Slashdot Mirror

An anonymous reader writes: In celebration of Sonic the Hedgehog's 25th anniversary, Sega has announced two new Sonic games at Comic-Con in San Diego. The first game is called Sonic Mania and it's a 2D platformer that features visuals and gameplay reminiscent of the classic Genesis games. "It revamps zones and acts from Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic CD, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Sonic and Knuckles, in addition to introducing new ones into the fold," writes Mat Paget from GameSpot. The second game has no title [besides "Project Sonic 2017"], but it does have a holiday 2017 release date for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo NX consoles. It reportedly features both classic and modern versions of Sonic, similar to 2011's Sonic Generations. Sega made two additional announcements. "Mobile game Sonic Dash has passed 200 million downloads and will receive a special in-game event that adds the Green Hill Zone and Classic Sonic as a playable character," reports GameSpot. "The event only lasts a week, but players can unlock both the classic level and character for use after the event." The second additional announcement is that the animated Sonic Boom series will be renewed for a second season. "Sonic Mania was born out of our fans' love of the classic Sonic 2D platform games,â said Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka. "This type of collaboration is a first for Sega and we hope everyone will be both surprised and delighted by this title. Sonic Mania has been a passion project for the entire team and we look forward to sharing more details about it later this year. Having the game actually playable at the event itself tonight was testament to the dedication of the team behind it.â

Jeff Coe tips us to news that a group of Sega employees recently stumbled upon a storage room in the company's product development department that contains just about every piece of hardware and software Sega has ever released. They were also kind enough to snap some photos and share them. "We asked around about how the room came together and couldn't get a straight answer. Some had said our old legal department had run the archive and given it up to someone else to manage. Others said that the legal archive still exists in another room in the office, and this was pulled together over time from producers and product managers. We don't know the exact how or why, but we love that it exists and immediately accessible."

TuringTest writes "In an attempt to bring the Wii closer to the hardcore gamer's taste, Sega is preparing to release MadWorld, a violent 'hack and slash' game. This has brought attention from family-conscious lobbies: 'The decision to release a violent game on a console which has based its reputation on family fun has shocked anti-violence pressure groups. Mediawatch-UK, Britain's longest-running pressure group campaigning for decency in TV, films and games, said MadWorld will "spoil" the Wii.' The game features black & white cel-shaded graphics, except for the blood blobs which are in brilliant red. MadWorld is announced to be released in early 2009."

Grub writes "EA has signed a 5-year agreement with the NFL that gives them exclusive rights to use NFL players, teams, and stadiums in their products. CEO Larry Probst, 'The five-year agreement will usher NFL fans through the console technology transition with new ideas and innovative game play experiences.' This is a crushing blow to competitors and an enormous victory for EA, who will undoubtably make sure everyone knows that only they have NFL players and teams come next year's football game advertising bonanza."

Thanks to Insert Credit for their news story noting: "Some intrepid fellows have taken it upon themselves to construct an unofficial Phantasy Star Online Dreamcast server." Since the official servers closed last year, those wanting to play on DC were out of luck, but a DXBNet forum post notes that an early V2-only test server is public. In the same forums, an earlier FAQ explains: "There's... a [Code Breaker] code that will modify [the server name] where you log-in to", although it's clear that development is still early, and "the server is still under heavy maintenance."

modifried writes "The GameCube-Linux project managed to get the Linux kernel to boot on a GameCube gaming system - it 'shows a full screen of kernel messages, up to mounting root', but there are still errors to be fixed. From what I have gathered no one has (as of yet) been able to burn a bootable mini-DVD for the system. Instead they are currently using a glitch in the patching system from the online-enabled game Phantasy Star Online. Screenshots can be found here. (And if you'd like more information on the PSOLoader, it can be found here.)"

Thanks to the IGDA for their 'Ivory Tower' column discussing why abstract graphics and gameplay are often unfairly ignored when making today's videogames. The writer notes that: "Quite a few classic board games are fairly abstract in design, including Chess, Go, Scrabble, Checkers, and so on... it's what's at the core of the game that matters." He goes on to argue that "the figuring out of a game can be made as interesting as any puzzle the appears within the game itself", and references newer titles such as Rez and Frequency as carrying on the abstract aesthetic pioneered by games like Tempest and I, Robot.

