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  1. "Will Microsoft buy SEGA" is a question that has survived within the community since the death of the Dreamcast, but after years of speculation, we now have a concrete example of them trying to do just that... but very, very recently. As reported by The Verge, an e-mail from Xbox's Phil Spencer shared during Microsoft's FTC hearing shows that Spencer was seeking approval to approach SEGA Sammy in November of 2020. Spencer touts SEGA's portfolio and global appeal as big benefits for their Game Pass service; however, SEGA was among several companies being considered, including Supergiant Games, IO Interactive, and even Bungie. As history as borne out, none of these possible acquisitions were seen to completion, and Microsoft began pursuing Activision Blizzard following ABK's repeated scandals. Despite the will-they-won't-they dogging Microsoft and SEGA over the years, buying SEGA comes with some complications, which Spencer acknowledges in the e-mail. Beyond the cultural barrier, SEGA is a major component of the larger SEGA Sammy group of animation studios, music labels, toy makers, travel resorts, pachinko machine makers, Japanese sports teams, and online-enabled arcade dart machine services. Even if Microsoft wasn't able to buy SEGA outright, Like a Dragon and Persona fans can still find a hearty chunk of SEGA's modern library on Game Pass. View full story
  2. "Will Microsoft buy SEGA" is a question that has survived within the community since the death of the Dreamcast, but after years of speculation, we now have a concrete example of them trying to do just that... but very, very recently. As reported by The Verge, an e-mail from Xbox's Phil Spencer shared during Microsoft's FTC hearing shows that Spencer was seeking approval to approach SEGA Sammy in November of 2020. Spencer touts SEGA's portfolio and global appeal as big benefits for their Game Pass service; however, SEGA was among several companies being considered, including Supergiant Games, IO Interactive, and even Bungie. As history as borne out, none of these possible acquisitions were seen to completion, and Microsoft began pursuing Activision Blizzard following ABK's repeated scandals. Despite the will-they-won't-they dogging Microsoft and SEGA over the years, buying SEGA comes with some complications, which Spencer acknowledges in the e-mail. Beyond the cultural barrier, SEGA is a major component of the larger SEGA Sammy group of animation studios, music labels, toy makers, travel resorts, pachinko machine makers, Japanese sports teams, and online-enabled arcade dart machine services. Even if Microsoft wasn't able to buy SEGA outright, Like a Dragon and Persona fans can still find a hearty chunk of SEGA's modern library on Game Pass.
  3. No sooner has the ink dried on the deal between SEGA and Sammy to merge companies, has the House of Sonic had to issue a denial on several fronts of rumours that both Electronic Arts and Microsoft are planning a takeover. A XenGamers story (via TSSZ) says that a SEGA representative has had to release a public statement. This reads, "We have not received any formal proposal on a capital alliance and no such issue has been discussed at our board meetings or chief executives meetings. On the contrary, Sega continues to make preparations for a proposed merger with Japanese arcade manufacturer Sammy." Microsoft - which has been rumoured to buy SEGA since late 2002 - has apparently asked lenders in the US for ways it can finance a partial or complete buyout of the Japanese publisher. This is according to a report in the Asian Wall Street Journal (via CNET), which also said that Electronic Arts approached other game companies about launching a joint bid for control as well. Importantly, the report states that, while all this chat is going on, no formal talks have been held between either company and SEGA, and no deal was actually imminent. So, basically, just a lot of nonsense. But, shortly after the Asian Wall Street Journal story was published (via Gamespot), a new report from the Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper announced that EA was in fact in discussions with SEGA over a potential sale. This, we should mention, is all taking into account that everyone knows already that SEGA is merging with Sammy! What a weird, weird, WEIRD month this has been for SEGA and corporate buyouts! Can things get back to normal now, please?
