sonic-team
Latest
Sonic load times are slow ... very slow
We haven't touched the Xbox 360 game Sonic the Hedgehog, but we're kind of glad we didn't. Following Revolution posted a video of the game's load times during some mini mission where you help out one of your human friends. And look what we have, a loading screen literally every five seconds. Seriously, if this loading screen appeared that much in the game Sonic would be ejected and flung against the wall out of disgust. This has to be horrible coding especially when a game like Gears doesn't bring up a load screen once during the game. Do you know of any other 360 game that we should avoid due to extremely long load times? Video after the break. [Via Digg]
Sonic for PS3 delayed -- it's like rain on your wedding day
Did we seriously just quote Alanis Morissette? It seems so, but think about it: Sonic, a very very fast hedgehog, is delayed... so, so, so, he's got to like, slow down. Isn't it ironic, don't you think? Ahem. Back to things that make sense. Sonic is going to miss launch day. By a bit. So, for those of you crazy speed fanatics craving the latest in the blue blur's adventures, sorry. Expect it "sometime this holiday season". Interestingly, IGN capitalized holiday, as if the word "Holiday" actually refers to a single, important event. Being PC is lame, but insulting people is even more so. Why did Sonic get pushed back? While we'd like to think the game is undergoing reconstruction after the XBox Live demo incited massive movements against the game, that probably isn't it. Sega claims that they need more time to incorporate downloadable content. Stages? Items? ...Why not just give us a full, complete game? Downloading stages would not be cool. Unless they're optional, bonus, multiplayer... whatever. Oddly enough, downloadable content will be available on day one of the PS3 launch -- probably the demo. Keep your fingers crossed for a December release and a tweaked camera.
Longer Phantasy, beta extended til Saturday
Good news for those of you already addicted to Phantasy Star Universe (me), the beta has been extended until Saturday, October 21st. Now you have three more days to die and watch your unhelpful teammates hump your corpse. Assuming you can actually connect anyway. Just to be sure, we connected earlier and the beta is definitely still working. Some of you may remember that the beta was cut short thanks to a delay and yesterday's Live outage. It's nice to see that SEGA is willing to extend the beta in light of these issues. Anybody enjoying the game so far?[Thanks, Mike]
Open beta for PSU starts this weekend [update 1]
Phantasy Star fans rejoice! The open beta of the upcoming Phantasy Star Universe is coming to Live Marketplace this weekend. There is no exact date listed for the beginning of the beta so, start looking for it on Marketplace tomorrow -- or you can feverishly check every five minutes, like me. The download will only be available for two days, so get it while the gettin's good. There is one caveat and a concern, though. The caveat: you must have Xbox Live Gold to participate -- though you'll only need Silver when the retail game ships. The concern: we have no idea whether or not you can retain your gained experience should you decide to purchase the retail version. Oh, one more thing, we can only assume that this is for North America only. European friends, let us know if you've got it in you're area. For more info on the beta, visit the official site.PSU ships on October 24th. Until then, happy hunting.[Thanks, Simon]Update: Contributor vid33nyc1 pointed us to a handy Q&A thread in the PSU forums that cleared up some questions. The beta will be available in the US, Europe, and Japan. Whatever happens in the beta, stays in the beta. No levels, items, etc. will carry over into the retail version.
Sonic reveals -- Miles! Er, Tails... Miles Tails? Tails Miles?
We've got a link to some screens here... screens o' Tails for the PS360 Sonic title. Did you like that? Who would have ever thought of combining those two consoles? Me. That's who. Anyway, check out the screens and you'll also notice what appears to be some sort of character selection screen... where one selects their character. To play as. But on this screen are many shadowed characters. So, for all you Sonic buffs out there, can you name the characters just from their shadow? Your prize is... respect. That ain't nothin' no carnival can give you.
Sonic demo is craptastic
If Sonic creator, Yuji Naka, knew that this is where SEGA wanted Sonic to go, it's no wonder he left the company. The Sonic demo, if you haven't played it yet, is bad. Really bad. Believe me, I am a Sonic fan. I write for 360 Fanboy it's true, but I am a SEGA fanboy at heart. Thus, it hurts me even more to tell you that the demo is just not very good. It's not unplayable, but parts of it are close. Read on for more.
