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Sega spies trouble ahead
There is news today that the storm clouds are gathering again over yet another former gaming behemoth. Sega-Sammy are reporting to investors that profits will be down considerably on prior estimates for the close of this financial year, which could be a sign of impending trouble.
Typical. Just as we were in the market for a new favourite company after Capcom had finally ground our Grig for the last time with their evil tomfoolery. Anyway…
The reason Sega is pinning on their crumbling empire is the ol’ ‘challenging economic climate’ chestnut, which has seemingly been waiting at the gates for them after school to give a swift kicking to their consumer business operating costs, resulting in large losses.
‘But what will all this mean?!’ I hear you cry. Well, the results as they stand will see Sega looking to ‘streamline’ the way they run their business, clamping down on operational expenses, restructuring their current employee hierarchy, and other such nonsensical David Brent-like boohockey.
What it really means, is that they’re gonna cancel games, churn out more rubbish, and sack people.
To this end, we’ll see Sega focussing on their big-name franchises that they have ravaged of any last shred of quality but deem to be high earners and so will continue to vomit out – specifically Sonic The Hedgehog, Football Manager, Total War and Aliens.
Yeah, apparently Sega made an Aliens game. Must be that one everyone slated earlier this gen. Oh, and Colonial Marines of course, if thats even real. Duke Nukem Forever is looking nostalgic and waving. Anyway…
Well, at a time where the only video game news seems to be bad news, this is hardly something new. Sega have been on the brink of destruction before, and probably would’ve rolled over and died if it wasn’t for the millions of its deceased former owner pulling them back from oblivion. But who can save them now?
Well Sega, you’ve come to the right place. If its a saving of superhero-like proportions you’re after, you’ll be glad to know I’ve put my Sonic-themed thermal Y-fronts over the outside of my trousers and I’m limbering up for some heroism in the form of some razor-sharp business advice! Listen up!
First things first, we suggest selling a few IP’s. Let someone else have a punt at Shinobi. We’ll have no more destroying of old classics, and even if it was awful, it would still be better than your more recent efforts. And I’d certainly be willing to chip in a few dabloons if Bomber Games were to go after the Streets of Rage rights. Again, lets face it – if they make an actual SoR4, it’ll be better than anything that will come from in-house at Sega. Next, release Shenmue 1+2 on XBLA as have reportedly been finished. What’s up with the wait, huh? We ain’t getting no younger! Well, unless we were to have a dip in the fountain of youth here on the Isle of Grig… but The Grig did a floater in it last time I checked so we tend to give it a miss. Tssk! And lastly, for the sake of my sanity… release Nights on Live and PSN!
Now admittedly, this is just a wish list of what I want more than a realistically solid business plan, but it’s food for thought… SO DINE ON IT!
‘Till next time… pip pip!
All bound for Mue Mue land!
Taking a brief and well needed breath following lengthly but deserved barrages against Capcoms Street Fighter X Tekken affront to decency, we venture out of the gloom and bask in the blue blue skies of a rare piece of good Sega news.
Seems as though recent indications from Sega minion Ben Harborne weave an intriguing web that suggest we may be in store for a little Shenmue and Skies of Arcadia HD action.
Much like the coming Jet Set Radio remake that is being lovingly carved over at Sega HQ, the broadband hub of many a fellow could soon be aglow with Sega goodness as they transfer the aforementioned gems into our homes via XBLA and PSN.
Speaking on the most demanded games due for the rerelease treatment, Heir Harborne speweth “I can tell you what’ll be: Shenmue. That, and Skies of Arcadia. They’re a couple of our most requested games. I can’t say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but we may be working on them.”
Sounds like positive news to me! And providing they don’t trip over their own laces again with the simplest of tasks (iOS Streets of Rage 2 music distortion and missing lyrics from the Sonic CD remake is waving.), this could be a great chance for us veterans to relive one of the most memorable chapters of Segas epic console adventures! Now we just need a little Sega Saturn Nights action with online leader boards thrown in to the mix and things will be looking very rosy indeed!
**sorry to hijack your post here dibbs, but there’s a button to click for support of nights over at http://www.nid15.com/, though obviously we’ve missed the 15th anniversary window**
Retro City Rampage nearly here
8 Bit indie gem Retro City Rampage has been in the making for what seems like an eternity, but with the rumour mill grinding away as it does, it seems that wait is nearly over. Creator Brian Provincniano told a well known gaming blog (not unlike our own, hehe) that the game will be coming in May, that’s this May, not May 2013, but May 2012, that’s right.
