SEGA have finalised their deal to acquire Rovio Entertainment for €706 million. This includes the Angry Birds franchise which is owned solely by the Finnish developer.
Rovio Entertainment are one of the biggest names in mobile gaming, posting an earnings total of €306.7 million for the 2022 financial year. The takeover deal by SEGA is due to be finalised around September 2023. Both companies are looking to benefit from each other, with SEGA looking to expand its mobile gaming business and Rovio looking to expand into console gaming.
SEGA have had huge success in the mobile gaming space, opening their own dedicated mobile gaming development studio SEGA Hardlight in January 2012. SEGA have famously supported the iOS app store since its launch in 2008 with the release of Super Monkey Ball. They have also supported the Apple Arcade service since its launch in 2019 with the release of Sonic Racing and ChuChu Rocket! Universe.
File this one under “Games We Weren’t Prepared For” – SEGA and Yoko Taro (of Nier fame) are collaborating on a new mobile RPG called 404 Game Re:set which re-imagines classic SEGA properties as anime girls.
The game’s premise seems to present SEGA as an evil corporation who now control everything, and the anime girls who represent the various SEGA properties are actually portrayed as evil. You can watch the 7 minute game reveal showcase for 404 Game Re:set in the embed below. Unfortunately this is only available in Japanese at the time of writing:
The game appears to also feature a gacha element as players who pre-register before release are rewarded with in-game “gems”. 404 Game Re:set will launch later in 2023 for iOS and Android devices.
SEGA, Colorful Palette and Crypton Future Media are bringing the mobile title Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage to the West with an English version that is launching on iOS and Android devices “soon”. You can check out the reveal trailer by clicking the embed below:
The game features a touch screen interface where you have to touch the notes as they slide towards you in a similar style to a Guitar Hero or Rock Band game. You can also participate in virtual concerts with other players through online connectivity.
Livetune’s Tell Your World is currently the only song featured in the above trailer, but the official Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage YouTube channel also has a developer team interview which features more songs and more in game action. The video is subtitled in English and you can watch it by clicking here.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Sonic Cafe line of mobile games they were a series of i-Mode titles released exclusively in Japan between 2001 and 2007. The service is due to be discontinued which has sparked Japanese YouTuber Ruwa into action. Ruwa is currently capturing as many i-Mode games as possible and among them are direct feed captures of various Sonic Cafe titles like Sonic Darts, Sonic Golf, Sonic Jump and Sonic Kart 3DX. It makes for some truly fascinating viewing for Western SEGA fans as these games never made their way across the pond.
There’s also a number of SEGA i-Mode games like Out Run, Pengo and Monaco GP in there. Here’s an incomplete list of SEGA i-Mode games captured by Ruwa. I would list them all but there’s honestly just too many for me to list here. Check out the channel to browse more of his i-Mode captures by clicking here:
The new iOS subscription service Apple Arcade is available now and with it comes the launch of 2 new SEGA titles, Sonic Racing and ChuChu Rocket! Universe.
Developed by Hardlight, Sonic Racing is a paired down version of Team Sonic Racing with more of a single player focus. ChuChu Rocket! Universe is definitely the more interesting of the bunch as it’s the first ever sequel to ChuChu Rocket! which originally released for Dreamcast back in November 1999. You can see what both games look like in action via the embed below:
Along with Apple Arcade comes the launch of iOS 13 which allows for controller support with bluetooth devices like the PS4 and Xbox One controllers. It’s certainly a more comfortable option for those who prefer buttons to touch and gyro controls.
Apple Arcade costs £4.99 a month but during the launch window you can try the first month for free. It works on all modern iOS devices.
An extended look at Android & iOS title Sonic at the Olympic Games is now available to view. Sonic at the Olympic Games is shaping up to be quite an extensive package for a mobile title. It features a selection of exclusive events and even a Tokyo-themed overworld to explore. Check it out below:
Sonic at the Olympic Games launches for Android and iOS devices in Spring 2020. There is currently no word on whether the game is free-to-play for priced.
UPDATE
SEGA have uploaded a short gameplay trailer to their official Twitter page. They have also confirmed the rotating 3D nature of the puzzles and that the game will also support multiplayer. No release date has been revealed but the announcement does confirm the game is coming soon.
ORIGINAL STORY
A new Chu Chu Rocket title is coming to Apple’s new Apple Arcade service. Titled Chu Chu Rocket Universe, details are pretty thin at the moment with the above screenshot being the only thing we have to go on at this time. The game appears to play in a similar fashion to the Dreamcast original except the maps are displayed in a more cartoony environment and feature changes in elevation. You may even have free control over the camera in a similar way to Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
Chu Chu Rocket Universe will launch exclusively on the Apple Arcade service at some point in the future. Apple Arcade itself launches on September 19th 2019 and costs £4.99 a month after a free one month trial period. Games can be downloaded and played online or offline on any iOS device that supports the service.
Our first preview of the latest Sonic the Hedgehog mobile title has arrived in the form of 3 screenshots of Sonic at the Olympic Games. This mobile title is similar in scope to the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, but minus the Mario. In the latest screens we get a look at the title screen, an in-game event and an over-world screen that showcases the Olympic village. Check it out:
Sonic at the Olympic Games will be coming to iOS and Android devices in Spring 2020.
SEGA have released a brand new mobile title today called SEGA Heroes. The game is a Bejeweled-like puzzler with RPG elements and an abundance of characters from various classic SEGA franchises. Put together a team of up to 4 characters and battle it out to level up and gain power ups. You can play as characters from Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe, Shinobi and Streets of Rage and all the characters have been drawn in a cartoony, big-head style that keeps things looking consistent. Check out the launch trailer below:
SEGA Heroes is out now on the Google Play store and iOS app store. The game is a free download but it supports in-app purchases.
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