Posts tagged Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed soon to be patched
Mar 23rd
Steve Lycett (S0L), executive producer over at Sumo Digital, announced via the Sega forums that Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed will be receiving a patch.
It hasn’t been confirmed yet as to what the patch will include, but Steve said not to ”expect any extra tracks or characters though, just before you ask…!” (Well, there goes my hopes for Ryo or Alis anytime soon.)
We should be seeing said patch for PS3 and Xbox 360 next Monday, and a little later for Wii U.
See the full thread quote after the jump.
[Source: Sonic Stadium]
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is the first third party game to top the Wii U sales charts
Feb 18th
While many flinched at the underwhelming launch figures of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, that doesn’t mean this wonderful racer doesn’t have at least one or two commendable notches in its belt.
Perhaps the most impressive achievement is the fact that Sumo Digital’s racer just topped the sales charts for Wii U games, beating out Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U, and ZombiU in the process. This is the first third party game to do so; no small feat on a Nintendo console.
As someone who absolutely adored the game, it’s relieving to see Transformed get the success it deserves somewhere. It makes sense that the Wii U might be its most popular platform, at least until the next uninspired Mario Kart stumbles its way into release. Yeah, I said it.
Anyway, if you haven’t gotten to try Transformed yet, do yourself a favor and pick it up. Other than some difficulty issues, it really is one of the most polished and fan-pleasing mascot-based racers on the market.
[Source: Digital Spy]
Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed shipped nearly 1 Million copies
Feb 8th
I took this story just to use that stock image…
You can often tell how big a game is based on it’s prevalence on store shelves and if Sega’s new shipment figures are anything to go on, Sonic and All-Stars Racing: Transformed is very well known indeed. In their third quarter earnings report Sega noted that they had shipped 930,000 copies of the game across the US and Europe, on all platforms except the upcoming 3DS version. This was based on the figures taken during November through December so the number has bound to have shifted in the meantime.
When you compare this to Football Manager 2013 which shipped about 730,000 copies in the same regions since October and Yakuza 5‘s 580,000 copies in Japan from December, you can see that Sega had really put a lot of weight behind this project. Which is great news except for the fact that the game unfortunately isn’t selling as well as it deserves to. However with copies on shelves it’s not exactly hard to bag yourself a disc, which can’t hurt things for now. Will the game’s sales then pick up any time soon? Will I be able to use another vaguely related stock image for a header picture again? Stick with us and we’ll let you know when we find out more!
[Source: Siliconera]
Steve Lycett of Sumo Digital says Mario Kart could learn from Sonic ASASR Transformed
Dec 11th
This wouldn’t have happened if he could do a Transform Boost
Executive Producer of Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed, Steve Lycett believes his game has pushed the kart racer genre a little further down the racetrack, and rightly so. Not at all being conceited, Lycett points out that he has a lot of respect for Nintendo’s kart racer, but feels something new could be added,
The land, air and sea play allow us to make tracks that are very dynamic. You’re not simply racing three laps with a few tweaks to the track as you go. Instead, you get a race that can completely change on every lap. It’s allowed us to work in elements such as racing through asteroids, through a volcano on lava, and on tracks where the players can actually change the route of the race too.
Lycett also believes that the cast of characters in Transformed allows for great creativity and variety with not just the racers, but the levels, and the game’s style in general,
Breaking out of just the Sonic universe has also meant we can really go to town with variety too. I’d actually love to play a “Super Smash Bros. Kart” and escape the Mushroom Kingdom.
Lycett even mentions how cool it would be to add even more characters to the roster outside of the Sega universe,
I think if we did expand outside of the world of SEGA, you’d have to look at characters who have that cross platform appeal. Maybe Bub and Bob from Bubble Bobble, or Arthur from Ghosts’n Goblins. Characters like Mega Man or Pac-Man are equally at home on many platforms. How cool would it be to have “SEGA Vs Everyone Else”?
So what do you think, addicts? Should Mario Kart take a page out of Transformed’s book? Should we have a crazy mash-up kart racer of everyone possible? We’ve been discussing similar ideas on the forums, but you can also let us know what you think in the comments below! And check out the full interview with Lycett here.
[Source: Nintendo Life]
Get a free “Danicar” at GameStop because we need more Danica in our lives
Dec 11th
Starting on December 9th, GameStop has been giving out a free “Danicar” to anyone who purchases Sonic And Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed. The car is modeled after Danica Patrick’s vehicle from Transformed, but in a Hot Wheels toy form. Ironically, some fans are upset that they did not get this car on their day one purchase even though it represents a character no one wanted in the game to being with. I understand their complaints to an extent, but with a massive game like Transformed, I think paying only $40 for that game initially is a reward in itself. So if you really want this car you could be a super fan and buy the game again. Anyone who has not bought the game yet now has even more incentive to do so. So what are you waiting for? I need more people to destroy online!
[Source: Sega Blogs]
Sonic Racing Transformed 3DS officially delayed
Dec 8th
While the internet had some sneaking suspicions that Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed for 3DS would be delayed, we’ve finally gotten an official confirmation from Nintendo that the game is being pushed back to February in Europe. Stores in the US and Australia are also listing the same so I think it’s safe to assume that it’s being delayed across the board.
