Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: SEGA

  • ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ Release Date Announced Alongside New Logo

    ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ Release Date Announced Alongside New Logo

    Right before the pandemic hit, one of the last films to grace the silver screen was Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega’s first major Hollywood film told the origin story of a young blue hedgehog, as he met his arch-rival Jim Carrey‘s Dr. Robotinik and made some friends along the way. At the end of the film, it was revealed that a familiar face is joining his next adventure, as Miles ‘Tails’ Prower made his live-action debut. Just recently, there is also the rumor going around that Jason Momoa was offered the role of Knuckles the Echidna. Now, it like the film is getting ready to enter production, as the official Twitter account shared a small animation that reveals the film’s rather straight-forward title and the official release date of April 8th, 2022.

    As a huge Sonic the Hedgehog fan, I am excited to see where they are heading with the upcoming film. It makes sense they would remain with the classic numbering system, as even the original trilogy followed that structure. I would’ve loved to see some subtitles like Adventure or Heroes. It would just add that little something. We still have no idea where the story is heading, as Dr. Robotnik remains stranded on a planet full of mushrooms. There is a chance that they might introduce a brand new villain, such as the Echidna tribe that got teased during the opening sequence of the last film. It’s also kind of perfect that Tails gets a larger role in the sequel, as he did in the original Sega Genesis game.

    As this year will celebrate the blue blur’s 30th anniversary, we might get some more insight into the film’s story around June. Ironically, it is kind of perfect to reveal this in February, as Sonic’s first actual video game appearance was in the arcade game Rad Mobile. That means his actual 30th anniversary is in February, so Paramount chose a perfect time for this reveal. Now, if only they could announce the next game s well.

    Source: Twitter, The Gamer

  • RUMOR: Jason Momoa Offered to Voice Knuckles in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Sequel

    RUMOR: Jason Momoa Offered to Voice Knuckles in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Sequel

    It would appear as though the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog sequel is looking to add some heavy star-power to its cast. The Illuminerdi has learned that Jason Momoa, best known for his starring roles in Aquaman and Game of Thrones, has been offered to voice Knuckles the Echidna. He is a fan-favorite character who was long-rumored to be playing a role in the film. A while back, the in-house production being called Red Energy seemed to hint at his addition. Their sources behind the Momoa casting claim that the “ball is in his court”, and that the muscle-clad actor needs only agree to terms to finalize the deal.

    Fans began speculating that Knuckles would appear in the sequel almost as soon as the original dropped in early 2020, a theory, which got promoted by the mid-credits surprise when another classic supporting character from the franchise, Miles “Tails” Prower, made his live-action debut. Although the original video game voice actress, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, returned to play Tails, many speculated that a character like Knuckles could receive a new voice in a similar vein to the film’s title character. The popular fan theory was that they would cast Dwayne Johnson, and it seems that they certailny had a specific type of actor in mind for the role. If he accepts Paramount’s conditions, he’ll replace Dave B. Mitchell, who played him in the games.

    The Sonic the Hedgehog sequel was confirmed in May. It was only three months after the film’s successful theatrical release of the first film. The announcement came on the heels of a surprisingly successful run in theaters, which ended up making Sonic the sixth highest-grossing film of the year. The cast of the first endeavor, which included Jim Carrey as the evil Dr. Robotnik and James Marsden as Sonic’s new real-world best friend, is expected to return alongside Ben Schwartz in the title role. Jeff Fowler, who made his theatrical directorial debut with Sonic the Hedgehog, is also on board to helm the sequel. The cast will see the return of Schwartz and Carrey in their titular roles. They have stated interest in the next film bringing the story more in-line with the source material. The actual plot of the franchise’s future remains tightly under wraps.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • Other Sega Franchises That Deserve a Cinematic Adaptation

    Other Sega Franchises That Deserve a Cinematic Adaptation

    Sega has started realizing the potential of adapting their franchises. Sonic the Hedgehog pleasantly surprised cinema-goers before the lockdown happened. Now, they even announced they plan on a live-action adaptation of the Yakuza franchise. It looks like they are going to start going through their library of games to find more potential film franchises. My mind then thought about what Sega games I would like to see adapted in the future. There are some franchises that haven’t really returned since the Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo Gamecube era. Perhaps they have a chance to return in an entirely new format.

    Skies of Arcadia

    Skies of Arcadia: Legends is one of my favorite RPG games. It takes place in a world filled with pirates and adventurers. Unlike classic pirate stories, there are no oceans in Arcadia. Somehow the gravity of this world keeps various islands floating in the sky. So, the fittingly titled sky pirates travel from island to island. The game follows a young member of the Blue Rogues named Vyse. He ends up getting trapped in a story filled with pirate wars, a secret governmental plot, and exploring the history of mythological beasts. It’s a fantastic world that would be a waste not to continue exploring.

    It is made for a film adaptation. The character designs are mostly realistic. It’s could work as a unique take on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Yes, it would be quite effects-heavy with flying ships but it would be a unique visual to capture the audience’s attention. They also aren’t restricted to focusing on Vyse’s story. It could be a continuation of a new generation of pirates that explore the unknown. I’m a big fan of mythology which this game is rich in. Would love to see a flying pirate battle with a Gigas towering over them. It could also work as a great television series with the right budget. Who doesn’t want to see ships fly alongside whales in the sky?

    Jet Grind Radio

    Who doesn’t love a game with style? Jet Grind Radio, also known as Jet Set Radio, is a cult classic. The story takes place in Tokyo-to where gangs of youths are roaming the streets. It’s a story filled with Turf Wars between graffiti-tagging gans. The game follows Beat’s GGs, which is short for Graffiti Gang. All of this is narrated through the pirate radio station Jet Set Radio. It then becomes a battle between teenagers facing unlikely odds, as the company Rokkaku gets involved. At some point, it even turns into a variation of Faust with Rokkaku’s CEO trying to make a deal with the devil.