  4. Chalk this one up to being one MASSIVE rumour at the moment, but reports are circulating that Xbox console manufacturer Microsoft could be eyeing up a takeover of SEGA. Shares in SEGA rose by 17 per cent as a result of the speculation. A report from AlwaysGame (via TSSZ) outline that the company's share price "rose as much as 200 yen, or the exchange-imposed limit, to 1,385 yen in afternoon trading and ended 134 yen, or 11.3 percent higher, at the 3 p.m. market close." All based on the idea that SEGA could be bought out by Microsoft. Before we start wondering what kind of future SEGA would look like as an Xbox company, it's worth pointing out that SEGA itself is unaware of anything happening. According to SEGA spokesperson Hiroyuki Soga and Microsoft Japan rep Kazushi Okabe, no such plans are in the works. Likely that it's just investors getting worked up over nothing, although it would be interesting if this ever ended up happening - SEGA does have a close third-party relationship with Microsoft for its Xbox, and the Dreamcast did use Windows OS technology... although Sonic has, of course, made his home on Nintendo platforms since SEGA's drop out of the console market. Would Sonic be as comfortable on an Xbox? Who knows? If this rumour ends up being untrue, it might not even matter.
  5. SEGA's commitment to Microsoft's Xbox console might be down to more than just a 'platform-agnostic' view of developing titles for the right machine. According to a new report, Bill Gates and his team in Redmond were in talks to merge the Microsoft gaming division with SEGA - or buying them outright - to gain a foothold in the growing console space. In a piece from the New York Times, which details Microsoft's current struggles with its Xbox marketing pitch to partners, SEGA of America president Peter Moore reveals that 'Mr [Bill] Gates and Isao Okawa, the late president of the Sega Corporation [in Japan], considered having Microsoft merge its gaming division with Sega or buy Sega outright... those talks failed.' It's likely that such talks began after Sega adopted a scaled-down version of Microsoft's Windows operating system for the Dreamcast - the NYT article states that Microsoft had been shopping Windows to Sony and Nintendo as well, as a means to stake a claim in the games industry without developing its own console. Sony and Nintendo declined, but with Sega 'a desperate third' agreed to implement Windows into its final home console. Interestingly, Sega did not just run Windows on Dreamcast, but also its own operating system. "Given a choice of platforms, developers chose Sega's. The experiment failed," reads the article, leading Microsoft to try its hand with the Xbox - which, ironically, is getting some heat for not being as enticing a proposition to gamers as it could be. "'This is an industry that has as much to do with emotion and Hollywood as it does things having to work perfectly out of the box,'' Sega of America's Moore is quoted as saying with regards to the Xbox. ''One could argue that Microsoft doesn't really understand any of those issues yet.'' It's worth reading the article in full, you can find it here.
  6. Looks like the rumours were true - SEGA has formally announced this week that they will be bringing eleven titles to Microsoft's Xbox. They revealed four such titles during this announcement, which involve sequels to some classic SEGA properties. Looks like anyone who's after a new Jet Set Radio might have to look at getting a new console! The four games are: Gunvalkyrie, a shooter that was originally planned as a Dreamcast title; Jet Set Radio Future, a sequel to the cel-shaded spraypainting action game on SEGA's final console; a new entry in the classic Panzer Dragoon series and SEGA GT 2, which Microsoft will clearly be promoting as a competitor to Sony's Gran Turismo. Sega America's president Peter Moore said, "We believe that Microsoft will be very successful with Xbox. Our world-renowned development studios have been very impressed with the Xbox hardware and they are excited to bring new gaming experiences to consumers by utilizing the platform's power. We will work with them to deliver the best content possible to gamers." No word of any Sonic titles here. There's a big chance that we may see the blue blur head to Nintendo along with Sonic Team. But, never say never, right? We'll keep you updated. Source: IGN
  7. The upcoming Spring 2001 Tokyo Game Show event will be the venue for a big SEGA announcement that will see a list of games planned for Microsoft's Xbox, according to IGN. The site says that it expects the publisher to outline specific titles alongside Microsoft when it introduces the Xbox console to the Japanese market. When asked for comment, SEGA Vice President of Corporate and Marketing Communications Charles Bellfield said, "Sega continues negotiating with all platform companies as we announced on January 31st. We look forward to making announcements shortly, but at this point, Sega has no further information." So basically... they could announce something, or they could not. With Microsoft wanting to make a good first impression on the Japanese industry however, it might well be a safe bet to bring SEGA on stage. Source: IGN
  8. So who remembers this trailer from Microsoft's E3 last year? Phantom Dust was meant to be an exclusive on Xbox One, a reboot of the original Phantom Dust on Xbox which was never released in Europe (though still a cult hit). The game was recently cancelled and supposedly given to different developers to work on, but recently Kotaku made an article all about the struggles that Darkside Game Studios had to face while making the game. http://kotaku.com/how-a-small-game-studio-almost-made-it-big-1696997142 http://kotaku.com/studio-behind-phantom-dust-reboot-shuts-down-1686398613 One of the standouts in this article is this little nugget; Wow. Microsoft seriously went and did that? Don't even get me started on giving them such a tiny budget for a game that was meant to be a full on reboot! It's like they didn't have any faith in this developer whatsoever. =/ There also exists some gameplay footage from a very early build of the game. What a mess and what a shame! That's another Microsoft IP we'll probably never see again.
