Sega will be shutting down itsSega HeroesandCrazy Taxi Tycoonmobile titles after it officially separated from developer Demiurge Studios. Originally the studioplanned to continue runningbothMarvel Puzzle QuestandSega Heroesbut it seems that circumstances have changed forSega Heroesat least. No news on whetherMarvel Puzzle Questwould continue to run, which bodes well for the future of that mobile title at least.
Furthermore, Reed claimed Demiurge would support the development of games for other companies rather than its own titles. “That’s what we’re going to focus on for the next 12 to 18 months. We have a really long history of partnering with the top studios and publishers. Some other indies might look down their noses, but we’ve found it to be incredibly rewarding work. You get to work with fantastic IPs and learn from the best developers. It’s a great business.”
According tothe official statementfrom Demiurge regarding the split: “In 2015 we joined the Sega family of studios. It has been an amazing ride with Sega over the past five years, working with iconic IP to create a wonderful portfolio of free to play mobile games.”
Demiurge was purchased by the publisher back in 2015, but has now been bought back from the Japanese company by original co-founder Albert Reed who initially left the company in 2017. Following its new independence, General Manager Bart Simon has been appointed CEO.
On March 25th Sega revealedits new ambassador, a “super cool-looking guy” called Sega Shiro. He’s the son of Segata Sanshiro, the original mascot in the heyday of the Sega Saturn console. Interestingly enough Sega Shiro’s actor is Maito Fujioka, the eldest son of Segata Sanshiro’s actor Hiroshi Fujioka. This is pretty great news for anyone who owned a Saturn and was a big fan of the brand in general. Check out the crazy commercial below:
The latest entry in the gangster themedYakuzaseries (and the first to be a turn-based JRPG),Yakuza: Like a Dragonisseeing great salesin both Japan and Asia. Ittopped the chartsthe first week of its release and last month, SEGAreportedthat sales continue to be strong. This new entry has now sold over 400,000 copies as of March 4th.
And in great news for environmental health, Sega Europeannouncedthat all packaging for their future physical PC releaseswill be fully recycled. The announcement was made through their officialTwitteraccount.
Starting last year, Sega has been re-releasing their own retro games through their Sega Ages brand. The company has alreadyreleased classic titlessuch asSonic the Hedgehog, Phantasy Star, Gain Ground, Thunder Force IV, Alex Kidd in Miracle land,Shinobi, andFantasy Zone(and you may read whyFantasy Zoneis worth joining your game libraryhereandShinobihere).
There were plans to develop an ambitious game based on theAkiraIP, the immensely popular and influential animated film, back in 1993 for the Sega Mega Drive system. Unfortunately those plans fizzled up, but just last yearbrand new footagefor the title emerged, showing off various incomplete levels.
