SEGA/Sonic Boom devs on appealing to the west, structure, characters, not coming to Japan, more Sonic Team games planned
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 5 Comments
Polygon has published a new feature with additional details about Sonic Boom, as well as commentary from Sonic game designer Takashi Iizuka, Sega of America producer Stephen Frost, and Big Red Button’s Bob Rafei. You can find a roundup of what was shared below. You can also find Polygon’s full piece here.
More: Sonic Boom, top
Sledgehammer working on 2014 Call of Duty, new entries getting 3-year dev cycle
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 4 Comments
Infinity Ward and Treyarch have acted as the two big developers behind Call of Duty. But today, Activision confirmed the addition of one more major team: Sledgehammer Games.
Starting with this year’s Call of Duty, new entries in the series will take on a three-year development cycle. Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer will rotate on yearly releases. Sledgehammer will be responsible for the unannounced 2014 title.
Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said during a financial call today:
“This will give our designers more time to envision and innovate for each title. Simultaneously, it will give our content creators more focus on DLC and micro-DLC which, as you know, have become large and high-margin opportunities and significant engagement drivers. Finally, we’ll give our teams more time to polish, helping ensure we deliver the best possible experience to our fans – each and every time.”
(Activision) needed a third studio capable of delivering the level of excellence required for the West’s biggest interactive entertainment franchise (and that Sledgehammer Games fits the bill.) They demonstrated their skill on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and on their past highly-rated games.”
Sonic Boom TV series trailer
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Videos | 0 comments
More: SEGA, Sonic Boom, top
SEGA planning new game around Sonic Boom, first look at new Sonic and Knuckles designs
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 20 Comments
Update: New image has surfaced (attached below).
Original: SEGA’s Sonic press event is taking place as we speak, and one member of the press was kind enough to share a few tidbits from the presentation.
As expected, Sonic Boom – the upcoming animated show – is intended to act as the next-generation of SEGA’s vision for the franchise. The television show will lead to a new game on dedicated gaming systems as well as mobile platforms.
Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and Amy are all getting new looks. Sonic and Knuckles, shown above, feature sports tape. Tails possesses a tool belt.
We’re waiting on more details and clarification on a few things, so stay tuned for further updates.
More: SEGA, Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog, top
SEGA to reveal Sonic announcements/plans at press event tomorrow
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 6 Comments
“2014 will mark a renaissance for Sonic the Hedgehog,” a press invitation from SEGA reads. The company will be hosting an event tomorrow so that announcements and future plans for Sonic can be shared.
Based on the art above Sonic Boom will be one of the highlights of the press gathering. A logical assumption would be that a game or two will be appearing as well.
Just don’t expect news out of the gate – there’s a good chance information will be embargoed.
More: SEGA, Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog, top
Deaf composer Mamoru Samuragochi (Resident Evil) paid someone else to write music for him, but still took credit
Posted on 10 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in General Nintendo, News | 1 Comment
After losing his hearing in the last 90s and being hailed as the “Japanese Beethoven”, it turns out that composer Mamoru Samuragochi didn’t actually directly compose a good chunk of the songs he’s most famous for, including the soundtrack to 2001’s Onimushu: Warlords and the critically acclaimed “Hiroshima Symphony No. 1”, a piece dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombings of 1945. Instead, Samuragochi-san paid someone else to do the actually writing process while he fed them vague musical ideas.
It’s not quite clear how involved or disassociated he was with the actual writing, but the details we have do make it seem as though he primarily gave a vague interpretation of what he wanted and let the other person do most of the raw composition work. A statement from Samuragochi-san’s solicitor read as follows: “He knows he could not possibly make any excuse for what he has done. He is mentally distressed and not in a condition to properly express his own thoughts.”
Japan Times via EuroGamer
More: Capcom, Mamoru Samuragochi, Resident Evil
Video: “The Dark Alley — Bravely Default in Real Life”
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Random, Videos | 2 Comments
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Namco Bandai becomes Bandai Namco on April 1
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 3 Comments
We knew Namco Bandai was getting a (small) name change, but now we have a date as well. The company has confirmed that it’s “new” Bandai Namco rebranding will take place on April 1. This will apply to all communications, product branding, and presences in digital and online spaces.
Nobuhiro Kasahara, chief operating officer at Namco Bandai Games. America Inc., said:
“Since its merger in late 2005, BANDAI NAMCO Games has grown to be one of the largest and most successful game publishers in its native Japan, the United States, Latin America, and Europe. The BANDAI NAMCO Games logo has now become synonymous with great gaming products and services; it’s the perfect time for us to unify our corporate brand around the world and move forward together in a united front as a global company.”
You can find today’s announcement in full below.
More: Bandai Namco, Namco Bandai
UK getting Super Mario toys with Happy Meals
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 3 Comments
Although specific details are unavailable, McDonalds has confirmed plans to distribute Super Mario toys in the UK. It’s estimated that themed toys will be included with Happy Meals starting in March.
Japan: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft release joint parental controls flyer
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Random | 3 Comments
Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have teamed up for… a parental controls flyer, interestingly enough. The ad above was spotted in a video game store in Sapporo, Japan just recently.
As one would expect, the flyer intends to explain the use of parental controls and increase the awareness of game ratings between consumers. It will be distributed in stores across Japan over the next few weeks.