  9. http://www.totalxbox.com/76032/game-on-microsoft-dates-xbox-e3-2014-conference/ Can't wait to see what Microsoft has in store and I look forward to seeing more of already announced games like Halo and Sunset Overdrive. 9:30am Pacific would make it 5:30pm here in the UK if I know my time zones, and with it being on the day before my wife's Birthday, then I can watch it live with you guys EDIT: Official stream link: http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/e3#fbid=MMrBECYrVmc
  10. Monday, June 9th Microsoft | 09:30 PST / 12:30 EST / 17:30 BST | | Official Stream | Gametrailers | Twitch | IGN | Youtube | Gamespot EA | 12:00 PST / 15:00 EST / 20:00 BST | | Official Stream | Gametrailers | Twitch | IGN | Youtube | Gamespot | Ustream Ubisoft | 13:00 PST / 18:00 EST / 23:00 BST | | Official Stream | Gametrailers | Twitch | IGN | Youtube | Gamespot Sony | 18:00 PST / 21:00 EST / 02:00 BST (Tuesday AM!!) | | Official Stream | Gametrailers | Twitch | IGN | Youtube | Gamespot Tuesday, June 10th Nintendo | 09:00 PST / 12:00 EST / 17:00 BST | | Official Stream | Gametrailers | Twitch | IGN | Youtube | Gamespot Alternatively, if you don't live within those time zones, you can use this chart to determine event timings for you: To give this topic legs: Are you going to be watching the events unfold? For my part, I will be unable to join in the live stream festivities this year due to full time work commitments, but I will be trying to watch one conference a night most of that week on my TV via the Wii U (hoping against hope that YouTube has all the conferences up, as the system won't play Gametrailers etc videos on its web browser) and I hope to not fall too far behind on the news front too.
  11. From Xbox.com: http://news.xbox.com/2014/01/games-microsoft-studios-gears-of-war So, clearly this series isn't dead yet, even though frankly it probably should be, at least for the time being. Will we be getting a new outing, then, or plush new re-releases of the last four? I actually wouldn't mind a retread of the series so far, but only after the PS4/Xbone generation has passed. Right now though, it's just way too soon, which makes the "hopefully later this year" comment from Lemke somewhat worrying. Give it some rest, Microsoft, maybe spend a few years working on a reboot or some such and bring it out when we aren't still tired of its brownliness.
  12. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/418403/xbox-360-beta-update-raises-eu-game-prices/ I don't mind them putting the prices up, I'll happily not buy them, but to give you a lower rate for your own Microsoft Points is totally inexcusable. Bordering on theft, in fact.
  13. This topic is being created with the sole purpose of granting you, our beloved forumites and dear friends, an easy means of identifying exactly when each of the major press conferences of this year's E3 take place in relation to your own time zone. Konami's conference is one June 6th at 9:00AM PDT / 12:00PM EDT / 5:00PM BST / 8:00AM AEST. Countdown clock: Clicky here! There may not be much discussion in here, but I'll leave the topic open, just in case.
  14. This article deserves its own thread. It is a must-read for any non-sheep who care about their rights: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-06-07-microsoft-kills-game-ownership-and-expects-us-to-smile Bramwell has some damn refreshing balls, I'll give him that! It's going to be interesting to see over the coming months which publications and/or writers of Xbox One appraisals are on the Microsoft payroll (e.g. any journalist defending this shit), and which aren't. This isn't the only article of its kind out there right now, either; neither Forbes, Metro's GameCentral nor NowGamer seem particularly impressed (Metro's GC gave it both barrels), but I shall leave those articles for others to read and disseminate at their leisure.
