We’re back and have all new prizes up for today’s giveaway!

On the Block

1. PlayStation 2 Game Pack: Two PS2 games offered, Rez and the original Yakuza!
2. Sonic the Hedgehog Wallet
3. Shadow Notebook

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!” (don’t actually DM this, it’s not the way to enter)

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 if you are using the Twitter website. 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.

SEGA® of America Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced details of an exclusive partnership with Nintendo of America Inc. and Nintendo of Europe GmbH for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. The new agreement will make Nintendo consoles the number one destination for Sonic gaming over the next three titles.  The first two titles of the deal were announced today via Nintendo Direct, and details of the third Sonic title will be revealed at a later date.

“Sonic the Hedgehog has performed incredibly well on Nintendo platforms and this exclusive partnership is a natural fit for the next evolution of Sonic games” commented Jurgen Post COO SEGA Europe Ltd.  “The Wii U and Nintendo 3DS are ideal platforms to showcase Sonic and we are looking forward to working with Nintendo on these three exciting adventures.”

Sonic the Hedgehog first appeared as a videogame character in June 1991 and instantly became an icon for a generation of gamers.  Defined by his super-fast speed and cool attitude, in the years since he first raced on to videogame consoles Sonic has become a true global phenomenon with over 75 million videogames and smartphone apps sold worldwide. SEGA’s iconic blue blur has also gone on to enjoy incredible success in many licensed areas, such as toys, apparel, comics and animation.

A Lost World. What will Sonic find?

We are happy to announce that the original Sonic the Hedgehog has been remastered and is now available on Android and iOS! Android users have long waited for this classic to appear and today is the day. iOS users who bought the original will be treated to a free update with new features, updates, and more.

Following in the footsteps of the critically acclaimed Sonic CD in 2011, the original Sonic The Hedgehog game has received an equally robust overhaul! Sonic fans on iOS and Android will see the game better than ever with new widescreen support and can to zoom through Zones at a smooth 60 frames per second. The all-new update allows gamers to unlock Tails and Knuckles as playable characters for the very first time! That’s not all – Sonic enthusiasts will also enjoy a remastered original soundtrack, new leaderboards, achievements, and an all-new Time Attack mode.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The SEGA Genesis favorite is available now!

Buy it now on Google Play!
Buy it now on iTunes App Store!

This weekend only, pick up select titles on Android and iOS App Store on the cheap! If you’ve been holding out on grabbing Crazy Taxi, After Burner, or House of the Dead – now’s the best time to buy! Check the listings below for the game you want, and the updated store price!

Crazy Taxi

ORIGINAL PRICE: $4.99/5.49AUD$/ 4.49€/ £2.99
SALE PRICE: $0.99/0.99AUD$/0.89€/£0.69
Buy Now! (iOS Only)

After Burner

ORIGINAL PRICE: $2.99/2.99AUD$/ 2.69€/ £1.99
SALE PRICE: $0.99/0.99AUD$/0.89€/£0.69
Buy now on iOS
Buy Now on Android

House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels

ORIGINAL PRICE: $4.99/5.49AUD$/ 4.49€/ £2.99
SALE PRICE: $2.99/2.99AUD$/2.69€/£1.99
Buy Now on iOS
Buy Now on Android

Will you pick any up? Let us know in the comments below!

SEGA & Creative Assembly is happy to reveal the release date, final pack art, pre-order bonus and Collector’s Edition for Total War: ROME II! The global release date for will be September 3, 2013 across all territories on both physical and digital formats.

Pre-order Bonus

Click here to view the embedded video.

Those gamers who pre-order any edition from participating retailers will receive ROME II’s first DLC for free alongside the game on release day. This first DLC, the Greek States Culture Pack, adds three additional playable factions to the game; Epirus, Athens and Sparta.

These factions have their own unique units, buildings, missions and win conditions alongside a distinct tech tree and, in the case of Sparta, will present a considerable challenge to the advanced player wishing to restore the famous city state to its former glory.

Collector’s Edition

The Total War: ROME II Collector’s Edition will be produced in a single, extremely limited run; only 22,000 individually numbered copies will be manufactured. The CE contains a wealth of custom, Roman-themed games and items, bound in a leather-effect presentation box, complete with gold logo and magnetic closure; including:

Numbered copy of Total War™: ROME II: The most ambitious and expansive game in the Total War™ series to date, ROME II brings the statecraft, politics, intrigue, diplomacy and epic battles of the ancient world to life in thrilling detail. This version comes in a debossed Steelbook™ case, laser-etched with your unique collector’s number in Roman numerals.

