Announced this morning by Sega's assistant community manager David Beavers on the PlayStation Blog, the Sega Mega Sale drops the prices of every piece of downloadable Sega goodness on the PlayStation Network by 40%. That includes downloadable content for PlayStation 3 games Sonic Unleashed, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Valkyria Chronicles, as well as Sega's full lineup of downloadable PSP titles for your PSP or PSPgo. For those of you who, like me, "upgraded" to Sony's latest handheld, this would be an excellent time to fill up that 16GB of memory with games like Crush and Super Monkey Ball Adventure. It won't make the tears go away completely, but they'll sting a bit less.

Check out the full list of sale items below, or just hit up the PlayStation Store and browse. The sale runs between today's PlayStation Network update and January 7th, so you've got plenty of time to shop.

PSP:

Alien Syndrome
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars
Crush
Full Auto 2: Battlelines
Gunstar Heroes
Iron Man
Sega Genesis Collection
Sonic Rivals
Sonic Rivals 2
Super Monkey Ball Adventure

PSN:

Sonic Unleashed Apatos & Shamar Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Chun-nan Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Empire City & Adabat Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Holoska Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Mazuri Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Spagonia Adventure Pack
SONIC: Very Hard Shadow Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Silver Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Sonic Missions
Valkyria Chronicles Edy's Mission "Enter the Edy Detachment"
Valkyria Chronicles Hard EX Mode
Valkyria Chronicles Selveria's Mission "Behind Her Blue Flame"

Happy Holidays - The SEGA Mega Sale for PSN is on! [PlayStation Blog]

When Sonic character designer Naoto Ohshima was asked by game site Gamasutra the obvious question as to why Sonic's sneakers are white and red, it got a less than obvious answer: "His shoes were inspired by the cover to Michael Jackson's Bad, which contrasted heavily between white and red — that Santa Claus-type color. I also thought that red went well for a character who can run really fast, when his legs are spinning."

Also know that Sonic is blue because SEGA's official color is blue, not because he is sad that Sonic games aren't good any more.

Out of the Blue: Naoto Ohshima Speaks [Gamasutra]

Click each thumbnail for more information.

Free Realms #4 (of 12)
Written by J.S. Lewis. Drawn by Jon Buran.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
Based on the hit virtual world with over 3 million users worldwide! When Dane and Maya return to Briarwood, Darkthorne's followers accuse them of trying to assassinate the sorceress with a deadly poison. Now the pair must survive the darkest corners of Briarwood as they search for an alchemist who can prove their innocence!

Mirror's Edge (trade paperback)
Written by Rhianna Pratchett. Drawn by Matthew Dow Smith.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
The 6-issue miniseries based on the Electronic Arts video game is collected! Faith is a Runner in the city - a courier who delivers sensitive cargo by traversing the rooftops of the city's skyscrapers. But how did she come by this unique trade...and what secrets from her past may affect her future?

American McGee's Grimm Vol. 01
Written by Dwight L. MacPherson. Drawn by Grant Bond.

Summary Via Website Things From Another World:
In American McGee's Grimm (the popular video game series available at GameTap.com), the player controls Grimm, a dwarf who creates a trail of destruction wherever he goes. Sick of how happy fairy tales have become, Grimm makes it his mission to revert the lighthearted yarns to their darker original versions with his patented butt-stomping chaos. Now he's set his wicked sights on comic books, and the funny pages will never be the same again...

The Legend of Zelda Vol 8: The Minish Cap
Written and drawn by Akira Himekawa.

Summary Via Publisher Viz Media:
On the day of the Picori Festival, Link and Princess Zelda go to watch the sword-fighting tournament. The winner is a strange man named Vaati, who has come to claim the Light Force which is sealed within the Bound Chest. When the Light Force turns up missing, Vaati turns Princess Zelda to stone! To save his friend, Link needs the power of the Picori Blade, but only a certain master swordsmith can reforge it. Can Link find the pieces of the broken sword before Vaati does?

Pokemon Adventures Vol. 4
Written and drawn Hidenori Kusaka.

