Welcome to the Archive site of The Sonic Stadium (2008-2023)
Please note that this site is no longer being updated or maintained; as a result, there may be design issues, and links to images and other media may be broken. Links to posts may redirect you to the same article on the current Sonic Stadium website.
The results of an election that would determine whether or not SEGA of America workers will unionize are in, and it’s official: they are now unionized. This makes SoA’s union, AEGIS-CWA, the largest multi-department union in the game industry. The results weren’t especially close, at 91 for, 26 against. AEGIS must now go to the bargaining table with SEGA management to hammer out a union contract.
You can read all about what led to the union forming here. This election comes months after AEGIS announced its formation and requested voluntary recognition from SEGA management. When SEGA refused to grant it, an election date for the union was chosen near the end of May. A few weeks later AEGIS accused SEGA management of interfering with their right to organize ahead of the election. AEGIS said SEGA management “initiated an anti-union campaign.”
So, where do things go from here? Well, I’m no expert on unions, but I’ve followed unions enough that I think I can give you a broad idea. For one, SEGA and AEGIS representatives will need to meet to work out the details of a union contract. This contract will cover a certain number of years, and guarantee SEGA employees certain benefits. This tweet likely gives us an idea of what AEGIS will be trying to get.
Once union leaders have a tentative contract with SEGA management, they will take it to their union members for a vote. If a plurality of members vote for the contract, it becomes official. If SEGA and AEGIS are unable to agree on a contract that can win a vote from members, a strike becomes a possibility. A union may authorize a strike ahead of or during negotiations. If a contract can’t be agreed upon, AEGIS members will be able to strike, which will allow them to refuse to work until a contract is signed. We are a long way from a strike, however. AEGIS hasn’t given us any sort of time table for when a contract will be agreed to, but we’ll know more in the coming weeks and months.
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While a formal corporate response is still forthcoming, Curran’s words in the letter could be interpreted as positive. The exec stated that “Union matters are new to me and SOA and we are investigating and considering the options available to the company” – however, he later made clear that “No SOA employee will be treated any differently whether they support or do not support unionization.”
The letter, published by Axios journalist Stephen Totilo on social media, added: “Some of you may support unionization and some not. That is your legal right… We have a wonderful culture at SOA with a strong commitment to working together as a team. In my mind, it is the SOA employee culture that makes us such a successful company.”
Next steps, as Curran is said to understand it, is for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to conduct a secret ballot of employees – in job positions selected by the NLRB – to determine if unionization will go ahead in a special vote.
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144 employees at SEGA of America’s Irving, California office about to form what is will be the largest multi-department games industry union in the United States. They filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with a supermajority of support within SEGA of America, meaning the union will almost certainly be certified. The new union, which will be called the “Allied Employees Guild Improving SEGA” or “AEGIS,” will partner with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in representing the employees of SEGA of America’s various departments incuding QA, localization, product development, live services, and marketing.
The official logo for AEGIS
According to reporting from The Verge, work on the union began more than a year ago. Torie Winkler, senior community manager, told The Verge that a mutual love of the games they worked on fueled the unionization effort. Communication between departments over games eventually led to discussions of how unionization works. Over the course of the last year, employees haven’t experienced any anti-union sentiments from SEGA management. They’re hopeful that management in SEGA of America and Japan will voluntarily recognize the union once it is certified.
AEGIS explained why they were unionizing in a statement on their new Twitter account, saying “We are unionizing because we love the games that we work on, we love our coworkers, and we love working at SEGA. But unfortunately for many this job is not sustainable. Our goal is to make SEGA someplace where we feel employees can thrive for many years to come.”
The tweet goes into further detail, explaining various issues employees face, including below-industry-average pay, weak benefits, a lack of paths for promotion, and a third of long-time employees lacking full-time status and all the benefits that come with that. The union hopes to correct these issues by attaining a higher base pay, improved and stable benefits (such as healthcare and retirement), increased and clearly outlined opportunities for promotion, balanced workloads and schedules, and ensuring adequately staffed departments to end overwork.
You can read the full statement here. AEGIS also has a petition, where you can show SEGA management you support the union, here. AEGIS also encouraged the tweeting of #UnionizeSEGA and #AEGISAlly as another way of showing your support.
Now it’s up to the National Labor Relations Board, a federal agency responsible for enforcing US labor laws, to set a date and ensure the election is appropriately run. Once the election is certified, the union will be official. The Communications Workers of America, which AEGIS will be partnered with, is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States, representing more than 700,000 employees. They will go by the local union number “CWA Local 9510,” which is used to identify a union’s location.