    The premise alone has quite a promise. It’s an important story to tell especially right now. While a live-action adaptation could be fun, I do believe that this should stick to its cartoon-inspired look. It would work much better as an animated film or series. Plus, it could give them more creative freedom when implementing the wide variety of tracks that range from J-pop, hip hop to acid jazz. Hopefully, they could even get original composer Hideki Naganuma back to continue his work.

    Valkyrie Chronicles

    I won’t lie, this isn’t an easy franchise to get into. The concept is actually really interesting. It’s a turn-based game where you control various units in an ongoing war. You only have a limited amount of time to move each character around. The story is quite compelling and doesn’t shy away from the sacrifices of war. The only drawback is the gameplay. It can drag out as you move every single unit manually. It still is an interesting game to tackle for fans of turn-based games. Still, there is a lot here that would lend itself to being adapted in live-action.

    At its core, this is a story about war. The weapons are strongly inspired by steampunk with some fantasy elements. It lends itself to a Game of Thrones-style story that spans an ongoing conflict throughout Europa. We follow a group of a small brigade that is trying to make their way towards the capital. This militia uncovers the true plans of the East Europan Imperial Alliance and tries to stop it before more lives are lost in this neverending conflict.

    Many More Options

    Of course, Sega has so many more franchises they could adapt. Golden Axe as a Conan-inspired epic. They could embrace science-fiction fantasy with Phantasy Star. Hell, they could even make a cartoon based on NiGHTS. The three I mentioned above are franchises that I hold dear. I still have hopes that Skies of Arcadia or Jet Set Radio will finally make a return in some form. It will be interesting to see what other franchises they may already have planned to adapt to the silver screen. We will see if Sega will continue to expand, or if they will first wait to see how Yakuza and the Sonic the Hedgehog film perform.

    Source: Digital Spy

  • Sega Developing Live-Action ‘Yakuza’ Film

    Sega Developing Live-Action ‘Yakuza’ Film

    Sega has become synonymous with their Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. It has become their tentpole franchise even as the game’s quality has not been consistent. The character is so popular he got his own film back in February. While it didn’t have much competition, the film was a big hit and Sega is looking into future ventures on the silver screen. There is one franchise that is perfect for a live-action adaptation and that is Yakuza. In Japan, the series is better known as Ryū ga Gotoku, which means Like a Dragon.

    The 2005 franchise consists of seven main titles with various spin-offs. It follows the story of Kazuma Kiryu, a small-time member of the Dojima family. He takes the fall for the murder of the family’s patriarch and lands in prison for 10 years. 1212 Entertainment and Wild Sheep will be developing the live-action adaptation. They gave the following statement on the film’s production.

    Yakuza offers us a new playground in which to set compelling stories with complex characters in a unique environment that audiences have rarely seen before. The saga of Kazuma Kiryu has a built-in cinematic appeal – a mix of kinetic action with bursts of comedy, multiple converging storylines, and a gripping journey towards redemption.

    It makes sense with the franchise becoming a bestselling hit worldwide. Erik Barmack, Roberto Grande, and Joshua Long are attached as producers. Barmack pointed out that they will make use of their background in global storytelling. You can’t make a film about Yakuza without filming it in Japan to bring Kamurocho to life. The location is a fictionalized version of the real-world’s Kabukichō in Tokyo. It will be interesting to see who they attach as director. The franchise has its roots in Yakuza gang. dramas. The Outrage series could be a big influence on the film. It would be a dream if they get Takeshi Kitano involved with the project, who just finished the Outrage trilogy a few years ago.

    Source: Variety

  • SEGA to Port Older Games After ‘Persona 4 Golden’s Success on Steam

    SEGA to Port Older Games After ‘Persona 4 Golden’s Success on Steam

    It’s always interesting to see how a success story can shape a company’s future business practices. SEGA just recently launched a port of the PSP exclusive Persona 4 Golden on Steam. This was a huge surprise, as it was the first time the franchise has left the realm of PlayStation. Luckily, this paid off for them in record time. It is now Steam’s most-played non-MMO JRPG. As a fan of the franchise, this was fantastic to see, as it could entice SEGA to release ports of older entries. I never had a chance to play the third installment and always was hoping to get a chance to do so. Sadly, the game is not available where I live and some used copies can fetch a price of up to €250.

    Screenshot
    Luckily, this gamble paid off so well that SEGA has confirmed this notion moving forward. In a recent investor Q&A, they confirmed that they plan on broadening their approach to porting past releases. That means not only through Steam but also through other platforms. This could indicate that dormant franchises could finally make a return. We already have seen the first steps of this strategy. In a recent Nintendo Direct Mini, they announced a remaster of the cult classic Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne for the Switch. This is a perfect opportunity to potentially reignite interest for new entries in these franchises.
    A personal hope would be to see the return of Skies of Arcadia Legends. It was one of the best-reviewed games on the Dreamcast but it sadly under-performed on a dying console. While it did get an expanded port to the GameCube, the dwindling interest in JRPGs at the time sadly disheartened any further development. Even the creator has been vocally pushing for the franchise’s return. Persona 4 Golden‘s success proved that there is a noticeable market for this genre once again. If a port of this game could draw in an audience, there is a chance we could see this franchise make a return after almost 20 years. This is just one example of what SEGA could accomplish with this strategy and am looking forward to what the future will bring.

    Source: VG24/7, Push Square, Nintendo, IGN, EuroGamer