Kotaku: sega rally

Sega Brings More To Steam

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:40:53 MST

Gabe Newell's dream of having every game ever published on the Steam platform has come six titles closer to reality, as Sega has upped its interest in the digital distribution network. Steam users can now purchase a half-dozen of Sega PC games like Universe at War: Earth Assault, The Golden Compass, Sega Rally Revo, Sega Rally, Worldwide Soccer Manager, and Futbol Manager. Most are available now, but Universe at War and The Golden Compass will be arriving next week. If you hate DVD cases and instruction manuals, you know what to do.

Sega Rally Impressions

fdemarco — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 02:00:00 MDT

I went to a Sega Booth tour that really was nothing more than the guy gesturing me towards their booth and then walking away. After looking around I realized that all of the games were in Japanese and the ones that weren't were already being covered by my colleagues so I went for the one game that was close and didn't have anyone mobbing it which turned out to be Sega Rally for the PS3.

While I love kart games, I've never been a big fan of "realistic" racing games. I like a little fantasy with my games, something that makes me forget that I live in the real world. But, I decided to put my reservations aside and take the game on it's own merits.

The track I tried out had an African Safari theme and the graphics were nice if not a little typical. It looked very real and the terrain physics were well done. As you raced around the track, your car would leave ruts in the dirt that would still be there when you came back around and would affect your driving. Tearing through puddles will cause you to slide around, but I would have loved to have seen some mud splashed on the screen for a little extra effect.

Three times around the track and it was over, leaving me feeling a little blase'. Overall it seemed like a pretty decently put together driving game but with nothing terribly new or spectacular to really make it stand out. Fans of the genre may enjoy it as another addition to their library, but if you weren't a fan before, I doubt Sega Rally will change your mind.

Sega Rally Demo Rolls Onto Xbox Live

Mike Fahey — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 10:00:36 MDT

You got to hand it to Larry Hryb. Even while he is sitting in the Orlando airport waiting for a plane to the Tokyo Game Show, he still has time to let us know that Sega has slapped 691 megs of pure racing fury up on Xbox Live for your demoing enjoyment. Sega Rally takes the Sega Rally series into the next-generation (or current gen, if you're counting), with deformable terrain, and smashable scenery to careen wildly into in one of over 30 vehicles. The single player demo is available everywhere Xbox 360's are sold except for Asia, though that might be redundant.

Demo: SEGA Rally [Major Nelson's Blog]

Sega Reveals Full TGS Line Up

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:40:57 MDT

Sega of Japan has revealed what it will be showing at next week's Tokyo Game Show, bringing a slew of new games for every platform. Not everything shown will be playable, however, with some marquee titles like Ryu ga Gotoku 3, wacko shooter Miburi & Teburi and Sega Rally appearing in video-only form (denoted with an asterisk). In better news, NiGHTS for the Wii looks like it will finally be playable. PLAYSTATION 3 games before the jump, everything else after.

PLAYSTATION 3
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! *
Valkyrie of the Battlefield
Imabi Kisou
Sega Rally *
The Golden Compass *

Wii
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams
Fuurai no Shiren 3
Ghost Squad
Miburi & Teburi *
The Golden Compass *
Doraemon Wii: Himitsu Doguo Kettei Sen

Xbox 360
Sega Rally *

PlayStation 2
Jissen Pachi-Slot Hisshouhou! Hokuto no Ken 2
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus *
Seaman 2 *
Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 31: Dennou Senki Virtual On *
Jissen Pachinko Hisshouhou! CR Sakura Taisen

Nintendo DS
Sonic Rush Adventure
Sakura Taisen: Kimi Arugatame
BLEACH The 3rd Phantom
Picto Image DS
Mainichi Shinbun 1000 Dai-News *
Touch de Zuno DS *
The Golden Compass *
Kodai Ouja: Kyouryuu King - 7-tsu no Kakera
Dream Cat Smile DS

PSP
SEGA Rally *
The Golden Compass *

PC
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus *
Splash! Golf *

Sega Official Website - Tokyo Game Show 2007 [Sega.jp]

Sega Rally Deformable Surfaces Details

Kim Phu — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 09:40:00 MDT

Although Sega has talked about their fully deformable surfaces before, it really doesn't really explain much except for the fact that the ground happens to be dirty.

Well, actually, these "deformable surfaces" are a much bigger deal. It's not just that there's a different road for each lap you make, technically, you are the one that is making each lap surface different (or in other words, deforming it).