The game looks a lot like the top down original turtles game on the NES, or like commando, ikari warriors (maybe), paper boy, smash tv, that annoying level in turtles where you have to swim, and many other back in the day style. It is a parody of a large open world action game, with cameos of modern day tech/game journalist and nods to many retro pop culture geekdom. The action pits you the Player against the evil good guys as you hit the town with whatever carnage you can muster. Check the official video.
Retro City Rampage “Big News” Trailer 2012 from Vblank on Vimeo.
This Bad Ass is the must have game of 2012, especially if you’re over 25, pricing is looking aroung the $15 dollar mark, BARG, but wait i hear you cry, what platform? Fear not, as its XBLA, playstation Vita, PS3, WiiWare and PC/Steam. That about covers it, nobody gets left out. Unless you’re iPad/iPhone/3ds owners only, in which case maybe. Personally I’m going with XBLA, and if i get a Vita then that too, and if i see it on a steam sale via the new steam iPhone app then maybe then too. it just looks tooo good.
Pc owners can pre order for some extra bonuses on teh official site http://www.retrocityrampage.com/buy.php where along with the DRM free pc version as soon as it’s released, you’ll also get the steam version, some soundtracks, and a 20% off coupon for merch, and who doesn’t like retro 8-bit geek apparel eh?
Darkstalkers are not dead!
Street Fighters retro stablemate Darkstalkers is fresh from the grave today, ressurected in full on PSN glory as Capcom confirm that they will be bringing the fisticuff related tomfoolery of Morrigan (star of a million breast-centred items of Deviant Art work) and co to our screens on the 29th Nov (well, actually a bit later for us Euro punks).
Reports have been flying around for a while now since one of those pesky ESRB ratings tipped us off, much as it has done in the past for the likes of the recent return of Daytona USA, but this is the first official word on the matter.
Hilariously, despite launching in only a couple of weeks from now, CVG today mused ‘Capcom hasn’t specified whether this will be a straight port of the game or if it will be giving the monster-themed brawler a high-definition make over’.
We can answer that one for you:
Neither.
What this quite obviously will be is the PSOne game that launched many moons ago, complete with its stripped down animation, such was the aforementioned machines wheezing underperformance in the 2D department. Capcom certainly wont be bandying about any type of filter related shenanigans with this, lest they would be singing and dancing all over the show as we speak. No my fellow Griggers, this is a straight cut and paste job if ever we smelt one, and clearly an easy conversion to make a quick buck.
But it’s fair enough though.
We certainly wouldn’t sniff at the release of Darkstalkers in any incarnation, however we do wonder that if this is Capcom testing the water for a much rumoured new Darkstalkers game, we’d have to concede this is probably not the best way to go about it. The PSOne game was notoriously inferior to its arcade counterpart (Have at thee Sony. Have. At. Thee.), and was a shadow of the superior Saturn sequels that followed. Fans of the series generally tend to know this and may be put off the purchase, but we stand to be corrected! But, for all you ‘stalkers out there hungering for a new instalment, this should at least put a mild smile on your faces and keep you going for a bit! You never know, as Capcom said themselves, ‘Darkstalkers are not dead!’. Unless they were trolling. Or just meant this rerelease. Which is likely.
Next time on Grig: Capcom ponders starting work on Street Fighter V pending the results of the rerelease of the Spectrum version of Street Fighter 2 on Virtual Console.
Yeah. I made that bit up.
Street Fighter revives the Grig again!