Summary Via Publisher Viz Media:
Pokémon trainer Red goes off on a training challenge and...never comes back! But a tired and tattered Pikachu manages to return home by himself. A mysterious young trainer in yellow befriends Pikachu, and together they set out to find our missing hero!

And watch out for Team Rocket, Yellow Caballero... Could they be behind Red's mysterious disappearance?

Sonic The Hedgehog #207
Written by Ian Flynn. Drawn by James Fry.

Summary Via Publisher Archie Comics:
"Blackout": The Iron King wants the force-field over Sonic's home city gone, so he heads to its power source: the radioactive remains of Robotropolis! This could spell doom for our heroes - not to mention the surrounding environment! As Sonic races to the rescue, Princess Sally finally comes to a pivotal personal decision.
PLUS: "The Iron Queen:" The second half of this intriguing new villainess' thrilling origin is revealed!

Street Fighter: Legends of Chun-Li Vol. 2 (trade paperback)

Summary Via comics website Comixology
:
She's the strongest woman in the world! But before Chun-li was a no-nonsense Interpol officer she was a fresh recruit in the Hong Kong Police. SF Legends: Chun-li takes a trip through Street Fighter history throwing a young Chun-li's into her first encounter with the criminal Shadaloo organization. Expect appearances by Dan, Gen, Fei Long, Sagat, and more Street Fighter favorites!

Street Fighter Vol. 5: Kick It Into Turbo
Summary Via comics website Comixology:
The World Warriors battle across Hong Kong, Japan, and America to secure their spots in the ultimate competition - the Street Fighter Tournament! Fan favorites Ryu, Chun-li, Guile, Sakura, Cammy, and dozens more compete in what might be their final fight! Contains Street Fighter II Turbo #1-6, plus the 6-page Turbo story from Street Fighter Remix #0.

(Click each thumbnail for more information.)

Sonic Universe #10 Written by Ian Flynn. Drawn by Tracy Yardley.

Summary Via Publisher Archie Comics:
"Echoes of the Past Part Two": As Knuckles' friends try to valiantly defend the Master Emerald against a seemingly never-ending horde of robots, Knuckles delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding him... until he finally finds Dr. Finitevus! Knuckles is bent on revenge, but he's not counting on the surprise twist that will delay his quest. You can't afford to miss this exciting, action-packed issue!

World of Warcraft #25 Written by Walter and Louise Simonson. Drawn by Mike Bowden and Tony Washington.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm:
The bonus-sized epic final showdown! Will Med'an and the newly formed Council of Tirisfal vanquish the evil Cho'gall and the Twilight's Hammer? Will the unlikely union of Horde and Alliance be torn asunder?

Gears of War #10 Written by Mike Capps and Joshua Ortega. Drawn by Liam Sharpe.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
Delta has located survivors from the Jilane massacre, and it's a motley crew filled with far more people than expected! With an anticipated Locust attack, does Delta have the firepower to hold out until help arrives? Further exploring the world of the sensational hit video game!

Sonic The Hedgehog #206 Written by Ian Flynn David. Drawn by Steven Butler.

Summary Via Publisher Archie Comics:
"On the Run Part Two": Sonic and Tails face off against the full might of the Iron Dominion! The prize: the addled Dr. Eggman! Will Sonic let his most feared nemesis fall into the hands of these new, unpredictable foes? Are they even willing to deal?!
PLUS: "Birthright Part Two": Lien-Da discovers the cruel secret of the Iron Queen's gift to her people. Her next choice will save - or doom - the Legion!

Pokemon: Giratina and the Sky Warrioer! Animanga Written and Drawn by Makoto Hijioka.

Summary Via Publisher Viz Media:
Shaymin, the peaceful Gratitude Pokémon, lives happily in forests and fields of flowers. But one day Shaymin is accidentally drawn into a battle between the Legendary Pokémon Giratina and Dialga. Whisked away far from home, Shaymin is found by Ash, Dawn and Brock, who soon discover that this new Pokémon is full of surprises! Of course Team Rocket wants to get their hands on Shaymin, and so does a mysterious man named Zero. Even Giratina is in hot pursuit of this little Pokémon-and just what do Giratina and Shaymin have to do with the dimension known as the Reverse World?

