Is Moonwalker 2 in development?

Ow! Hee-hee! Who's bad?

There have been rumours across the internet this week that Michael Jackson is set to appear in a new game. It is apparently being developed for the PS3, PS2 and Wii, with a release date of Christmas 2009.

The game is supposedly based on Michael's This Is It concert at the O₂ arena in London, and is being created by his film production company MJJ Productions. There has been no mention of a publisher, although Sega have published almost every game Michael has cameoed in so far.

Gameplay-wise, the game could be in the style of Dance Dance Revolution or SingStar, as the music videos are set to feature heavily. It is aimed at the whole family.

Past games Michael has appeared in include Moonwalker, Space Channel 5 1 and 2, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing and I'm Sorry. He also apparently created the music for Sonic 3.

It would be great if Sega published the game, but I doubt it will happen. I really enjoyed Moonwalker on the Mega Drive, so hopefully this new game will be good too!

[Source: 9Lives via NowGamer]

Some horrific Sonic merchandise for you

Browsing Sega Europe's Flickr I came across some highly disturbing pieces of merchandise. One a novelty controller, the other a novelty comic.


The first item is a PS2 controller released alongside the abomination that was Shadow the Hedgehog. Created exclusively for 13-year-old emos, you too can HOLD Shadow whilst CONTROLLING him on the screen! Oh joy. At least it comes in a nice plastic orb.

Argh! Tails has TOES!

The next item is a comic with the inevitable "kids" theme. Yes, even Sonic has undergone this treatment, along with Scooby Doo and the Muppets. You can read about his non-canon adventures (where he and Tails apparently went to pre-school together) in "Sonic Kids", an Archie Super Sonic Special. No thanks.

Remember to keep checking Sega's Flickrs, as you never know what horrific merchandise from yesteryear will pop up!

No Sonic Unleashed delay in the West

Sega has confirmed today that the Japanese delay of Sonic Unleashed will not affect release dates in the West. The game will be released on schedule, and there will be no difference in quality or content in the regional versions despite the big gap in release dates.

“To Sonic fans living outside Japan: previously we informed you that the release date of Sonic Unleashed in Japan on PS3 and 360 will be delayed.

Based on that announcement, some fans living overseas have become concerned that there will be a difference in quality between the version of the game released in Japan and the version released outside of Japan. This is not the case and we apologise for this misunderstanding.

The difference in the international release dates is based on the sales strategy and the manufacturing schedule. There will be no quality difference between the North American/European/Asia release and the Japanese version. Please be assured we are doing our best to deliver a top quality experience to people all over the globe...”

This is very good news. The game is due for release across multiple systems in late November and early December.

Sonic Unleashed European release dates updated

Over on Sega Europe's blog, the latest European release dates for Sonic Unleashed have been posted. There has been much speculation over these, as every retail website gives a different date.

Anyway, Sega have confirmed that most versions of the game will be released on November 28th, whilst the PS3 version has been delayed to December. There is no definite date for this. Release dates for North America have yet to be confirmed.

I'll update when there has been more release date confirmation.

Sega may revive the Space Harrier franchise

Tez Okano, director of Thunder Force VI, has said that a new Space Harrier game may be made if his latest game is successful in an interview with Edge.

“I need to demonstrate our approach is viable. But for my next step, I’d really like to work on Space Harrier. This is a unique game in Sega’s history that projected us into some incredible worlds and experiences. But the success of Thunder Force VI is the key to any future projects.”

Well Sega, I would buy Thunder Force VI if you would release it in the west, but you won't! NO SANDAA FOSU FOR YOU! In case you live in Japan, the game was released on October 30th for PS2.

No Sonic Unleashed on PS2 in Japan

Sega has announced that the PS2 version of Sonic Unleashed, developed by Dimps, will not see release in Japan. The PS2 version will be released everywhere else, sparking rumours that Thunder Force VI will be Sega Japan's last PS2 title.

Kotaku is wondering why Sega has NoThankYou.jpg'd the game even though it will be finished in time for a Japanese release, along with the PS3, 360 and Wii versions. Surely there's more of a market for the PS2 release than the 360 release in Japan?