We recently reported that Boltrend Games were bringing SEGA’s mobile title IDOLA: Phantasy Star Saga to the West, with a open beta. Well, it turns out there’s not long to wait until the full release; as pre-registration is now open for the game, with the iOS App Store giving a release date of September 17th.
There is a bit of a downside to this news, as the game sadly isn’t coming to Europe as of right now; it’s available globally everywhere save for Europe, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. Trying to access the game via the App Store here in the UK turns up an error message. It might be too early to totally rule out a European release though – just look at Phantasy Star Online 2, after all. That, and Twinfinite states the game is actually planned to launch specifically in the UK, so this might change quicker than we think.
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
It’s a pretty good time to be a Phantasy Star fan, as the mobile title IDOLA: Phantasy Star Saga is getting an official English release!
The game, originally released to promote the 30th Anniversary of the Phantasy Star series, will be receiving an Open Beta Test, launching August 5th and lasting until August 10th. It’ll contain the first six chapters of the game’s story and the Arena Battle mode. Currently, there’s no solid word on what regions this English release is intended for, though our friend CorBond was unable to access the game from the Netherlands. We were able to join the Testing Program from the UK, but we lack an Android device to confirm whether we could actually access the game.
It’s certainly a surprising announcement; we do wonder if they’ll somehow incorporate the bonuses the Japanese version has for connecting the game to Phantasy Star Online 2. Only time will tell!
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
Phantasy Star Online 2’s PC exclusivity to the Microsoft Store is coming to an end, as the game will be launching on Steam as soon as next week, August 5th. It’s also been confirmed the game will support crossplay and cross-progress with other versions of the game, and that the Steam version will drop alongside the Episode 4 content update.
This also seemingly marks the official European release of the game, as the Steam page is available in select European territories. We don’t have a full list of who can and can’t access it right now, but we at least know that the UK is good to go, and the Netherlands are sadly out of luck as the page simply won’t load in that region.
The best part of this announcement however, is probably the new items announced to commemorate the launch. You’ll be able to get your hands on gear inspired by Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2 and Portal 2 as part of the game’s Steam launch. This isn’t wholly surprising, but it’s weird to see Gordon Freeman in PSO2 nonetheless.
PSO2’s PC launch was mired in technical issues, so hopefully the Steam launch will mark the end to that. Going off previous blogposts, it’s a safe assumption that Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis, the upcoming overhaul of the game, will also land on Steam at some point next year – though whether it’ll have timed exclusivity to Microsoft again remains to be seen.
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
SEGA has confirmed that Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be making its way to Playstation 5 some time after its release on PS4 and Xbox One/Xbox Series X. SEGA are currently making plans for PS4 owners to be able to upgrade to the PS5 version once it becomes available.
That’s arguably not the biggest news however, as Yakuza: Like a Dragon will also be receiving an English dub; the first time the series has done so since the PS2 days. Even more surprising, is that beloved actor George Takei will be lending his vocal chords to the game as Masumi Arakawa. Kaiji Tang will play protagonist Ichiban Kasuga.
Also revealed was a pre-order bonus. The Legends Costume Pack allows you to dress up the characters as those from previous Yakuza games, just in case you can’t let go of Kiryu’s iconic suit.
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
The show itself stated that the game will be releasing November 2020, so presumably Limited Run Games’s tweet about the release (seen above) indicates when pre-orders will go live. This is currently dated for July 31st 2020. There’s also no word on whether the physical version will include the upcoming Hatsune Miku DLC.
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
The previously Playstation Vita exclusive re-release of Atlus’ beloved RPG Persona 4, Persona 4 Golden, has arrived on Steam; marking the series’ first ever PC outing.
Due to be revealed at the PC Gaming Show 2020, but let slip a bit too early, Persona 4 Golden for PC costs £15.99 (with a £19.99 Digital Deluxe Edition, including a digital soundtrack and artbook). It comes with a slew of enhancements over the Vita version, such as improved framerates, dual audio, and higher resolution support.
Many have cited Persona 4 Golden as one of the main (or rather, only) reasons to own a Vita, so suffice to say it making the leap to PC is very welcome. Hopefully, there’s more where this came from down the road; Persona 3 next, perhaps?
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
SEGA has detailed what exactly their plans are for Phantasy Star Online 2’s Western release over the coming months, in a hefty content roadmap.
Currently, only content up to Episode 3 of the game is available for Western players, whereas Japan is currently on Episode 6. That, and the game is technically only available in North America right now; and on the Windows Store, which has rendered the game’s launch a bit of a mess for many, who’ve had to deal with a slew of bizarre installation issues.