It’s worth noting that the PS Vita version of the game has already been released in Europe, with the US release date resting on December 11th. Seeing as these are two different versions of the game it’s not strange that they wouldn’t be released at the same time. But for the sake of being homogeneous game companies often like to have all versions of one game out at the same time, which is odd considering that all ports of this game have all had separate releases. Either way hopefully it’s a good thing it’s delayed. I’d rather have a late game than a buggy one.
[Source: The Sonic Stadium]
All Star Racing Transformed jumps the gun on European Vitas.
Dec 5th
Woops! Street dates don’t mean much on the information super highway, I guess. Sony Europe accidentally put Sonic and All Star Racing Transformed up on the PSP Vita’s digital store a wee bit early. It has already been pulled from the digital market place but those who acted quickly are now happily racing.
For screenshots and some hands-on impressions of this “still unreleased” game, head on over to Sonic Retro.
All-Stars Racing Transformed DLC voting complete; Ryo Hazuki takes the top spot
Dec 2nd
After several days of fervent, excited voting, it appears that the polls have finally closed on Sumo Digital’s fan-pleasing DLC character voting challenge. When I last reported on this about a week ago, the indelible cult hero Segata Sanshiro seemed to have an unwavering Chuck Norris-like grasp on the top spot. But that ongoing furor of ever-vocal Shenmue fan support won’t be quelled: Ryo Hazuki has pulled out ahead, with over 3,295 votes under his belt.
Just behind him is Vocaloid sensation Hatsune Miku with 3,161, and Segata Sanshiro with 2,605. A handful of other characters passed that important 1,000-vote threshold, including Vectorman (1,217), Bayonetta (1,211), and Ristar (1,077). Unfortunately, Toejam & Earl just barely missed the finish line, with 993 votes, just seven votes shy of the required score. Now, keep in mind, none of these characters are guaranteed, but they will be at least presented to Sega as frontrunning possibilities.
Maybe this is being a bit dramatic, but seeing Ryo Hazuki snag the top spot makes me incredibly proud of the Sega community, and Shenmue fans specifically. I’ve seen those guys all over Twitter over the past week, gathering support just for this little milestone, and their hard work has really paid off. While I think Sega is already well aware of our desperate love for the franchise, this popular vote really sends the message home that fans are willing to do what it takes to get support.
Seeing Vectorman and Ristar up should also have retro fans very pleased. However it kills me that Toejam & Earl fell short by such a minuscule margin, as their role in Sega’s history is nothing short of essential. Personally, I’d trade out Hatsune Miku for Toejam & Earl’s vibrant, funky style any day of the week.
Hit the jump for the full voting tally.
The Sega Addicts Kids Table: Episode 54 – Not So Big
Nov 29th
If you’re not up to date with your Frankie Muniz references then you might not be too happy about today’s new thrilling instalment of The Sega Addicts Kids Table. Yes that’s right, for some reason the Malcolm in the Middle theme got stuck in the teams heads… again, which causes a whole lot of trouble for Stevie, Josh, and John!
When they aren’t quoting They Might Be Giants the gang talks about the Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed poll, and enjoy a conversation about Yakuza 5 (which soon descends into our musings on Sega’s power in the physical videogame world). So who will be the boss of them now? Are they big? Does this reference come out of nowhere? Find out!
Or go to our iTunes and subscribe! Review us! Come on, don’t make life unfair…
Sumo Digital taking fan input on DLC characters for All-Stars Racing Transformed
Nov 24th
Segata Sanshiro: More desirable than Danica Patrick.
Perhaps the most important factor of any mash-up racer is the ever-so-controversial roster. With Sega’s vast library at their disposal, the folks behind Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed certainly have their hands full when it comes to DLC possibilities. So in an awesome move that’s sure to please even the most hard-nosed of Sega fans, Sumo Digital’s Steve Lycett has announced to Sega’s official forums that the developer is leaving this daunting decision to the players:
I’ll set you a challenge: without any policing from the SUMO or SEGA crew, if you can all agree on three characters by the first of December and prove there is sufficient interest of at least 1000 unique people per character, I will present the result to SEGA.
I can’t promise anything will happen as a result, but since you’re starting it, let’s see if you can organise yourselves in the next few weeks to pull that off.
Despite our notorious reputation for conflict and debate, Sega fans have already banded together to create a really solid list of 26 potential characters from the company’s roster to be considered. This list includes mainstays like Toejam & Earl the Chu Chus; fan favorites like Ristar and Bayonetta; and intriguing niche characters like Kazuma Kiryu of Yakuza and Sketch Turner from Comix Zone.
As of this writing, camp classic Saturn mascot Segata Sanshiro is perched on top with a hefty 2,266 votes. Just below him are Shenmue‘s Ryo Hazuki with 2,153 votes, Hatsune Miku with 2,149 votes, Vectorman with 939 votes, and Bayonetta with 890 votes. Ristar and Toejam & Earl look like they might have a fighting chance of reaching the coveted 1,000 mark, but beyond them the numbers drop off rather noticeably.
Of course, none of these numbers guarantee anything, but I find it fascinating to see the Sega fan preferences splayed out like this. I suppose Hatsune Miku is a given considering her swollen fanbase out east, but I had no idea that Segata Sanshiro had such a lasting cult status. Ah, the power of nostalgia.
You can see the full list of prospective characters after the jump, or head on over to the Sega Forums to voice your choices by December 1st. Personally, I’m dying to see Ristar, Sketch Turner, and Vectorman. Who do you want to see racing down the All-Stars track?
[Source: IGN]
