Joystiq

Sega earnings suffer from Yakuza delay, 'sluggish' Western game sales

JC Fletcher — Fri, 13 May 2011 14:00:00 EST

Sega Sammy's consumer game division -- a.k.a. Sega games -- brought in ¥89.55 billion ($1.1 billion) in sales over the last fiscal year (ending March 31), down 26.5 percent from the previous year. Operating income declined even more sharply to ¥2 billion ($24.8 million), down 68.9 percent. While the previous fiscal year saw major success from Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, this latest 2010-11 fiscal year was an off-year for the two Olympians, who were in training for their next competition.

Sonic's less sporting pastime, Sonic Colors, was the bestseller in Sega's lineup, moving 2.18 million copies worldwide. It was followed by ... Iron Man 2, which sold 1.54 million. Vanquish, which everyone without Stark Industries stock would agree is the better robot-suit game, only managed about half of that achievement at 830,000 units sold. Shogun 2: Total War and Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity (which only came out in Japan) rounded out Sega's "major" lineup with 600,000 and 370,000 copies sold, respectively.

Sega said that sales were slow in North America and Europe due to "the adverse market condition," noting "sluggish personal consumption" in those regions (which ... didn't seem to be an issue for everybody). Additionally, Sega's big Japanese release, Yakuza: Of the End, was delayed out of the fiscal year as a result of the Tohoku earthquake in March, further reducing the company's bottom line.

Overall, however, Sega Sammy about doubled its net profits from the previous year to ¥41.51 billion (roughly $513 million) on the strength of its pachislot and pachinko business.

Sega earnings suffer from Yakuza delay, 'sluggish' Western game sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega sales up in fiscal Q1, despite Alpha Protocol's disappointing performance

JC Fletcher — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:50:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Sega parent, Sega Sammy Holdings, has reported net sales of ¥91.3 billion ($1.05 billion) for its fiscal first quarter, which ended June 30. The outcome compares favorably to the ¥60.5 billion ($700 million) recorded by the company during the same period last year -- and it's mostly due to pachinko sales. Still, Sega's consumer products division -- the part that makes home video games -- also enjoyed increased sales, bringing in ¥20.9 billion ($241.8 million), minus ¥636 million ($7.36 million) in operating losses.

Despite the generally upward trend, Sega reported slow sales of its major Q1 titles, Iron Man 2 and Alpha Protocol, due to "adverse market conditions." Iron Man 2 sold 1.12 million units across multiple platforms, while Alpha Protocol only sneaked into about 700,000 homes.

Sega sales up in fiscal Q1, despite Alpha Protocol's disappointing performance originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sam Jackson and Don Cheadle rock the voiceover for Iron Man 2

Mike Schramm — Wed, 05 May 2010 06:30:00 EST

Putting Sam Jackson in the same room as a bunch of video game developers is just unfair -- the guy's awesome when he's fighting reptiles on aircraft, but when he's surrounded by engineers and programmers, he turns into a legend. Don Cheadle, too -- you get the feeling that his Academy Award-nominated dedication to the acting craft might be somewhat wasted on lines like, "Hey, you're Tony Stark, right?" and "War Machine out," but he's so talented that he throws himself into it anyway.

Also, we hear there's a game of some kind out now with these voices in it. But it's doubtful that playing the game could be any more fun than watching these guys work.

Sam Jackson and Don Cheadle rock the voiceover for Iron Man 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 May 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iron Man 2 'Prologue' trailer eases us into the plot

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:15:00 EST

Thank goodness for the latest trailer for Sega's Iron Man 2 -- we're not sure we'd be able to wrap our minds around the game's complex plot without the helpful backstory in the video, which we've posted after the jump.

Stick with us, here: Iron Man and his best friend War Machine have to fight robots belonging to another mega-corporation, which was commissioned by a Russian general for undoubtedly nefarious purposes. Also, a very convincing Samuel L. Jackson impersonator is there, and he's on a flying boat.

Do you understand, now? What? You do? Great. Could you explain it to us?

Continue reading Iron Man 2 'Prologue' trailer eases us into the plot

Iron Man 2 'Prologue' trailer eases us into the plot originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Become Iron Man with new flying game on PlayStation Home

Andrew Yoon — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:29:00 EST

This may be the greatest thing to ever happen to PlayStation Home ever. To promote the upcoming Iron Man 2 movie, Paramount Pictures and Audi have partnered up to create a brand new Iron Man-themed mini-game, exclusively for PlayStation Home. Debuting on Thursday, April 29th, the Audi Space will be updated with a game that has your avatar donning an Iron Man suit, flying through an aerial obstacle course.

