Sega Promises New Revolution Having admitted that 1995 was a disappointing year for Saturn and having just completed the "most significant business reorganization that this industry has ever seen, Sega is looking to turn its situation around. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a release this morning Sega has outlined its plans to recapture the lead in the next generation market. To do so Sega will be relying on its arcade conversions and its Internet peripheral. Slated to have more than 10 Internet capable games by this Christmas and over a dozen in development, Sega is unveiling their Internet Peripheral. The "Net Link" Internet device takes the form of a 28.8K modem and software that allows you to browse the Web, send E-mail, and enter chat groups. The suggested price of the unit is $199.99. There are also a keyboard and mouse planned for the unit. As one would expect, Sega is constantly pointing at their arcade titles that they promise are coming to the Saturn. Later this year, Sega will be shipping Virtua On, Fighting Vipers, and Virtua Cop II. Surprising absolutely no one, Sega has also announced the Saturn conversion of Virtua Fighter 3, which is also on display at the show in a "non-playable form". Rumor has it at the show at least a few lucky individuals will be allowed to try a playable version of what could only be called the most stunning game ever made. To aid Sega in their "rejuvenation" they have also reiterated their new divisions of Sega Dreamworks, SegaSoft and others in their efforts to branch out in to other areas. Check back tonight for more looks at some of Sega's games. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kalinske Compares 64DD to 32X Sega of America's boss Tom Kalinske unveiled Sega's marketing plans for the year ahead at The House of Blues nightclub in Los Angeles last night - and launched a blistering attack on rival Nintendo. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clearly Sega is happiest when in a scrap with its oldest rival. Kalinske poured scorn on the 64DD concept and the late arrival of the Nintendo 64. "An add-on drive for at least $100? It reminds me of the 32X which is a route I definitely would not recommend." On the late launch of Nintendo 64 he quipped: "Twelve months is a long time to wait for a plumber." Sega's TV ads seem to have taken on the classic feel of the much-loved campaigns of the early days of Genesis. The old Sega scream is back, for example. Kalinske also predicted that Sega's Saturn would lead the US next generation market by the end of the year. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Designers Reveal Thoughts on Gameplay Next Generation's features editor Chris Charla hosted a seminar on gameplay at E3 this morning, with three of the industry's brightest talents debating this subject. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The seminar was clearly a winner with over two hundred people in attendance. On the panel were Dave Perry of Shiny Entertainment, Peter Molyneaux of Bullfrog, and Steve Meretzky of Boffo Games. Perry described gameplay as "being all about the word 'annoying". He explained: "It's up to the programmer to get rid of annoying situations which will frustrate the player. A good example is Descent. If you are trying to fly the ship through a hole which is too small, and which continuously snags the player, then that is frustrating. It's up to the programmer to help the player through." Molyneaux commented: "I have to tell myself over and over again not to make my games too hard. In fact they should be easy but challenging. No-one likes to lose. I've found that it's important for players to be able to win." The subject moved onto RPGs. Charla asked if graphics were killing the genre. Meretzky commented: "From a marketing point of view, that's not true. RPGs are selling better than ever. It's true that graphics sometimes get in the way, but they add to the experience on the whole. The thing I'm looking forward to is true speech. That will really make the difference." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mario 64: Editor's Impressions Christian Svensson tells you his thoughts regarding Nintendo's blockbuster game. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sitting down at the game the very first thing the player notices is the shear beauty of it. The real-time anti-aliasing makes everything perfectly smooth, from the textures to the backgrounds. The control of the game is absolutely perfect. The camera swings around you dynamcially as you move. Mario is capable of throwing punches, jumping, sliding, climbing and many other actions. Being able to go anywhere in Mario's 3D world is truly a joy. The enemies are varied and interesting, and most you will recognize from Mario games of old. While there is no FMV (as you would expect on a cart), the cut scenes are done using the graphics engine and once again, the as the camera gets very close to the characters the 3D models are still nearly flawless. Be sure to check out the Mario 64 shots and movie in one of our later stories. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sierra Enters Console World Long time PC gaming innovator, Sierra today was showing the PlayStation version of their smash PC racing game, Nascar Racing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nascar from Papyrus marks Sierra's entrance to the next generation console market. Sierra will be making an announcement regarding their new move and other titles early tommorow morning. In the mean time, Next Generation Online has taken footage and screen shots of their first PlayStation title, Nascar. