Author Archives: InTheSky

Love Live’s Rin to Promote Sega Franchises in Japan

InTheSky May 19, 2015 1 Reply

Last year, Sega of Japan announced a “Sega X Love Live” cross-promotional campaign wherein Love Live’s Rin Hoshizora would occasionally be used to promote Sega franchises. The campaign has already been put to work, with a handful of media featuring Sonic the Hedgehog and Rin making use of this promotion.

However, a new page for this promotion was created earlier this year, asking for input on a specific franchise (among a set of choices) that would crossover with Rin for promotional purposes. One known result for the winner: a special graphical illustration featuring Rin and the winning title. The choices were:

Yakuza
Puyo Puyo
Border Break
Chain Chronicle
Space Channel 5
Virtua Fighter
Wonderland Wars

Some current results for the poll were recently announced, and Puyo Puyo is currently in the lead. I can’t help but wonder how interesting it would be to have Rin help promote Yakuza or Virtua Fighter. In addition, that Space Channel 5 was a selectable option is a pleasant surprise, considering the franchise’s inactivity. If the results skew more favorably for Space Channel 5, it might suggest the desire for another Space Channel 5-related initiative. Or, to be more optimistic, perhaps the franchise being mentioned at all might portend good things. Let’s hope Space Channel 5 being featured in the SeHa Girls anime is the start of something more for the franchise!

In any case, Puyo Puyo was followed by Yakuza and Chain Chronicle in the polling results. Off of the heels of the Puyo Puyo play, it’s nice to see the franchise receiving continued attention in Japan. But of course, the polling’s not over yet – it closes on May 31st.

Sonic and SEGA Fan Jam 2015 Update: Raffle, Goal, and Future Announcements

InTheSky May 17, 2015 Leave a reply

Sonic and SEGA Fan Jam 2015, the SEGAbits-sponsored convention based in Atlanta and helmed by Kori-Maru, is moving forward with its plans to raise funds for this year’s event. For starters, the fundraising goal is now changed to $4,500. I’m hoping to see as much given to the event team as possible!

Next, a raffle is underway for special entries. In order to participate in the raffle, go to the gogetfunding link for the event and look for the special donation option on the right named “Donate $5.00 Or More” with “Fan Jam Raffle Prize” underneath it. Previous donations do not count, so if you would like to participate, be sure to make an additional donation! There’s quite an enticing pool of potential raffle prizes; take a look at them below:

Lastly, for every $1,000 raised on the fundraiser’s path to its goal, the event staff is planning to make an announcement regarding Sonic and SEGA Fan Jam 2015 that reveals an undisclosed surprise that will be present at the event! It may be a special guest, it may be a panel, it may be a demo or a game tournament – no one knows, but if you want to find out, help out!

The event is scheduled to take place this fall. Once again, the gogetfunding link is here. Kudos to the event team and everyone participating!

New Lost Dimension Character Trailer: Sojiro, Zenji, Himeno

InTheSky May 17, 2015 Leave a reply

AtlusUSA recently uploaded a new trailer showcasing another portion of the cast. Remember that these characters may or may not be your enemies during your playthrough, as one of the cast members will be covertly trying to sabotage your mission. The members of S.E.A.L.E.D., the task force designed to save the world from a demented terrorist known as “The End,” are all psychics whose gifts manifest in what can be basically described as superpowers.

The three characters shown off in the trailer are Sojiro, Zenji, and Himeno. Sojiro is knowledgeable in medicine and can heal or revive teammates. HIs personality is clinical and observant, seeming to have a quizzical outlook to The End’s gambit. Zenji is hot-blooded and resents The End’s mindgames. Uniquely, his specialty lies in his ability to copy the techniques of a nearby teammate – a highly flexible asset, but also situational. Himeno is a bit sullen and sarcastic, but also apparently isn’t intimidated by The End’s tricks, possessing a steely mind. She is a pyrokinetic, but according to Atlus can also manipulate ice too – making her a manipulator of water and energy who can rapidly alter temperatures. The duality of her personality reflects her psychic abilities.

The game is actually coming out on July 28th – fairly soon for North Americans! European gamers should expect a release sometime during the summer, though NISA Europe hasn’t given an exact release date just yet. Be sure to watch the trailer so you can get a taste of the voice acting – continue reading to check it out.

Etrian Odyssey II Untold: The Fafnir Knight – Arianna Trailer, 3DS Theme Previews

InTheSky May 15, 2015 Leave a reply

Atlus USA recently released an Etrian Odyssey II Untold character trailer for Arianna, the Princess. It offers a nice, substantive preview of the voice acting for Arianna, so be sure to check it out. She’s modeled after the Sovereign and is designed to be a capable support character in battle. As the video will show, Arianna is a well-mannered girl who is nonetheless willing to meet danger and the unknown head-on.

In addition, Atlus is offering three different Nintendo 3DS themes – a Story theme, a Cafe theme, and a Classic theme. Atlus has scattered preview clips for each of the three themes across their social media accounts. Each theme will cost $0.99 in the US or $1.29 in Canada, and will be made available once per week starting June 14. The links can be found below:

Story theme preview- on Facebook – this one is free if preordered from Gamestop

Cafe theme preview – on Instagram

Classic theme preview – on Twitter

The game is due for a Summer 2015 release in North America. Continue reading to check out the character trailer for Arianna!