Thanks to GamesAreFun for its review of Space Channel 5: Special Edition for PlayStation 2, as the 2-disc rhythm action game compilation, "which not only contains [the original] Space Channel 5, but its sequel as well, which was previously unreleased in the US", has sneaked onto American shelves this week for an ultra-budget $15. The compilation was still released despite the connection to the King Of Pop, Michael Jackson, who "...makes an appearance [in both games] as Space Michael... when he joins your group, the dancing is patterned after moves lifted from his music videos." The release likewise seems unaffected by a recent likeness lawsuit from the lead singer of Deee-Lite, and is also positively rated by 1UP, who suggests: "Though the character-based rhythm action genre is all but dead, replaced by less story-driven fare such as DDR and Karaoke Revolution, this collection is pretty much the best possible sendoff it could receive."

Thanks to Kikizo for their in-depth look at Sega's OutRun 2 arcade machine, as the all-time classic racing game gets a now-playable Xbox hardware-based arcade sequel. Thanks to Yu Suzuki's obsession with a particular car manufacturer, you get to drive "one of at least eight different Ferraris, ranging from the Dino 246 GTS to the F50, including the 360 Spider and the awesome Enzo", and the game even shows track-side advertising from Ferrari sponsors like AMD, particularly piquant since the game is running on the Chihiro/Xbox's Intel chipset. However, Polygon reports that an Xbox conversion of the game is still in doubt, with an AM2 producer citing "disadvantages in terms of translation potential" and mentioning "problems with players renting most racing games as opposed to purchasing them."

Thanks to IGN PS2 for their article revealing that Sega studio director Tetsuya Mizuguchi will be leaving the company. According to the piece: "The end of Mizuguchi's tenure at Sega, which brought to the world such classics as Sega Rally, Space Channel 5 and Rez, will apparently take place on the 10th of this month", and this news comes after Mizuguchi's studio, UGA, are "to merge with fellow internal development studio Sonic Team" as part of Sega's major development re-organization that also saw other significant changes, including the Hitmaker and Sega Rosso studios merging and fellow Sega auteur Yu Suzuki getting his own studio, Digitalrex.

Thanks to IGN PS2 for their article revealing that Sega studio director Tetsuya Mizuguchi will be leaving the company. According to the piece: "The end of Mizuguchi's tenure at Sega, which brought to the world such classics as Sega Rally, Space Channel 5 and Rez, will apparently take place on the 10th of this month", and this news comes after Mizuguchi's studio, UGA, are "to merge with fellow internal development studio Sonic Team" as part of Sega's major development re-organization that also saw other significant changes, including the Hitmaker and Sega Rosso studios merging and fellow Sega auteur Yu Suzuki getting his own studio, Digitalrex.

Thanks to TeamXbox for their round-up of the new Japanese-developed titles Microsoft is showing at this year's Tokyo Game Show, which starts September 26th. They include first-party titles like Phantom Dust, which Gamers.com describes as "...an action game in the Devil May Cry mold [from] Yukio Futatsugi, who in a past generation was the director of Sega's Panzer Dragoon", as well as Magatama, portrayed as "...a 3D action game set in a fantastic version of ancient Japan - comparisons to Onimusha wouldn't be too far of a stretch." A notable non-Japanese Xbox title that will also debut at TGS is BioWare's Jade Empire, "an action-RPG from the creators of Star Wars: KotOR [in which you play] a young martial arts student, trying to gain the respect and admiration of your teacher and the townsfolk."

Thanks to the Sega website for publishing official word that the Phantasy Star Online servers for Dreamcast will be shut down from October 1st. The page concludes: "On behalf of Sonic Team here at Sega, we would like to thank you for making PSO an unforgettable experience. You have brought us much joy and many wonderful memories. We invite you to try PSO on GameCube and Xbox and share your knowledge and skills with other PSO gamers so your legacy will continue to live on." This news follows the shutting-down of Sega's other Dreamcast online servers back in June.