I’d heard about the Mary Celeste but never thought i’d ever encounter such an eerie scenario myself. But as I stepped out on to the decks of the good ship Grig Orig and looked around, ’twas all I could think about. The place was in disrepair, clearly having not seen any use in quite a while, and where there once had been plenty of activity, there was now not a person in sight. No The Grig, no pages of scrawled notes of a million scrapped articles blowing to and fro on the breeze, and not so much as one member from the cast of FHM’s 100 sexiest women swabbing the decks in Grig Orig issue bikinis as they were when I last left. My thoughts immediately flew past the prospect of taking the opportunity to check exactly what The Grig was hiding in that locked top drawer that he had in his room as I suddenly heard a bleeping coming from the command centre of this once mighty vessel. I walked through the dense fog that swirled around my ankles as it pirouetted in ghostly wisps just above the lonesome decks, creaks underfoot meeting my every step before echoing into the gloom as if trying to flee the ghoulish vessel. I reached the command centre and pushed the door open. The bleeping became louder. I paused momentarily as i mused over times gone by. Long ago seemed the days when I would sit in there in full Vader attire imaging I was righting the faltering wrongs of the once great Sith Lord by successfully fending off Rebel scum from my very own Death Star while several clones of mid twenties Teri Hatchers served me slice after slice of amended Dominos Might Meaty. But the mirage of those great times evaporated from my minds eye as I perused the room, chancing upon the one flickering light still emanating in an other wise darkened and dead area in my peripheral vision. I walked over, flicking a sheet of paper draped over what I found to be a monitor back off of the screen it was obscuring, and taking the dusty mouse in my hand that lay nearby, clicked on a flashing icon stating ‘ALERT!’. The bleeping stopped as a message flooded the screen with information that caused me to draw a breath and gasp in a manner that strained my innards. My eyes widened and a cold chill ran through me as the message straight from Grig Towers investigative super Bat Computer began to register in my mind. As I read, a second chilly wave suddenly ran through me as I realised that it was down to me to move and relay this message to the world. The feeling subsided as adrenalin kicked in and began surging through my being. If there was anything that was to bring a new article to the online chronicle of Grig Orig, it was surely this! The good ship Grig Orig was suddenly alive again as I sprang into immediate action, grabbing a nearby chair and thumping down in it before proceeding to type out the following transmission with smoking finger tips:
Super Street Fighter 2 Megadrive -Update!
Ahoy my merry Griggers of guffawnary! And today we have a fresh chapter in a 16-bit saga that’s been 17 years in coming! For today (and of course, late as usual) we can tell you that Capcom have released an updated Megadrive version of Super Street Fighter 2 on the virtual console with… drumroll… online play! Yes that’s right! Hitting the ‘sole just this week, the old classic Megadrive Kombat-killer is up and about from its death bed after wheezing its way close to a clapped out oblivion, breathing now with the aid of a 2011 online play enabled iron lung giving it a fresh infusion of life! Admittedly, it’s on the Wii so nobody will be on there to play it against, but any Street Fighter news is good news here at Grig Orig! Except if it’s about gems. Tssk!
As I hit return to confirm the story wing its merry way to the front page of Grig Orig, I sat back contented by the fact that I had just changed the world for the better. Already I could sense the levels of joy begin to rise from every nation and I smiled accordingly. And thus, taking a nearby crowbar in one hand, I got up from my chair and headed in the direction of The Grigs room.
Well, that’s all for today folks. As you were.
Oh, and as it turned out the aforementioned Grig crew just had shore leave for the day and were at The Grigs new apartment as he wanted to show off his pad. But that’s enough about the latest addition to his collection of sanitary ware.
Cheap lazy roundup 23/10/2011
Well folks it’s been over a week and nobody had any grigging time to blog for you, so here’s the quick fire round of whats been and whats coming, are you ready, here we go.
Batman Arkham City is out and its fantastic, no excuses go buy, unless you on PC, then you’ll have to wait until the 8th. Also included in a new copy of the game is dlc for Catwoman, who has great ass physics and is just as fun to control and beat up enemies with as the bat. Couldn’t find any mention on how to get the soundtrack download that i supposedly have acces to with the collectors edition. oh well, there was plenty of other goodies, including a few episodes on dvd of the Batman anime, the statue of course, and the book with some great concept art, and Sefton Hill (Game director, ROcksteady Studio) even quotes the iconic Ferris Bueller movie with “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” and how that could relate to game development. Either way hats off to quoting a great John Hughs Movie.
Sonic Generation Demo is out with the 3D type level added, as in not 2d side scroll, though it apparently is also in 3D as in the technology and not just the environment. There also news that the original sonic can be unlocked in the full game, though not known how just yet. North America sees the game released on the 1st of November, whereas the Grigs in the UK and Europe have to wait 3 extra days for its release on the 4th. the 3DS version with a lot of exclusive content will be later on the 25th.