  15. Press conference times (PST, CST, EST, GMT): Thursday 31st May Company ----------:-- PST --::-- CST --::-- EST --::-- GMT --: ------------------:---------::---------::---------::---------: Konami -----------: 10:30PM :----------Friday AM----------): Watch now: http://www.konami.com/e3[/code] [b]Friday 1st June[/b] [code]Company -----------:---- PST ----::-- CST --::-- EST --::-- GMT --: -------------------:-------------::---------::---------::---------: Konami ------------:(Thursday PM):: 12:30AM :: 1:30AM :: 6:30AM : Watch now: http://www.konami.com/e3 Sunday 3rd June Company ------:-- PST --::-- CST ---::-- EST --::-- GMT --: --------------:---------::----------::---------::---------: Nintendo -----: 3:00PM :: 5:00PM :: 6:00PM :: 11:00PM : Watch here: http://e3.nintendo.com/ Monday 4th June Company ----------:- PST --::-- CST --::-- EST --::-- GMT -----: ------------------:--------::---------::---------::------------: Microsoft --------: 9:30AM :: 11:30AM :: 12:30PM :: 5:30PM ---: Watch here: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/e3 (Or watch on Xbox Live via the 'Xbox Live Event Player' app, now available for download.) Electronic Arts --: 1:00PM :: 3:00PM :: 4:00PM :: 9:00PM ---: Watch here: http://www.ea.com/e3 Ubisoft ----------: 2:00PM :: 5:00PM :: 6:00PM :: 11:00PM ---: Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ubisoft?v=aKRWubusKBU Sony -------------: 6:00PM :: 8:00PM :: 9:00PM ::(Tuesday AM): Watch here: http://us.playstation.com/e3-2012/ Tuesday 5th June Company ------:- PST --::-- CST --::-- EST --::-- GMT --: --------------:--------::---------::---------::---------: Sony -------------------Monday PM---------):: 2:00AM : Watch here: http://us.playstation.com/e3-2012/ Nintendo -----: 9:00AM :: 11:00AM :: 12:00PM :: 5:00PM : Watch here: http://e3.nintendo.com/[/code] [b]Wednesday 6th June[/b] [code]Company ------:- PST --::-- CST --::-- EST --::-- GMT --------: --------------:--------::---------::---------::---------------: Nintendo -----: 6:00PM :: 8:00PM :: 9:00PM :-Thursday AM-): Watch here: http://e3.nintendo.com/ Thursday 7th June Company ------:- PST --::-- CST --::-- EST --::-- GMT --: --------------:--------::---------::---------::---------: Nintendo -------------Wednesday PM--------):: 2:00AM : Watch here: http://e3.nintendo.com/[/code] Currently [u]confirmed[/u] games showing are: Obviously, all eyes are going to be on Nintendo, expectantly awaiting their Wii U launch extravaganza, but Sony will also be revealing the second wave of its big Vita titles, and hopefully we will also get some news on NeXtBox and PlayStation 4. Additionally, rumors continue to persist regarding a 'Steambox' system from Valve, and who knows what else we might be shocked and awed by? The likes of Zynga are in attendance this year as well, so it will be interesting to see how seriously the media takes social gaming against announcements from the other major players. So, what do you want to see and what do you hope to see?
  16. I am hoping that, if we have a look back at past console unveilings, by Nintendo and the other guys, we'll get a little insight into how much depth Nintendo will go into at this year's E3. Maybe. Possibly. And if not, we can still look back at reveals old and new and have a good laugh and/or discussion. Some were good, some were bad, some were pure bullshit! The Xbox 360 reveal is still pretty amazing to me, as, at the time, they seemed to be ticking all the right boxes, and in 2005 all that online stuff was revolutionary for a console. Live integration, achievements, game invites etc, it was a huge leap from what the original Xbox was capable of. Will we see a similarly big leap from MS again? Or Nintendo; will they do the right thing and bring industry standard online features to the Wii-U? Hmmm! And, er, how about those prototype N64 cartridges, eh? Jesus. You could kill someone with those things. If anyone would like to post some of the other console unveilings which Microsoft, Nintendo, Sega and Sony have untaken, feel free to go ahead. Hell, that's what this topic is here for; getting insight into what we might see from Nintendo this year, and Sony & MS next year or beyond.
