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]

Were ThinkGeek's new Dreamcasts, well, old?

Nice Transformers covers!

Last month, ThinkGeek were selling a batch of new Dreamcasts for $100, all of which promptly sold out. Branded as "new in box", one buyer has stated that his was far from it.

Costing around $200 including postage, the anonymous buyer has said:

"While the extra controller was new, the console was far from it. The console itself is roughed up - the barcode has been scratched, the console's plastic has gunk on it."

He mentions there was further damage, things that time alone could not have caused. He has requested a refund from ThinkGeek, who, after two weeks, have not yet responded.

Could this mean all the consoles were used? Perhaps old systems were put in new boxes, or only some parts of the package were entirely new. So far this has been the only complaint to surface, so this may have been the only "old" console.

To sum it up, the buyer says:

"I could have easily bought a used Dreamcast locally for $25."

He could have indeed.

[Source: Destructoid via TSSZNews]

Yet more Zach Morris rumours surface

Just as a disclaimer, I do not believe what Zach Morris is saying, and I am reporting on these "rumours" to show to others that they are not true.

On FGNOnline there have been yet more false rumours surrounding a possible Sega console, as well as apparent details on the next Yakuza game.

The follow-up to the original "new console" article, which was supposed to give details on a handheld based on RingWide technology, has been "cancelled". According to Zach Morris, Sega-Sammy themselves have requested that he does not publish the article. How very convenient.

A new rumour has surfaced from the same site, outlining concepts for the next Yakuza game. It will apparently be more Grand Theft Auto-based, to avoid a possible GTA: Tokyo taking away Yakuza sales. I suspect this article was posted to draw attention away from the consoles and make the website more credible.

I have personally been sent "tips" about FGNOnline from the Zach Morris hoaxer himself. Both Zach Morris and the sender of the tips have an email address ending "@email2me.net", which seems rather uncommon. This proves further that all the rumours are false.

[Source: FGNOnline]

Sega's latest trademarks

Sega's next hit game?

Sega have recently trademarked some names, both of which are for use with videogames. They will most likely be for new software.

The first trademarked name is "Foxyshot", which sounds utterly amazing. Siliconera are wondering whether it will be a new lightgun game, with others thinking it could be a Tails spin-off or even the name for Sega's hoax console!

The next name has been translated as "Future Police Patochaser". It is unknown what a "Patochaser" is, but searching for "pato" in Japanese Google Images comes up with tiny patrol cars, flashing lights included. "Pato" must therefore be a gairaigo word for "patrol".

It probably won't be long until we find out what these names will be used for. Hopefully something to do with foxes and police.

[Source: Siliconera via Sega Nerds]

More speculation about Sega's 2010 consoles

Throughout the Sega community it is now the general consensus that Sega's 2010 consoles are fake. First posted on an unknown news blog, the stories detailing new Sega consoles based on their new arcade hardware have been almost entirely rubbished.

There are some reasons why the stories are believable - the blog has posted previous news about Sega-Sammy prior to this, many of the hardware facts are true and the idea of producing two consoles based on new arcade hardware is plausible.

But there are other reasons that show the stories are almost certainly fake. The first is the name of the reporter - "Zach Morris". This was a well-known character in the sitcom Saved By The Bell, and was the same name used in various Sega hoaxes in 2004. It is unlikely that the names are just a coincidence.

Another point is the blog itself - it takes the name of a previous blog, FGNOnline, which shut down in the early 2000s. The layout is dated and cheap, and the previous news about Sega-Sammy is probably there to make the "exclusive" news look legitimate.

One other extremely suspect point about the website is the forum. The administrator refers to "Mr. Morris" in the third person, when it is extremely likely that they are same. Some of the members, namely "Digi", "Crackdude", "Omega" and "Realgamer" all seem to be the same person as well, agreeing with each other in quick succession and rubbishing other speculative members' posts (including a member from Sega Nerds). The last name, "Realgamer", is the most suspicious - the previous "Zach Morris" Sega hoax was posted on a website entitled "Real Games Players". It is therefore extremely likely that Zach Morris, the administrator, all the aforementioned posters and "BIGGER" on the SoA Boards are indeed the same person.

One theory as to all of this could be that someone has actually discovered all of this information. The whole thing could be true, designed to look fake by using past hoaxes as inspiration. Then when the real thing was announced, there would an "I told you so" from FGNOnline. I severely doubt this, however.