Japanese release date and price for Sonic revealed
We can get our speed on with the blue hedgehog by the end of this year, assuming our release date coincides with Japan's. Sega announced today that the PS3 version of Sonic the Hedgehog will grace the Playstation 3 on December 21st at a price point of 6800 yen (the same as the current gen game prices, apparently). Also announced was the price of Sega Golf Club... it's also 6800 yen. No word on the 360 version of the game yet. Does this portend well for American game prices? Not really -- Japan doesn't have a singular price of games. We can probably expect a $60 price tag on our games, as previously asserted by Activision. Some bigger titles may run up to $70, but hey, that might tack on the "special edition" label to somehow make it easier to swallow. Nevertheless, let us hope Sonic comes stateside by the end of the year -- we want to move really, really, really fast. Now then, let's go play Ogre Battle 64 (quite possibly the slowest pacing ever in a game... still amazing, but damn is it sluggish).
PSU isn't free after all
A few Ken weeks ago we brought you the rumor that Phantasy Star Universe just might be free to play on the Xbox 360. At the time we were hoping that SEGA would subsidize the game with horse armor microtransactions. Unfortunately, it looks like that's not the case. Rob from Orange Lounge Radio sent us the bad word this morning:" ... Sega sent an e-mail this week that corrected what they had earlier communicated to us about PSU being free online... it's now set to be $9.99 a month."$9.99 isn't that bad -- certainly better than some MMOs -- but it sure as hell isn't as nice as free. Oh, well. You can still count on seeing at least one of us 360 fanboys on there (i.e. me). Just think of it this way, we have the only version with voice chat. That's worth 10 simoleons, right?
PS3 box shot: Photoshop at its finest? [update 2]
Here's an image that made the rounds on the internet this weekend: a purported box shot of Sonic the Hedgehog for the PlayStation 3 "caught in the wild." Take a close look at the upper-left corner: Zachary Hinchliffe has found the bottom portion of a GameFront watermark that was showing the Xbox 360 cover of Sonic. The box might have actually been made by Sony, and is right now sitting on someone's desk at Sony HQ. The box may be indicative of the final packaging, but don't get too excited just yet. Clever fan art or fortunate leak? We're leaning toward the former, but we'll know soon enough. Continue reading for more pictures of the box (thanks, "Blu ray owns your Soul").
PSU info emerges
The opening of the official English Phantasy Star Universe website managed to get lost in the shuffle last week, and for that we apologize. As punishment for our tardiness, upper management has released the weasels. Believe me, the weasels ... they are merciless. Putting our freshly lacerated fingers back on the keyboard, we found that the site has lots of info for fans of the series. It's unfortunate that all of the available media on the site (apart from the above shot) more or less completely fail to display the game's lush environments -- a Sonic Team trademark. There is however, a plethora of information about all aspects of the game (except monthly fees or a lack thereof), much more than can be listed here. Some things to look for: Weapon customization and crafting Each player gets a personal room that also serves as a shop for others Each race and their abilities Mission system explanation Info on new lobbies Info on both multiplayer and single player games Vehicles The battle system A spiffy, though tiny, video (in English, no less) Lots, lots more Any Phantasy Star Online fan worth his or her salt owes it to him or herself to check it out. The game is scheduled to hit American shores on October 24th (Europe on November 24th) so, you'll have plenty of time to soak it all in. Is anybody else crazy excited for this?
See the Blue Blur in motion
Now that we know when Sonic is coming, why not take a gander at some movies shown at the Japan Expo -- which was held in Paris, oddly enough. The videos have no sound it seems, but they do give us a glimpse at the telekinetic powers of Silver (the white one) and show off one of Sonic's levels, too. Also in the video: a rather lengthy load screen and a cameo by some guy's face. Enjoy.
Sonic just in time for the holidays
IGN has the scoop that Sonic the Hedgehog -- of the next gen variety -- will launch for the 360 on November 17th. This rendition of the classic franchise is supposed to take Sonic back to his roots. One can only hope, I suppose. The mere fact that the number of playable characters has been reduced to three is a huge improvement in my book. Anybody out there think this one will recapture the Blue Blur's glory days? [Via QJ]
Sega confirms pair of PS3 launch titles, no exclusives
Speaking with GameDaily BIZ, Sega's Scott Steinberg confirmed plans to contribute two titles, Sonic the Hedgehog and Full Auto 2: Battlelines, to the PlayStation 3 launch lineup -- Virtua Fighter 5 will follow next March. Neither game gives Sony an advantage at launch, since Sonic has already been confirmed for Xbox 360 and Steinberg couldn't deny that the Full Auto sequel is also destined for Microsoft's platform. By contrast, come next spring, Virtua Fighter 5 will give us a reason to invest in PS3. It's easy to see how the Virtua Fighter delay works in Sony's favor. PS3 will sell out at launch no matter what software is available. But 4–6 months down the line, when the diehards have already cashed in, Sony will be banking on exclusives to keep units flying off the shelves.