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It’s looking like we’re not done talking about departures from the world of Sonic just yet, although this one has been rumored for a while now. it’s also looking very likely that the next Sonic game is even going to have some new writers.
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The celebration is on! SEGA has quite a bit lined up for this week of their big 60th anniversary, and today they just released their interview with the SEGA of America staff that were in charge during their 16 bit glory days!
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JAKKS Pacific, the children’s toy company behind such toy lines such as WWE and World of Nintendo action figures, have today announced that it has commenced a global toy licensing deal with SEGA of America to produce Sonic the Hedgehog branded toys in a multi-year contract.
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Just over a month ago, I set myself a little personal project, I decided to research the various official Sonic Mascot costumes which have been used over the years, I wanted to see how they changed, if there was any relation in design to the games, as well as how other regions created their mascots.
It was supposed to be a short project, I thought ‘there can’t be ‘that many, this will probably be just a 5 min video at best’, I was very wrong. Not only did this project take a full month to complete, it ended up being one of the strangest research trips I have ever undertaken. You can view the full end result video at the end of the article.
For now, enjoy these highlights.
If you’ve ever attend any video game convention or event, chances are you’ll see at least one official mascot, every big publisher tries to have one near their stand. They’re like people magnets, you put a mascot at your stand, people go over to it, it’s a great way to get people to look at your game who may have otherwise past it by.
Sega knows this well, and with nearly 30 years of Sonic games, there has been nearly 30 years of these official Sonic Mascot costumes… And some of them are wild…
The Classic Era (1990 – 1995)
During the madness which was Sonic 2’s release, Sega created a Sonic & Tails mascot in the UK. The costumes appeared numerous times in the pages of Sonic the Comic but also appeared in video form on Bad Influence’s 1992 Christmas Special. The Mascots also entertained visitors to the Future Entertainment show in 1992 as well as the 1992 Sega Championship Finals.
The United states also had their own Sonic & Tails mascots at this time, whilst the Sonic was similar in design, their Tails took a different approach, it was still huge but was much less furry and and was a different colour tone.
Japan had a few costumes around this time, but this is the most infamous of the lot, because it hung out with Michael Jackson during the promotion of Sonic 3.
The costume has a very friendly look to it and a “Nice smile” but what you might not realise, the smile is actually a vital part of the design… it’s where the performer looks out of.
Adventure Era (1999 – 2005)
At the 1999 E3 expo, Sega debuted an entire cast of new costumes, Sonic, Tails, Amy and Knuckles all got the mascot treatment. Whilst this was a major E3 for Sega, there exists very little media of the costumes at the event.
However, the costumes were so good and popular that they also appeared at several events in Japan and were even brought back into service when Sega were promoting both Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic X and even Sonic Battle!
Over time, Sega increased the number of characters to go along with this line, such as Rouge, Shadow, Eggman and even Cream! Cream made her only appearance at the 2002 Worlds Hobby Fair in Japan and from all accounts has never appeared at any other event since.
Shadow and Sonic’s costume was brought back temporarily to help promote Shadow the Hedgehog, but the other cast would remain dormant until eventually re-designed for later events.
Joypolis (? – Present Day)
This is probably the longest running Sonic costume in history, probably because it’s so good! Tokyo Joypolis has had this guy entertaining guests for at least 10 years, he’s normally available daily for photos at the park and during special occasions like Halloween and Christmas, Sonic will often dress up to get into the spirit of things.
Sega Republic (2009)
Sega Republic was Dubai’s answer to Tokyo Joypolis, a huge indoor theme park with Sega themed rides and attractions. To help promote the park, they had three mascots based on Sonic, Tails and Amy.
Whilst Tails and Amy were reserved for media events, Sonic was a daily sight in the park, guests could get a photo with him and he would even attend birthday parties which you could book at the park itself!
Sonic Boom (2014 – Present Day)
Regardless as to what you may think of Boom, a lot of effort went into these creations, Tails and Amy especially since they’re completely original. Whilst the Sonic was based off the main Sega Sonic costume used at the time, they still went to the effort to give him new shoes and accessories.
Modern Era (2010 – Present Day)
Chances are you are more than familiar with these two costumes, they have been used at almost every video-game event since 2010, the above one has been a regular feature of Summer of Sonic.
The modern design has slimmed down the costume from the more bulky ones seen in the 90’s and in Japan, this means the performer is able to make more energetic motions, at Summer of Sonic this costume was even seen dancing with Crush 40 on stage and even attended the Alton Towers Sonic Spinball launch event and entertained guests with a number of recognisable poses.