Sky Pirates of Neo Terra #2 Written by Josh Wagner. Drawn by Camilla D'Errico.

Summary Via Publisher Image Comics:
After his unexpected attack on the Grassland's village, Wurl reveals that the Light Crystal may hold the key to rescuing Ricket's father. Stubborn as ever, Billy heads off to find the crystal on his own. Based on the Nintendo DS game, "Sky Pirates of Neo Terra." (PIC via Atomic Comics)

Street Fighter II Turbo #9 Written and Drawn by Ken Siu-CHong, Chamba and Alan Wang.

Summary Via Publisher Udon Entertainment:
On sale October 28th, Street Fighter II Turbo #9 is filled with more non-stop fights that any issue yet! Cammy VS Guile, Ryu VS Honda, Fei Long VS Chun-li, Dhalsim VS the Dolls, and more! Plus another Street Fighter 3 backup story, this time featuring the mystic hermit Oro!

I suppose the characters could be living in some sort of nightmare world, where traditional games are bypassed in favorite of name-driven racing games. Where Ryu from the Shenmue series can drive a motorcycle and a forklift, yet still can't break out of this hellish existence into some sort of Shenmue 3. When I think about it that way I get chills. Someone hold me.

Click the thumbnails for more details.

World of Warcraft #24 Written by Walter and Louise Simonson. Drawn by Mike Bowden and Tony Washington.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
As the new Council of Tirisfal recruits its final member, a battle rages in Theramore. In the chaos of the fight, can Me'dan, aided by his growing knowledge of his parentage and true powers, save his friends and claim his destiny?

Gears of War Book 1 Written by Joshua Ortega. Drawn by Liam Sharp.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
The best-selling video game franchise arrives with a blast! This story bridges the gap between the Lightmass Bombing at the end of the first Gears of War game and the start of the second game. Follow the brutal adventures of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad in their battle against the Locust in this new collection of GEARS OF WAR #1-6!

Sonic Universe #9 Written by Ian Flynn. Drawn by Tracy Yardley.

Summary Via Publisher Archie Comics:
"Echoes of the Past Part One": By popular demand, Knuckles makes a triumphant return in this thrilling spin-off tale! Knuckles presses into the heart of the desert to find the sinister secrets of his hated enemy, Dr. Finitivus, but what he finds leads to a deeper mystery... and deadly danger! With Knuckles away, it's up to Vector to protect the Master Emerald from the newest threat... but who, or what, are they? It's the pulse-pounding start of the next epic story arc, and you can't afford to miss it!

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #46 Written by John Jackson Miller. Drawn by Brian Ching.

Summary Via Publisher Dark Horse Comics:
Destroyer (part 2)

A captive of the slaver organization the Crucible, Zayne Carrick is finding there is much more to his friend Jarael's past than she revealed. Specifically, a Crucible trainer called Chantique is looking to settle a score, and she believes that Zayne could be key in that objective. Her plan will have him desperately attempting to resolve the psychic attack that she, the Crucible, and fellow slaves have waged in his mind — all while he fights for his life!

Click the thumbnails for more details.

Free Realms #1 (of 12) Written by J.S. Lewis. Drawn by Jon Buran.

Summary Via Publisher Wildstorm Entertainment:
SONY teams with WildStorm and best-selling fantasy author J.S. Lewis (the Grey Griffins series) for an exciting adaptation of Free Realms, their new MMORPG! This 12-issue series mirrors the nonstop action of the game, offering exciting adventures, battles with vicious monsters and, of course, the allure of gorgeous fairies!

The story begins when a young boy is abducted and dragged into a darkened forest teeming with twisted monsters. It's up to a relic hunter and a pixie to save him, but their mission is cut short when a horde of troll-like creatures captures them!

The Legend of Zelda: Vol 7...

Summary Via Publisher Viz Media:
Four Swords, Part 2

The Green, Red and Blue Links reach Death Mountain, where they challenge Shadow Link and Violet Link in battle. Then, inside the Fire Temple they learn a terrible secret about the Dark World and the evil power behind Vaati. To defeat this great enemy, the different colored Links must find a way to become one again in order to harness the power of the Four Sword!