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Playmates Has Strong E3 Showing Numerous titles for most major consoles and the PC make Playmates future look bright. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Playmates leap into the PC world, in addition to its strong console titles, make it one company to watch. Showcased at their booth was a first person perspective game called Powerslave. The game has a fantasy like premise where the character can cast lot of powerful spells. VMX Racing is a fully 3D motocross game designed by an actual motocross racer. While still pre-alpha, the game is incredibly fast and smooth, while control is spot on. All elements of the game are of polygonal construct, and nearly every surface is nicely texturemapped. Lastly, you have the ability to drop cameras in various locations so as to get better replays. Look for this to appear later this year. In the adventure genre, Playmates has the license to the animated series Duckman. In this game you play the role of USA Network's wise-cracking drake, in an effort to make sense of his life. All of the series' characters are in the game for you to interact with. Burning Road could very easily turn out to be the best driving game on the PlayStation this fall. Stunning visuals and fun gameplay earmark this game as one to keep an eye on. The game also supports a link-up option for two player action. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subj: Sega announces first-ever cross-platform launch for Sonic The Hedgehog;Sonic sl Date: 96-05-16 14:49:26 EDT LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--May 16, 1996--In the flash of a blue streak, Sega of America Thursday announced its massive cross-platform launch of four new Sonic The Hedgehog titles for Sega Saturn, Genesis, PICO and Game Gear. Later this year, Sega's most popular icon will make his much-anticipated 3D debut on Sega Saturn, return to Genesis in 3D and make his first appearance on Sega's early learning aid, Pico. Sega Entertainment Inc. will also deliver Sonic to PC users this fall. "Sonic's cross-platform launch is a major milestone for Sega, unifying our television consoles with the character that started the gaming revolution. And now, Sonic's at it again. Each Sonic title will embody new and varying story lines, gameplay dynamics and worlds to explore," said Tom Kalinske, president and CEO of Sega of America. Sonic made his debut on the Sega Genesis in 1991, bringing in a revolution in 16-bit gaming in terms of graphics and gameplay dynamics. Sonic's instant conquest led to the development of several other Sonic games to expand the popular character into a series. "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" rose to and remains Sega's top-selling Genesis title of all time, selling more than 5 million copies worldwide. More than 15 million Sonic titles have been sold worldwide since 1991. Sega introduced a new move with the game, the "spindash," a power up with which players could activate Sonic's fast travel throughout the game. "The `spindash,' along with Sonic's attitude, brought a whole new play dynamic to gaming," Kalinske continued. "With each generation of Sonic games, we introduced revolutionary gaming elements. For instance, with the original `Sonic The Hedgehog,' the `speed' barrier was first broken. With `Sonic & Knuckles' there was the lock-on technology, where players could lock-on other Sonic games for added fun with Knuckles. "And now, with this year's Sonic on the Sega Saturn and Genesis, Sonic moves from a 2D environment to an exciting 3D world," added Kalinske. When Sonic "spindashed" his way to the public, a revolution started in 16-bit gaming. The Sonic phenomena opened up the gaming world to the masses, and Sega rose past Nintendo to be the leader in the interactive entertainment industry. Based on an independent popularity poll, Sonic the Hedgehog ranked at the top of the awareness chart with super-athlete Michael Jordan according to teenage boys. Each new version in this year's Sonic line-up will embrace the spirit and hallmark elements of the original Sonic series which made it a favorite among game players. These qualities include: speed, great graphics, tight game control and fun gameplay. "Sonic X-Treme" for Sega Saturn Sega Saturn's tremendous processing muscle and 3D graphics capabilities will have players spindashing across the floor, the walls and the ceiling in full 360-degree freedom of movement. Possessing the ability to defy gravity as his world continually rotates, Sonic must help the last of the legendary Ringsmiths against the diabolic Dr. Robotnik. Tapping the three 32-bit processors power of Sega Saturn, Sega has created a true 3D environment for Sonic by using a combination of rendered and texture-mapped polygons and sprites. "Sonic Blast: The Ultimate 3D Adventure" for Sega Genesis and Genesis Nomad Pushing the Genesis to new extremes, Sonic comes home to his original platform in a whole new 3D world. With fully rendered sprites and polygons, Sonic's 2D world is opened to the possibilities of 3D excitement and SGI-rendered environments and characters. Follow Sonic as he journeys to seven new amazing zones, each complete with two acts and a challenging boss. Final bosses and game endings vary depending on how successfully the player guides Sonic in his quest to rescue the animals of South Island from the evil Dr. Robotnik. "Sonic Blast" for Game Gear Home players won't be the only ones enjoying a new Sonic game this year. The first 2D computer graphics-rendered game for the Game Gear, "Sonic Blast" promises to be eight megs of fun for the gamer on