As players race each successive lap in the game, they and their competitors churn and wear the track leaving a scrubbed or rutted track surface behind. Unlike other games which have tricked players into believing they're cutting up the track with visual trickery, SEGA Rally really is deforming the surface and this will affect the gameplay in a number of ways.
As well as learning the race tracks to gain split-second advantages, players will start to see, hear and feel nuances in taking one racing line or another. For example, players might see a contour made by another car through some gravel, which if they follow will help them gain speed, whereas if they take a fresh route through the gravel it could potentially slow them down. It's these gameplay elements that give extra depth, is what players expect from a next-gen console and is something no game has done before.

How do they do that? Something to do with polygons and high frame-rates. Honestly, if I'm not going to be tested on it later, I'm good with just knowing that it works. Sega can deal with the how. Kim Phu

SEGA Rally's Deformable Track Surfaces (PS3, Xbox 360) [Evil Avatar Forums]

Sega Rally Coming To PSP, Too

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:20:58 MDT

Sega is bringing its muddin' racer series Sega Rally not just to the PC, PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 this year, it's also bringing it to the PlayStation Portable. In development at Bugbear Studios, best known for the FlatOut series of racers, the game is due to hit UMDs this September and will feature ad hoc and infrastructure multiplayer races.

Based on the official line, it sounds just "thrilling." It features "amazing visuals, superb handling" and "jaw dropping environments", says Sega, and I can't imagine they'd be lying about this one. Sadly, all we have at this point to go on is the box art.

Full press release, chock full of info, after the jump. Michael McWhertor

SEGA Rally Comes Hurtling Onto PSP

Genre Defining Rally Game set for Handheld Release

LONDON (12th June, 2007) - SEGA Europe Ltd. today confirmed that SEGA Rally™ will be tearing its way onto the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. Scheduled for release during September 2007, SEGA Rally for the PSP is being developed by racing game specialists Bugbear Entertainment Ltd. Already announced for PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PC, SEGA Rally is receiving a stream of plaudits from the specialist gaming press for its bumper-to-bumper competitive racing.

SEGA Rally on the PSP encapsulates everything its predecessors laid out when defining the rally genre; amazing visuals, superb handling and closely fought competitive racing. These three key features have been the chassis of development for SEGA Rally on the PSP, combining to bring players a thrilling ride through jaw dropping environments and against competitive AI, all alongside an instinctive handling system that rewards players for pushing their rally-racing skills to the very limit.

"The original SEGA Rally is heralded as one of the all time great video games and this new installment on the PSP is a great example of updating a classic perfectly for today's machines," said Guy Wilday, Studio Director, SEGA Racing Studio. "With the addition of multiplayer Wi-Fi and online multiplayer, there's scope for players to show off their skills against their friends, whilst the excellent PSP screen exudes all the visual qualities expected of SEGA Rally".

Built from scratch, SEGA Rally on PSP has been developed by Bugbear Entertainment Ltd. with guidance from the SEGA Racing Studio to ensure that the unique character of SEGA Rally shines through on the PSP.

SEGA Rally will be available for the PSP, PS3, the Xbox 360 and PC during September 2007. For more information on this game and other SEGA products please visit www.sega-europe.com

- ends -

About SEGA® Europe Ltd:
SEGA Europe Ltd is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Corporation, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA Europe's web site is located at www.sega-europe.com.

About Bugbear Entertainment Ltd.
Bugbear Enterainment Ltd. is an award-winning Finnish game developer focusing on action driving games with over 2.7 million units sold to date. The company's worldwide blockbuster hits are the highly innovative 'FlatOut' and 'FlatOut 2' on PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC CD both with over 1 million units sold worldwide. Bugbear's international breakthrough was the critically acclaimed PC Title 'Rally Trophy' in 2001, which was followed with 'Tough Trucks' on PC in 2003. An N-Gage exclusive story-driven arcade racer 'Glimmerati' was published in July 2005 to rave reviews. Bugbear is currently working on 'FlatOut Ultimate Carnage' for Xbox 360 as well as other unannounced console, handheld and PC projects. For more information please visit www.bugbeargames.com

Sega Rally Goes Revo, Not Wii

Michael McWhertor — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 13:04:04 MDT

Sega announced the next entry in the long running Sega Rally series would be coming next year, under the name Sega Rally Revo. But sorry, no Revolution... err, Wii version. Don't let that "Revo" mislead you. The game is headed to the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, courtesy of the newly formed Sega Driving Studio.

Says the dev:

The rally genre has become the domain of ultra-realistic simulation-based titles that portray the sport in minute detail but offer little in terms of fun. With the emphasis being on entertainment, SEGA Rally will focus on delivering an adrenaline-fuelled competitive racing experience but without over-complicating the rally experience.

I can get behind that. I like my racers very arcadey.

No shots of the game have been released, so don't go gaga over that very photorealistic shot to the right — it's an actual photo.

SEGA Rally Returns To Redefine The Rally Genre