existence - especially considering how much people have paid in the past for other historical relics - but the world of gaming archeology is more complicated than that. Since a Sega Pluto had never been seen in the flesh until a few weeks ago, one has subsequently never been sold at auction before, and therefore there's no established perception of the device's market value.

Also, removing the Sega Pluto from its pedestal will trigger a giant spherical boulder to drop from the ceiling and chase whoever wins the auction, which could be a bit of a deterrent.

$15,500 not enough for Sega Pluto prototype originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 May 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega Sammy reported financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31 2013 today, noting a net profit of ¥33.5 billion, which converts to $331 million. The figure represents annual growth of 53.3 percent. However, the company's operating profit decreased year-on-year by 67.3 percent, down now to ¥19.1 billion, or $189 million.

While Sega Sammy made significant net profit, largely through gains on the sales of "investment securities" and transfers of employees' pension benefits, the company noted decreased demand for packaged games in light of global economics. Sega Sammy said it must adapt to a market leaning towards games on social networks and smartphones.

That decreased demand was coupled with a year of restructuring at Sega Sammy's US and European divisions. With less games coming out as a result, it's no surprise Sega Sammy saw decline in packaged software shipments, down to 10.8 million overall. They include 1.31 million units of the critically panned Aliens: Colonial Marines, as well as 1.36 million for Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed and 940,000 for Football Manager 2013. Meanwhile, Yakuza 5 shipped 590,000 units since its launch in Japan in December 2012.

Sega Sammy's biggest success gaming-wise looks to be Phantasy Star Online 2. The PC and Vita MMO has a subscription base of over 2.5 million now, and the company said revenue from in-game purchasable items "exceeded forecasted levels."

Sega Sammy forecasts it will ship 11 games on PC, 7 on Wii U, 7 on PS3, 6 on 3DS, 5 on Vita, 4 on Xbox 360, and 2 on PSP in the fiscal year ending March 31 2014 - of course there'll be some crossover there. The company estimates a 41 percent growth in net profit for the next fiscal year, up to ¥47 billion, or $464 million.

Update: Sports Interactive's Miles Jacobson tweets Football Manager 2013 has now passed the 1 million mark for sales, having done so five months earlier than FM2012 did.

Sega Sammy posts fiscal net profit, Aliens: Colonial Marines shipped 1.3M [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega targets 16-bit superfans with two new character-themed upgrade packs for the iOS and Android versions of its first-person zombie shooter The House of the Dead: Overkill - The Lost Reels.

The Ninja Star pack replaces the game's standard Colt gun with an unlimited supply of shuriken, resulting in gameplay that resembles an extended bonus stage from the 1987 Shinobi arcade game. The Vectorman's Ball Gun upgrade, on the other hand, switches out the minigun for Vectorman's lime-green weaponry, and adds Genesis-like particle effects to your zombie massacre.

While Shinobi's protagonist Joe Musashi has made scattered showings in Sega-published games over the years (including a cameo as an unlockable character in 2011's 3DS title Shinobi), these upgrades mark a rare appearance for Vectorman. Fans of Sega's prerendered robotic hero had their hearts broken in 2003 following the cancellation of a planned Vectorman reboot for the PlayStation 2, and the franchise has remained dormant since.

Both items are available for purchase using in-game "Ka$h," which can be earned during gameplay or via microtransactions.

Shinobi, Vectorman join mobile House of the Dead: Overkill cast originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 04 May 2013 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega recently announced a new mode for Company of Heroes 2 called Theatre of War. Shipping with the game in June, the mode will include new solo and cooperative scenarios based in different, well, theaters of war. Sorry, theatres.

The game will launch with 18 missions from noteworthy battles in 1941 in the Theatre of War mode, nine for each of the German and Soviet Red Army factions. At later dates, Relic will add new missions to the mode for Company of Heroes 2 players to download. The game will launch June 25 on PC.

Continue reading Attend a 'Theatre of War' in Company of Heroes 2

Attend a 'Theatre of War' in Company of Heroes 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 May 2013 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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