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Sonic the Hedgehog #93

Writer(s): Karl Bollers
Penciler(s): James Fry
Inker(s): Andrew Pepoy

Sonic returns to Knothole and finds himself in hot water because of the missing Sword of Acorns! Angered by the frosty reception, he hastily leaves with Tails, Rotor and Mina. Sonic blames himself and can't stop thinking about the sword. And Robotnik is also angry over the lost Sword of Acorns, terrified it will get in rebel hands and actually restore free will to those he's imprisoned. The facts don't stop Robotnik, however: he pretends to have the Sword in a nefarious plot to hoodwink the newly arrived Overlanders...

There ya have it.

Source: Worlds of Westfield

Other-M, one of the finest (and perhaps the most successful) Sonic fan-comics on the net will be releasing its fifth issue on Halloween. Get a treat without having to dress up!
Other-M #5 - Oct. 31st

I should stay away from this news poster thing. o.o As usual, I don't know if this has been posted or not, but here goes:

I was in Walmart a few days ago, and I noticed, while there were no PS2's to be sold (or even on display), Sega is now selling slick Black Dreamcasts. These Dreamcasts come with two games, Virtua Tennis and NFL2k1 I believe. They've been dubbed the "Sega Sports" Dreamcasts, with the Sega Sports Logo branded on them and everything. The Units themselves are ALL black, including the controller. If my memory serves me correct, the controllers are see-through.

The units retail for $169.99 I believe, which is mighty cheap. This is obviously to combat the PS2. Unless of course, I am wrong, and somebody's reported this before me and I'm just blowing hot air. :P

As if Sega news hasn't been monstrously odd this past week, from the "coming out of left feild department" we get this: Remember that weirdo Sonic/Mario hybrid RPG newsrumor that flopped out of nowhere and was dismissed by many as silly talk?

Well this came in from the grapevine this weekend courtesy of IGN DC:

According to the Online version of Japan's Asahi newspaper, Sega and Nintendo are teaming up to form a joint company. The story at Asahi first describes Sega's recently announced losses, stating that Sega revealed to investors in September that its results for the half-year ending September 30th would be less than expected. And that's what happened (see news article clarification below - WB), with the company announcing a loss of 29.2 billion yen today, down from an expected profit of 600 million yen. Poor Dreamcast performance was stated as the cause for the loss. Now, for the full year period ending March 2001, the company expects a loss of 22.1 billion yen, down from an expected profit of 1.5 billion yen. This will be the fourth yearly loss in a row for the company. This is where the story becomes a bit odd.

Sega has stated that it's not basing its future exclusively on Dreamcast - go figure. As expected, it's looking to reinforce the network gaming side of its business. In order to achieve this latter goal, Asahi states that Sega will be forming joint companies with, respectively, Nintendo and...famed Japanese music producer Tetsuya Komuro.

If you're not familiar with Komuro's work, then you probably aren't familiar with modern day Japanese music at all. Komuro has helped to develop such names as Namie Amuro, Ami Suzuki, and mega-group Globe. (Don't look at me - I have no sense of Japanese music - WB ^___^) We're not sure what to make of this peculiar announcement. Unfortunately, the Japanese source gives no further details on what these joint ventures will amount to, and how Komuro plays a role in things. Sega of America could not be reached to confirm the information.

The Tetsuyo Komuro thing is real cool if you're into that sorta stuff, I have no idea who he is personally - but perhaps of more relevance to game fans is being able to see Sega and Nintendo mentioned in the same sentence alongside the words "Jointly owned company."

If this is ever confirmed, and after this fiasco weekend, maybe there's truth to the rumors after all?

Source: IGN DC

Dreamcast Direct, Sega of Japan's Online sales service, has added four titles to its growing list of special offers today. Sonic Shuffle, Daytona USA, Tanteishinshi Dash! and Card Captor Sakura are now available for preorder, with some of these titles including special freebies when purchased online.

Sonic Shuffle does not have any special goodies planned, but it still can be preordered online. The title is set for Japanese release on Dec. 21 for 5,220 yen ($48).

Source: IGN DC

Follow ups and Clarifications all around! ^__^

First things first, the Reuters article that was printed on a lot of major news sites (most noteably Reuters and Gaming Age). According to Gaming Age, the recent Reuters article they reported on, which basically confirmed that Sega would develop for multiple game consoles: After the news story broke, GA went straight to Sega of America for a quote as well as some clarification. The original article appears to be either a mistranslation on Reuters part, or some very wishful thinking on the part of the author. A Sega PR rep provided them with a copy of the release which was the source for the original Reuters article, and made the comment that "As far as we know, that's (Sega developing for rival game consoles) not the case".

When reading through the complete release, it makes much more sense as to where the confusion may have originated. The thing is a _LONG_ one, so instead I'm just gonna link it. It can be found here.