Thanks to GameCritics.com for their 'Critical Hit' editorial discussing if consumers are actually interested in buying groundbreaking/unique videogames. Giving the example of Sega's PS2/DC shooter, Rez, the author asks: "United Game Artists' answer to the cries of gamers looking for those new and original games was largely met with ambivalence by those very same gamers.... Why is Sega, or any publisher for that matter, obligated to support a game or games that no one is interested in?" The article concludes: "...how do you criticize the industry when it produces these games yet consumers repeatedly flock to the likes of Square's, Konami's and Capcom's sequels and rehashes?"

Thanks to GameSpy.com for their ongoing series of articles on fighting games, including 'A Brief History Of 3D Fighters' - Part 1 and Part 2. As the article notes, "It's been ten long years since 3D fighters first appeared. In that time, we've seen the genre toddle from flat-shaded polygons and floaty jumps to extremely realistic texture-mapping and gameplay depth that can exceed some of the best 2D fighters". although the piece points out "...things have been somewhat slow [within the genre] in recent times." There are also histories of the Virtua Fighter and Soul Calibur series, all thanks to the recent release of the budget-priced Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution for PS2, and next week's release of Soul Calibur 2 for PS2/Xbox/GameCube.

eticket writes "According to a story on CNET News.com, Sega is selling its Sega.com mobile division to Nokia. I guess Nokia is serious about this online gaming thing." According to the article, "The Finnish cell phone maker said it will acquire Sega.com and use Sega's Network Application Package in its mobile phone and online games products", and according to the press release on GameInfoWire.com, the technology will "...enhance online games and service offerings for the Nokia N-Gage game deck." An earlier Sega press release regarding the SNAP technology is fairly jargon-heavy, but seems to emphasize multiplayer mobile gaming - the example described, Pocket Kingdom, is "...a multi-player online turn-based fighting game based in a virtual world where each phone is a unique player representing their own castle and soldier."

Thanks to Shacknews for pointing to the McDonalds USA homepage, which features information about their available-from-today Happy Meal giveaway, featuring a choice of 6 simple, Sega-themed Game and Watch-ish handheld games. These include the Sonic Action Game, Tails Sky Patrol, and there's even a playable online demo for the AiAi's Banana Catch handheld, starring the lovable Super Monkey Ball simian. In the absence of any new hardware from Sega, these plastic imitations will have to suffice - they're available until July 24th in the U.S.

EGSonikku writes "Costis has released his PSOLoad (for Win32) tool, which takes advantage of an exploit in the GameCube game Phantasy Star Online to upload and run code on a totally unmodified GameCube. A demo is included, and you can build your own GameCube binaries using Torlus' GCC build." Although it still has the potential for misuse, this could have more positive ramifications than trying to copy existing games.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to the official Sega announcement that most of their Dreamcast game servers will be shut down starting this month. According to the site, "Effective June 2003, the only Dreamcast titles that Sega will continue to support online are Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Online ver. 2. No other Dreamcast titles will be playable online after this time." This means that titles such as Alien Front Online (which pre-dated Xbox Live with a headset feature), the Sega Sports titles, Quake III, and even the classy Chu Chu Rocket will no longer be online-compatible, admittedly long after their prime. Perhaps someone could find a homebrew solution?

JayBonci writes "Dust off the old Dreamcast. If you're one of the many like myself who still enjoy their Dreamcast or are aspiring DC hackers, then you may want to pay attention to a quiet announcement by CSI, the Japanese manufacturer of the Dreamcast Broadband Adapter (flaky, but understandable translation provided by the fish). If you have no idea what the BBA is, the official page here. If CSI gets 1000 pre-orders for the unit, they will be willing to make another production run. Keep in mind that these units are very useful for the Dreamcast Linux efforts and NetBSD/Dreamcast, and that Japanese units work on US systems."

Slashback this evening brings you an update on the (departed, or departing) Bleem; an open letter from Dell on Linux support for some of its line; another creative way to fight spam; and some gaming updates for everyone whose thumbs still function.

