We’ve got a new year’s resolution that’s sure to please gamers worldwide: the iconic blue hedgehog will be making his 2D return in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II in 2012. Following the award-winning success of Episode I, which took the world by storm in 2010, Sonic will continue his journey through the epic Sonic 4 saga on XBLA, PSN, and mobile platforms including the App Store, Android Market and Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone 7.

Fans have been eagerly anticipating the next episode in Sonic’s new side-scrolling adventure, and SEGA has been listening closely to their feedback. Armed with all-new character animations and a completely reworked physics engine, Episode II will expand the Sonic 4 storyline with new areas to speed through and new challenges to face. For a sneak peek at what’s in store, including the arrival of a certain high-flying, twin-tailed pal who’s sure to be of assistance, check out the all-new teaser trailer!

“After twenty years in action, it’s clear that Sonic hasn’t slowed down one bit,” said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “The first entry in the Sonic 4 saga was a major success. We’ve listened to the fans and been hard at work making sure we recapture that same spirit of fun in Episode II. We hope the fans will enjoy it.”

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 2 will support Android mobile devices powered by the NVIDIA® Tegra® mobile processor. It will be available on the Android Market and featured on the Tegra Zone app. In addition, SEGA and NVIDIA are working closely together to develop an even more enhanced version for Tegra 3, the world’s first quad-core mobile processor.

Act fast Xbox 360 Sonic Fans! Today is the ONLY day to pick up your favorite games at extremely discounted prices! Prices so low, they’re crazy!

Sonic the Hedgehog was 400MSP, is now 160MSP!
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was 400MSP, is now 160MSP!
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was 400MSP, is now 160MSP!
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 was 800MSP, is now 320MSP!
Sonic Adventure was 800MSP, is now 320MSP!
Sonic Adventure Upgrade was 400MSP, is now 160MSP!

Don’t delay, you only have today to get these deals at this price!

Why not celebrate the holidays with some super festive, super cute new wallpapers from Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz? We’ve got sizes to fit your favorite computer, tablet or phone, in English and Japanese. Click through to download the wallpapers of your choice!

From all of us here at SEGA, we wish you and your families all the best during the holidays and new year!

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The Holidays are nearly here and soon we’ll all have a spot of time to relax and catch up on all the games we’ve been missing out on because of those pesky work or school responsibilities. Just in time for your gaming vacation – some very special Holiday content from Renegade Ops and Shogun 2 Total War!

Renegade Ops

To catch the Holiday items in Renegade Ops, you’ll need to pick up the Coldstrike Pack and be on the PC platform. Riding around in the winter wonderland of the new DLC pack is a familiar friend with 8 tiny reindeer. Say hi the Renegade way (with a hail of bullet fire) and you might be rewarded with a special gift. Thanks Santa (also, no hard feelings, right?).

Shogun 2 Total War

Creative Assembly deployed some free Holiday content for the community as a gesture of good will to all men. In it, there’s a new front end screen (this is enabled or disabled by the date of your system clock) and a whole new Christmassy map, packed with treats.

Here’s the scoop on the updates and changes, including two fixes:

Changelist
• Brand new Christmas map – “Operation Santa”
• New Christmas battle HUD for Operation Santa map
• Corrections to encyclopaedia
• New Christmas front end scene
• Fixed hack (money cheat)
• Fixed issue with missing wall pieces in certain siege battle maps

*Note: Hey guys, with everyone running around getting ready for the holidays, I’m very sorry but we had incorrect information posted earlier.

As you know, SEGA has been offering Sonic CD at a special introductory sale price for mobile devices. We thank all the Sonic fans out there who have downloaded and are enjoying Sonic CD. The response has been tremendous, and we love seeing all of you enjoying the game so much.

In celebration of this phenomenal support, we’ll be extending a sale price of $2.99 for Sonic CD in the iTunes App Store and Android Marketplace through January 8^th, 2012. Thank you and Happy downloading/playing!

As the celebration of Winterfest continues, we have news of another new update for Spiral Knights!

Sale! 80% Off Explorer’s Pack

A magnificent deal for the holidays — the Explorer’s Pack, normally $14.95, is marked down to the Spir-low (sorry) price of just $2.95. For a limited time (until January 2nd) purchase this pack and get a 2 Week Elevator Pass, a 7 Day Heat Amplifier, a Silver Key, and a random Stranger Hat costume item!

Check here for more info!

