Stevie Grant
I 'unno. I write stuff. Hope you like it.
Posts by Stevie Grant
The Sega Addicts Kids Table: Episode 60 – Requiem for a Catchphrase
Jan 25th
Hello once again magical explorers! Are you finally ready for that exciting and gripping Anarchy Reigns based episode we’ve been teasing for a while? Well The Sega Addicts Kids Table sure wasn’t this week! Or at least John wasn’t, and him being ill and disgusting left Stevie and Josh with the darkest option they could possibly imagine. Getting Kris Knigge on as a guest instead. What’s this? The team cooperating with John’s nemesis (it’s from a past episode, don’t worry)? Say it isn’t so!
Well if you did say it was so then you can treat yourself to a bunch of tasty treats and semi-interesting conversation! These include Project X Zone‘s Western release, Jack Lumber‘s poor sales, and what our catchphrases would be. So put down that knife, because even though it’s late, it’s still finally here! Episode 60! We made it guys!
Or go to our iTunes and subscribe! Leave us a review… or John might not get better…
And next week we have Newey Needs to Knowey! Just tweet your idea for an Anarchy Reigns character to @segaaddicts. Best tweet will win a drawing of their creation right from Josh! Amazing!
Bug Blasters and Star Strike get limited CD reissues
Jan 20th
Yeah. I dunno either.
Bizarre oddities they may be, Bug Blasters and Star Strike are actually very rare retro collectors items. These FMV games (originally made by Sony) were dropped before release despite being ready to unleash on those unfortunate enough to own a Sega CD. The rights to both games were then bought in 2001 by Good Deal Games for a 5 copy release of each game in Europe.
And that’s not a typo. Exactly 5 copies. Which is kind of ironic since only about 3 people owned those add-ons anyway. But if you ever wanted a copy of either (because you are a retro collector or mad), a Retro Collect user by the pseudonym ‘mr_gibbage’ has bought the rights for the PAL versions of the titles from Good Deal Games and is offering a slightly less, yet still limited run of the FMV classics on eBay. Right now they go for about £35 a pop but you can get both of them for almost £65. A bit pricey perhaps, but you can you really put a price on filling up that one hole in your Sega collection? For Bug Blasters… I think not. As we’ve established before it’s pretty amazing.
[Source: Sega Driven via Retro Collect]
Freedom Planet Kickstarter launches, already surpases pledge goal
Jan 19th
Freedom Planet developer Stephen DiDuro has officially Kickstarted his Sonic homage with unexpected and crazily successful results. It was so successful in fact that the game reached 25% of the $2,000 goal within the first hour and is currently 300% over the projects initial target. Impressive stuff indeed as not too long ago Kickstarter was only a glint in the developers eyes. However now not only will DiDuro get to complete the game, but also add stretch goals and extra content. Pledging now will contribute towards extra characters and expansions, as fully animated cutscenes and ports have already become unlocked features. If you want to you can become a backer here.
The game is also up on Steam Greenlight and a demo is currently circling the internet. With all this big news we can hope to see this Gunstar Heroes and Sonic inspired title early next year (remember it is indie, long waits are part of the deal).
[Source: GalaxyTrail Twitter]
Sega and Owlchemy Labs break up after disappointing sales
Jan 18th
Snuggle Truck developer and former Sega partner Owlchemy Labs have announced their recent departure from Sega after their join effort, Jack Lumber received poor sales figures. The project seemed to be an experiment for the previously announced indie collaboration, the ‘Sega Alliance’. However since the poor sales figures, the studio has distanced themselves from Sega in search for greener pastures. In an interview with Indiestatik, head honcho Alex Schwartz stated that:
Sega did a good job attempting to market and support Jack Lumber. Right now, our iOS platform sales are much lower than expected.
When talking about the alliance itself Schwartz commented that:
One of our requests was to be 100% in charge of all creative, with sign-off required from us when anything public would be shown about the game. We’re very protective of our brand, and rightfully so. As indies with a niche product and a strong and unique marketing style, we want to make sure that our voice is the one that is heard.
From the gist of the situation it seems that the Sega Alliance has indeed gotten off to a very rocky start. It especially surprises me as this was an inexpensive iOS title yet it still managed to draw very little attention to itself. Despite Schwartz’s comment I can’t help but think that the game could have been marketed better as not many consumers really even knew what the game was to begin with. In the interview it was stated that “Our partnership with SEGA was all about getting eyeballs onto our game.” Unfortunately that didn’t happen this time but I hope they move onto better and hopefully more widely played products. As for the Sega Alliance… I really hope this isn’t a sign for the rest of the project.
[Source: TSSZ News via Indiestatik]
Ok then… Sonic Underground now available on iTunes
Jan 12th
Man who remembers this show? Way back in 1990 it seems Sega didn’t think their furry blue mascot was rockin’ enough, so they decided to put together this gem on a cartoon: Sonic Underground. That’s right, have you ever desperately wanted to hear the tale of Sonic and two characters no one’s heard of before, go on a hardcore rock odyssey of adventure? No? Well if you have a change of heart then the good news is that all 40 episodes of the original series are up for grabs on iTunes!