Tabula set: The Roman forerunner to Backgammon, this Tabula set comprises 30 bone-effect game pieces supplied in their own burlap drawstring bag; the board itself is built into the base of the Collector’s Edition box.

Tesserae Dice: Three replica bone-effect dice for use in a variety of games. The design is based on original Roman Tesserae, found at the archaeological site of Herculaneum.

Total War Cards: PUNIC WARS: Designed from the ground up to echo elements from ROME II, Total War Cards is a game of skill and luck for two players. Involving combat, territorial control, resource management and technological development, PUNIC WARS consists of 58 high-quality playing cards and a game-board printed with the PUNIC WARS tech-tree.

Roman Onager: A complete, fully-functional Onager, or Roman siege catapult. This easy-to-assemble kit is constructed from weathered wood and steel, measures 26cm x 12cm x 12cm, and is capable of unleashing small projectiles at a variety of inanimate objects which may have affronted the glory of your empire.

A remarkable way to mark over 10 years of Total War games and Creative Assembly’s 25th Anniversary, the Total War: ROME II Collector’s Edition is only available through selected retailers. Follow the link to pre-order from a list of participating retailers: http://www.totalwar.com/rome2_collectors

Might as well JUMP … for a Sonic Jump sale on the Amazon App Store!

Sonic Jump is on sale from now until May 13th — get it before it’s gone!

What: Sonic Jump (for Android devices)
Where: Amazon App Store (U.S. only)
Discount: 50% off! $1.99 99 cents
When: Now until May 13th!
Jump: Jump!!!

The following blog was written by our Brand Manager Jeff Beckham who recently attended the Virtua Fighter 5 SEGA Cup. Check his wrap up from the day, catch the streaming links, and check the final finishers list!

—–

Thanks to everyone for coming out to the first annual Sega Cup! We had 95 competitors representing 6 countries and 17 US states, and it turned out to be a phenomenal day of high-end Virtua Fighter competition. The best part was seeing how much the game means to all of the devoted fans who showed up in person and on the stream, so thanks again for your support.

The top storyline was definitely the progress of the American players. With Final Showdown in their hands for nearly a year now, they made significant strides against the International competition. Leading the charge was Gentleman Thief, an up-and-coming player from Florida. After losing to Itabashi Zangief in pool play and going into the loser’s bracket, he won his way into the top 16 bracket. He continued to advance by winning game after game, and eventually had his revenge against Itabashi in the Loser’s finals. In the end, Fuudo was too much for him, but overall, it was an amazing performance by Gentleman Thief.

Top 16 finishers

1. $3,000: Fuudo
2. $2,000: Gentleman Thief
3. $1,600: Itabashi Zangief
4. $1,400: Chofu KK Sarah
5. $1,100: XxRodnutzxX
5. $1,100: Tricky
7. $900: Renzo
7. $900: Rocket
9. $600: LA Akira
9. $600: Myke623
9. $600: AyuFanboy
9. $600: Denkai
13. $400: AdamYuuki
13. $400: BLACKSTAR
13. $400: Chief Flash
13. $400: myth_boy6

Watch the Full Stream!

In case you couldn’t catch the action live, you can find all ten hours right here thanks to LevelUp!

http://www.twitch.tv/leveluplive/b/393448426
http://www.twitch.tv/leveluplive/b/393497353

SEGA would like to personally thank all the VF fans for making the first annual Sega Cup such an awesome event! Don’t forget to register for the SEGA Cup Europe on August 3rd, 2013.

Last week’s Free Stuff Friday was incredibly popular with all our figurines and toys, so this week we have a new batch of fun offerings, including a very new Knuckles figure, and the return of the popular Sonic the Hedgehog Comic-con Exclusive. Hooray!

On the Block

1. Funko Pop Vinyl Knuckles Figurine: We just got these in yesterday from our licensing group! The first available is Knuckles, with both Sonic and Tails coming soon.
2. Tails Figurine
3. Jet Set Radio Soundtrack CD
4. Sonic The Hedgehog Anniversary 10 inch Action Figure – We’re giving another away! This figurine is the Comic-con 2011 Exclusive with flocked / fuzzy appearance (might be hard to see in the image).

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!” (don’t actually DM this, it’s not the way to enter)

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 if you are using the Twitter website. 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.

The House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels is available now on Android and iOS, but here’s something you may not know – you can play through the game using Vectorman’s Ball Gun! Similar to our Shinobi update, this unlock lets you to replace the minigun with the signature Vectorman Ball Gun for maximum violence and maximum fun!