It was used worldwide up until very recently… until this costume replaced it…
This costume uses much higher grade materials which means it still looks really good after a long days use. The shoes are much higher quality and it has a ‘nice smile’ instead of the creepy Sonic Heroes grin that the other costume has.
The Werehog
It was only ever used for one Tokyo Game Show, yet… look at it! They made a Werehog costume to help promote the launch of Sonic Unleashed, despite the size of the costume the performer is able to move very easily in it.
What little video exists shows the costume jumping, waving their arms in the air, walking quickly with confidence and even pulling some of the Werehog poses from the game
And from what I can tell… it was used for less than a week at one event, despite being one of the best costumes Sega have ever made!
…And The Rest
This was just a little look at some of the better and most iconic costumes which span the 27 years (technically 28) in which Sega have been promoting Sonic. There are many more and some of them….
…Are certainly unique…
Check out the video below if you’re interested and want to see the full history since it’s quite in depth.
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SEGA and IDW Publishing have today announced a partnership to continue Sonic the Hedgehog comics in a new series in 2018. The news comes a day after SEGA officially announced the end of a 24-year partnership with Archie Comics.
According to SEGA, creative teams are still being formed at IDW, with more news to come later. The news shot also hints that the writers and artists are involved in the news comics, stating they are in talks with “Sonic fan-favourite creators and new creators alike”.
SEGA and IDW are thrilled to announce a partnership to bring Sonic Comics to fans new and old. The new series arrives 2018! pic.twitter.com/neT3oAMNUE
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) July 21, 2017
As always, TSS will keep you up to date as news comes!
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A sudden stream brings news of SEGA’s charity work.
During a stream done to celebrate all things spooky today, Aaron Webber made an announcement about SEGA’s drive for charity. This year, Sonic will be officially supporting a movement called Extra Life, which encourages gamers to livestream 24 hour marathons of any games they play to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, with $22 million raised since its inception.
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UPDATE: SEGA has reached out to us with their statement on the error, telling us that the issue has been resolved!
As part of a special promotion, Sonic CD is now free with ads (regularly priced at $2.99) from the App Store. For players who previously purchased Sonic CD, ads were mistakenly added to their game. This was not intended and the issue has now been resolved. Players will need to update to the latest version of Sonic CD (2.0.1) on the App Store. We apologize for the error.
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Tommy Thunder and Trash Can Head Guy in “Late Night Wars.”
Sonic Boom premiered in November 2014 and wrapped up its first season a year later, and fans of the show are eagerly awaiting the day season two will premiere at some point this fall. Now, it turns out that they won’t have to wait for much longer, as a date has dropped by way of TV listings site Zap2It.
Mark your calendars, as Sonic Boom is expected to return to Cartoon Network’s airwaves on October 29th, with the season premiere episode “Tommy Thunder: Method Actor.”
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The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.
Well… many suspected that there might be more to Mr Iizuka’s trip to the US than just the SXSW panel, and it seems you were right. The head of Sonic Team Takashi Iizuka is in Sega of America right now, and according to Gamasutra, he’s there overseeing development on new Sonic games. Continue reading Takashi Iizuka Is In The U.S. To Oversee New Sonic Games
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With the current relocation of SEGA of America’s HQ, we have in the past few days said goodbye to many long-standing employees of SoA, including Kellie Parker and Julian Mehlfeld from the Community Team.
One of the most vivid memories I have in dealing with the SEGA social team was during a trip out to Los Angeles for E3 and the very first Sonic Boom event back in 2011. What struck us was the dedication of the team whom over the course of the week seemed indefatigable, not only working tirelessly manning the gargantuan stand in the main convention centre, but who tangentially assembled another monster event down the street. I’m sure tired didn’t begin to describe their state during that week, yet I don’t think I remember a moment they didn’t all have huge beaming smiles across their faces, or were laughing at the end of the day with a well-earned beverage. Kellie has written a parting post on the SEGA blog where she has stated “we laughed hard, and we worked harder” – I can’t think of anything more appropriate to describe what I saw during my brief insight into the team’s operation.
This is but one of countless examples of what the community team were involved in, and similarly, I’m sure everyone who has had any interaction with the SoA social and community team over the past decade will agree that the hallmark has, and likely always will be, a penchant for excellence, and a drive to go far beyond the call of duty. An inordinate amount of what is has now become the face of the Sonic the Hedgehog community, both online and in real life, is in part of wholly due to the fantastic team that has been at SoA.