Cross platform development, hardware licensing, network gaming… there's wild speculation everywhere regarding Sega's steps in these areas. There's no speculation what so ever, though, on one thing: Sega is losing money and is not living up to previous expectations. Today, the company (which is described by Bloomberg as "a money-losing video-game console maker") announced its expectations for the year ending March 2001. And they're not good. The company is forecasting a group net loss of 22.1 billion yen ($204 million), in contrast to the expected profits of 1.5 billion yen. These estimates will mean that Sega is losing money for the fourth straight year in a row.

Half year results ending September are also lower than the initial forecast. Sega will post a group net loss of 29.2 billion yen, down from the 600 million profit that was initially expected.

Analysts are suggesting that the price cut for the Dreamcast in Europe and America, in addition to slow Dreamcast sales in Japan, are contributing to the poor performance. Comments Nomura Securities analyst Yuta Sakuai, "The loss has been expected since the console price cuts, because the company had been making a 1,000 yen loss per machine even before the price reduction."

Sega is still expecting to reach a worldwide 10 million mark for Dreamcast in time for March of 2001, matching Sony's forecast for PS2. As of September 30th, 5,870,000 DC units had been sold worldwide, with 1.06 million of those checking in between April and September. For the six months between October and March, Sega is forecasting sales of 3.77 million Dreamcasts worldwide, with 2.1 million systems going to North America, 770,000 units in Europe and 730,000 in Japan (maybe the rest will go to Antarctica?).

So will the slaughter end anytime soon? Hideki Sato, who will assume the role of Representative Director and Vice President of Sega starting November 1st, stated "I think we are predestined -- the real battle starts now." Nomura's Sakuai commented "the fourth straight annual net loss is a blow to Sega, but it now has a better chance of returning to profit next year."

And the FINAL bit of claricication comes from Sega's stance on producing games for OTHER platforms and what they have to say. This is also from IGN DC:

There's an online buzz going around about the SEGA Dreamcast. Specifically, sources on the Internet claim that SEGA will soon announce a new business strategy that will include plans to provide game software to rival maker's consoles. To which we say... yeah, right. SEGA held an earnings report where they had announced their new strategy to focus on network gaming. It seems many have likened to make speculation into news, since on the press release there is absolutely no mention of plans to have SEGA software on competitors' consoles. The closest statement is:

"Further, SEGA will take other strategic measures such as utilizing its vast software library of more than 1,000 titles to develop content for other consumer entertainment and mobile devices, making full use of the SEGA's renowned brand and characters to expand its game software business"

It seems everyone wants to get a shot at SEGA, whether fact-based or not. While SEGA is projecting a pretty big loss for the end of the fiscal year, there is, I repeat again, no mention of software development for rival consoles.

And THAT is THAT. :)

Hey everyone! Recent news: Sonic Adventure 2 Import is available at Express.com! The Pre-Order, that is.

Well now if this don't get the goat NOTHING will. First - before I print this interview I made a LOOOOOOOOONG rant about this, the PS2 launch and Sega at the Mobius Forum. I urge everyone to read it because I'm not sure (after reading Tristan's news reply) if I understand the full impact of this myself as its pretty danged big. So I _REALLY_ want people to read and reply and sorta get me straight if I'm wrong on some facts, as well as getting input from others on this.... The post is located here and opens in a new window.

Note: Please excuse the "cute" theme on the Mofo right now. ^_^ We're sort of in the middle of a sanity lapse.

Now for the story that I'm sure you ALL want to read - Sega goes Multi Platform verbatim from Reuters...

TOKYO (Reuters) - Struggling Japanese game console maker Sega Enterprises Ltd forecast on Friday a fourth straight net loss, and unveiled ambitious plans to shift into software provision to move back into the black.

The projection of a consolidated net loss of 22.1 billion yen ($204.2 million) for the business year to the end of next March was revised from an earlier estimate of a 1.5 billion yen net profit.

Sega attributed the loss largely to an 18.5 billion yen loss from its recent decision to cut the overseas sales price of its mainstay Dreamcast (news - web sites) game console to combat a competitive threat from rival Sony Corp, which launched its snazzy PlayStation 2 console in the U.S. on Thursday.

"We might have had good demand without the price cut but we wanted to achieve cumulative total sales of 10 million units by March," Hideki Sato, who will become chief operating officer (COO) on November 1, told a news conference.

Analysts expect even fiercer competition next year when Nintendo (news - web sites) Co Ltd and Microsoft Corp launch new consoles.

Sega tried to calm concerns by announcing a far-reaching new business strategy, including a future plan to provide its game software to rival makers' consoles.

We are already in talks with a few foreign firms", Sato said when asked about licensees. He declined to give details.

That transformation into a software provider from a hardware maker marked a drastic, and welcome, policy shift, analysts said.

Sega declined to specify for which rival game consoles it plans to make software, and emphasized it would not withdraw from the Dreamcast hardware business.

"We applaud the company's decision to shift its focus to providing content and away from the loss-making home game hardware business even though it isn't pulling completely out of hardware,' said Nomura Securities analyst Yuta Sakuai.

"The fourth straight annual net loss is a blow to Sega, but it now has a better chance of returning to profit next year".

Hefty Loss

Sega, the world's third-largest maker of home video game players, said it sees group sales of 320 billion yen for this business year against an initial estimate of 336 billion yen.