Aside from this, people have been wondering why Sega would even enter the hardware market at this stage - 2010 is far too early to produce a "next-gen" console, when the "current-gen" hasn't even seen its peak. Going directly against Nintendo seems like a ridiculous idea as well; people would be unlikely to switch brands for a new casual console.

There has been a new post on the website regarding the next part of the story:

"Earlier in the week we provided you part 1 of our world exclusive report where we brought to light top secret details of SEGA SAMMY's plans of introducing a next generation HD capable casual console based around the RINGEDGE arcade hardware.

Next week FGNOnline shall present to you part 2 of our world exclusive where we discuss SEGA SAMMY's plans of yet another consumer hardware product this time based around the RINGWIDE arcade hardware.

Stay tuned.

- Zach Morris"

I would say to ignore whatever is said as the entire thing, with the help of the Sega community, has been almost completely rubbished.

Have Sega got two new consoles in the pipeline?

Sega's new arcade boards, the RingEdge and RingWide.

Yesterday I reported Sega's apparent plans to release a new casual console next year, as announced on an unknown blog. The article outlining Sega's plans was Part 1 of a series, with Part 2 still to follow.

The blog, FGNOnline, also has a forum. The administrator has said today in one of the threads that Part 2 will be up next week with an announcement based on Sega's RingWide arcade architecture.

With a new console announced based on the RingEdge hardware, the next article will announce a new handheld based on the RingWide hardware. This means Sega could be releasing two consoles next year, both around the Holiday Season.

Here is what was said on the forum:

"Part 1 = World exclusive details on a SEGA SAMMY consumer home system based on the RINGEDGE architecture.

Part 2 = World exclusive details on a SEGA SAMMY consumer portable based on the RINGWIDE architecture.

Part 2 should be up sometime next week."

The article outlining Sega's new consoles has been open to much speculation as to its authenticity. Many of the hardware facts are completely true, but it is unknown whether Sega really are going to produce consoles based on their Ring arcade boards.

The article mentioned a "Game Gear 2" was in the works at one point, so this could be a continuation of that project. Nothing has been said about possible features yet, such as a touch-screen. Details are to be expected next week.

The name "Zach Morris" has been tied to a "new Sega console" hoax from 2004, posted on a website called "Real Games Players". This is what was said:

"Hajime Satomi Interested In "home Hardware" (7th June 2004)

Today I have some earth shattering news

A close colleague of RGP who has connection with people within Sega of Japan has informed us that Hajime Satomi the Chairman/CEO of Sega Sammy has "serious" intentions towards the "home console market front".

It has been said that Satomi has some "serious serious plans" for "rapid expansion" into businesses which would lead to an "explosion of income".

Our informant tells us that Satomi is watching the current hardware scene with a "Hawks Eye"

Our colleague continues-

"A major factor in deciding whether to release the soon to be unvieled Naomi 3 arcade board based console would be on what Microsoft and Nintendo are up to"

Apparantly Satomi-san believes their chance will come if Nintendo and Microsoft team up, so that Sega can slip in as the third entrant.

This is all the news which is available at this moment in time.

Stay tuned...

Industry Insider - Insider scoops EIC"

This makes these announcements even more unlikely - Real Games Players had multiple Sega-based hoaxes in 2004:

"New Sega titles revealed! (Exclusive)

Today, we can exclusively reveal to you the games Sega will showcase to the world for the very first time on the 29th.

Here they are!

Shenmue III (XBox)

Panzer Dragoon Saga II (Xbox)

Crazy Taxi 4 (Xbox/PS2/GC)

Super Monkey Ball 3 (Xbox/PS2/GC)

OutRun 2 (Xbox/PS2/PSP)

Virtua Fighter 4 Final Tuned (Xbox/PSP worldwide) - PS2 Japan only

Shinobi 2 (PS2)

Spikeout X-treme (XBox/PS2)

Sega Superstars (PS2/XBox/GC)

Sonic the Hedgehog No Ones (PS2/XBox/PSP/NDS)

Sega Superstars will be a sequel to Fighters Megamix. Outrun 2 will have a total of 12 cars compared to the arcade versions 8 and will support online play. Crazy Taxi 4's launch will coincide with the release of the movie. Sonic No Ones will consist of Sonic1, 2, 3, & Knuckles, CD, Spinball, and the new Advance 3. Both Shenmue III and Panzer Dragoon Saga 2 will be funded and published by MS as 2nd party titles.

