The Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown Pre-Launch Party is going down on May 19th in Los Angeles! Join us for a knock-out party celebrating the launch of Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown this summer on XBLA and PSN.

SEGA Star Players Fuudo (EVO 2011, SSF4 SA Edition Champ) and Chibita (Kakutou Shinseiki VI Winner, EVO 2003 VF4 Tournament Champ) will play an exhibition match, and a few lucky attendees will be able to challenge the star players to a round of Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown. The exhibition match will be hosted by fighting game legend Alex Valle from Level|Up.

While not everyone will get to challenge Chibita or Fuudo, there will be plenty of opportunities to challenge your fellow party goers to a round of Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown. We’ll also have drinks and party hats. Maybe not party hats, but you get the idea – this is going to be a party you won’t want to miss!

You want in on this? The party is invite only and 21+. We have a very limited number of available spaces, and to get yours you’ll need to request an invitation from our lovely party partners, iam8bit. (Just in case your browser doesn’t like that click through link, here’s the long version! http://iam8bit.com/VirtuaFighter5FS/)

On the Block

1. E3 Shirts – XL

2. Yakuza 4 / Sonic Shirt – M

3. Sonic Shirts – L

4. Yakuza: Dead Souls for PS3, Majima Eyepatch, Medallion, Cards and Tattoo Sleeve

5. Iron Man 2 for Nintendo DS (American Systems) and toys!

How it Works

1. You must be following us on Twitter to be eligible. (If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can create one by going to http://www.twitter.com and click the green “get started — join!” button in the center of the page.)

2. At random times on Friday, we will announce the prize we are giving away, a word or phrase, and what number of response you need to be to win. Send us a direct message (DM) via Twitter and be that number to win the prize. (@ replies do not count as entries!) We only accept one direct message per person per prize!

Example:

We tweet “GIVEAWAY: Sonic T-shirt, size L. Be the 15th person to DM “Sonic Adventure” to win!”

You see this, and want to win it, so you send us a direct message that says “Sonic Adventure”. If you are the 15th person to do so, you are the winner!

Quotation marks do not matter, capitalization does not matter, but spelling does matter!

3. All followers are eligible to win all prizes, unless a restriction is noted. Restrictions are usually due to the prize being region-locked. For example, US games that won’t work on UK gaming systems. There may also be age restrictions due to the rating of the game.

4. We will announce the winner on our Twitter feed once eligibility is confirmed.

Other Assorted Information:

• Free Stuff Friday duties alternate between the London and San Francisco offices and are done during business hours (usually mid-morning) in our respective time zones.
• No, you can’t know what number message you were – so please don’t ask! We will tell you that the information is classified!
• If you have questions during the giveaway, please contact us with an @reply. As you can imagine, we get a whole lot of direct messages during the contests and there  is a very good chance we will miss your question if it is sent as a DM.

How to Send Direct Messages on Twitter

Due to a change in our account status with Twitter, you should be able to send us direct messages without us following you. However, third-party applications may not allow you to.

There are a few ways to send us a Direct Message on Twitter. The easiest way is:

1. Log in to your Twitter account.
2. Click on the person icon and select Direct messages from the drop down menu.
3. You’ll see a pop up showing your Direct message history. Click the New message button, highlighted below.
4. In the address box, type the name or username (SEGA) of the person you wish to send a message to.
5. Enter your message and click Send message.

You may also select the “direct messages” tab from your Twitter homepage, and select SEGA from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. Again, if you don’t see our name there, it’s probably because we’re not following you. Let us know, and we’ll follow you. If you still have questions on sending direct messages, please visit Twitter’s Help Section.

There are also many Twitter clients that you can use instead of using the website. These include TweetDeck, Twitteriffic, Tweetie, and Twhirl. Each of these programs works differently, so you’ll want to figure out how to send a direct message on the program you use. If you want to send us a test message, we’ll let you know if we received it or not. Please make sure your message says “test” somewhere.

Tennis fans: Now through April 1st, we’ll be in Miami at the Sony Ericsson Open debuting Virtua Tennis Challenge on Sony Xperia devices! You see Kimiko Date-Krumm and Venus Williams up there? You might not be able to share their pro-moves on an actual tennis court, but Virtua Tennis Challenge lets you play like a pro in 18 different stadiums.

Come by the Xperia Zone at the Sony Ericsson miami tennis open and challenge Catherine to a game Virtua Tennis Challenge. She can also hook you up with a sweet Virtua Tennis tattoo! (Side note: this photo was taken from the new Sony Xperia S phone – great for gaming and photography!)

Haven’t tried Virtua Tennis Challenge yet? Get it now on Google Play! The game is currently exclusive to Sony Xperia smartphones but will be rolling out to other Android devices soon.

If you aren’t familiar with Kingdom Conquest, SEGA’s free-to-play iOS game, here’s what you’re missing: A deep strategy & action RPG where you build an empire, forge alliances, make allies — or betray them — and amass an army and become ruler of the Land of Monsters!

With more than 2 million players worldwide, Kingdom Conquest is set to conquer even more territories, releasing in an additional seven countries: Brazil, Mexico, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Macao, Vietnam, and Russia!

The action portion of the game features real-time party or solo combat through dungeons, where you will acquire loot to build your city and your empire. From there the RTS portion of the game features army-building, managing military facilities and fortifying your cities.

A tutorial guides you smoothly through the game’s various modes, taking you from neophyte adventurer to cunning warlord, banding together with the strongest companions you can to help fend off other players and conquer the vast wealth of the game’s epic Towers. These “Debris Towers” are at the heart of the game; they are what each alliance strives to control: Whoever controls the towers, controls the Kingdom!