I’d love to be able to write down the extensive résumé of the team’s accomplishments to date, but I’d fear it would fail to be a comprehensive summary of the entirety of great things they have managed. Instead, we at TSS would like to invite you all to share the stories you might have of any memories of your interactions with the social team in the comments below.
While we sadly bid farewell to some, we welcome back others!
TSS would like to welcome back to the SoA fold Aaron Webber, who will be taking up the social media and community reins once more for our favourite hedgehog! Many of you will remember Aaron from his previous roles at SEGA, and as host of the Sonic Boom fan event from 2011 to 2014.
We wish all the community and social team members the very best in the future, and that they will always be a very special part of the Sonic the Hedgehog community.
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Disclaimer:The views in this piece may not reflect the views of TSS or other writers on the staff team. The intention of The Spin is to promote debate and discussion of an issue or something that’s happening in the fandom or the world of Sonic & Sega.
I have seen a number of comments, both on and off TSS as well as articles and forum posts both on and off TSS lately regarding the health of a certain company and a certain videogame icon. This has since increased following news regarding Sonic Booms sales figures. There seems to be an interesting if not unexpected reaction going on, it seems that if you are a member of a website or a commentator on a news site, or even a hired writer, everybody seems to have or be giving ‘their say’ on what’s going on and why it’s happening.
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Join me, Lidice and new guest, Johara Finley as we discuss the recent Sonic Boom episodes, comic issues 3 and 4, the Rise of Lyric patch, Sonic Runners and the latest happenings at Sega of America. Also, we tend to ramble on other topics such as Disneyland, San Diego comic Con and the end of Club Nintendo.
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SEGA in recent years have had greater invested interest in the opinions and the involvement of the Sonic the Hedgehog fan community with many aspects to the franchise. One of their greatest assests are the people who work as the community teams, and liase with the fans; this line of communication has definitely had a hand in shaping the face of games over the past half decade.
Three years ago a new member joined the crew at SEGA of America, appearing frequently on the SEGA blogs and known only as RubyEclipse. Today, after many Free Stuff Fridays and blogs (and the occasional festive fanmail reading video), Aaron Webber has become one of the most well-known community members – and with good reason. Aaron has struck a fantastic balance over three years on the community team with SEGA, between being a professional, effective representative and ambassador for SEGA, as well as being a Sonic the Hedgehog fan himself. Aaron’s enthusiasm for his work along with the rest of his team has shone through and has remained unwavered in his time at SoA.
It will therefore sadden many of you to hear that Aaron has announced he will be departing the community team, however I’m sure you will all join us in congratulating Aaron in his promotion to Associate Brand Manager at SoA. We wish him all the best in managing his first assignment of the highly anticipated Sonic Generations (and we hope we will still see him pop up occasionally on FSF vids too!). You can read his final heartfelt blog on the SEGA blogs site.
I’d like to end on my favourite Webber moments from the last few years – if you haven’t seen these before…enjoy!
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After SEGA Japan’s New Year’s Day teaser/announcement, SEGA of America has today issued a similar press release regarding their plans to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog‘s 20th Anniversary with events around the world. The publisher says we can expect details about these events throughout the year. Check the full press release out for yourself below.
SEGA® Corporation is proud to announce their company mascot will celebrate his 20th anniversary on June 23, 2011.
From the first day of the release of Sonic The Hedgehog™ back in 1991 on the SEGA Genesis™ console, Sonic the Hedgehog quickly became a popular gaming icon due to his super fast speed and his cool, edgy character. In the twenty years that the video games have been available, Sonic the Hedgehog has notched up over 70 million units sold worldwide.
As well as videogames, SEGA’s iconic blue hedgehog has enjoyed huge success in areas such as comics, apparel and toys and even starred in his own animated series.
SEGA Corporation will be celebrating this special year in style with events around the world, details of which will be released throughout the 20th anniversary year of 2011.
For more information on SEGA, please visit www.sega.com :
About SEGA® Corporation:
SEGA® Corporation is a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home, encompassing consumer business, amusement machine sales and amusement center operations. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA Corporation’s Web site is located at sega.jp : .
About SEGA® of America, Inc.:
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America’s web site is located at www.sega.com
What kind of events would you like to see for Sonic’s 20th Anniversary? Share your ideas in the comments.
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In an entry to the SEGA of America Blog, Kellie announced today that SEGA will be attending annual pop culture themed street fair, the J-Pop Summit Festival this weekend. Plenty of SEGA’s latest games will be on show, including Vanquish, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, Sonic Colours, Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, and Yakuza 4.
As a juicy bonus, from Noon until 2pm, SEGA will be showcasing Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 in playable form on the big screen in the movie theatre at VIZ Cinema. As if that isn’t enough, some goodies are going to be given away too.
