October 31, 1996

Game Fan Online recently reported that the Saturn remake of the SNES classic Actraiser has been renamed "Solo Crisis," (still tentative). The game will also be much more different that what was previously planned. Solo Crisis is Quintet's first Saturn title, and will be released by Sega of Japan sometime in 1997. For more information, go to GFO.

As reported by Game Fan Online, Sega will introduce a BASIC kit for the Saturn in early December. The BASIC for SEGA SATURN is developed by Bits System and will feature two models, one that interfaces with a PC and a standalone version. For more information on BASIC for SEGA SATURN, go to GFO.

October 29, 1996

Symptoms of accelerated heart rates, profuse sweating and strained eye sockets were reported nationwide as Sega of America boldly announced Tuesday the release of "Fighting Vipers" as a part of its "Blood, Sweat & Tears" arcade-to-home line-up, exclusively on the Sega Saturn.

Currently ranked among the top five games in arcades, "Fighting Vipers" is hard-hitting proof that Sega Saturn continues its reign as the undefeated champion of in-home arcade gaming. "Fighting Vipers" leads the pack of four new arcade games shipping for Sega Saturn this holiday season, bringing Sega's arcade-to-home library to 11 titles.

Rated T, "Fighting Vipers" hits retail shelves on Oct. 29 for a suggested retail price of $49.99.

October 26, 1996

According to Next Generation Online, Sega of America has picked up Hudson Soft's Bomberman for release in the US. Bomberman will be made compatible with Sega's NetLink and should be available early next year.

According to a producer of Tomb Raider at Eidos Interactive, Tomb Raider should come out around mid-November for the Sony Playstation with the Sega Saturn and PC versions being released a week afterwards. Tomb Raider is currently out in Europe only on the Saturn.

SOURCE: Marty Chinn of Video Source

October 22, 1996

Sega of America will once again redefine interactive entertainment with the national launch of its Sega Saturn Net Link, a low-cost device that allows Internet access through the television.

Starting Oct. 31, consumers across the country will be able to do more than simply watch TV -- they'll be able to enjoy the expanse of the Internet without the expense traditionally associated with high-end computers.

Simple to use for Internet novices and veritable "Net Heads" alike, the Sega Saturn Net Link is chock full of tools that make surfing the Web, sending and receiving e-mails, participating in chat sessions, and playing networked games an easy and, at less than $400, an affordable experience.

"With Sega Saturn Net Link, we've given the mass consumer a passport to the exciting world of the Internet," said Kerry Bradford, general manager of Sega Online, Sega of America. "We've simplified the Internet by combining a graphically-rich roadmap, useful tools, and an intuitive interface that takes the `tech' out of the `Net.'"

The Sega Saturn Net Link combines two consumer entertainment products in one: an advanced 32-bit CD-based video game system offering more than 200 interactive entertainment titles by Christmas, and a modem providing full Internet functionality for e-mail, Web surfing and, ultimately, networked game play. It is the only TV-based Web device offering a hybrid CD drive/Internet functionality that can enhance the user's on-line experience.

Sega's first foray into low-cost Internet access is an extension of the company's steadfast mission to deliver top-notch interactive entertainment on all platforms, including arcades, consoles, PCs and now, the Internet. While Sega Saturn Net Link offers traditional Internet tools for surfing and e-mail, it will be the first video game console to deliver networked games.

The first networkable Sega Saturn Net Link game will be the arcade and Sega Saturn hit, "Sega Rally Championship." A head-to-head off-road rally race, "Sega Rally Championship" is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 1997. Additionally, a number of third party game companies plan to deliver Sega Saturn Net Link games in 1997 including Capcom and GT Interactive Software.

Sega Saturn Net Link will be available nationwide on Oct. 31 for a suggested retail price of $199.99. That price includes a 28.8 Kbps speed modem cartridge that plugs into the Sega Saturn, a phone cord and a CD containing the Web browser and 3D city interface. Sold separately are the Sega Saturn system (SRP $199.99), a Sega Saturn mouse (SRP $24.99) and a PS/2 keyboard adapter (SRP $19.99).

A bundled package will also be available (SRP $449.99) combining the Sega Saturn, the modem/browser package, a custom Sega Saturn keyboard and a non-networkable version of the hit arcade game, "Sega Rally Championship."