Sega's conference will take place on the 29th of April, where all these games will be shown for the very first time.

-- Zach Morris

editor-in-chief"

FGNOnline was quick to deny that this was the same Zach Morris, however:

"We directed this post to the attention of Mr Morris, who stated that he has no knowledge of freewebs.com/realgamesplayer and that particular Zach Morris is not he.

FGNOnline is Mr Morris's very first online portal.

Hopefully that has clarified any misconceptions you may of had."

As I said before, I'll wait for further information about these articles. Are they real, or just an elaborate hoax? I'll be sure to read the second part of the article when it is published next week.

[Source: FGNOnline Forums]

Is Sega planning to release a new console in 2010?

Could all our dreams finally be coming true? Probably not.

A website, entitled "Fast Game News Online", has posted an article apparently revealing Sega's plans for a new console. The blog has posted previous news articles such as Sega-Sammy's corporate restructuring, with the writer, Zach Morris, being "in the industry for over 30 years" and "a business associate of industry legends such as Hayao Nakayama, Isao Okawa, [and] Hajime Satomi".

Sega has recently dispelled rumours of a possible Dreamcast 2 announcement at this year's E3.

The post, with the title "Sega-Sammy Consumer Hardware Roadmap", outlines Sega's console plans made since the Dreamcast, including a "new Game Gear" and an upcoming casual gaming console based on the RingEdge arcade board.

Here is the article in full, interesting points in bold:

"Today we would like to present to you part 1 of our world exclusive report in which we shed light on SEGA SAMMY's plan for a HD casual system in development since 2007 and scheduled for worldwide release for the holiday season of 2010.

History

At the end of 1999 SEGA held a press conference where they laid out their hardware ambitions and talked extensively about broadband and a whole host of future technologies. Shoichiro Irimajiri was stated here as saying that SEGA would strike back with a vengeance in the next millenium. By Spring 2000 Irimajiri-san was already tasked with heading the development of SEGA's next console, Irimajiri was stated as saying that it would be a joint venture with numerous companies because the future box would do more than just play videogames thus they had to partner with cable companies, telecommuncation companies and Hollywood conglomerates. The aim for the design was a single chip solution measuring in at 250 million transistors ready for a Q4 2004 worldwide release. What is not known by the mainstream is that SEGA at this time was also in early stages of development for a 3D handheld which was to be based on the chip that went on to be known as the MBX developed by Imagination Technologies PowerVR division. The PowerVR MBX hit silicon in 2002 about the time SEGA had initially planned on launching a new Game Gear. This device would have beaten the PSP to market by 2 years. All of these plans where scrapped however by Isao Okawa who foresaw a software future for the company, the rest of the company however where vehemently against the idea of software only.

Fast forward a few years to early 2003 when Hideki Sato and the rest of SEGA's high level executives were desperately in search for either a merger or even a sale of the company. The discussions where being held with Sammy, Namco, EA and Microsoft. Again what is not known to the general public is that the reason for SEGA's desperation was that at this very moment SEGA had yet another system in development which had a worldwide target ship date of Q4 2005. This system would have competed against what went on to be known as the XBOX360 and Sony's PS3. The system was designed around a PowerVR Series 5 GPU and an unknown CPU, using standard DVD it was to be a cost/performance solution targeting a $300 launch price tag whilst simultaneously incorporating equal 3D throughput as the higher priced offerings by the competition. SEGA and Imagination Technologies on the 18th of March 2004 released a press release regarding the development of the chip for arcade use. Come Jamma 2005 when the world was expecting SEGA to unveil it's PowerVR based arcade board everyone was shocked to learn of the LINDBERGH which was basically a PC tower with an nVidia 6800GT and a Intel Pentium 4 3GHz Prescott. Whatever happened to the PowerVR based integrated silicon arcade board? Simple, the console that was to be based on the arcade board was scrapped by the newly formed SEGA SAMMY. With no console counterpart for the arcade board it wasn't financially feasible to spend tens and indeed hundreds of millions of dollars on integrated silicon thus SEGA quietly without telling anyone just took a mother board and slotted in components from a mid range PC from 2004 and called it "LINDBERGH". The PowerVR Series 5 whose development SEGA funded lived on however as the PowerVR SGX series of mobile GPU's. The Series 5 architecture was designed to be highly scaleable, low end parts for mobile phones and high end parts for arcade boards and consoles, unfortunately the world never got to see the performance of the higher end variants.