Interested in attending? Check out the details from SEGA below:
Who: Team SEGA and you!
What: J-Pop Summit Festival 2010
Where: Post Street between Webster St. & Laguna St., Japantown, San Francisco, CA.
When: 11am – 6pm (Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I in the cinema from 12noon until 2pm only)
Why: Because you like free swag, playing fun games, and hanging out with us!
You can take a look at/print off a guide and schedule for the event below:
Will you be attending the event? Let us know in the comments.
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SEGA of America’s Kellie has revealed via their Twitter account that SEGA will have a booth at this years New York Comic Con. A look at the conventions official website’s exhibitor list re-affirms this. Currently, no details have been announced as to what games SEGA will be bringing to the show, but if recent events the publisher has attended are anything to go by, then you can expect them to bring demos of their Christmas line-up. We’ll keep an eye open for more information.
There’s some interesting news for Sonic fans attending the convention, specifically the merchandise collectors. The ‘show exclusives’ guide at the conventions website reveals that Mythical Fair will be at the event selling their Chaos Emerald replicas for $50, with the optional stand costing just $2.
The Emeralds are made of solid crystal and measure 100mm across in their largest size. They will also be available in a variety of other sizes/colours. If you can’t attend the event and are interested in the Emeralds, you can order them online at Mythical Fair’s website for the same price.
New York Comic Con will be open from October 8th until October 10th at the below hours:
Professional Only Hours:
Friday, October 8, 2010 — 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Open to the Public:
Friday, October 8, 2010 — 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Saturday, October 9, 2010 — 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday, October 10, 2010 — 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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SEGA have announced a big contest to celebrate Sonic’s 19th Birthday today in which you have the chance to win a trip for you and one friend to Tokyo, Japan, where you will stop by SEGA Japan, meet Sonic Team and be the very first people to be given some playtime with the finished build of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. Pretty exciting huh? To take part you need to express your love for Sonic through the medium of video via YouTube, check out the full announcement including all the info you need to know below –
Everyone’s favourite blue hedgehog with attitude is turning 19, and we’d like you to help us celebrate! Take part and you could win the ultimate birthday gift – a free trip for you and a friend to Tokyo, Japan, to visit SEGA, meet the Sonic Team, and get some exclusive playtime with Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode I!
To enter, create a video showing off your love for Sonic! You could run down the street dressed as the blue hedgehog himself, paint a massive Sonic mural in your hometown, build Green Hill zone entirely out of cake, or almost anything you can come up with. Be creative, original, and entertaining! (And, of course, keep it legal!)
Once judging is complete, the top 10 entries will go live on the website and the fans themselves will vote on our winners! The prizes are amazing, the contest is huge and the excitement is high – do it to it and let’s show the world just how passionate our fans can be. Up, over, and gone!
VIDEO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES –
1: You’ll need a YouTube account in order to participate. Don’t have a YouTube account? No problem – register here.
2: Your video must be hosted on YouTube and adhere to YouTube’s uploading requirements.
3: Entries will be judged on three categories, each worth 10 points total for a total of up to 30 points.
They are:
– Creativity
– Effort
– Entertainment
4: In addition, up to 5 bonus points can be awarded if your submission gets Sonic in the public eye. The more people involved, the more points awarded!
5: There is a limit of one entry per person.
6: Entrants must fill out all required submission fields in order to enter.
7: The deadline to submit your entry is Monday, July 12th at 9:00 AM Pacific time.
8: Your entry must be your own original work and only include images of people who have agreed that their image can be included. Your entry is subject to our terms and conditions and privacy policy so please read these carefully before you enter.
Aswell as the Grand Prize of the trip to SEGA Japan there will be other prizes –
2. Two first place iPod Touch prize packs!
3. 100 Random winners get free Sonic swag!
ArchangelUK of SEGA Europe informs at the Sonic City Blognik that one grand prize winner will be picked from America and another from the UK.
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With Sonic’s 19th Birthday coming tomorrow (June 23rd) you must be wondering if SEGA have anything special planned? Well to mark the occasion SEGA of America have announced another of their Mega Sales but this time it’s Sonic themed with the odd few SEGA titles thrown in there too.
Here’s the full list of content, dates and prices –
PlayStation Network: Tuesday June 22nd to Tuesday July 6th
iTunes AppStore: Wed June 23rd to Wed June 30th
Xbox LIVE Marketplace: Thursday June 24th, one day only!
A ton of Sonic titles are going on sale, as well as some SEGA classics for the iPhone.
