Post a Comment On: The Dreamcast Junkyard

The internet was recently awash with Sega fans falling over themselves discussing the recent announcement about the return of Panzer Dragoon. Now there are two things you won't find within this article;

A) Any news strictly relevant to the Dreamcast (you can also spare the 'slow news day?' comments. It's a Dreamcast blog in 2018, we have no concept of any other type of news day) 
B) Any sort of explanation about the newly announced game at all. As none really exist. Other than the same statement reported everywhere.




So what are we offering then? well, tidbits I guess? The news was widely met with either two remarks. 'THIS IS AMAZING!!!' style gushing or instant questions about 'Why not Saga?'. The second question is certainly legitimate. Especially when a deeper look into the games announcement is accompanied by the statement the game is being reworked and externally so. I.E not Sega themselves, so the age old issue of someone having put the Panzer Dragoon Saga source code in a bin, emptied it and then set that computer on fire could be sidestepped with a rebuild you would think.

The game is instead being handled but Polish studio Forever Entertainment. Whose site showcases mainly phone looking games and then the recent Fear Effect revival. So they have some experience going from PS1/Sautrn era to 2018 at least.


"The new version of the game will be characterized by a completely new graphics compatible with today's standards and several modifications of the game, making it more attractive to modern players, while remaining faithful to the original in terms of story. The first materials from the game will be presented in the upcoming months!"
Forever Entertainment 

[Image] One of Forever Enterainments current licenses appears to be 'Teddy Floppy Ear -  The Race' featuring this rather brilliant looking Rasta pigeon thing.

However the official news to me is slightly more interesting. Sega has been strangely mute to the announcement. Other than to simply state that Forever Entertainment are handling the game, but as yet no official communications directly from Sega or involvement from their social media channels. Or even responses to or retweets of any kind that link to the news has occurred.

In itself that isn't concerning or anything near that. However what is certainly raising my own admittedly feverish, fanboy eyebrows. Is that along with Streets of Rage 4 and Shenmue 3 it now becomes the 3rd major Sega franchise being worked on away from Sega that we know of. I don't count Sonic Team Racing as Sumo have always lead on that project series although happy for that to be considered a 4th.

Having previously seen attempts from other games developers, to discuss making games that did feature on the Dreamcast it is certainly something that many of us found as interesting as it was unexpected.

With the success of the Sega Mega Drive collection and how much they are pushing the release of the Nintendo Switch version currently. Combined with the landscape of mini consoles for Sega's past hardware rivals, and the amount of SNK classics being either literally spewed out by Hamster, or lovingly crafted and packed as history tomes by NIS America with the Neo Geo Collection. Then the landscape is actually fairly different enough to consider that some Dreamcasts stellar library is surely in consideration, somwhere in the games industry.

[Image] Shoe horned in due to it's vague connection to Sega Rally? You betcha!

This could (and by could, I mean hope) mean that Sega would finally look at allowing the development of a new Jet Set Radio game or similar. Jet Set as a prime example having previously received a pitch back in 2017, from Dinosaur games. For precisely the sort of reboot that Panzer Dragoon seems to be getting. In theory there has never been a more opportune time. An increased amount of recognition for the Dreamcast on Sega's shop and with the Sega Heroes game in full marketing push including many beloved characters. Is the landscape of 2019 potentially going to be a great one for Dreamcast fans?


[Image] Concept art from the very pitch mentioned above. More on the link.