So to recap -

There was a next gen system in development in 2000 which was scrapped by owner Isao Okawa and there was a next gen system in development in 2003/2004 which was scrapped by Isao Okawa's friend and new owner Hajime Satomi.

Present and Future

With the Nintendo Wii hitting retail and gaining worldwide superstardom of the likes never witnessed SEGA SAMMY once again immediately got to work on another system with orders from the boss himself Satomi-san. This system shall be a HD casual console and is designed to compete with the successor to the Wii. The design of the system FGN can officially confirm was finalised in late 2008, it's arcade variant goes by the name "RINGEDGE" the specifications of the system are as follows.

The chosen CPU is the Intel Pentium E2160 Allendale 1.8GHz Dual-Core Processor, the GPU of choice is the Shader Model 4.0 compliant 9600GSO with 384 MB GDDR3 RAM, System memory measuring 1GB DDR2-800. Other features include an onboard HD audio DSP, 32GB SSD, standard DVD, and WiFi connectivity. SEGA SAMMY plans on shipping the system with two controllers, a motion sensing remote and one which looks similar to the Saturn 3D controller. One for casual gaming the other for non-casual. To top this off SEGA SAMMY shall be using a stripped down version of Microsoft's Windows Embedded Standard 2009 for ease of development. This particular version differs from the standard version where only the DirectX functionality is included, the standard edition costs $90 per shipping device. As SEGA SAMMY's version doesn't include the non gaming features SEGA SAMMY has managed to get a hold of the OS for less than half of that cost.

SEGA SAMMY plans on launching the system in time for the holiday season of 2010 for no less than $200 and no more than $250. The company doesn't plan on publically acknowledging the project this year, thus an official announcement won't take place until 1H 2010.

Stay tuned for part 2 of our world exclusive where we shed light on SEGA SAMMY's consumer plans for the "RINGWIDE" ."

People in the games community are suspicious about the article, especially when someone called "BIGGER" posted the link on the Sega of America forum as their first post, then promptly disappeared.

It should be noted that "Zach/Zack Morris" is a character on many sitcoms, including Saved By The Bell; and that "FGNOnline" is the name of a previous games website, shut down in 2001.

Here is the rundown of this alleged upcoming console:

• Based on Sega's RingEdge arcade board
• Aims to compete with the Wii's successor
• HD Graphics
• Comes with two controllers: One motion-sensing for casual games and the other, based on the Saturn's 3D controller, for "hardcore" games
• First announcement expected early 2010
• Release date Holiday Season 2010
• Price range $200-$250

What has also been pointed out by members of the community is that a wireless, motion-sensing 3D-esque controller has recently been trademarked by Sega. Could this be the "hardcore" controller mentioned in the article?

I suspect this is completely fake, but even if it was true I would be severely disappointed. Another casual games console is not what we need, and is certainly not what most long-term Sega fans would want.

I'll wait for further news on this - probably confirming that it is indeed a hoax.

[Source: FGNOnline]

Sega acknowledges existence of Sega Vision!

Sega's obscure media device, the Sega Vision, has had little or no official confirmation since it was first discovered back in October. Even its appearance at this year's ATEI left us with few answers.

This was enough to arouse speculation that the portable media player would never be released, or that some parts of Sega were unaware that the thing even existed.

But now, thanks to the wonders of Twitter, we know that Sega is aware of its own hardware's existence. Here is what they said, in response to a user question about the Sega Vision:

"The SEGA Vision? Sega Nerds can tell you all about that - they had a hands on a while back..."

Perhaps the Sega Vision is so neglected because it was only ever meant to be low-key? People in the Sega community have reported seeing them in various UFO Catchers around the UK, but they are still unavailable to buy directly.

The Sega Vision is supposed to be released this year, with a price tag of £70-£90. This seems expensive based on the system's poor game-playing capabilities, when fully-fledged handheld games consoles only cost slightly more. New, cheaper and more powerful PMPs have since come on the market, such as the Dingoo A320.

It now seems likely that the Sega Vision will remain in obscurity, only available through Sega Amusements arcade machines. It really wasn't the Game Gear 2 we were hoping for...