Phantasy Star Online 2 Receiving SEGA Collaboration Content

InTheSky May 7, 2015 1 Reply

The newest edition of the PSO2 Live Broadcast aired not too long ago. While it announced plenty of news regarding game elements such as Scratches, Quests, and the Casino, I’d like to take a moment to focus on this broadcast’s announcement of Sega collaboration content. Phantasy Star Online 2 is no stranger to promotion with franchises outside of Sega ownership, of course, but I personally think it’s nice to see Sega celebrating the franchises and people within the company.

The featured image shown above describes Scratch content for Shining Resonance. This includes weapon skins, character accessories, and costumes themed after Yuuma, Sonia, Kirika, Rinna, and Marion. Voice clips or “tickets” will also be available for these characters, too. This content is planned for release in the middle of June.

Continue reading to check out more of the upcoming Sega-themed content for PSO2!

Game Symphony Japan’s Sega Concert Update: Program, and More

InTheSky May 5, 2015 Leave a reply

Game Symphony Japan’s webpage for their upcoming Sega-themed performance has been updated with some interesting new information. Most notably, the program has been released, naming all of the franchises or titles being represented (without referring to specific music tracks.) The list is below:

Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic Adventure
NiGHTS into Dreams…
The Rub Rabbits!
Sakura Wars
Space Channel 5
Segagaga
Daytona USA
Virtual On Force
Roommania #203
Virtua Fighter 2
Fantasy Zone

Sakura Wars music has previously been performed by the Game Symphony Japan ensemble and its return is very much welcome. The representation of classics like NiGHTS into Dreams and Space Channel 5 is also pleasing to see. I have to say that I would have wished to see representation from Valkyria Chronicles and Skies of Arcadia and find it incredibly surprising to not see either of those franchises as part of the program. Hopefully they will be present in another iteration of Game Symphony X Sega.

The performance will take place on the October 10th at 4:30 PM JST. Tickets will go on sale during the middle of June and are available for three seating classes: S Seat at ¥8500, A Seat at ¥7500, and B Seat at ¥6500. The featured image for our article displays only a portion of the concert’s promotional poster; if you’d like to check out the entirety of the poster, continue reading!

Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains Trailer, NA Release Date, 3DS Theme + Title Change for Europe

InTheSky May 2, 2015 Leave a reply

AtlusUSA recently posted on their Facebook page a short announcement that offered much information for the impending release of Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains. The game is scheduled for a May 12th release in North America (less than two weeks!), and Atlus plans to make a free Nintendo 3DS theme based on the game available to all gamers who purchase a North American or European copy of the game. The image above is a preview of what the theme will look like. Retail price for the North American release is set at $39.99, which is standard fare for 3DS games.

There is no release date set for Europe yet, but Atlus promises news in the future. Unexpectedly, it appears that there’s an existing copyright claim to “Attack on Titan” in Europe, and so the game will be known as SHINGEKI NO KYOJIN: Humanity in Chains. It’s a title that takes after the Japanese name of the franchise. Perhaps this is a change that may appeal to some gamers? After all, requests for dual-audio voice tracks in RPG’s have been consistent in recent times. What do you, as a reader, think about the European title?

Hit the break to check out a short trailer for the North American version of the game!

Persona 4: Dancing All Night to Receive Swimsuit Costume DLC

InTheSky May 1, 2015 Leave a reply

Atlus often makes a point of offering bonus content in early copies of their games. Maintaining that tradition, Persona 4: Dancing All Night’s first print copies will aim to make a case for early adoption with quite a haul of additional content. Besides the previously announced Persona 5 Blu-Ray that features exclusive media previewing Persona 5, Atlus of Japan announced that early copies of Persona 4: Dancing All Night will feature a Girls’ Swimsuit Set DLC code.

There will be costumes available for four characters: Chie, Rise, Naoto, and Yukiko. The costumes will likely be available on PSN after release for those who did not purchase a first-print copy of the game. Be sure to check out this article’s image gallery to get a preview of the swimsuit costumes.

Latest Shining Resonance DLC: Swimsuit Outfits, Grimoire Add-Ons

InTheSky May 1, 2015 Leave a reply

Media.Vision, the developers of Shining Resonance (and the same team that worked on Valkyria Chronicles III,) have continued to support Shining Resonance with DLC since its launch in Japan last year. The team is releasing its sixteenth and final batch DLC on the 30th Japan time; continue reading to see what’s to be expected. The Japanese official website for Shining Resonance chronicles each release of DLC in its own Downloadable Content section, which can be viewed here.

Stella Glow Livestream Footage

InTheSky April 28, 2015 Leave a reply

Sega uploaded footage of a recent livestream showing off Stella Glow onto YouTube. Perfectly-Nintendo notes that the game was recently streamed on NicoNico. In total the gameplay segments doesn’t total more than ten minutes, but it’s another glimpse into the game for interested gamers and those who are currently on the fence. The trailers do show off the capabilities of Song Magic – a theme central to the story of Stella Glow.

The game is being published in North America by Atlus, and is set for release in Japan on July 4th. The entirety of the stream can be seen below. Gameplay footage does not start until around 11:47. Toshihiro Nagoshi also makes an appearance outside of gameplay footage, too.