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventures Vol 5...

Summary Via Publisher Viz Media:
R to L (Japanese Style) New friends, new lands, and all-new Pokémon-the next chapter of one of the greatest adventures! Most kids spend their days at school, but not Hareta. Raised in the wild by Pokémon, he can climb as high as an Aipcom, swim as fast as a Magik

Who will catch the Legendary Pokémon Dialga?Hareta's battle with Mitsumi comes to an end, but will Mitsumi stay loyal to Team Galactic or her old friend Hareta? Either way, the race to find the Legendary Pokémon Dialga continues! Cyrus, Team Galactic's leader, is determined to catch Dialga and seize its power for himself. Can Hareta and his friends beat Cyrus to the final prize? New friends, new lands, and all-new Pokémon: Return to one of the greatest adventures!

Sonic the Hedgehog #205... Written by Ian Flynn. Drawn by Steven Butler

Summary Via Publisher Archie Comics:
"On the Run Part One": Bunnie is back, but worse for wear with her wounds being tended in the hospital. Luckily, her friends are by her side... but not for long, as a less-than-lucid Eggman attacks in his Egg-Tortoise walker! Sonic and Tails spring into action, while Iron Queen and crew watch with wide eyes. Why are they so interested in seeing Eggman captured? It's the start of a new pulse-pounding tale guest-starring Nicole, Antoine, Monkey Khan, Espio and more!

PLUS: "Birthright Part One": Now it can be revealed: the long-held secret of the disappearance of Lien-Da's father!

Click the thumbnails for more details.

Halo Helljumper #3... Written by Peter David. Drawn by Eric Nguyen

Summary Via Publisher Marvel Comics:
Mysteries deepen as the Helljumpers' investigation of the curious events at the Space Colony Ariel continues. Cut off from the rest of their company, Dutch and Romeo must use every ounce of skill and strength to stay alive. But earth-shaking events—both physical and personal—will truly test the mettle of these two brothers-in-arms.

Sonic Universe #8... Written by Ian Flynn. Drawn by Tracy Yardley

Summary Via Publisher Archie Comics:
THE PULSE-POUNDING CONCLUSION TO THE "MOBIUS: 30 YEARS LATER" EPIC!
"The Future Freedom Fighters": Our look at Mobius: 30 Years Later wraps up in this titanic issue! An unstoppable force threatens to destroy Angel Island and the world. It's up to a new generation of Freedom Fighters to save the day! Is this the triumphant return of the legendary heroes, or will their first mission be their last? Don't miss the grand finale as we go back to the future!

Sky Pirates of Neo Terra #1... Written by Josh Wagner. Drawn by Camilla D'Errico

Summary Via Publisher Image Comics:
In Neo Terra, a world of forgotten technology and natural magic, reckless young glide-wing pilot, Billy Boom Boom, must outwit the Pirate King to stop him from ushering in a new Dark Age. CAMILLA D'ERRICO, (Burn, Nightmares and Fairy Tales) pencils this high adventure mini-series about loyalty, friendship, and what it means to be a true hero. Based on the Nintendo DS game "The Sky Pirates of Neo Terra".

StarCraft Frontline Vol. 4... Written and Drawn by Various.

Summary Via Publisher Tokyopop:
Chris Metzen, Blizzard Senior Vice-President, contributes to this fourth volume of interstellar journeys. The brutal...The menacing...The twisted...Confront the vast, renowned world of StarCraft inside this collection of mind-blowing adventures.

American McGee's Grimm #5... Written by Dwight McPherson. Drawn by Grant Bond

Summary Via Comic Book Resources:
Episode 5: It's the shocking conclusion of American McGee's Grimm, and Grimm's going out in a blaze of glory! Join everyone's favorite sardonic dwarf as he travels to the anthropomorphic land of Generica to reunite the Twig Brothers. Together with the Cricket King and a leprous dragon, Grimm will risk everything to bring this story to a close!