[Source: Sega's Twitter]

Sega at E3 2009, no Dreamcast 2!

Sega have recently revealed their E3 2009 line-up, firmly assuring us that there will be no hardware announcements whatsoever. This comes after recent speculation of a Dreamcast revival, sparked by ThinkGeek's Dreamcast sell-out and Sega's major company restructuring.

Here is Sega's (rather boring) confirmed software:

• Alpha Protocol
• Bayonetta
• Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
• Planet 51
• The Conduit
• Vancouver 2010

These details were confirmed on Sega's Twitter page, as was the statement outlining no future hardware plans. Here is what they said:

"We're a 3rd Party publisher now; as much as people would like a Dreamcast 2 we won't be returning to the hardware market."

There are more rumours about Sega's hardware future, stemming from their latest arcade hardware being applicable to home consoles according to the trademark application.

A return to the hardware market is what most Sega fans, including me, desperately want. If there is an announcement, expect it on 09/09/09!

[Source: Sega's Twitter]

Black Knight producer says the "werehog may return"

Something I never thought I'd have to see again.

In an interview over on Videogamer.com, Sonic and the Black Knight producer Tetsu Katano has revealed that the "werehog may return". The werehog in question, if you didn't know, was one of the main reasons for the downfall of Sonic Unleashed - Sonic would turn into the werehog at night for hack 'n slash-style gameplay.

Katano says, "I don't think that producing the Werehog was a mistake per se, but there were a lot of things we could have done better if we had more time and resources... For the improvements, I can't think of anything right now off the top of my head. If I think of any ideas then Sonic Unleashed 2 will be the time for that, so I don't really have an answer for that. But you will see the Werehog again".

What a terrible prospect. Doesn't Sega know that we never want to see the werehog again? Katano then continues: "So in the same way, unless we're going to make Sonic Unleashed 2 you might not see him again. But if we are going to make it, you might see him again. It's a possibility".

Please, please don't make Sonic Unleashed 2. If you deleted the werehog once and for all, then the game might actually be completely good rather than having one main aspect bringing the entire game down.

If you do make a sequel, then no child-pleasing gimmicks please. Thank you.

Sega's Dreamcast trademarks explained?

VOIP!

There have been many Dreamcast games re-trademarked over the past few months, with no explanation from Sega. We have been speculating as to why Sega have been doing this, with theories such as property protection and compilation discs popping up. Well, we may just be closer to explaining the whole thing!

It seems that yesterday the ever-reliable Australian Classification Board rated Virtual-On, one of the Dreamcast games recently re-trademarked. It has been given a PG rating, citing "mild violence". Also interesting is the game's listing as "multi-platform".

This new information makes it likely that these titles (others include ChuChu Rocket, Sonic Shuffle, Jet Set Radio and Cosmic Smash) are going to make their way onto the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade as downloadable titles. Hopefully they will include new features, such as online play and leaderboards. Even some trophies would be nice.

This mystery is getting ever-closer to being solved. Finally.

[Source: Sega Nerds]

Wikipedia's Sonic the Hedgehog film hoax

An article has recently appeared on Wikipedia outlining an upcoming Sonic live-action film. Unsurprisingly, the article has been filed under "suspected hoax articles".

The introduction is as follows: "Sonic the Hedgehog is the upcoming live-action film adaptation of the hit video game series of the same name. The movie will be produced by Sonic Team and will be released nation-wide in Summer 2010. The film is supposed to "take the Sonic franchise in a new direction" with a darker and more serious story. The film will be rated PG-13 for violence and the voice actors of the characters will be the same voice actors from the video game series. Sonic Team plans to release the film in Spring 2010 in Japan".

All ready you can see the problems with this, although I have corrected the numerous spelling mistakes. Sonic Team producing a film that has received a rating so early in production? Voice actors in a live-action film? I don't think so.

Here are the "known plot details": "The plot of the film revolves around Sonic trying to save the President's daughter from Dr. Eggman. Sonic will team up with the government and try to stop Dr. Eggman before he can use the Chaos Emeralds to unleash a monstrous creature on the world. Sonic Team producers say the monster will be "apocalyptic" and will set the dark tone for the movie. More plot details reveal that Sonic will have to fight a beast from within himself and will only be able to defeat Dr. Eggman by first overcoming his inner demons".