For information on the features of the Net Link, Click Here

In support of the Sega Saturn Net Link launching nationwide on Oct. 31, Sega(TM) of America Tuesday announced retail distribution plans for its television-based Internet connector.

Sega will broaden the scope of retail outlets to include both core consumer electronics and toy retailers, as well as alternative channels such as rental, computer interest, catalogs and cable programming.

A much-anticipated low-cost Internet solution, the Sega Saturn Net Link will be available at retail outlets nationwide, predominantly in Sega's core retailers, including Toys R Us, Best Buy, Walmart, Electronics Boutique, Neostar, The Good Guys and Incredible Universe. Computer retail channels have also expressed interest in carrying the product.

Sega also has opted to tap alternative distribution channels for Sega Saturn Net Link. Offering consumers a chance to "try before they buy," Sega plans to place Sega Saturn Net Link in the lucrative rental market, ranging from small, independent video rental outlets to regional chain operations. When renting both the Sega Saturn and Sega Saturn Net Link, consumers will receive three days of free Internet access through Concentric Network Corp.

Additional channels include the CompuCard catalog, QVC (the cable shopping channel) and value-added retailers targeting college bookstores, school districts, and independent computer and education-oriented outlets.

Sega projects that 100,000 Sega Saturn Net Link units will be sold in 1996, citing retailer excitement and consumer demand as early indicators for the product's success.

October 21, 1996

Sega of America plans to unveil the Sega Saturn Net Link at a press conference tomorrow, October 22, 1996. The Net Link is the first video game console to offer online Internet gaming.

October 18, 1996

World Wide Soccer 97, Tetris Plus, Bottom of the 9th, and Mr. Bones have been released for the Sega Saturn and should be in stores nationwide today.

October 17, 1996

Daytona USA Championship Circuit Edition will be released before Thanksgiving in the US, which will be before the Japanese version is released. Daytona USA CCE will not be compatible with the Net Link and will not have a track editor (in fact, it never had one to begin with). In other Sega release date news, NFL '97 is planned to be released on the same day as Daytona. Virtual On and Virtua Cop 2 are both scheduled for a late November release. Manx TT will not be released this holiday season, it has been delayed until March of 1997.

As mentioned in the above article, Daytona USA Championship Circuit Edition is not going to be Net Link compatible. In addition, Command and Conquer for the Saturn will not be compatible with the Net Link, cause Sega didn't get Westwood the Net Link code in time.

This past Saturday I reported that Fighting Vipers arrived in stores on Friday, October 11, 1996. On that day, I was contacted by a local video game retailer saying that Fighting Vipers had arrived. It turns out that they never received the game. Fighting Vipers is not in stores and has been delayed till October 31, 1996. I apologize for any problems and inconveniences that this has caused.

October 15, 1996

Online Gaming Review has reported that Sega will begin selling the Saturn packaged with three titles this fall. Starting in late November and through the Holiday Season Sega will be offering Daytona USA, Virtua Cop without the gun, and Virtua Fighter 2 to anyone purchases a Saturn system. In addition Sega will be giving out coupons for future software purchases. (I have not been able to get a confirmation from Sega about this news.)

October 9, 1996

Sega of America announced today it has brought its retail pricing of all new Sega Saturn games to five price points between $19.99 and $59.99, and eliminated the $69.99 price point for all new titles.

In addition, Sega has increased retailer margins by up to 4 percent on software between $29.99, $39.99, and $49.99, the most prevalent price points for new Sega Saturn software.

In line with the new pricing pattern, Sega reduced prices of more than 20 Sega Saturn exclusive arcade and character-based titles released earlier this year including: "Panzer Dragoon II," "World Series Baseball," "BUG!," "Clockwork Knight 2," "Wing Arms," "Legend of Oasis," "NBA Action," "WorldWide Soccer," and "Toshinden Remix."

"Sega Saturn now offers consumers the most diverse and affordable next-generation library of games in the industry," Ted Hoff, executive vice president, Sega of America, said. "This value combined with the upcoming exclusive arcade hits, best-selling character-based games, and Internet access with Net Link makes Sega Saturn the best system of choice for consumers."