Blizzcon was on this weekend announcing an annual pass for World of Warcraft that will come with free diablo 3, though there are some terms there, i think one of them is that you had to have a registered full version of WOW prior to 18th october. So this is for those who are already fans of WOW. You also need to be above the age of 18 and have a valid credit card. Not sure what the price is of the annual pass, but the current per month model is something like $15. I usually get the 60 day card from amazon for £15 and activate when i think i’m gonna have time to play. As you only get teh digital download of diablo 3, true fans of the series might want to hold of on the pass deal and get the retail version of diablo 3 that will have a lovely collectors edition with extra goodies.
Also WOW related announced at Blizzcon was the Mists of Pandaria Expansion pack that introdices a new race of Panda and a new class of monk, it looks really nice. Though expansion pack work in that you have to have the previous one. Burning Crusade comes with WOW in the chest package, then theres Wrath of the Lich King, and last year Cataclysm.
Portal 2 received ultimate game of the year at the Golden Joystick awards. Well deserved too, a fantastic humorous puzzle game.
Upcoming. Don’t forget Daytona coming to XBLA on the 26th. This is the bad boy to be excited for. Amazon seem to be out of the Wireless Steering wheels though. Unfortunately most wheels have sequencial gear shifting and not the 4 speed shift that the original arcade had, which according to Dibbs is crucial for the satisfying way to power slide the corners. If you’re in the brighton area though the you know that there is a 4 player arcade of Daytona in one of the arcades, or at least there was last year on bedgells stag. Best moment of the night.
Last but not least i also saw Driver san fran for £25 in Tesco, not bad i thought. Again work constraints and having to keep up with tech and science news has held back actual game playing lately. Damn careers.
Sdatcher Part 2 – Done Properly!
Happy news Sdatcher fans, as the second instalment of everyone’s favourite cyberpunk radiodrama is now available as a fully translated YouTube – just as the Lord God intended. And once more, the wonderful zajunker has done an ace job of capturing Hideo Kojima’s work.
The second instalment surprises from the off as the toilet-dwelling foe from Act 1 makes his intentions clear… We get our first taster of the mysterious Rug Hunt (raising hopes of scenes based in IKEA. “I’m looking for a mat. Ooh, this one’s nice…” etc) and there’s even a welcome cameo from everyone’s favourite Jackass prankster, Steevo (well, the high-pitched, Japanese docker version…)
Only two episodes in and Sdatcher is tense and brutal already – and the Boys of The PlayGrig Mansion are loving it. In fact, we’re so excited about the return to Neo Kobe that we simply can not go on living without a Snatcher sequel. So if you haven’t already joined our campaign, do so now and let’s tell Konami what a great idea it’d be.
PS Any sequel must include Katrina shower scenes. Just so we’re clear.
PS And Here’s Act 2…
In case you can’t wait to see what happens to Jean-Jack after his encounter with the man in the toilet… Here’s a translation of Act 2 of Sdatcher! Sadly, it’s not yet in the wonderful subtitled movie style that zajunker did for Act 1, but if you can’t wait for your robo-fix, then get reading!
Sdatcher Gets Translation – Spelling Not Improved
The only way to truly express our longing for a new Snatcher game is to listen to Tina Turner’s Thunderdome on repeat, whispering the words “Snatcher 2″ over the chorus and fingering through old promo pics for Blade Runner. Nothing else comes close to the creepy, passionate fandom of those touched by Konami’s legend. So the news that Snatcher‘s eclectic creator Hideo Kojima has finally returned to the world of Neo Kobe for a follow-up to his 1988 classic made us positively soil ourselves with futuristic glee. But does Sdatcher, an all-new radio drama written and produced by Kojima, satisfy our massive robo-hunger? Or is this just a Gillian Seed-sized amuse-bouche that merely whets our appetite for more?
It’s been 17 years since the Mega CD version of Snatcher burst into our lives, replete with Gillian Seed’s robo-smut and more bioroids than you could shake your Philip K. Dick at, and in all that time we’ve been waiting, hoping – nay longing – for Hideo Kojima to see sense and bring us another instalment of his cyberpunk adventures. (We’re ignoring the MSX2′s SD Snatcher as, firstly, we haven’t got this console and, secondly, it doesn’t have a great deal to do with the graphic novel-style japery of our beloved original. 