Sonic screens aplenty
In celebration of Sonic the Hedgehog's fifteenth anniversary, SEGA has released a veritable bounty of next gen Sonic the Hedgehog screens. The shots effectively showcase the game's detailed and otherwise "real perty" graphics. It also looks like one of the new characters will sport psycho-kinetic powers á la Psi-Ops. I'm still not sure of a hedgehog's odds against a giant lava monster, though. On a side note, if Big the cat is in this game, I may never play Sonic again. [Via QJ]
Sonic 2 mobile exclusive to Panasonic P902iS, for now
Sonic Team has announced that Sonic 2 will be going mobile as a preinstalled addition to the Panasonic P902iS cell phone. While a standalone release has not yet been confirmed -- judging from the current success of the original Sonic on the mobile platform -- it would seem to be the next logical step. But for the time being, to get your Sonic 2 fix (on a cell phone) you'll have to purchase the Japanese P902iS when it's released.Anyone else suspicious of the link between 'Sonic' and Pana'sonic.' Think Sonic Team's playing favorites?
PS3 impressions: Sonic the Hedgehog
There probably aren't a lot of gamers out there who think about the blue hedgehog and don't have fond memories. The long and short of it are simple: he's come a long way from his grassroots on the Sega Genesis, but Sonic has never looked so good as he does on the PlayStation 3.
First impression: Sonic the Hedgehog
There probably aren't a lot of gamers out there who think about the blue hedgehog and don't have fond memories. The long and short of it are simple: he's come a long way from his grassroots on the Sega Genesis, but Sonic has never looked so good as he does on the PlayStation 3.
Next-gen Sonic featuring psychic hedgehog action
Mysterious insider on the E3 show floor news now, with the image of a brand new hedgehog character neatly landing in our lap(tops). According to our informant, the next-gen Sonic game, cleverly entitled Sonic the Hedgehog, features 3 different playable characters - Sonic, Shadow and Quicksilver (not his actual name, just us trying to be clever). Sonic and Shadow do the usual running and jumping thing at ludicrous speeds, but the the silver hedgehog seemingly has telekinetic powers, allowing him to deflect missiles and initiate area-clearing blasts with impunity. If he has mind-altering psychic powers to boot, consider us keen to control this guy as he dashes through a lopp. According to the video footage of the Xbox 360 and PS3 game that recently showed up on GameTrailers, the game features everything from controllable vehicles to deranged and twisting level design--just the way we like it. It certainly is a relief to see an all-hedgehog lineup of speedy characters in the game, as opposed to a rabbit, a fruitbat and a llama with obscenely cute dispositions and equally annoying voices.
Sonic the Hedgehog preview
With the 15 year anniversary of the little blue speed-freak fast-approaching, everyone is anxious to see if the unnamed Sonic the Hedgehog title releasing on the PS3 and Xbox 360 can raise the phoenix from the ashes. If screenshots are any indication, the game is on-track to do just that, showing some apocalyptic urban environments housing plenty of rings. In the spirit of finding out more about this game at the upcoming E3, the show where the first glimpses of the game were presented last year, 1up was able to catch a demo of the game and tie it down tightly so that they may scrutinize it for the public, with magnifying glasses in hand. The preview reaffirms that the focus is to be on speed and that there will be no guns for Sonic.
Sonic the Hedgehog coming to PS3 and Xbox 360
Sega has named the first of the Sonic games to come to the next-gen consoles as Sonic the Hedgehog. Not a very imaginative name, but if it ain't broke... A demonstration shown at the Tokyo Game Show confirms previous rumors on the same topic. The director of the game, Masato Nakamura, demonstrated a real time version of the game at the Tokyo Game Show. The new title brings features like Havok physics, real time shadows and ragdoll enemies to the franchise, which will be 15 years old when this game is released. It's come quite a way since the original Genesis version, which lacked moving clouds or rippling water and featured luscious 16-bit graphics. Make sure to check out the super realistic shots of Sonic at the "read" link below.