The document had been accessible early Tuesday morning. It appears to contain meeting notes, many of which detail Sega's games. It seems to have been first spotted on French website, Objectif-Sega but has since been removed.

Kotaku was unable to reach representatives from Sega or Sony before the publication of this post, but will provide any update we receive on this matter.

If real, the document portrays conversations between members of Sega of America and Rob Dyer, the senior vice president of publisher relations at Sony Computer Entertainment of America, in what is indicated as a quarterly update with Sony regarding Sega's plans.

Every major Sega game is mentioned in the document, often with details that appear to be either upcoming plans or at least ideas about what would the companies might pursue.

The document mentions a Bayonetta collectors edition that would include an action figure. No such edition has been announced. It indicates that a Sega product evaluator deemed the first level of this fall's role-playing game, Alpha Protocol, as too difficult at the time and described it barely feeling like a role-playing game.

The alleged Sony-Sega meeting notes include multiple mentions of Sega working with Sony-specific initiatives. Sega's Vancouver 2010 Olympics game, Iron Man 2 and Aliens Vs. Predator are listed as candidates for spaces or avatar item downloads in the PlayStation Home virtual world. The notes mention the possibility of Sony-specific characters appearing in a PlayStation 3 version of 2010's Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing, though the notes strangely disqualifies a Sony mascot in favor of Microsoft-owned properties: "Open to DLC to differentiate PS3 SKU [version] – not ratchet and clank but other characters maybe characters from Rare or Fable universes."

The document covers cult favorite series Yakuza, which has had two releases in the U.S. Two other Yakuza games , including the current-gen Yakuza 3, remain Japan-only games. Of the Yakuza games, the notes state: "Could put Japanese games directly on PSN for download in a special Japanese Import section (pricing $9.99 to $39.99 for full game). Might need to localize menus at least with subtitles. SCEA interested in helping on MKTG side if they can have period of exclusivity."

The possibility of interaction between the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable is mentioned for Aliens: Colonial Marines, a game that was not yet announced for any portable system. The same option was also mentioned for something called Vanquish.

The final Sega game property mentioned in the document is Sonic, which is considered in the notes as a candidate for a "Best of Sonic" collection. The notes state that "SCEA would love PSN exclusive power ups/different game modes."

The document also included notes about Sony's plans for its motion controller and digital download store, which we've covered in an earlier post today.

"Old-school Sonic fans have long asked to see Sonic return to a more 2D style of gameplay" says Sega of America's Ken Balough. "Many liked the daytime stages in Unleashed, but wanted to see a game that plays purely similar to the early games of the Genesis. Project Needlemouse is that critical first step that brings Sonic back to his 2D roots."

The teaser clip's tagline reads "Speed returns, in an all new 2D adventure built from the ground up", with Balough confirming the game will, rather than be a retro-remake, be an all-new game built in HD.

It'll be out in 2010. No word on platforms, but the "HD" bit certainly narrows it down. What do you think, Sega fans? Do you dare to hope?

Sonic the Hedgehog Q&A [GameSpot]

The rating says "multiplatform," which further vagues up whatever Sega's plans are here. That Gaming Site, which saw the listing earlier today, figures it could be a new control scheme on the Wii, an XBLA release, or part of some new compilation.

Sonic Adventure DX debuted on the Dreamcast in 1998; the Director's Cut was the version brought to GameCube and PC in 2003.

Sonic Adventure DX to be Remade Again? [That Gaming Site]

What Is It?
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is a kart-racing game shaped by the mold of the Mario Kart series, with at least one twist. It stars a Sega pantheon that includes Ai Ai from Monkey Ball, Billy Hatcher from Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, as well as Sonic cast members such as Dr. Eggman, Tails, Amy Rose and... Sonic. The characters compete in races around tracks strewn with random speed and combat power-ups. The game is developed by Sumo Digital, the studio behind last year's Sega Superstars Tennis. It's set for a PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and DS release.

What We Saw
I watched the game's producer perform one race. Then I took the wheel on the Billy Hatcher track. I drove through it, dodging giant rolling eggs, power-sliding and coming from behind to win.