Though there was that wonderful moment when Robin the Medic-droid tried to flog you some dope. But we digress…)
So, there’s good reason to be elated about Sdatcher – Kojima is returning to his dystopian masterpiece, and launching a whole new tale with help from the original team. Akira Yamaoka, the ledge behind the Snatcher soundtrack – as well as Silent Hill‘s eerie atmospherics – has done a new futuristic score; Shuyo Murata is in the director’s chair, as he was for much of the Metal Gear series including the audio drama version; and the vocal talent includes Akio Otsuka, best known as Solid Snake (oh, and Seth from SSFIV). Sounds fantastic, right?
Except: it’s NOT A GAME. It’s a radio drama. And it’s in Japanese.
Doh.
But wait – there’s good news! For the wonderkids at zajunker have done us an English translation. And it turns out that Sdatcher is pretty freakin’ awesome! Episode 1, above, introduces us to our hero, Jean-Jack Gibson – a grizzled 50-something in a sharp suit and trenchcoat (sound familiar?) – who’s reeling from the disappearance of his wife, Alice, and up to his eyes in the filthy mire of Neo Kobe’s underground. Right from the off, Gibson is flirting with Lisa Nielsen, Kobe’s former chief prostitute who’s swapped her life of steamy liaisons for steaming mugs of chow, and who we meet serving Jean-Jack a coffee and a come-on… There’s even a little Metal Gear-style sidekick in the form of Little John, Gibson’s metallic-intel buddy who earns his stripes right at the get-go by intercepting a nefarious villain…
So, basically, everything a Snatcher fan could want. Except, well, the ability to join in. Bottom line – this is an ace side project, and we’re certainly happy for another slice of Neo Kobe, but we can’t be satisfied until Kojima is back at the programming desk knocking out a proper game. That’s why we’ve launched the Campaign For A Snatcher Sequel – so if you also want a next-gen update of this ultimate classic, come and join the cause!
Guardian Heroes Again… Again!
More Sega related hijinks now as reports abound regarding a potential sequel to the soon to be rereleased Guardian Heroes. Fans of the original game will have long been looking forward to getting their withered old man hands on the XBLA (and maybe PSN at some point) release and it’s spangly new HD filter-smoothed graphics. However, it seems more than just this update is in the pipeline.
Commenting recently on the project, in house Treasure minion Hirotoshi Matsuura revealed, “Originally, the project started as Guardian Heroes 2″.
2, you say? Perhaps someone should tell him theres already a sequel in the form of Advance Guardian Heroes on the GBA? Mind you, according to the Grig Orig Bat Computer, it was published by Ubisoft and not Sega so it may have stood a chance of not being appalling. Hopefully by giving the new game the number 2 it wont be a description of the quality. Anyhoo…
Really?! Why I’m intrigued! Go ahead, do…
“The team that had been working on Sin & Punishment [last year's Wii sequel], after that project they wanted to start a new game.”
A Streets of Rage Remake, perhaps? Oh wait…
“The project started as Guardian Heroes 2, but the publisher – that’s SEGA – said in order to create a sequel, they wanted us to revitalize the IP. So instead of starting on the sequel we made a remake.”
Sounds bang up Sega’s street to me. They must be about to revitalise a heck of a lot of franchises if their recent form is anything to go by. But wait just a cotton pickin’ minute! Let us focus on the positives here for once! Guardian Heroes 2 is… potentially… on the cards! That’s if the XBLA remake sells well enough to convince Sega there’s enough interest for it anyway. Better get buying my Grigs! Not that such a thing as popular franchises have stopped Sega from jumping ship at random in the past. Tssk!
But I digress. Tell me kind sir, what can the Griggish Empire expect were we to ever get such a sequel?
“The original core game mechanics is a 2D, layer-based game, and that’s what we like about it. We may create characters and backgrounds in 3D, but the core mechanics will be the same.”
So there you have it. Not much of a developmental outline there, but the fact it’s even been acknowledged is better than nothing! And forgoing the fact that it will undoubtedly suck if Sega have anything to do with it, we have to ponder, could it really happen? Or is it all too much of a step in the right direction that will have Sega running scared and in their panic trying to get hold of the publishing rights to Barbie Horse Adventures 2? One things for sure – only time, and a future Grig shaped update will tell!