It slashed the price of Dreamcast to $149 from $199 in the United States on August 31, before the PlayStation 2 debut, followed by a reduction in Europe in September to 149 pounds from 199 pounds to solidify its footing before Sony's launch.

"The loss has been expected since the console price cuts, because the company had been making a 1,000 yen loss per machine even before the price reduction," Nomura's Sakurai said.

The news came just before the Tokyo stock market closed and Sega shares ended down 31 yen or 3.68 percent at 811 yen.

In the business year ended last March 31, Sega posted a net loss of 42.88 billion yen. Its president resigned to take responsibility.

For April-September, Sega sold 1.06 million Dreamcast consoles, boosting cumulative sales to 5.87 million.

It aims to sell 2.1 million Dreamcast consoles in North America in the six months to next March, 770,000 units in Europe and 730,000 in Japan to try to achieve its post-launch target of 10 million by next March.

CSK Corp, which holds a 17.2 percent stake in Sega, also revised down its estimate, forecasting a group net loss of 11 billion yen, against its previous forecast of a net profit of 300 million yen.

Drastic Move

Sega's new business strategy includes a plan to seek to license the Dreamcast design technology to manufacturers of personal computers, audio-visual equipment and cellular phones to increase compatible PCs and other devices.

"The company is heading in the right direction by trying to boost loyalty income through its attractive software library," Deutsche Securities analyst Takashi Oya said.

But I am not convinced the company can make a decent profit from licensing the Dreamcast technology.''

Nomura's Sakurai said Sega's partial move away from making game boxes would help rival game makers Sony and Nintendo Co Ltd as well as U.S. Software giant Microsoft Corp, which plans to enter the market next year with its Xbox machine.

"Sega's decision will be positive for rivals, meaning less competition in the hardware business and offering a possible new strong partner to provide games."

If this means what I think it means - then Sega may not be making any new hardware, but then again - I'm not sure if I read the article right. O_O I urge and ask everyone to GO HERE, read my rant, and then please post on it. I'd like to get the facts straight on just what this means and whether its as good or bad (a double edged sword) as I think it is. Claricication and input please.

Not exactly Sonic news per se, but a heartfelt congratulations to a VERY deserving Sonic fan. :)

Posted yesterday on the Sonic Powerzone Mailing List, well known and respected Sonic fanfiction author and reviewer Dan Drazen made this announcement:

I've mentioned in the past that I've been doing some non-Sonic-related writing, specifically a novel about the boyhood of the prophet Samuel. Well, last April, a couple of book editors from the Review and Herald Publishing Association (the flagship publisher for the Seventh-day Adventist church) were here on campus interviewing people with manuscripts or works-in-progress. I made an appointment to meet with them about my book, which I was still in the process of whipping into shape. They were interested and wanted me to commit to sending them a rough draft by the end of August with a final draft before the end of the year. I readily agreed.

Long story short: the Book Committee met yesterday and Approved it!

Too bad Archie isn't looking for new writers, as the fact that I'm going to be published (though not as a comic book writer) may finally give me the "standing" to even have my work considered by them for the comic. Though you never know, what with Mike Gallagher's having jumped ship. But OTOH it means that I can start applying myself to Sonic fanfic again. I'll keep the lists informed.

BTW, the book itself probably won't be PHYSICALLY published until the Fall of 2001.

Dan Drazen

A hearty congratulations to Mr. Drazen on his endeavor! ^__^ And for those of you asking - YES I do have the Dan Drazen interview, its sitting on my hard drive right now and I swear I've reread it twice, but I've either been too lazy or too swamped with social and school-related things to pull it up. You can slap me with a trout and call me mean names later. ^^ I'll try my DARNDEST to sit still and get it up this weekend. PROMISE. :)

The link to it's already on the Sonic Adventure homepage, unfortunately it doesn't work yet. Check out under "Community", "Chao Gardens", then the third option, "Chao Fun Room". There's a new banner over "Evaluate Your Chao", for the Black Market, "Trade Emblems for Special Chao". ^_^ Unfortunately, it doesn't work quite correctly yet. Unlike what it currently says, you DO need to use Game Save Data, not Chao Data (Go to the Game Select screen after you select your VMU, hold "Y" and press "A", it should take five seconds (if it happens really quickly, you need to clear space on that VMU, but the upload file isn't too large, 11 blocks max), and then make a Ring Sound.) Then go to the place mentioned above, select that VMU, and it'll let you in... sort of. See, it's still in debugging, and doesn't quite work right (it kicks you to the same selection screen the Emblem Attack does, and with almost any selection it complains the page didn't set the "World Ranking" cookie to your DC webbrowser, a shame.) But obviously, this is a pretty big clue it's coming soon. Too bad with the Sonic Adventure hacking projects, the hardcore audience has seen most of the "Special" Chao, but this'll allow them to be more mainstream and easier to access, I suppose. ^_^

Attn Kulock: The post has been edited and corrected :) Thank you. - WB

Source: The Moogle Cavern