During a recent Q&A session, SEGA executives have admitted that they will use AI to assist game development but only in ‘appropriate use cases’.
SEGA execs have said, “rather than fully following the trend toward the large-scale development, we will also pursue efficiency improvements, such as leveraging AI. However, as AI adoption can face strong resistance in creative areas such as character creation, we will proceed by carefully assessing appropriate use cases, such as streamlining development processes.”
This is incredibly disappointing news as the use of generative AI is essentially admitting to art theft. Generative AI models are trained on existing artwork created by human beings and as a result it is an extremely abusive method of repurposing the work of others. AI is also harmful to the environment as it requires enormous amounts of electricity and water to cool the systems.
SEGADriven supports all human craft that goes into creative endeavours and firmly objects to the use of AI in creative spaces. Steam currently makes developers declare whether their games have made use of AI in its development which allows consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. Epic Games’s CEO Tim Sweeney has argued that developers should not need to disclose their use of AI as Steam’s system encourages “cancel campaigns” and “review bombing”. This is true, but it also disregards the fact that generative AI models are built on the theft of artwork from human artists. Real people make games; not machines. It is insulting that CEOs continue to lay off development staff in favour of using environmentally destructive methods that put talented people out of work and destroy their livelihoods. This all happens while generative AI models filter all human creative endeavours through an ugly, soulless meat-grinder that will inevitably make all games look and sound the same. Generative AI has no use in creative spaces other than to make human art redundant, which is a gross misunderstanding of what art is.
SEGADriven will continue to highlight any use of generative AI that SEGA use in their games to allow our readers to make informed decisions about the software they purchase. This will continue until SEGA reverse their decision to use generative AI in assisting game development.
Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. has received its first gameplay trailer. This new version of Virtua Fighter 5 brings the game to PCs with 4K support and rollback netcode. Content-wise the game is largely similar to Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown on PS4.
You can check out the new trailer via the embed below:
Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. will be SEGA’s final iteration of Virtua Fighter 5 before the next mainline entry releases. The game will release on PC on January 28th 2025. A 30th Anniversary Edition will also be available that gives you access to additional costumes, pre-production materials, music, wallpapers, titles and some cute console-themed items that look like a Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast.
SEGA are going to be delisting a bunch of digital games on December 6th 2024 with the headline release being the SEGA Mega Drive Classics compilation on Switch, PC, PS4 and Xbox One. On Steam this title has a dedicated launcher called the SEGA Mega Drive Hub, but each game in the collection is available to buy seperately. The full collection was only made available as one big compilation on Switch, PS4 and Xbox One.
Alongside the delisting of SEGA Mega Drive Classics, a bunch of other titles are being delisted like the HD ports of Jet Set Radio, Nights into dreams…, SEGA Bass Fishing, Crazy Taxi and Sonic the Fighters. For the full list of titles affected click the “read more” link below:
A brand new trailer for Sonic X Shadow Generations has dropped that confirms the game’s release date for October 25th 2024. You can check out the new trailer via the embed below:
The trailer appears to confirm the inclusion of a Bullet Station level, a Space Colony ARK stage and a Kingdom Valley stage. These are likely new additions to Shadow’s campaign.
In addition to the release date, the trailer also highlights a digital deluxe edition version of the game that includes the following additional content:
– a Sonic Adventure character skin for Sonic
– a Telios character skin for Shadow that makes him look like one of his early concept designs
– an additional level for Shadow’s campaign
– extra skill points to be used in game
– an extra pack of background music tracks
– a digital art book
– the game’s full soundtrack
Sonic X Shadow Generations launches for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch on October 25th 2024.
Atlus’s next RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio has received a new trailer via the Summer Games Fest 2024 showcase, as well as a new 22 miniute showcase video that delves deeper into the game’s different archetypes. We also have a firm release date of October 11th 2024. Check out the latest videos for Metaphor: ReFantazio via the embeds below:
New in-game trailer
In depth showcase video
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a brand new franchise from the creators of Persona 3, 4 and 5. It will release on PC via Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4 and PS5 on October 11th 2024.
An enhanced PC port of the 1993 Mega CD RPG Vay is coming to Steam in July 2024. Originally developed by SIMS and released exclusively in Japan and North America, this new PC port is based on an existing mobile port of Vay developed by SoMoGa and released on mobile devices in 2008.
You can wishlist the PC port of Vay on Steam right now. This new version is boasting newly updated looping music and bluetooth controller support. Outside of these updates it is largely an upscaled version of the Mega CD original, with new widescreen artwork for battles and a new high definition HUD during the overworld exploration.
This new PC port of Vay also has support for both Japanese and English spoken dialogue. It is currently unclear whether the English dub is from the 1994 Working Designs version or is newly recorded.
The Creative Assembly have unveiled the latest entry in the Total War franchise with Total War: Pharaoh which launches in October 2023. As you can imagine with a title like that, the action takes place in ancient Egypt. You can check out the pre-rendered reveal trailer below:
Total War: Pharaoh will be the 16th mainline entry in the Total War series. The game is available to pre-order now and will be available on the Steam and Epic Games Store platforms for PC. There are 3 editions available offering various additional content packs and also a digital soundtrack download.
After teasing a “new direction” for the Sonic franchise earlier in the day, SEGA have surprise-dropped a brand new Sonic the Hedgehog game exclusive to PC via Steam. This new title is a visual novel called The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog where you help Tails and company solve the mystery behind Sonic’s murder. Check out the launch trailer below:
The release of a new Sonic game has become a somewhat sad affair over the course of the last decade, right after it seemed like he was finding his footing with games like Sonic Colours and Sonic Generations. So after nearly two full run-throughs of the game, it brings me great joy to say that Sonic Frontiers is the best Modern Sonic title released in the past 10 years. In fact, there’s elements of it I think I enjoy more than Generations! It’s also, however, a game with no shortage of issues; in ways that often feel much like ‘first game syndrome’ for the ‘open-zone’ concept that Takashi Iizuka believes could form the future of Sonic games.
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 released a new trailer for the upcoming Sonic Frontiers, launching next month. This time, we get a look at the various ways Sonic will be able to sock it to his foes.
The trailer notes that as well as the typical Sonic fare, such as homing attacks, drop dashing and the stomp, Sonic’s combat has been massively expanded with a skill tree system implemented. We also get a glimpse at how this stuff’s upgraded – Skill Tokens from defeating enemies (giving incentive to actually go after them instead of waltzing by as you might be tempted to), and Seeds of Power and Defense from completing other tasks. We also get to see the Cyloop yet again, with emphasis put onto how it can be used in combat – and the Phantom Rush, a powered-up state where afterimages of Sonic fly around the enemies, laying on the hurt. It actually reminds us of the Sonic OVA a bit!
Finally, we get a look at the cosmetics included with the game’s digital deluxe edition – some very brown shoes and gloves. We’re personally not too sure the fashion justifies the Digital Deluxe approach we’ve called out in the past (nor the included bonus items, which just seem to be a means to… play less game?), but at the very least there’s no early access included this time – presumably they’ve learned their lesson on that detail after Colours Ultimate.
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.
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