How Far Along Is It?
The game is set for an early 2010 release but already looks polished graphically. Sega could release a demo of the track I played now and people would be satisfied with the quality already achieved by the development team.

What Needs Improvement?
The Announcer: If you're going to have all this fun with Sega's colorful cast of characters, why have a plain announcer? Get the guy who used to scream Sega in the old Genesis TV commercials. Or how about Ryo Hazuki, the lead character of Shenmue? Instead, it sounds like we're just getting a flat, regular voice to announce the races.

The Originality: Sega isn't showing much about this game that makes it feel like a necessary purchase for those who don't car about Sega characters and/or are satisfied by Mario Kart and its already-released imitators.

What Should Stay The Same?
The Graphics: In the age of Unreal technology, it's still the bright colorful high-definition mascot games that can look the most spectacular. Blue skies, bright colors and more abstract — simpler — character and level design allow Banjo Kazooie and Sonic games to look magnificent on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This game already looks great, as the screens released show.

The Mixed Vehicles: Tails gets a plane. Dr. Eggman gets a big-wheeled truck. Amy Rose gets a roadster. Each characters gets just one vehicle, which is disappointing compared to, say, Diddy Kong Racing on the Nintendo 64, which allowed each character to be in car, plane or hovercraft. But it was fun to see a race with characters all in vehicles that defined them. Hopefully the rest of the roster will commandeer even more exotic vehicles. (Unfortunately, I was told that Sega's relatively more realistic racing series won't cross over into this one. So no Daytona cars in this game, it seems.)

The Blue Shell Alternatives: And now for the answer to the question at the top of this post. I asked what was different from the Mario Kart formula, and I was told that the key new thing in this game is the All-Star move. Mario Kart's ultimate weapon may be the spiky blue shell that targets and tumbles whoever is racing in first place. This game's ultimate weapons are wilder. Each character in Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing has a super move that they can earn as a random power-up as they drive through the collectibles littered on the track. So, instead of collecting a speed boost or mine, a player controlling Sonic might gain the ability to race ahead as Super Sonic. The monkey from Samba de Amigo will start a conga line that nearby racers fall into. Amy Rose will start singing a love song while squashing other racers with a giant hammer. Ai Ai will summon fellow monkeys in balls to steamroll the track.

Final Thoughts
While I must confess ignorance of Sonic's own racing series, I can say that the new game feels derivative of what the kart-racing genre has long established. It would have been nice to see more of a gameplay tweak. But with such a crowd-pleasing formula already set and such a rich cast of characters committed to this race, there's probably enough here already that will excite gamers.

If you want more Sega in your Mario Kart, keep an eye on how this one develops.

What a week. QuakeCon material from last week spilled into Gamescom and Blizzcon bonanzas this week. Not much got left on the cutting room floor or in my notebook. There are a couple of stories I have in the works for early next week, but of the stuff I just can't cram into a post? Not much...

Billy Hatcher's Kind of Back: A couple of weeks ago, I played a bunch of Sega games and wrote about them. The one I didn't get to was Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing. I played it and still plan to write a Preview. But I also was half-tempted to post about how the game surprised me by acknowledging the existence in Sega's past of Billy Hatcher. Hatcher was the star of 2003's Billy Hatcher & The Giant Egg, a GameCube-launching game from Yuji Naka's Sega Team that was the wrong game at the wrong time. While the gaming world was craving Grand Theft Autos and Halos, Sonic Team made a new cute mascot character who rolled giant eggs to safety so they could hatch partner animals for Billy. I believe the game was a flop. But it turns out that this early 2010 kart-racer from Sega has a Billy Hatcher stage, complete with giant eggs rolling across the track. And Hatcher is a racer in the game with his own egg car. So... Billy's back.

An Extra Two Seconds: I sort of already did post this, but no one noticed and I felt it wasn't worth a standalone post. Based on testing the original PS3 and the PS3 Slim, recording their boot-up sequences and syncing them together in split-screen (all of which you can find elsewhere on this site), I discovered that the Slim takes two seconds longer to boot up. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe because it has a single on-off switch and isn't in perpetual stand-by mode like my original PS3, which has an on-off switch in the back and a sleep switch in the front. I used my PS3 controller to shut down each machine, recorded them each booting back up. And, well... I guess two seconds isn't really that big a deal.