The storyline sounds rather familiar. Coming up with a generic story was probably far easier for the hoaxer than dreaming something new up!

Here is the "known cast": "Currently, Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr. Eggman, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Amy Rose have been confirmed to appear in the film. Sonic Team has had interests in having Knuckles the Echidna and Shadow the Hedgehog in the film, but state that "we need to plan things out carefully. We would love nothing more to add Knuckles and Shadow, but the film's plot can only get so big without those two complicating it".

Amazingly, there are no sources or references in the article. The creator of the article never did any previous editing on Wikipedia, only signing up yesterday. The article was created twenty minutes after and has not been edited since.

Now let's see how long it takes for the article to be removed!

[Source: Sonic Retro Forums]

Ringedge and Ringwide arcade boards showcased in Japan

Recently, a trademark application for "Ringwide" and "Ringedge" was filed by Sega, sparking rumours that they were returning to the console business. The trademarks applied to both arcade hardware and home consoles.

Today Sega have shown off their new arcade hardware, entitled Ringwide and Ringedge, at the AOU Show in Japan. The first game to use the new technology will be Border Break, a robot fighting game.

Both boards have online capabilities, with parts from Intel and Nvidia. Although this announcement has confirmed the boards' existence, it hasn't yet confirmed whether the technology will be used in home consoles. We can still hope!

[Source: Intergame]

Is Doom to be re-ported to 32X?

Amid all the news about Wolfenstein finally being ported to Sega's Mega Drive add-on the 32X, the creator says that he would also like to re-port Doom. The console did get a rather rushed port in 1995, done so to get it out before Christmas, but lost some levels and overall sheen in the process. It was widely criticised for having less levels and worse music than even the SNES version.

"Chilly Willy", the converter of Wolfenstein, says that he's "one of those who would love a better Doom conversion" after it was suggested he take on the task after his current project. He says that once Wolfenstein is complete, he'll "probably do some experimenting on that [Doom]".


Wolfenstein may be extended to a Mega-CD 32X version once the cart version is complete. This may also apply to Doom so that it can have CD-quality music. It's all beginning to sound like 1995 again!

The completed games may even be sold on cartridge, although this may pose legal problems. I hope they do get a physical release, but I'll have to get a 32X before I can play them!

Mr. Nutz 2 source code released

Someone over on the ASSEMblergames forums has apparently released the source code for the unreleased Mega Drive game Mr. Nutz 2. The game is actually a port of the original Amiga game, developed in 1995 by German team Neon Studios.

The downloads do not work, however, as the bandwidth has been exceeded. There are currently no working mirrors, so we don't know if the code is genuine as of yet.

A few years ago some screenshots of the game were released by someone who worked on the game. They did not release any source code due to legal reasons. It is only now that the code has been released, ready to be turned into a working emulator image.

The game was actually reviewed at the time, but never released due to the waning Mega Drive market. Ocean subsequently stopped producing Mega Drive and other 16-bit games as a whole, moving onto next-generation systems. The Mega Drive would actually continue to be supported in Europe for another three years.

I really hope the source code is genuine as Mr. Nutz is one of my favourite platformers. It was always a shame that only one Mr. Nutz game was released for home consoles, so now we may finally be able to play another game from the series.

I will post more information as soon as I get it, which looks likely to be in the next few days. The Sega scene works fast!

More Dreamcast games re-trademarked

Sega is continuing to re-trademark its old Dreamcast games, furthering the rumours and speculation. This time, 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker and Rez have been re-trademarked, joining the ever-growing list of games recently renewed.

Dreamcast games previously renewed are ChuChu Rocket, Sonic Shuffle, Virtual-On, Jet Set Radio and Cosmic Smash. Many Mega Drive games have received the same treatment, despite some appearing on the upcoming compilation disc Mega Drive Ultimate Collection.

As with every other time a Sega game is re-trademarked, rumours have been flying about suggesting a Dreamcast compilation or downloadable versions for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. The latter is becoming increasingly unlikely as Rez is all ready available as a download title.

There is of course the boring explanation of protecting intellectual property, but let's just hope the game are going to be part of a compilation. Along with some Saturn and 32X games. And arcade games. Yes.

[Source: Sega Nerds]

Could Sega be returning to the console market?

A few days ago you may have read about Sega's latest trademark applications for the names "RingWide" and "RingEdge". This is now fuelling speculation that they may be names for Sega's next console.