The best times will be recorded on a leaderboard, and the top 10 scores by the end of June will be awarded with a virtual Iron Man suit to keep, making this one of the rarest virtual items ever offered for Sony's online community.

Unfortunately, this game is exclusive to the European PSN, meaning those of you outside of SCEE's domain won't be able to partake in the fun. To see what you're missing out on, check out the trailer after the break.

Gallery: PlayStation Home: Iron Man 2

Continue reading Become Iron Man with new flying game on PlayStation Home

Become Iron Man with new flying game on PlayStation Home originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega confirms closure of Iron Man dev Sega Studios San Francisco [update]

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:31:00 EST

The word-of-mouth we reported on last week was proven accurate this morning, when Sega confirmed that it has shut down Sega Studios San Francisco (formerly Secret Level), developer of Iron Man and Golden Axe: Beast Rider. An unnamed Sega representative issued a statement to IndustryGamers, offering condolences to the recently unemployed developers, while promising to "continue to pursue external development opportunities all over the world," a fact we're sure the aforementioned jobless truly appreciate.

The only unknown in this scenario is the fate of the studio's swan song, the video game adaptation of Iron Man 2. Rumor has it that the game was finished, but Sega's yet to issue a statement on its completion. We've contacted Sega to find out the game's status, and to find out how many naughty Easter eggs its disgruntled developers embedded within it after being informed their jobs were forfeit.

Update: A Sega representative has confirmed that Iron Man 2's May 4 release date hasn't been affected by the studio's closure.

Sega confirms closure of Iron Man dev Sega Studios San Francisco [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Sega Studios San Francisco shutting down

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 09:35:00 EST

According to a report by Sega Nerds, which 1UP later claimed to confirm via an anonymous insider at the company, Sega Studios San Francisco, creators of Iron Man, Golden Axe: Beast Rider and the Xbox port of Karaoke Revolution (which was developed under the studio's original moniker, Secret Level), will be shutting down, possibly as soon as this evening. According to 1UP, a memo about the closure began to circulate through the company yesterday -- meaning it could just be the most tasteless April Fools' Day joke in the history of mankind.

Both 1UP and Sega Nerds report that Sega Studios San Fran's current project, Iron Man 2, has been completed, so a studio shutdown wouldn't derail the title's May 4 release date. It might, however, derail the studios' employees' enjoyment of this Easter weekend. If the report turns out to be accurate, we wish everyone at Sega Studios San Francisco the best of luck in finding new means of employment.

Report: Sega Studios San Francisco shutting down originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iron Man 2 flying into stores on May 4 to 'exclusive' Lamb of God tune

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST

With a previous appearance in Rock Band as DLC, it's no surprise that known face melters Lamb of God are apparently creating an original song for the upcoming Iron Man 2 game, now scheduled for release on May 4 (just three days before the film's release).

"The music of Lamb of God definitely evokes the intensity of Iron Man action," explains Sean Ratcliffe, veep of marketing for Sega. Meanwhile, Lamb of God's drummer Chris Adler says that some of the band's members are "real game and comic fans," making them all the more excited "to play the game and hear our music as Iron Man kicks a**." Us, on the other hand? We're going to take full advantage of the soundtrack swap function and rock out to some even edgier P.O.D. jams upon the game's release. It just really makes us feel so alive, ya know?

Iron Man 2 flying into stores on May 4 to 'exclusive' Lamb of God tune originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney's Marvel buyout won't affect Sega superhero games

Randy Nelson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:30:00 EST

Yesterday's news that Disney was buying Marvel Entertainment to the ~~toon~~ tune of $4 billion raised questions about games based on the comic book powerhouse's licenses. One of these has been answered by Sega, which is currently working on three announced Marvel tie-ins: Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America. The word from on top? "At this time there are no changes to Sega's existing licensing agreement for [those] videogame titles," Sega told GI.biz.

In addition, the publisher indicated that it would be teaming with Disney and Marvel (Misney? Darvel?) on "future ventures." One thing at a time, folks ... one thing at a time. It's probably best to focus on the here and now; after all, we all remember how the first Iron Man game turned out.

Disney's Marvel buyout won't affect Sega superhero games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impressions: Iron Man 2

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Last year's summer blockbuster, Iron Man, was a surprising hit. The game? Not so much.

The next film in the franchise isn't due for another year, meaning Sega's internal San Francisco studio has a lot of time left to work on Iron Man 2. Already six months into development, Iron Man 2 will have nearly two years of development by the time it releases, benefiting from some recycled tech and assets from the first game. Certainly, the team should have a much easier road for the sequel than the first -- but will it produce a good game? We're not entirely sure.