Lots Of Screenshots Unseen: There comes a point when enough is enough with all the Gamescom screenshots and trailers. We've slowed that down because that's not what we want the site to drown on. I had some new-screenshots posts in draft I left linger. I'd rather write something that would be read.

I didn't get to a Rage interview I still need to run, believe it or not. And a piece that had me talking to John Carmack about something Hideo Kojima said to me — that one's for Monday. So there's more. I'd suggest you have a nice weekend, but I'm not saying goodbye yet. Gotta do a little more work for the site today.

All hail Fahey, McWhertor, and Crecente, the hard-working road warriors of the week!

To understand how Sega thinks about its most famous mascot, one must appreciate how differently people responded to 2008's werewolf version of Sonic, the Werehog.

That creature, who was playable in the combat sections of last year's Sonic Unleashed, "came in for so much criticism," Sega of America's vice president of market, Sean Ratcliffe recalled for Kotaku during an interview with Sega execs in New York earlier this week. "If you read all those things, and we do — maybe not quite every single one, but the vast majority of them — and it's amazing the sort of diatribes you get. But if you sit down with a group of 8, 9, 10 year-old boys, completely different story."

You can't please them all, Sega has learned.

"If you read everything, we need to be all things to all gamers with Sonic, and that's a difficult thing to do," said Mike Hayes, the head of Sega Europe and, as of last month, the head of Sega of America as well. "Trying to put everything into one game and making everybody happy is impossible. And I think that's something clear going forward."

So as Sega proceeds to, in Hayes' words, "review our Sonic road map," fans young and old should prepare for an approach that will produce Sonic games that won't satisfy everyone at once.

Sega's core Sonic target, in fact, isn't those who grew up with Sonic. It's those who are growing up now. "It very much is in that under 12 group," Hayes said. "And what we have to do is make a Sonic that is of a quality that delights that audience, first and foremost. I'd argue that we very much achieved that with products like Sonic Heroes on PS2, and I think we did that with Mario and Sonic 1 on Wii and DS. I think we did it some ways with Sonic and the Secret Rings on Wii. I think [the Wii's Sonic and the] Black Knight was a good game."

Hayes is less satisfied with Sega's execution of those Sonic games that have been on the more powerful Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms. "I think we've had challenges with [the 2006] Sonic the Hedgehog and Unleashed," he said. "[The 2006 game] Sonic the Hedgehog sells extremely well at a budget price. So clearly it's very popular with a young audience. But first and foremost is: We've got to make a quality game for that audience. Does quality mean it's got to be a Metacritic 90 percent? Well not necessarily. It's just got to be quality that's appropriate for them. Then we've got our core fans, and what we need to do is now and then produce a Sonic that will appeal to those fans specifically. "

It's that last group — those core Sonic fans — who seem to be the ones grumbling most on sites like this one about the fate of the franchise. Hayes suggested some ways Sega might produce a Sonic for that community: "Often it can be looking at another take on the nostalgic take on Sonic. Or re-issues. They're very popular. Fans do like that."

One suggestion I'd seen from readers was for Sega to take a page from Nintendo's return-to-the-roots release of New Super Mario Bros. a few years ago and create a new Sonic game that played in a side-scrolling format similar to the original games. While not committing to whether Sega would or already is planning anything like that, Hayes used the question as a way to discuss the differences between continuing the Mario and Sonic lines and to discuss a third brand few gamers have likely ever thought of in the same sentence as Sega's Hedgehog.

"But in its day, Sonic was the Modern Warfare," Hayes said. It was, in other words, the edgier thing, the game series that was cooler, more grown up, than Mario." Hayes admired that, even when he worked for five years at Nintendo. "Mario was very much the toy brand," he recalled. "Although it was hugely successful, sometimes we looked enviously at Sega with this cutting edge. Now the world has moved on since Sonic achieved that. Sonic can't compete with Modern Warfare 2. It can't. Whereas, Mario I don't think has ever been anything other than appealing to that demographic."