the go! "Sonic the Hedgehog's GameWorld" for Pico Sonic also makes his debut on Pico, one of the nation's best-selling electronic learning aids. Now learning with Sonic can be just as fun! Each book page contains a different attraction in a fun-house where up to two players can match skill and dexterity against the evil Dr. Robotnik. With the help of Sonic and Tails, children develop hand-eye coordination while having fun as they play games such as Skeeball, Hoops, Concentration, Robotnik-Bash and many more. "Sonic Schoolhouse" for PC Sega Entertainment, the PC company dedicated to bringing Sega characters to the PC in traditional gaming and edutainment titles, will bring Sonic to the home school room in "Sonic Schoolhouse." Using rendered 3D realtime graphics in first-person perspective, kids ages 5-9 can learn to solve math and reading problems with their buddy Sonic. Set in a classroom-style environment, kids who successfully answer the problems earn recess and field trip time where they have the opportunity to unwind with "outside" activities and learn additional fun facts. Difficulty settings range from kindergarten to fourth-grade skill levels. The Sega CD version of "Sonic CD" will also make its way to the PC. Now that the PC has become more pervasive in homes and has grown as a viable interactive entertainment medium, Sonic will be introduced to a whole new audience. Sonic isn't just for the dedicated home platform owner anymore. "Sonic CD" on PC will be available in August. Sonic -- Through the Years Other Sonic titles currently available for the Genesis include: "Sonic the Hedgehog," "Sonic the Hedgehog 2," "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," "Sonic and Knuckles" and "Sonic Spinball." Game Gear titles include: "Sonic the Hedgehog," "Sonic the Hedgehog 2," "Sonic Spinball," "Sonic Triple Trouble" and "Sonic Chaos." Sega CD titles include: "Sonic CD" and the music CD, "Sonic Boom." Sega of America is the arm of Tokyo-based Sega Enterprises Ltd. responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Sega videogame systems and videogames in the Americas. Sega Enterprises Ltd. is a nearly $3.5 billion company recognized as the industry leader in interactive digital entertainment media, and is the only company that offers interactive entertainment experiences both inside and outside the home. Sega of America's World Wide Web site is located at http://www.sega.com -0- Subj: Namco Announces Industry's Strongest Playstation Line-Up For 1996 Date: 96-05-16 10:04:37 EDT Tekken 2, Ridge Racer Revolution and Soul Edge Top List of Namco's Releases LOS ANGELES, May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Namco Hometek Inc., the leading third party publisher for next generation video game systems, announced their plans to release Tekken 2, Ridge Racer Revolution, Soul Edge and the first two volumes of Namco's Museum classics for Sony's PlayStation game console. In 1995, Namco contributed to Sony's astounding success with 2 of the top 5 and 3 of the top 10 top selling PlayStation games of the year. "We are confident that the PlayStation will be even more successful in 1996, and proud to deliver games that will help drive that success," states Yoshi Homma, Namco Hometek's President and CEO. "Our second generation of PlayStation development pushes the boundaries of the hardware even further." Fans of Tekken have been anxiously awaiting the release of the sequel, Tekken 2, the game Dimension Publishing calls "The best fighting game ever." Tekken was the #1 selling PlayStation title in the world in 1995 with sales exceeding one million units. Recently released in Japan, Tekken 2 sold over 400,000 units the first day of sale. Tekken 2, which will be released in September, has many improvements over the original Tekken and even its System 11 arcade predecessor. Tekken 2 boasts 23 playable characters, new multiple ten hit combos and new modes of play such as a battle mode and the innovative practice mode. "The pioneer race sim for the PlayStation is back, bigger and better," claims Intelligent Gamer Magazine. Namco plans to release Ridge Racer Revolution, the sequel to the best known racing game in the world, in September. Ridge Racer Revolution offers a host of new features and options including a two-player link option. Soul Edge, heralded by Next Generation Magazine as "Possibly the most complete fighting game to date," is an incredible 3D, weapons based fighting game. Currently one of the most popular titles in the arcades, Soul Edge was voted by Game Players Magazine as best Game of Show at AMOA. Namco plans to release Soul Edge in the 4th quarter. Namco's Museum brings all the favorite original arcade classics right to the home. Namco will release five volumes of classics, the first two in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 1996. Museum Volume I contains Pac-Man, Galaga, Pole Position, Bosconian, Rally X, New Rally X, and Toy Pop while Museum Volume II will feature Xevious, Mappy, Gaplus, Dragon Buster, Grobda, and Super Pac. "Of all the classic packages out right now, this is the one to get if you own a PlayStation," states Electronic Gaming Monthly. Namco Hometek, Inc. is the U.S. consumer division of Namco Limited, the Tokyo based entertainment company that specializes in creating "ultimate entertainment" using the most advanced electronics and technology available to create a total sensory and emotional experience. Namco is the leading third party publisher for the 32-bit market and is the creator of the world's two top-selling titles for Sony's PlayStation game console. CO: Namco Hometek Inc. ST: California IN: CPR SU: PDT