The whole series is spread across two volumes at $27.99 each. However if you want to relive your cheesy nostalgia in bite sized chunks then single episodes can be purchased for about $2.
It should be noted that this is the first Sonic cartoon to make it onto iTunes, so if you want to support future ventures it may be a good idea to give this a shot. But here’s the biggest dilemma… does anyone actually remember this show fondly? Anyone? If so leave me a comment explaining why, and if this iTunes collection is for you.
[Source: TSSZ News]
The Cave is finally pre-orderable on Steam
Jan 12th
With the Sega published, Double Fine created platformer The Cave nearing it’s vague January 2013 release date, it seems like a good a time as any to open up pre-orders for the anticipated title on Steam. However Sega are doing more than just showing off the game’s Steam page as pre-ordering early gets you exclusive items in Team Fortress 2. How novel!
The page itself shows off screenshots and various other interesting bits to hook us in. But if you’re anything like me you’re already hooked, and can’t wait to get your hands on the game. If that’s the case then you can finally fulfil that desire with a pre-order. And don’t worry, we’ll be keeping our ears out here at Sega Addicts for a release date, and will update you when any news on that surfaces.
[Source: Destructoid]
The Sega Addicts Kids Table: Episode 59 – Cut That Out
Jan 10th
Have you guys ever wondered how The Sega Addicts Kids Table gets edited? Well it’s a magical process that involves cutting everything and anything that your co-hosts want you too! Or that’s what Josh and John want you to think as in this episode Stevie is at their beck and call with a new catchphrase which is sprinkled throughout this fun-filled journey of Sega based entertainment. And if you don’t like it you can always cut it out.
In the actual meat of the episode the gang discuss the Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown tournament, First 4 Figures new Shenmue inspired statue, and the leaked Crimson Dragon demo footage. If that sounds good to you then why not give it a listen? What else were you gonna do with that 1 hour and 11 minutes of your evening anyway?
Or go to our iTunes and subscribe! Review us and we’ll cut that out…
Hatsune Miku mini controller is ready for importers
Jan 5th
Vocaloid lovers have another opportunity to rejoice because a special edition Hatsune Miku controller is available for cheeky importers to buy! Sites such as Play-Asia will be offering the controller for around $160, although cheaper deals are sure to pop up soon. But if you thought that was expensive then you’d be dead wrong compared to the controllers bigger brother which is due to go for $400 at least.
Consumers will also have the option to choose between a white or black controller. The product is meant to simulate the arcade experience for Project Diva F on the PS3 which is bound to delight fans when it makes it’s way to Japan (and importers homes) later this year.
[Source: Hori via Sega Shiro]
Freedom Planet dev considers Kickstarter
Jan 4th
Kickstarter has been a been a hot bed for indie developers as of late and rightfully so. The platform allows people to raise money for projects and has been very useful to the development of many highly anticipated games coming soon. It’s easy to see then why developer Stephen DiDuro is tempted by the service to complete his (kind of) Sonic fan game, Freedom Planet. The creator is planning to ask for $1000 to add more platforms to the game’s development, as well as money left over for more music.
In a post on Sonic Retro, DiDuro commented that:
I’d like to setup a Kickstarter fund for the game, primarily for one reason – to make the final version as accessible as possible.
He later on went to talk about stretch goals:
I am considering right now if I should ask for an amount beyond this so that I can commission further artwork and possibly even those animated cutscenes I’ve been dreaming of, but since those are nonessentials, I should probably stick with the base amount.
If you’re not sure whether you’d support this game, there is a very fun demo which you can try out. Personally I’d love to see a Kickstarter as it can often lead to bigger and better games. And to be honest, I don’t see a problem. Sure you can see the Sega inspirations but it still has completely original characters, with a lot of different attacks and gameplay. But what’s your opinion? Would you support this? What did you think of the demo? Let me know in the comments or even in the Sega Addicts forums!
[Source: TSSZ News]
The Sega Addicts Kids Table: Sonic Underground (Eps 1-3) Commentary Track
Jan 17th
Posted by Stevie Grant in Podcast
3 comments
Sega Addicts writers born, the throne awaits. Josh Newey warns of a deadly fate. Put off the Anarchy Reigns podcast for a week. In the meantime, lie in wait, (and do a)…
Sonic Underground (commentary track)!
Sonic Underground (commentary track)!
They made a vow the podcast will be found!
Stevie and John got Scotty from the site, drummer and leader of the freedom fight! They seek Josh Newey, he knows they do. Is it time? If he only knew. Will the podcast’s dreams come?
Sonic Underground (commentary track)!
Sonic Underground (commentary track)!
You long for this podcast, but you have to wait. To not have access to the first three episodes of Sonic Underground (on netflix or iTunes for example) will seal your fate! They made a vow the podcast will be found…
Download our commentary for Sonic Underground!
Or go to our iTunes and subscribe! Review us as well… or something that rhymes.
Also the planned Anarchy Reigns episode of this podcast will be up next week. Play it and get ready, folks!