The difference, Hayes, explained, is that even as Sonic could no longer be the edgiest thing in console video games, Mario could always target his same cheerful crowd. A New Super Mario Bros. wasn't, in Hayes' mind, as much a return to the series' roots as a continuation of a franchise style that was always relevant to Mario's original kind of audience. "They've had a consistent strategy," he said. "Whereas, with Sonic, I think you have to take it … to a different target audience. Sonic has to go through a metamorphosis as to the type of game you would design."

Hayes and the rest of Sega want to make the old-time Sonic fans happy. They just need those fans to not expect their Sonic in every Sonic game. So… the plan? Most of it is not being revealed, yet, of course, but the general strategy is to make core Sonic games pretty much every other year, "character derivative" games between those and, on occasion, off-shoots that involve Sonic doing new physical activities such as playing tennis, skateboarding (as in Sonic Riders), or racing cars, as in the upcoming Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing.

The Sega brass hopes their plan will generate something Sonic for everyone. "Trying to appease all those audiences is really hard," Ratcliffe said. "But we are flattered, because we've taken nostalgic fans with us on a journey for almost 20 years and they're still passionate about Sonic."

Yet the blue hedgehog is still Sega's most prominent mascot, and Sega keep on churning out Sonic games, even though they suck. Which begs the question: when can we expect Sonic games to not suck? Sega America's VP of marketing Sean Ratcliffe got stuck with the excuse-making:

The quality is something that will be fixed over time. It's not something where you wake up one morning and say, 'You know what, we're going to improve our quality on this franchise,' and it magically happens. A lot of hard work goes into striving for quality.

Normally, we'd stop things there, but we like Ratcliffe's continued response so much we're going to run it:

Interestingly, I think Sonic Unleashed was very well received by the kids. There was some talk about the werehog aspect, the slower pacing and more combat-oriented gameplay, but when we go out and test this stuff and sit down with the consumers, kids actually like that. I think older, die-hard Sega fans who grew up with the franchise and the first Sonic the Hedgehog associate Sonic more with 2-D side-scrolling super fast, and they liked the daytime gameplay, but when it came to the slower paced gameplay they were fairly critical of that, and that's fine – they have their opinions.

"But the kids like it." Bet other publishers wish they could peddle that one out!

Sega: Sonic Quality to Be 'Fixed Over Time' [IndustryGamers]

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Sonic Universe #5... Written by Ian Flynn; Art by Tracy Yardley
Via publisher Archie Comics: "MOBIUS: 30 YEARS LATER" TALE!: "Five Years of Peace": By popular demand, we're going back to the future! It's now thirty years down the line and King Sonic is on the throne. He has his hands full with the tiny royal twins, but fan-favorite Lara-Su is there to help. As the world prepares to celebrate the new royal family, a deadly plot is hatched from the shadows...and you'll never guess who shows up at the end! It's the action and adventure you've come to expect from "Mobius: 25 Years Later" tales...not to mention all your favorite good guys and bad guys! The future has never been more frantic...and it's up to Sonic to make sure it's infinite!

Starcraft #2 ... Written by Simon Furman; Art by Federico Dallocchio
Via publisher Wildstorm: Based on the worldwide hit videogame! The War Pigs' quest to find and assassinate Jim Raynor begins in earnest. But before they can get anywhere fast, they first have to wrest their ship, the General Lee, from the hands of cutthroat pirates! Plus, just who is Cole Hickson? And what dark secrets from his past and present does he harbor? One way or another, the War Pigs are in for a rough ride.

In fact, the only game in Vintage Collection 2 coming to the PlayStation 3 is GunStar Heroes, which hardly qualifies it as a collection in the case of Sony's console, but it doesn't seem like PS3 owners will be missing much. As expected, the collection consists of GunStar, Altered Beast, Shinobi arcade, Comix Zone, Phantasy Star II, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, with Sonic & Knuckles coming later in the year.

The only difference between these releases and the versions of the games included in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is network play for Sonic, Altered Beast and GunStar and online leader boards, so unless you cannot live without those features you're probably better off picking up the retail collection.