Check out the schedule for the sale below — these price drops are applicable in North America, Europe, and Japan!
Tuesday, June 22nd – PlayStation Network and PlayStation Portable over PSN
Its Sony Tuesday, with tons of Sonic and Sonic DLC available over PlayStation Network.
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing: Metal Sonic Death Egg $7.99 $5.49
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing: Ryo with Forklift Character $4.99 $3.49
Sonic Unleashed Apatos & Shamar Adventure Pack $2.99 $1.99
Sonic Unleashed Chun-nan Adventure Pack $2.99 $1.99
Sonic Unleashed Empire City & Adabat Adventure Pack $2.99 $1.99
Sonic Unleashed Holoska Adventure Pack $2.99 $1.99
Sonic Unleashed Mazuri Adventure Pack $2.99 $1.99
Sonic Unleashed Spagonia Adventure Pack $2.99 $1.99
Sonic the Hedgehog 2006: Very Hard Shadow Missions $2.49 $1.49
Sonic the Hedgehog 2006: Very Hard Silver Missions $2.49 $1.49
Sonic the Hedgehog 2006: Very Hard Sonic Missions $2.49 $1.49
Sonic Unleashed Add On Bundle $17.94 $8.99
Sonic Racing Add On Bundle $12.98 $6.49
Sonic Rivals 2 (PlayStation Portable over PSN) $19.99 $13.99
Sonic Rivals (PlayStation Portable over PSN) $15.99 $10.99
Sonic Rivals 1 & 2 Bundle (PlayStation Portable over PSN) $35.98 $17.99
Wednesday, June 23rd – iPhone
Celebrate Sonic’s birthday on the go with these iPhone games on sale this Wednesday:
Super Monkey Ball $4.99 $2.99
Sonic the Hedgehog $5.99 $3.99
Super Monkey Ball 2 $5.99 $3.99
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 $5.99 $3.99
Streets of Rage $2.99 $0.99
Golden Axe $2.99 $0.99
Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Ed. $7.99 $4.99
Thursday, June 24th – Xbox Live Arcade
And then on Thursday we have great Sonic titles going on sale, over Xbox Live Arcade — all featuring the Lock-On Technology of the Genesis originals!
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 $5.00 $3.00
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 $5.00 $3.00
Sonic the Hedgehog $5.00 $3.00
Sonic & Knuckles $5.00 $3.00
SEGA of America say this sale applies to Europe but prices have not been announced by SEGA Europe yet but as soon as they are announced we’ll update with the full list.
Thanks to Woun at the SSMB for the heads up!
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SEGA of America have posted up some photo’s on their blog of the innards of their E3 booth aswell as a few details about the games being showcased, the blog confirms Sonic Free Riders is at the booth but not in playable form so anyone interested in the game will have to watch a member of SEGA’s team play the game through a clear glass box.
The game is being demoed in a semi see-through room, so you can watch the player twist, jump, throw, and lean to interact with the game.
Looking at the screen in the photo you can see the player is controlling Storm and all of the usual Riders series HUD is back including a gauge but there is nothing to show if this will control air or a gravity mechanism yet. Sonic’s other upcoming 2010 titles Sonic Colours(both Wii and DS versions) and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 are also present at the booth in playable form.
For pictures of SEGA’s booth outside of the Sonic departments visit SEGA of America’s blog.
Thanks to Stasis Colours at the SSMB for the heads-up!
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Have you ever wondered how Jazwares make all of their finely crafted Sonic merchandise? Well wonder no more as SEGA of America’s Kellie has obtained all of the answers along with concept art and photos from Joe Amaro who works in Jazwares Product Development department.
Topics discussed are concepts, prototypes, approval, where the toys are made, fan input and even Joe’s favorite character. You can check out the Q&A and pictures at SEGA of America’s blog but you may want to get yourself some refreshments as it’s a very long interview.
Thanks to D00dlebug for the heads up.
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I dont know how this slipped by us but SEGA of America have taken a page out of SEGA Europe’s book as they will be holding a Community Day at their San Francisco base today allowing anyone interested in attending to get some hands-on time with the PS3 and Xbox 360 editions of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing. If you are interested in attending let SOA know by posting in the comments section of the events blog entry.
The event will run from 12pm to 3pm PST, anyone worried about hunger fear not as SEGA of America will be providing food to fill up your tummies. Attendees will also get to meet Dan (the game’s brand manager) and Omar (the game’s producer) who will be answering all of your questions. Wether this is the final code or the very near final code of the game we at TSS recently tried out at Alton Towers is unknown.