These price reductions are one part of Sega's integrated marketing strategy for the fall season. In addition, Sega will have a full lineup of highly anticipated Sega Saturn games for every type of video gamer.

Sega Saturn's fall lineup includes the eagerly anticipated "Sonic 3D Blast," Sonic the Hedgehog's first 3-D appearance on the Sega Saturn; "Sega Saturn Net Link," an add-on for the Sega Saturn that allows access to the Internet for e-mail, on-line chats, and browsing; and "NFL '97," Sega Sports' first football game for the Sega Saturn.

Also hitting the shelves this fall are "Fighting Vipers," "Virtual On" and "Virtua Cop 2," which have been best-selling arcade games in the United States, as well as "BUG Too!," the sequel to last year's platform favorite, "BUG!." Gamers can also look forward to the original "mr. Bones," a musically interactive title with unprecedented animation, just in time for Halloween.

Sega kicked off its stellar holiday lineup with "NiGHTS," which is delighting retailers and consumers alike. With a record-setting pace, "NiGHTS" has proven to be the game of choice for Sega Saturn owners this fall.

Three of the nation's top video game retailers, Electronics Boutique, Babbages, and Software Etc., have reported complete sell-outs of "NiGHTS" and are re-stocking the shelves with re-orders. Proving that "NiGHTS" has set a new standard in software quality, Sega has received re-orders on "NiGHTS" from 100 percent of its retailers nationwide.

"With killer-app titles such as `NiGHTS,' exclusive arcade games, and an affordable library of existing software, Sega has made strategic moves to capture the heart of gamers everywhere," Hoff continued.

Sega of America Wednesday accepted responsibility for initiating a highly contagious arcade epidemic with its "Blood, Sweat & Tears" arcade line-up exclusively for the Sega Saturn.

"Virtua Fighter Kids," "Fighting Vipers," "Virtual On," "Virtua Cop 2" and "Manx TT" bring Sega Saturn's arcade library to 11 titles, making it the largest and most popular arcade line-up in the industry.

"Virtua Fighter Kids" recently shipped and was the best-selling title the first week it was available. Next to ship, on Oct. 11, is "Fighting Vipers," a revolutionary breakthrough in the genre of fighting games. This title ranks as one of the best in uncompromising arcade action gaming with incredible graphics, unique and explosive caged-fighting scenes and powerful "no nonsense" fighters.

Other titles in Sega's new arcade line-up, "Virtual On," "Virtua Cop 2" and "Manx TT" will ship during the holiday season.

"Sega's 40 year arcade heritage continues to deliver the next level of true-to-arcade quality and content games on the Sega Saturn," said Ted Hoff, executive vice president, sales and marketing. "With proven arcade hits migrating exclusively to the Sega Saturn, Sega's ownership of the arcade-to-home market is something the competition just cannot touch."

Currently, "Virtua Cop 2" and "Fighting Vipers" are among the top five games in arcades. "Virtual On" rates at the top of earnings reports for arcade locations nationwide. Other current Sega Saturn hits, including "Virtua Fighter 2" and "Virtua Cop," rank among the top 10 titles in arcades today. "Manx TT" was rated No. 1 by Replay Magazine in the "Best Deluxe Videogame Category" (August 1996).

Sega's "Blood, Sweat & Tears" guaranteed line-up includes special enhancements in Sega Saturn's versions of:

"Virtua Fighter Kids," the mega-hit arcade game in Japan, which brings home 20 percent faster action than "Virtua Fighter 2," adding more emotion and intense speed to the gameplay. Ten small-bodied, big-headed professional fighters dare gamers to walk away without breaking a sweat.

"Fighting Vipers," the street-smart, psychotic gang accustomed to the sight of bloody street battles challenges gamers to get accustomed or get wiped out. With 700 brutal moves that include knocking their opponents through cage walls and off skyscrapers and breaking off their armor, "Fighting Vipers" blows away gamers with its incredible graphic depth and detail.

"Virtual On," the next generation mechanized warfare in which you run, jump, fly and hide while in hand-to-hand combat or laser gun warfare, will leave gamers teary-eyed and begging for mercy. Characters rich in detail attack each other with precise arcade movements in free-motion 360 gameplay.