Drone Monsters

Nefarious new mechanical monsters are roaming the twisted turning paths of the Clockworks: Are they a sinister homage to the movie monsters of old, sci-fi robots bent on destroying all intruders, or both?

Drones are not part of any currently known class of monster. They are complete immune to damage until they stop and expose a weak point — meanwhile, beware the Golden Drones, which never stop (and are thus effectively invincible). Drones can cause regular damage or negative status effects, so beware! A full list of the drones — gifted with some truly incredible names — is available in the official patch notes, along with more info on this update!

Check out GameSpot’s video to learn why Total War: Shogun 2 beat out the competition to take home Best Strategy Game of 2011! Woo hoo!

Total War: Shogun 2 was also selected as Best Strategy Game of 2011 by GameTrailers.com! Head over to their site to see why they selected Total War: Shogun 2!

In this new dev diary, join Nagoshi-san as he speaks of the inspiration behind Daytona USA and some of the consideration that went into the game’s racetracks and AI.

Renegades! Your time has come again, to team Up, tool up, and rip it up in the upcoming DLC for Renegade Ops! Two new packs are releasing for Playstation3, Xbox 360, and PC Platforms. Read on for the scoop:

The Vehicle Reinforcement Pack

This pack introduces two new recruits, Crystal and Blazemo, who bring a little bit of fire and ice to the Renegade crew. Crystal will keep teammates cool and collected as they’re protected from enemies from within her force field. Blazemo will put the heat on the opposition as his ability, Incinerator, temporarily protects him from damage while engulfing his enemies in a firestorm.The Vehicle Reinforcement Pack will be priced at $2.99/£1.99/€2.49/ AUD$3.45 for PlayStation Network, and 240MSP for Xbox LIVE Arcade.

The Coldstrike Campaign

This pack extends the explosive Renegade Ops story with the introduction of the mysterious new villain Coldstrike. In this chilling new epilogue, players will take on enormous new enemy types across three all new, delightfully destructible, arctic themed missions. The Coldstrike Campaign will be priced at $4.99/£3.59/€4.49/AUD$6.25 for PlayStation Network, and 400MSP for Xbox LIVE Arcade.

So many sales! The holidays are here and we have got some great deals for you!

PSN North American Sale Titles

Prices good December 20, 2011 – January 3, 2012

Renegade Ops – Regularly $14.99, Sale Price $11.99, PSN+ Sale Price $8.99

Daytona – Regularly $9.99, Sale Price $6.99

SEGA Rally Arcade – Regularly $9.99, Sale Price $5.99

Alpha Protocol Avatar Home Items – Regularly $14.99, Sale Price $5.99

SEGA Bass Fishing – Regularly $9.99, Sale Price $6.99, PSN+ Sale Price $4.89

Space Channel 5 Part 2 – Regularly $9.99, Sale Price $6.99, PSN+ Sale Price $4.89

Sonic Christmas Bundle – Regularly $34.95, Sale Price $19.99, PSN+ Sale Price $14.99

After Burner: Black Falcon – Regularly $9.99, Sale Price $4.99

Sonic Adventure & Add-On – Regularly $14.99, Sale Price $11.99, PSN+ Sale Price $8.99

Sonic 4 Ep 1 – Regularly $9.99, Sale Price $6.99, PSN+ Sale Price $4.99

iOS Worldwide Sale Titles

Sale prices valid December 20, 2011 – January 9, 2012. 

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing – Regularly $1.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Sonic Spinball – Regularly $1.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Sonic the Hedgehog – Regularly $3.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – Regularly $3.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 – Regularly $3.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Golden Axe 2 – Regularly $2.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Golden Axe 3 – Regularly $2.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Gunstar Hero – Regularly $2.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Chu Chu Rocket – Regularly $2.99, Sale price  $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Chu Chu Rocket HD – Regularly $4.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Super Monkey Ball – Regularly $2.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Super Monkey Ball 2 – Regularly $2.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition for iPad – Regularly $4.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Streets of Rage 2 – Regularly $2.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Streets of Rage 3 – Regularly $2.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Virtua Fighter 2 – Regularly $1.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Brick People HD – Regularly $2.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

Brick People – Regularly $1.99, Sale price $0.99/£0.69/€0.79

XBLA Worldwide Deals

As part of Microsoft’s Christmas Promotion for the SEGA Holiday Sale, players can grab a copy of Renegade Ops for 600 MSP (originally 1200 MSP) or After Burner Climax for 400 MSP (originally 800) from December 20, 2011 – January 2, 2012.