Will any of you be attending? Let us know in the comments.
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SEGA of America are giving away the above new Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing Limited Edition Ryo Hazuki figurine via a sweepstakes event open to U.S. and Canadian residents aged 13+ with a SEGA Pass account. The figurine is very limited as only 1,000 have been made with 49 of them secured at SEGA Europe for a future competition which we’ll have to wait patiently to find out info of how to win one, we’ll inform you when the details are revealed. For more info regaridng the SEGA of America give away check out the SEGA of America Sweepstakes Page.
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The U.S. version of the Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing website has updated the DS version of the game’s box art with what look’s like a modified version of the old box art with new Sonic artwork. What’s odd though is the absence of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection logo that was on the old box art, that and we’ve known the DS version has online multiplayer for a while now.
You can check out the box art at the Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing website, if you’re in the UK or any other territory click the flag at the top right and change it to the U.S. flag.
Thanks to HunterTSF over at the SSMB for the heads up and pic!
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Eagle eyed SSMB Member Doctor Eggman has spotted a picture of what could be an R-Tuned track in the latest Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing trailer. Further to support this we have word from Steve Lycett of Sumo Digital’s latest Developer Diary that he and his team got to play an early version of R-Tuned and they were offered levels from the game if they’d like them for ASR. Comparing the small screen from the latest trailer with a screenshot from R-Tuned the tracks do look extremely similar.
In other news, SEGA of America have updated their product page for Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing with a release date of 23rd February 2010 for all 5 formats, confirming the speculation of the same date U.S. retailers have been listing.
Thanks to NinMicroSega for the heads up on the U.S. release date and thanks to Doctor Eggman for the well spotted R-Tuned info and images!
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SEGA of America have revealed a possible list of characters that will appear in Project Needlemouse. Each day until Friday they are going to put a rejected stamp on the characters that won’t be in the game. Friday the full list of characters will be revealed if fan’s can succeed in a challenge. Continue reading Full Needlemouse Character List Friday, If Fans Succeed In Challenge
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Look’s like despite being wrong about Gamecube Controller support Nintendo’s Wii Nintendo Channel was at least right about Mii support being in the Wii version of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing.
SEGA of America and SEGA Europe have just confirmed the feature over at their blogs with two screenshots. The Mii’s look to have their own vehicle similar to how Xbox 360 Avatar’s will have their own vehicle too. The All-Star Move for Mii’s also look’s the same as the Avatar move too where your friend’s Mii’s will come to your aid and give you a boost of speed and power.
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SEGA of America and SEGA Europe are having a 40% Off Mega Sale in the spirit of the holidays on PlayStation Network(U.S. only) and on Wii Virtual Console. Wether it’s classic games, PSP games or DLC SEGA have got you covered.
There’s no mention on the SEGA Europe blogs or the PlayStation Store Update on the PlayStation Europe blog of a PSN sale in Europe so we’re left to assume the sale is only on the U.S. PSN. If we hear any different we’ll update this article and let you know.
Playstation Network (U.S. Only) –
PS3:
Sonic Unleashed Apatos & Shamar Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Chun-nan Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Empire City & Adabat Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Holoska Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Mazuri Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Spagonia Adventure Pack
SONIC: Very Hard Shadow Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Silver Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Sonic Missions
Valkyria Chronicles Edy’s Mission “Enter the Edy Detachment”
Valkyria Chronicles Hard EX Mode
Valkyria Chronicles Selveria’s Mission “Behind Her Blue Flame”
PSP:
Alien Syndrome
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars
Crush
Full Auto 2: Battlelines
Gunstar Heroes
Iron Man
Sega Genesis Collection
Sonic Rivals
Sonic Rivals 2
Super Monkey Ball Adventure
—————————–
Wii Virtual Console(All regions):
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Gunstar Heroes
Toe Jam & Earl
Puyo Puyo 2
Shining Force
Golden Axe
Altered Beast
Streets Of Rage 2
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SEGA of America and SEGA Europe have issued a press release regarding yesterdays official announcement of Banjo-Kazooie and Avatar’s presence in the Xbox 360 version of Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing. An high quality trailer has also been released on SEGA Europe’s website. SEGA of America have also uploaded the U.S. version of the trailer to their YouTube account.
LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (18 December, 2009) – SEGA® Europe Ltd., SEGA® of America, Inc. and Microsoft today announced an exciting new partnership for Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing™. For the first time ever in a racing game for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, you will be able to jump in to the game in the form of your Avatar and race against your favourite Sonic & SEGA characters. In yet another addition to the character roster and exclusive to the Xbox 360 version, Banjo and Kazooie will make a welcome return to the console and take to the starting grid in their Bolt Bucket all terrain vehicle!