There are certainly some good ideas being worked into the sequel. For example, the game now features indoor environments, something that was apparently absent in the first game (seriously?). Sega's also adding on-rails flying sections to the game. In one scene, we saw the titular hero flying out of (what else?) an exploding factory. Finally, Sega's promising some ridiculously large bosses. A "mini-boss" that we saw was about the size of a small warehouse. The main bosses, we're told, will tower above that.

Continue reading Impressions: Iron Man 2

Impressions: Iron Man 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvel not doing 'crappy' movie games anymore, says exec

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:00:00 EST

Marvel Executive Vice President of Global Digital Media Group (wow, long title) Ira Rubenstein tells Joystiq that Marvel is done making "crappy" movie-based games. The executive told us that while the company would like to have games tied to the release of movies, each character should stick to their own worlds. He used the recent X-Men Origins: Wolverine game as an example of what the company is looking to do. The M-rated Wolverine game was clearly not based around the PG-13 escapade in theaters.

"We are not doing movie-based games anymore," Rubenstein said following yesterday's announcement of Digital Comics for PSN at Sony's GamesCom press conference. "Actually, wait ... we are not doing crappy movie-based games anymore. You can quote me on that." Oh, we did.

Rubenstein tells us that work on Iron Man 2 has been in process since the first game wrapped. He wasn't involved in the first one, so he asked us not to blame him for that wreck. However, he swears the second one is going to be good. He's also really excited about the Thor game and seems proud with the team working on it. If Wolverine is any indication of future Marvel games, it seems that Rubenstein is doing his best to make sure fans of the comics won't be served watered-down Hollywood entertainment.

Marvel not doing 'crappy' movie games anymore, says exec originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here's your first look at Iron Man 2 in action

Justin McElroy — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EST

There, that was the first trailer for Iron Man 2. Now, here's a brief history lesson, courtesy of "Iron Man's new trailer looks unexpectedly awesome":

"We know, we know, it's just a video clip. And yes, we know that we've been burned by sexy trailers for mediocre licensed games before. But this new trailer for Iron Man (shown during last night's Spike VGAs) is just so freaking good, we're finding it hard to keep our cynical composure.
How about when Iron Man throws a fighter jet, or when it grabs a missile and redirects it? How about the original gray armor? Awesome. Everything here is."

Never, ever forget this lesson: You can believe what we're saying 99.9% of the time. But when it comes to pretending to be a man in a robot suit, we are frail, weak, and, above all, not to be trusted.

Here's your first look at Iron Man 2 in action originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iron Man 2's story will go beyond the plot of the movie

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:00:00 EST

We'll be seeing more of Sega's follow-up to the poorly received 2008 super hero title Iron Man during the company's Comic-Con 2009 presentation -- but a press release just dropped some early details for the metal-suited sequel. Most intriguingly, the presser reveals that Iron Man 2 won't just follow the plot of the upcoming film, but will include a bit of inspiration from the comics as well. (We call this "getting the Spider-Man treatment.")

Other interesting tidbits: The game's story will be penned by Invincible Iron Man and Uncanny X-Men writer Matt Fraction (and his loyal sidekick, Dave Percentile!), and will feature completely revamped controls. Hopefully this time around, Tony Stark's movement controls won't make it feel like he's drunk all the time. Oh! Ooooh. This is awkward.

Iron Man 2's story will go beyond the plot of the movie originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega reveals Comic-Con 2009 lineup; Iron Man 2 making first appearance

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:30:00 EST

Sega has confirmed its Comic-Con 2009 lineup, which will see the first appearance of Iron Man 2. Hopefully, the new title, being developed internally by Sega, will avoid the first's 45 Metacritic score.

Beyond that, the company plans to show off Planet 51, Bayonetta and Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. The booth number is 5229 and San Diego Comic-Con takes place next week, July 23-26. Don't be shocked by all the game companies in attendance.

Sega reveals Comic-Con 2009 lineup; Iron Man 2 making first appearance originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega to churn out Iron Man 2

Justin McElroy — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:24:00 EST

If the world has felt just a little more mediocre lately, it's not your imagination: Sega has begun work on transforming upcoming Robert Downey Jr. vehicle Iron Man 2 into "multi-platform" video game form. And why wouldn't Marvel want to make a deal like that, after Sega Studios San Francisco (formerly Secret Level) knocked it out of the park with the last Iron Man iteration? 45 percent on Metacritic? Hell, is it too early to sign them on for Iron Man 3?

You'll be able to do your best to avoid eye contact with Iron Man 2 when it crash-lands on store shelves alongside the movie in 2010.

Sega to churn out Iron Man 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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