  17. This sort of prediction I believe was already made by someone on the board (was it Tornado? Can't remember), but now it's being made by someone in the industry: Source I think, at this point, this topic deserves a discussion in its own right, now. This raises two major questions. 1) How likely is it for either Sony or Microsoft to bow out of the next generation of consoles? 2) Would either bowing out be good or bad for the industry? Firstly, let's look at the state of Sony and Microsoft as they are now, and how things went for them this generation. Starting from data gathered on NeoGAF concerning each console maker's earnings over the past several years (excluding 2011, if anyone knows where to find data on that, it would be much appreciated), plus a graph... Examining the graph, the writing is pretty clearly on the wall. Profits-wise, the PS3 was a catastrophic failure for Sony, even if they possibly did pick up in 2011 (don't know if that's the case yet), because it pretty much lost them virtually all the profits they gained from both the PS1 and PS2. Last I checked, the Vita is doing pretty badly in Japan (unless someone corrects me), so this whole gen has not been a good one for Sony. Even when it was losing, Nintendo was still making a ton of cash. The original XBox was never a profitable piece of hardware for Microsoft. And the 360, while it's doing better (as in, not causing Microsoft to lose money), it's still nowhere near the level to make up for the massive loss in cash Microsoft suffered from its predecessor, if the trend shown by the graph is of any indication, and I swear I heard somewhere that investors are clearly not happy with Microsoft's gaming division. Really, I wouldn't be surprised at all if either company dropped out. Sony lost two entire generations worth of profits from the PS3 alone, and Microsoft are still trying to recover the loss they suffered from the original XBox. Now, this leaves us with the second question. While variety and competition is not a bad thing, in an industry where games and consoles are getting more expensive, three consoles on the market might be a bit much for gamers who want to play some great games, especially if said games are exclusive to one console. One hardware maker dropping out would probably result in the same thing that happened to Sega, which started making third-party games instead of first-party - not exactly a bad thing, less money you need to spend on hardware to get exclusives. However, anyone who preferred the hardware of one company over the others wouldn't want to have to settle for the one who stayed in the running just because their favored hardware maker started making third-party games instead. I guess it's mostly personal preference, really. So, yeah. Thoughts?
  18. http://www.next-gen.biz/news/microsoft-bans-xbl-marketplace-thieves
  19. No sooner has the ink dried on the deal between SEGA and Sammy to merge companies, has the House of Sonic had to issue a denial on several fronts of rumours that both Electronic Arts and Microsoft are planning a takeover. A XenGamers story (via TSSZ) says that a SEGA representative has had to release a public statement. This reads, "We have not received any formal proposal on a capital alliance and no such issue has been discussed at our board meetings or chief executives meetings. On the contrary, Sega continues to make preparations for a proposed merger with Japanese arcade manufacturer Sammy." Microsoft - which has been rumoured to buy SEGA since late 2002 - has apparently asked lenders in the US for ways it can finance a partial or complete buyout of the Japanese publisher. This is according to a report in the Asian Wall Street Journal (via CNET), which also said that Electronic Arts approached other game companies about launching a joint bid for control as well. Importantly, the report states that, while all this chat is going on, no formal talks have been held between either company and SEGA, and no deal was actually imminent. So, basically, just a lot of nonsense. But, shortly after the Asian Wall Street Journal story was published (via Gamespot), a new report from the Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper announced that EA was in fact in discussions with SEGA over a potential sale. This, we should mention, is all taking into account that everyone knows already that SEGA is merging with Sammy! What a weird, weird, WEIRD month this has been for SEGA and corporate buyouts! Can things get back to normal now, please? View full story
