SEGADriven is a SEGA news and information source that focuses on SEGA's console history, retro games and new software hitting the shelves. We want to share a love of great, quirky, clever and down-right fun games - something that SEGA have always specialised in. See below for the latest news, reviews and features added to the website.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is a bit of an odd one to review, at a glance. The moment the game was announced, there was confusion as to how exactly you could make a worthwhile sequel to a concept as basic as “Puyo Puyo, and also Tetris.” Indeed, besides the brand new storyline in the game’s adventure mode, this game certainly boils down to more of Puyo Puyo Tetris. The additions seen here, many of them subtle, add up to create what is, on paper, a far more definitive package for both Puyo and Tetris fans, but it’s also one that also fails to address the most egregious flaws those fans found with the original game.
In the new year, SEGA are running a 60th anniversary initiative called the SEGA Test. This will be an online course that will contain 60 questions and take roughly 60 minutes to complete. The test will take place 3 times a day on January 23rd and 24th 2021.
In preparation for the test, Hiroyuki Miyazaki, the Chief Contents Officer at Sega of America, is hosting a series of online SEGA history videos and the first is now available to watch below. In this video, Professor Miyazaki discuss SEGA’s console history and the code names used for its various hardware.
A real surprise occurs at 11:36 has Professor Miyazaki shows the Venus prototype of the Genesis Nomad for the very first time. It’s a fascinating look at the console’s development and it clearly uses the buttons of a stock 6 button Mega Drive controller and a directional pad from a Game Gear. Check out the full video below and brush up on your SEGA knowledge so you’re ready for the SEGA Test!
The next SEGA Forever retrospective video is here, and this time it’s Golden Axe’s moment in the spotlight.
The video offers an extensive look at the history of the series, from the original beat-em ups to the one-on-one fighting game, and even the RPG spinoffs; the latter, I didn’t realise actually existed! Even as someone who’s not the biggest fan of the original Golden Axe, the video has made me want to check out some of the side-ventures I’d missed.
Fair warning: at around the 1:30 mark there’s an extremely harsh strobe pattern that would’ve worked fine on the Game Gear but is a bit eye-melting on a 1080p screen. If you’ve got epilepsy you might want to sit this one out.
The 7th mainline entry in the Yakuza franchise is finally upon us with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Both Tracker and Sonic Yoda have played the game extensively on PC and PS4 and have prepared a bumper review of both versions for you to get stuck into. Does the franchise successfully transition from brawler to RPG? Find out by clicking below!
Raster Scroll have opened a Kickstarter for a new book called Legends of 16-Bit Game Development. The focus of the book is aimed at Treasure and their 16 bit Mega Drive titles that include Dynamite Headdy, Alien Soldier, Gunstar Heroes and more.
The book is authored by John Harrison who has extensively researched the company and is aiming to offer readers insight into the business-side of the developer, the actual game development process, key members of the development team and their backgrounds, and the reception of the featured games after their release.
If you’re interested in funding such a project then head on over to the official Legends of 16-Bit Game Development Kickstarter. Several tiers are available with the lowest starting at $30. Each book aims to include 250 pages of full colour content.
You can read an excerpt from the book by clicking here.
Sonic R released on this day back in 1997 over the pond, and to commemorate it, SEGA Forever have pulled off something very special – a brand new piece of artwork based on the game, from Sonic the Comic’s Richard Elson!
It’s a beautiful tribute; no surprise, as Elson’s stuff is always gorgeous. The art has a sort-of blend of his own Sonic the Comic style and the more style-guide accurate Classic Sonic art, to make something really special! It’s lovely to see something for the Sonic the Comic fans in audience, and hopefully this acknowledgment could lead to more down the road, as we’d be very much down for reprints!
The next retrospective from SEGA Forever has arrived, and this time it’s all about The House of the Dead!
The video focuses mainly on the original arcade series, running from The House of the Dead all the way up to the most recent game in the original canon, Scarlet Dawn. That said, a nod is given to Overkill and even Pinball of the Dead; and they even give some love to The Typing of the Dead II, a great game that flew under the radar compared to its predecessor.
Each title also has the list of platforms it’s available on listed alongside it; very handy for those looking to shoot some mutants at home. We’re really loving this series, and we can’t wait to see what gets the retrospective treatment next!
There’s been a lot of celebration around SEGA lately, what with their 60th Anniversary and all; but sadly, it’s not all been cause for partying. SEGA has published extraordinary losses from its amusements division (thanks to COVID-19), leading them to outright sell off the majority of their arcade business to Genda Inc (formerly Midas Entertainment). SEGA will still be producing arcade games, and their arcade centres will still be plastered with the SEGA logo, but those centres are Genda’s now.
That’s not all though, as it’s now emerged that SEGA have asked 650 employees to “voluntarily retire”. Supposedly those who accept the offer to retire by February 2021 will receive a “payment of extraordinary retirement allowances and reemployment support”. SEGA’s executives are also getting hit by the changes, though not nearly as severely as those losing their jobs; instead, the company’s Senior Executive Vice President and Senior Vice President will have 20% and 10% taken out of their monthly salaries respectively… which isn’t exactly much for the salaries they’re probably on. The Representative Director will see a slightly more substantial cut of 30%.
It’s been a rough year for businesses across the world this year, and given their presence in Japan’s arcade scene, it’s not surprising that SEGA got hit hard; but the layoffs are disappointing news all the same. It’s also very likely that SEGA’s mooted ‘Fog Gaming’ concept may not be going ahead anymore, but time will tell if Genda choose to adopt that instead.
Tags: arcade, japan, Layoffs Posted in News | Comments Off on SEGA Request 650 Employees To Retire “Voluntarily”, Cut Salaries of Executives By Up To 30%
Archipel Caravan, responsible for a slew of documentaries on Japanese video game creators, have published a new, 20 minute long interview with beloved SEGA composer and vocalist, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi.
The interview goes through how he got his start at SEGA, and what pushed him to join in the first place; as well as how the vocal aspect of Daytona USA came to be (we have Ridge Racer to thank, apparently!). It’s genuinely fascinating, and it feels surprisingly rare that we get to see a down-to-earth interview like this with Mitsuyoshi-san. Of course, once the music starts he’s just as excitable as ever, and in turn it’s a lot of fun to watch.
Archipel’s previous videos have included interviews with Saori Kobayashi of Panzer Dragoon, and Toshihiro Nagoshi of… well, a lot of things, including Yakuza, Daytona USA and Super Monkey Ball. Their stuff is well worth a watch, and this latest interview is no exception.
Just like Crazy Taxi a few weeks ago, SEGA has published another retrospective for its 60th Anniversary; this time covering the beloved (that might be an understatement) Dreamcast IP Jet Set Radio.
As always there’s some cool facts sprinkled throughout the video, such as how the Game Boy Advance version of JSR later had its engine repurposed for other games. There’s even a short section on De La Jet Set Radio, the second Japanese release that served as an ‘international’ edition, as was common at the time. And there is of course a section on Jet Set Radio Future, the Xbox sequel; as always, it leaves us hoping for a port down the road. Perhaps someday…
On the whole, it’s a great watch as usual; we can’t wait to see what series is up next on the retrospective block!
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