The trademark application says that it applies to "arcade game boards... stand alone video game machines, [or] arcade game machines with built-in screens". This could mean that Sega are not just developing new arcade hardware, but technology that would transfer to a separate games console or handheld.

Perhaps the console would launch to compete with the next generation. I don't see them doing another Dreamcast, whereby they release the console halfway through a generation when people aren't ready or are waiting for a previously established brand.

Also trademarked was a logo, which is extremely small and looks vaguely ring-like.

All I can say is that I really hope Sega are making a new console. I would certainly buy it, Goatse puns aside!

[Source: CNET]

Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics? Nooo!

Nintendo Acción, a Spanish Nintendo magazine, has hinted at a new game to be revealed next issue. All that was given was a picture of Mario and Sonic, holding hands power style, and this description:

"Who are these two and why do they come to see each other? Find out all the details on the mystery game in the next magazine. But before that, here are some clues: games, Olympics, cold, it's winter…"

Putting all those together can only mean one thing: Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics. Expect controller-waggling galore to such sports as skiing, bobsled and ice-skating. I certainly can wait.

[Source: Sega Nerds]

Sega employee reveals Sonic secrets

If you've been on any other gaming blogs these past few weeks you may have read about a Sega employee releasing information about the Sonic series on his blog. I didn't report on that as it was ancient news from a blog I read at the time, only just rediscovered through archiving. But this time, we have new information!

Over on 4chan, a user that goes by the name of "Wentos" has been revealing information about the Sonic series not previously known. He claims to work in Sega's localisation department, but at present this has not been confirmed.

Here is a list of things he has said:

• A whole new team was brought together to make the next-gen versions of Sonic Unleashed, all straight from university and long-time Sonic fans. The team will handle the main series from here.
• He suggested the "Tails is a girl joke" in Sonic Unleashed.
• The next Sonic game will feature optional characters, as in Sonic 2 and 3. They will not be essential to the storyline and are selectable, potentially meaning less new characters every game.
• The next Sonic game will be completely in the style of the Sonic Unleashed daytime levels, with more platforming elements where you actually have to slow down. There will be no game-ruining gimmicks like the "werehog".
• The main series will be kept quiet for a while, apparently for a year and a half.
• Chao will probably not return to the series again.
• Sonic Adventure 2 was the lowest-budget Sonic game ever, followed by Sonic Heroes. Sonic Unleashed cost more to develop than all the Dreamcast Sonic games combined.
• Wii versions of Sonic games have deliberately lower budgets to make more money off the family audience, whilst a loss is made on the higher-quality next-gen versions.
• Filler titles (Riders/Storybook series) also recuperate lost money from next-gen versions.
• There will probably be a Sonic Riders 3.
• Legal reasons meant that Sonic Chronicles had to use fan-made midis for some music.
• Sonic Unleashed recycled parts from Sonic '06, for example Eggmanland uses parts of Aquatic Base.
• Sonic Unleashed was developed for four years, intended to be the "true" Sonic '06.
  

This is all very interesting, but he cannot be fully trusted as of yet. If he is indeed genuine then the next main Sonic game sounds amazing! I'm sure we'll here more from Wentos the Travelling Salesman soon!

[Source: TSSZ News]

Sega may own the Guilty Gear franchise

Union Jack train ftw!

Sammy Studios have published many titles in the Guilty Gear franchise, so when they bought Sega in 2004 it became unclear if they still owned the rights.

The developer, Arc System Works, have recently self-published some Guilty Gear titles, although they don't feature many old characters and have completely different gameplay styles.

In an interview with Gamasutra, Guilty Gear designer Daisuke Ishiwatari claimed that Sega do indeed still own the rights:

Gamasutra: This is a tough question, I don't know if you can answer it, but there have been some rumours on the 'net about Guilty Gear and Sega getting the rights, which is why [Arc System Works' Dynasty Warriors-style action title] Guilty Gear 2: Overture didn't feature too many older characters — and stuff that I don't really understand. Though you might not be able to provide any answers...

Ishiwatari: Right, I might not be able to provide answers there.

Gamasutra: You know, rumours... on the Internet...

Ishiwatari: Yeah, I can't really talk about it much... except to say that they're basically true. (laughs)

If Sega do indeed own the rights, it would be good if they published some new, traditional Guilty Gear games in HD, à la King of Fighters XII and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.