  20. Chalk this one up to being one MASSIVE rumour at the moment, but reports are circulating that Xbox console manufacturer Microsoft could be eyeing up a takeover of SEGA. Shares in SEGA rose by 17 per cent as a result of the speculation. A report from AlwaysGame (via TSSZ) outline that the company's share price "rose as much as 200 yen, or the exchange-imposed limit, to 1,385 yen in afternoon trading and ended 134 yen, or 11.3 percent higher, at the 3 p.m. market close." All based on the idea that SEGA could be bought out by Microsoft. Before we start wondering what kind of future SEGA would look like as an Xbox company, it's worth pointing out that SEGA itself is unaware of anything happening. According to SEGA spokesperson Hiroyuki Soga and Microsoft Japan rep Kazushi Okabe, no such plans are in the works. Likely that it's just investors getting worked up over nothing, although it would be interesting if this ever ended up happening - SEGA does have a close third-party relationship with Microsoft for its Xbox, and the Dreamcast did use Windows OS technology... although Sonic has, of course, made his home on Nintendo platforms since SEGA's drop out of the console market. Would Sonic be as comfortable on an Xbox? Who knows? If this rumour ends up being untrue, it might not even matter. View full story
  21. SEGA's commitment to Microsoft's Xbox console might be down to more than just a 'platform-agnostic' view of developing titles for the right machine. According to a new report, Bill Gates and his team in Redmond were in talks to merge the Microsoft gaming division with SEGA - or buying them outright - to gain a foothold in the growing console space. In a piece from the New York Times, which details Microsoft's current struggles with its Xbox marketing pitch to partners, SEGA of America president Peter Moore reveals that 'Mr [Bill] Gates and Isao Okawa, the late president of the Sega Corporation [in Japan], considered having Microsoft merge its gaming division with Sega or buy Sega outright... those talks failed.' It's likely that such talks began after Sega adopted a scaled-down version of Microsoft's Windows operating system for the Dreamcast - the NYT article states that Microsoft had been shopping Windows to Sony and Nintendo as well, as a means to stake a claim in the games industry without developing its own console. Sony and Nintendo declined, but with Sega 'a desperate third' agreed to implement Windows into its final home console. Interestingly, Sega did not just run Windows on Dreamcast, but also its own operating system. "Given a choice of platforms, developers chose Sega's. The experiment failed," reads the article, leading Microsoft to try its hand with the Xbox - which, ironically, is getting some heat for not being as enticing a proposition to gamers as it could be. "'This is an industry that has as much to do with emotion and Hollywood as it does things having to work perfectly out of the box,'' Sega of America's Moore is quoted as saying with regards to the Xbox. ''One could argue that Microsoft doesn't really understand any of those issues yet.'' It's worth reading the article in full, you can find it here. View full story
  22. Looks like the rumours were true - SEGA has formally announced this week that they will be bringing eleven titles to Microsoft's Xbox. They revealed four such titles during this announcement, which involve sequels to some classic SEGA properties. Looks like anyone who's after a new Jet Set Radio might have to look at getting a new console! The four games are: Gunvalkyrie, a shooter that was originally planned as a Dreamcast title; Jet Set Radio Future, a sequel to the cel-shaded spraypainting action game on SEGA's final console; a new entry in the classic Panzer Dragoon series and SEGA GT 2, which Microsoft will clearly be promoting as a competitor to Sony's Gran Turismo. Sega America's president Peter Moore said, "We believe that Microsoft will be very successful with Xbox. Our world-renowned development studios have been very impressed with the Xbox hardware and they are excited to bring new gaming experiences to consumers by utilizing the platform's power. We will work with them to deliver the best content possible to gamers." No word of any Sonic titles here. There's a big chance that we may see the blue blur head to Nintendo along with Sonic Team. But, never say never, right? We'll keep you updated. Source: IGN View full story
  23. The upcoming Spring 2001 Tokyo Game Show event will be the venue for a big SEGA announcement that will see a list of games planned for Microsoft's Xbox, according to IGN. The site says that it expects the publisher to outline specific titles alongside Microsoft when it introduces the Xbox console to the Japanese market. When asked for comment, SEGA Vice President of Corporate and Marketing Communications Charles Bellfield said, "Sega continues negotiating with all platform companies as we announced on January 31st. We look forward to making announcements shortly, but at this point, Sega has no further information." So basically... they could announce something, or they could not. With Microsoft wanting to make a good first impression on the Japanese industry however, it might well be a safe bet to bring SEGA on stage. Source: IGN View full story
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