Working closely with the Rare Studio to bring the popular characters to life, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing sees Banjo and Kazooie taking their place on the starting grid alongside classic SEGA characters such as Sonic, AiAi, Amy, Knuckles and Ryo Hazuki. As well as mastering the drift system to get the best out of the tracks, and picking up weapons such as Sonic speed boots and homing rockets along the way, Banjo and his faithful sidekick Kazooie will be able to unleash their own unique All-Star move in a bid to cross the finish line in pole position!
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing will also be the first racing game for the Xbox 360 to feature fully playable Avatars. Have you ever pictured yourself speeding around the lush green hills of Sonic’s Seaside Hill Zone? Or wondered how you’d look rolling around the levels of Super Monkey Ball? Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing will allow your Avatar to hop in to the All-Stars Racing “Avacar” and put your pedal to the metal around SEGA world inspired tracks! If you find yourself towards the back of the race, or taking hits from everyone’s weapons, it’s your friends that will come to your rescue in the Avatar All-Star move, with recognisable faces from your Xbox LIVE Friends List offering a helping hand!
“We’re very excited to see Banjo and Kazooie back on the screen racing against these great SEGA characters” said Shintaro Kanaoya, Head of Business Strategy and Development at Rare. “We’re also very proud to see the Xbox 360 Avatars, which were conceived of and developed at Rare, incorporated into the game and allowing players to put themselves in the driving seat. The project has been an excellent collaboration between Rare and SEGA, and we’re looking forward to its retail release and tearing around the tracks!”
David Gosen, Vice President, Xbox EMEA says “Avatar characters are fast becoming integral to gaming for the Xbox 360 owner. We are therefore really excited to be bringing them to life as fully playable in this world exclusive. It’s even more thrilling to be launching this activity with such a big title especially when it heralds the return of Banjo & Kazooie to the platform.”
“Having characters as big as Banjo and Kazooie in the Xbox 360 version of game is huge for Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing,” commented Gary Knight, European Marketing Director, SEGA Europe Ltd. “SEGA are proud to have been able to work with such an acclaimed development team as Rare and to go one step further by being one of the first publishers to put truly playable Avatars in a game, really cements SEGA’s commitment to working with first party partners, bringing the best possible content for individual platforms.”
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing sees Sonic and friends speed around tracks set in medieval castle ramparts, lush rainforests and bustling cities, all taken from the visually rich and varied universes of Sonic and SEGA. Are you gonna be faster than Sonic?
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing featuring Banjo Kazooie will be in stores Early 2010.
The U.S. version of the Press Release (revealed via the SEGA of America blog with the Banjo-Kazooie artwork) ends a little differently –
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing featuring Banjo Kazooie will be in stores Feb 2010.
Let’s hope a European release month/date is revealed soon.
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SEGA of America community staff member Kellie has officialy unveiled the Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing U.S. box artworks via the SEGA of America blog, in hi-res too. Banjo-Kazooie are still on the Xbox 360 version cover confirming their presence in the game 1,000 times over. The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection logo is still present on the Wii and DS box arts laying to rest any worries about the online feature for those versions.
Check out the hi-res U.S. box arts to the PS3, Wii and DS versions by clicking the thumbnails below –
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Look’s liek someone over at SEGA clicked the submit button early. The above box art’s we just reported about SEGA posting on their website have now been PULLED from their website.
Could the boxarts and confirmation of Banjo & Kazooie in the Xbox 360 version be the special announcement due this week that Steve Lycett of Sumo Digital was talking about?
We’ll keep you up to date when we know more on this story.
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SEGA of America have revealed more on the U.S. version of Sonic Classic Collection on the game’s product page including the U.S. box art which contains a very different background compared with the European artwork. Also on the website is the game’s ESRB rating of E for Everyone and the release date that has been updated from Spring, 2010 to March, 2010 which means the game will hit the U.S. the same month as Europe.
So, which box art do you prefer? Let us know in the comments.
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SEGA of America’s blog has announced that during the week of November 30th (the week after Thanksgiving), Sonic 2 will be Xbox Live Arcade’s “Deal of the Week.” The classic title will be 240 points, 40% off from its normal pricing of 400 points. Keep in mind that the “Deal of the Week” is available to Xbox Live Gold Members only.
In addition, SEGA of America will be having free giveaways during this week on their blog. We will tell you what SoA will be giving away when the time comes.
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SEGA of America’s blog