Click here to check out Kingdom Conquest for free, now, on the iTunes App Store!

Every time a Ghost Bell rings … a Knight gets their Wings. Get a FREE Valkyrie Wings accessory with purchase of a $9.95 Energy Pack! Receive 1 of a possible 11 randomly chosen Wings.

Note that the Valkyrie Wings accessory will arrive to your character unbound! This means they are yours to use or trade. In case you aren’t familiar, the Valkyrie Wings are a costume accessory — add them to the “accessory” slot for your armor, and make your Knight unique.

Offer available through March 25, 2012. Check here for additional details.

Announced today, the much anticipated third-person squad shooter Binary Domain will be released on PC this April. PC fans who have been requesting this game – your words have been heard! We’re proud to announce that the truly unique story and setting of Binary Domain will soon be on your preferred platform!

For those that haven’t heard, Binary Domain is a pioneering third-person squad shooter from the creators of the Yakuza series. Set in 2080 Tokyo, Binary Domain paints a vivid picture of a country in social and environmental meltdown; players will battle against robotic defenses in a city where climate change has forced many to live in extreme poverty in the slums, while the others live in the near future upper city built on top of the lower city. With a central branching storyline, voice recognition in combat and conversation, and AAA shooter mechanics Binary Domain offers something genuinely unique to the genre.

“As well as the excitement generated by Binary Domain in the console press we were seeing increasing numbers of players asking for a PC version. So we listened and we delivered.” said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA.

Binary Domain will be released on the PC platform in both boxed and digital formats. Further information can be found from your favorite retailer.

We recently had a chance to sit down with Chibita, aka the God of Virtua Fighter. Check out what he has to say on getting started with Virtua Fighter, his preferred fight styles and how he prepares for tournaments.

Are you looking to get started with Virtua Fighter in anticipation of the upcoming release of Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown? Chibita, 2003 EVO VF4 Tournament Champion, recommends jumping right in and spending as much time practicing as possible.

SEGA, in conjunction with the Sony Mobile, today announced the first-ever release of the Virtua Tennis franchise on smartphones with the new Virtua Tennis Challenge. Available now for select Sony Xperia Devices, grab your copy of Virtua Tennis Challenge now on Google Play.

“Virtua Tennis Challenge is a well-crafted adaptation of the sport on a touchscreen,” said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA. “We are pleased to present a variety of customization options for characters and play style for virtually endless replayability.”

In Virtua Tennis Challenge, players can face off against 50 characters with unique strengths and play styles, using the Xperia Play’s game pad or touch screen to unleash top spin smashes, slice shots, lobs, and more. The varying environments of the 18 stadiums also affect ball movement across clay, grass and indoor courts.

In SPT World Tour mode, players use the money they earn progressing through full virtual tennis seasons to buy into major tournaments. In Exhibition Match mode, players can quickly dive into a game in an unlocked court to play a single or doubles game.  And since real tennis stars never play alone, Virtua Tennis Challenge also allows players to compete with friends and fellow amateurs over Bluetooth in single or doubles play.

“I love how the game represents real-life tennis movements with the touch mechanics,” said Sony Mobile’s Brand Ambassador and former World No 1, Caroline Wozniacki. “I will certainly be checking this one out in my down time, as I travel extensively I am always up for something new to entertain me on the go!”

Try out the game at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami and face off in real time, or get it on Google Play today for $4.99.

This post serves as a friendly reminder that we are nearing the final submission date of the Jet Set Radio Graffiti Contest. You guys have until March 20th to get your submissions in. Thank you to all that have already entered! Let’s take a look at exactly what the winners will receive, shall we?

Rukus

Winners will receive a prize pack that includes a Rukus from Etón Corporation – the world’s first Bluetooth sound system with solar power.

The Etón Rukus Solar guarantees the party to last all day and all night:

• Its 40-inch monocrystalline panel will double the battery life to more than 10 hours.
• With a simple one-touch Bluetooth connection, you can easily share your tunes from any Bluetooth device.
• An auxiliary input also gives you the option to connect your music device directly to the Rukus.
• The unit can be powered by AC adapter and be charged by solar power.
• The Rukus solar has a low-power E-ink display which is viewable in direct sunlight.
• When not using your Bluetooth phone, you can place it in the device storage net, and charge your phone from the Rukus directly via its USB port.
• The Rukus Solar has an integrated carrying handle which lets you take the party with you.

Plus it looks badass.

Special thanks to our friends at Etón Corporation for hooking us up with this prize, which is the perfect way to blast your favorite Guitar Vader track.

JSR Beverage Shaker

We took a 100% stainless steel spray paint can look alike and branded it Jet Set Radioooo! It’s perfect for mixing up your favorite flavor of powdered drink mix! Or chilling your water! Or peanut M&Ms!

JSR Hoodie

So, I don’t have a picture of it because we haven’t finished designing it. But you guys know we’re good for making sweet hoodies, right?

TWO copies of JSR

You’ll also win two copies of Jet Set Radio – one for you, and one for your bestie!

We’re revealing new concept art for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II, so you can get a sneak peek at what we’ve got in store for you! This week, we’re taking a look at a level element called the Strange Relief.

Don’t forget to check the Sonic Facebook page for one additional piece of concept art!

Starting next week, we’re going to take a break from posting concept art. But don’t fret… we’ve got some exciting stuff coming up. Stay tuned!