"Virtua Cop 2" expects gamers to take on the role of cops and enforce the law on the badder-than-ever guys...or never return home. Your skills and experience are put to the test in the heat of the action with first person motion perspectives in moving environments, such as car chases and subway shoot-outs.

"Manx TT," the world-famous hardcore racers challenge, puts gamers in the "hot seat" as it delivers action at 30 frames per second with multiple perspectives and stimulating graphics, reaching motorcycle speeds of up to 125 mph. Champions attest to the fact that if you don't sweat it you're either the best racer around or you're just watching.

October 8, 1996

If you were one of a select group of industry insiders trying out the new Nintendo 64 this week, you probably received a severed limb in the mail from Sega of America. But it's not a vendetta. It's simply Sega's "totally tongue-in-cheek" response to what the Saturn maker sees as deficiencies in the new Nintendo platform's control pad, said Sega spokeswoman Angela Edwards.

Sega shipped a rubber severed arm to about 250 analysts and other industry insiders with a flyer reading: "If You're Reviewing N64 With Their New Control Pad--YOU'LL NEED A THIRD HAND!"

The letters "SEGA" are printed on the fingers of the fake hand, and the shirtsleeve bears a patch with a slash through "N64."

Edwards said the promotion--which cost "under $10,000"--was aimed at promoting design flaws in the new Nintendo controller, which she contends is inferior "because you can't reach all the buttons with two hands.

"The message was worth more than the cost of the promotion," she added. Nintendo representatives did not return a phone call by presstime.
information from OOverlord

October 7, 1996

There has been speculation within the gaming industry that Daytona USA Circuit Edition may be released in the US before Japan in order to have it out in time for Christmas. This would be similar to what they did with Sega Rally last year. Virtua Cop 2 and Virtual On should also make it out in time for the very important holiday shopping season.

October 2, 1996

Sega Enterprises Ltd. plans aggressive expansion of its foreign amusement-facility operations, more than doubling the number of facilities overseas in the fiscal year ending March 1997.

The impact on this term's consolidated earnings will be slight. However, the company aims to develop the operation to the point where it rivals commercial-use game equipment as a source of profits.

This term Sega plans to open two large-scale facilities and about 46 regular amusement facilities. Concentrating on development in Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, the company plans to bring the number of facilities up to 87.

With Sega's share of the new facilities' revenues reaching 15 billion yen (about 135.1 million dollars), the facilities are expected to finish their first year of operation in the black.
Information from OOverlord

As reported by Next Gen Online, NiGHTS is the 10th best seller in the US for the month of August, according to SofTrends. The only Saturn game in the top 20.

October 1, 1996

Joining in Walt Disney World's silver anniversary celebration, Sega of America will exclusively unveil its low-cost videogame console TV Web device called the Sega Saturn Net Link at a special Innoventions exhibit.

For the first time, visitors can preview Net Link -- which makes its U.S. debut on Oct. 31 -- and see how Sega has made Internet access on a television set as easy as playing a videogame. Sega will also showcase its "fly-away" hit videogame, "NiGHTS" as part of the Innoventions festivities.

Innoventions guests will be among the first to experience the Internet in a totally new way; Sega Saturn Net Link features Net Link city on Planet Oasis -- a 20-block, 3D "Internet city" complete with a movie cineplex, airport, financial district, museums, and even a shuttle launch pad, as well as a boat-lined canal and cars and buses on the streets.

Users can click on the neighborhood of their choice to find up to 15 different sites they can explore in that content region. More than 225 informative and commercial sites are accessible in the city neighborhoods, including Disney Online, the Smithsonian, the Youth Hall of Fame, Gatorade Sports Drink and Specialized Bikes. Sega Saturn Net Link will also provide e-mail, and Web-surfing functions, and ultimately, networked gaming.

In addition to this exclusive preview of Sega Saturn Net Link, Sega will showcase many of its revolutionary videogames -- including best-seller "NiGHTS" -- at its Innoventions exhibit.

The Sega exhibit at Innoventions will also feature a sneak peak at several new titles starring the world-famous Sonic the Hedgehog, Pico, Sega's "computer that thinks its a toy" for children aged 3-7; Sega Sports, an all-star line-up of the best sports videogames around; Genesis "up and comers" including "Vectorman 2" and "X-Women;" as well as a variety of PC games from Sega Entertainment Inc.
Information from OOverlord