Spinning so had they can feel it in Ft. Worth. L-Wave writes: "This Story is running on linux.com. Apparently Dell has written an open letter toLinux users. 'Dell has published an open letter to its Linux customers "clarifying" its position as regards the insurgent OS. Actually, the letter is headed "Clarifying Dell and Linux," but either of these would be a massive task, and we think we know what they meant to say.'"

Please note that all Dell is saying here is that they will load customer-specified software at the factory -- it's probably convenient for some customers, but nothing new for Dell. In the case of software with expensive licenses, it means some simplified paperwork. With Free software, it just means convenience. The letter is therefore rather lukewarm, but at least a lot better than refusing to install software that doesn't include a licensing markup.

Brush up on your polite conversation skills. doublem writes: "This site lists the toll-free numbers of known Spammers, so they can be called, harassed and otherwise vented against for their crimes. Something tells me the ./ crowd will like this sort of thing as evidenced by this recent article. I'd like to add 1-888-288-9043 as the number for the well-known VORTEX SUPPLIES, a collection of jerks who refuse to take me off their mailing lists." I started doing the same a few months ago, but this guy has me beat by miles, even if he doesn't list Miss Cleo's number thanks to Psychic spam that knew I'd react with a call.

Yessir, our team goes into action right after the first fortnight. jeffy124 writes "Microsoft has admitted knowledge of an IE bug a full week before a security firm announced it. Turns out sec firm Online Solutions privately informed MS of the bug Nov. 1, but MS initially said they first heard of it Nov. 9 after Online made the find public the same day. MS claims standard procedure of allowing themselves two weeks in order to make sure someone's not cryin wolf and write a patch. They also claimed that no breaches occured during that wait. MS says that Online acted responsibly in their actions, and "'apologizes for innacurate statements.'"

You mean the lawsuits didn't kill it? Far from certain conpiracy theories advanced after Bleem published their own epitaph ShadeEagle writes: "Here we find out that Sony didn't know about Bleem's death until they were asked about it. Gamespot has more relevant information as to the possible (or impossible) future of Bleem." And another gaming note: mickeyreznor writes "According to this article on CNet, Sega appears to be in good financial shape despite the trouble they've had with the dreamcast. In addition, 60 games are being planned for X-box and PS2 over the next year. Sega's future looks bright, and that can only be a good thing for gamers."

kikta writes "Well, after our previous speculation about what Sega would do after they got out of the hardware biz, it appears we have our answer. CNN is reporting that they will be producing motherboards to port the Xbox to the arcade. GamePro also weighed in on the announcement."

[Galaxie] writes: "Motorola's new iDEN handset, which is a damn cool product, allowing text paging, internet-ready, digital phone, and 2 way radio has something new to add to there list. The phone is built on top of the Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2METM) technology (here) using the KVM (K Virtual Machine) which will work with only a small footprint allowing it to work on 128k of memory. Looks like they have teamed up with sega to produce the ultimate handheld wireless phone gaming machine! (here) Also application ability will rock with these phones, hell, if you can play a game or 2 at a decent res, then why not load up gcc :)" 3G, iMode, Javaphones ... any phone maker who isn't putting games on their phones deserves to listen to some juicy voice menus for a while.

According to this CNN article, Sega will announce today a $200 rebate on its $200 Dreamcast console. They'll even throw in a free keyboard. Game consoles have always played "lose money on the razor, make it on the blades," but now, the blades have changed: the catch is a mandatory two years of their online service at $22/mo. So, exactly how much ass do the Dreamcast's online games kick?

According to this CNN article, Sega will announce today a $200 rebate on its $200 Dreamcast console. They'll even throw in a free keyboard. Game consoles have always played "lose money on the razor, make it on the blades," but now, the blades have changed: the catch is a mandatory two years of their online service at $22/mo. So, exactly how much ass do the Dreamcast's online games kick?

I usually don't post nameless submissions, but this one was interesting enough that I figured it did deserve some attention. We've all heard about Sega's Dreamcast and how it has the capability to connect to the internet via it's 56k modem. So how does one go about connecting systems that are within a few feet of each other? Is it just me or do some of you think that Sega dropped the ball a bit when they didn't provide the Dreamcast with a way to connect to the local LAN?