Apparently that’s all set to change; SEGA is aiming to get the game “to reach parity with the Japanese servers eventually, with simultaneous releases moving forward to ensure that both services deliver the best experience possible to our players.” As the above visual shows, the aim to have that parity reached before the year is over; which is great, and there’s a lot of excellent features in the later episodes!
There also seems to be some reprieve on the way for those who can’t stand the Microsoft Store, as the blog notes that “more PC platforms” are coming soon. Presumably this means Steam, as it was mentioned in a manual for the game during the beta; but there’s every chance it could also mean the Epic Games Store. The plural has us hopeful, at least.
Crucially, they also state that:
We are also working hard to introduce this legendary online action RPG to a global audience this year. We will have more information about the regions where the game will become available in the near future.
Given the initial furore European fans had in response to the blind-eye turned towards fans beyond America (or perhaps that was just me…), it’s about time we heard more on plans to expand globally; even if there’s pretty much nothing to stop said non-American fans getting the game right now anyway.
All in all, it’s shaping up to be an exciting year for PSO2 fans in the West. Episode 4 is currently planned to release in August 2020, bringing with it great features such as crafting and an increased level cap.
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
Strictly Limited Games, alongside ININ Games, have announced that they’ve acquired the rights to publish Westone Bit Entertainment’s Clockwork Aquario for current gaming platforms. For those not in the know, Clockwork Aquario was a cancelled SEGA System 18 board arcade title from Westone Bit Entertainment, best known for their work on the Wonder Boy/Monster World franchise. The modern ports of the game will land before the end of the year, with both a limited physical run and a general digital release. Currently mooted platforms are Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
Gematsu have the full press release, which goes into the details of how Strictly Limited got their hands on the game; and how they signed a deal with LAT and SEGA to get it released, 27 years later. Westone Bit Entertainment’s former staff, including Ryuichi Nishizawa (generally cited as the creator of Wonder Boy) have also been involved with the new release.
It’s very exciting when lost arcade titles pop up, and even moreso when they get official releases. We’re very excited to get our hands on this gorgeous looking title!
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
True to their word that it would drop before the end of May, SEGA has announced that Phantasy Star Online 2 is coming to PC next week, on May 27th.
Phantasy Star Online 2 will launch as a Microsoft Store exclusive. Whilst technically only a North American launch, the process of getting the game in the UK and other non-US regions for Xbox One was extremely simple, so hopefully that’ll be the case here too. The PC version will allow players to fight alongside those on the Xbox One version, which isn’t too surprising but is very welcome all the same.
Alongside the announcement, PSO2’s first major Western collab has been announced and kicks off today in the Xbox One version; in a move I can only conclude is specifically trying to get me to make the jump from the Japanese version, it’s with VOCALOID. There’ll be a concert with Hatsune Miku and co, as well as their outfits being up for grabs. If you prefer playing MMOs like RuneScape but want to skip all the time-consuming grinding and get straight to playing with the items you want, you can visit https://farmingless.com/review/probemas/.
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
SEGA’s mobile action-puzzle hybrid SEGA Heroes is unfortunately meeting a premature end, as it’s been announced that service for the game is set to be shuttered as soon as next month.
For some background, recently Demiurge, the developers of SEGA Heroes and a member of SEGA Europe’s family of studios, were repurchased by one of their original founders, Albert Reed. The announcement didn’t make clear if it would affect Demiurge’s current licensed titles, but sadly it seems it will.
SEGA has outlined the closure of SEGA Heroes as follows:
April 16:
● In-app purchases will be deactivated
● The same day we will unlock the following content:
– Legendary Events
– Dremagen Boss Battles
– Daily Rewards now grant lots of Gems
– All VIP levels granted to all players
– Taiga Saejima is available, completing the Yakuza Set
May 21:
● Servers will be deactivated
It’s a shame to see the game which, from an outsiders perspective, was one of SEGA’s biggest mobile titles meeting an end only a year and a half after it launched; while not to everyone’s taste, SEGA Heroes actually did a surprisingly great job at working fan-favourites into the game, with some deep-cuts from lesser represented games such as the PS2 Shinobi titles, and the classic Phantasy Star games. We wish those at Demiurge all the best in their future endeavours!
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
SEGADriven and its original content are copyrighted to their respective authors. Media related directly to SEGA is copyrighted to its respective authors. Any comments on SEGA-related materials do not represent SEGA themselves. All rights reserved 2008-2025.
We use cookies to analyse site usage, provide social media features and personalise content and ads. We may also share information about your use of our website with our partners.