Each time you gun down a mutant, you’ll be treated with a particle effect shower much like the original Vectorman game. As an added bonus, you’ll see Vector Ball gun during each reload as would appear if in 1st person – pretty sweet. The Vector Gun with Minigun unlock will set you back ~70,000 Ka$h (not including Minigun upgrades), so we’ve got some more handy tips to help out!

Grab the Vector Ball Gun Today!

Prioritize your upgrades! Be sure to pick up the Combo Upgrade pack in gadgets as your first upgrade to boost your score modifier to x6 (up from x3). The score boost should help you get high ranks and earn more Ka$h faster!

Buy the Combo Extender Consumable! If you are having trouble keeping your new 6x multiplier up, pick up the Combo Extender, which will help you earn S Rank (and the most Ka$h possible) with each level.

Increase the Difficulty! The harder the level, the more the Ka$h (bosses excluded). Play some missions from Ballistic Trauma or Naked Terror (if unlocked) to earn the most Ka$h possible.

Find the Ka$h! Play levels where you can get an S Rank and pick up all in level Ka$h – this will help you quickly get the funds needed to pick up both the Colt and the Shinobi upgrade. Easy!

The Vector Ball Gun is badass and is the perfect tool to use against the oncoming threats within House of the Dead – and it’s fun too! The high cost takes a bit to earn, but once you have it set up, you won’t put it down…

Pick up House of the Dead on Android
Pick up House of the Dead on the App Store

Are you playing House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels? Do you love the Shinobi & Vectorman upgrades? Let us know!

Welcome to Godsrule: War of Mortals! Once you’ve been introduced to the Midrealms and mastered the basics, it’s time to turn your thoughts towards crushing your opponents and winning the favor of the gods themselves.

Godsrule is divided cleanly between village-building and the PvP battle map. They both feed into each other, and you start out with village building (for more on basic village planning, check out this guide on our forums!). Eventually though, you’ll need to get your feet wet, and your sword red.

Sail Forth

As soon as you get a few buildings out – say a lumber mill, a mine, a house or two, and your first ruins cleared – it’s a good time to head to the battle map.  This is the source of the game’s action, and it’s also your best source of gathering Splinters: this resource is what you will use to upgrade your buildings and grow your village into a mighty war machine.

Of course you have to start small: PvP combat can have a steep learning curve, and a bad experience or two can make a game seem unfair or broken. We’re here to help! Here’s some basic steps and early strategy:

1. Ship Capacity

Every player in Godsrule has the same amount of ship capacity. Each unit takes up a certain amount of “population” space. As you play and unlock more units and spells, this will become one of your key pieces of strategy. Units have different strengths and weaknesses, and learning how to adapt will be a huge part of how you play the game.

For starters of course – and to keep things simple – you only have access to a few basic units. For both factions, this constitutes one melee unit and one ranged unit. The benefit of this is they are both low-cost units who you can load up your boat with, meaning your early strategy will be to swarm the islands you are fighting over.

Here’s a few early examples of how you can load up your boat:

For  both Keepers and Souls, the early game is similar: send in your melee units to swarm enemies, and keep enough ranged units to back them up and draw enemies away – either NPC or other players.

It doesn’t get simpler than this: 7 brutes and 7 drudges. Brutes have terrific capturing ability and can take some punishment. Drudges can’t take much of a punch but have splash damage and great range. For Keepers of the Ancient, it’s basically the same idea (7 Spear Guards — who excel at taking down creeps — and 7 Rangers). Experiment — early on and later on — to find what works for you, because figuring out an adaptable loadout can keep opponents guessing. This is just for starters.

2. Battle at Midgrove!

Head to the battle map, and head right to Midgrove. You can join any battles in progress if you feel like jumping right in to PvP — there are advantages to this as well, which we’ll cover later on. For now let’s just learn the basics.

If you’re starting a new battle, in a nutshell, you are trying to clear out creeps and grab the Relic as quickly as possible. Remember: Once you’re in a battle, up to two enemies – or up to one other ally – can join at any time. Early fights are gated against high level players attacking you, but help — or opposition — can show up at any point.

Inside a battle you have a “summoning limit”. Your summoning stone is part of this and controlling the additional summoning points – the yellow circles on the map – will add to this limit. To control a summoning point either your summoning stone or a unit need to stand on it.

A good strategy for your early PvP battles is a bit of lightning warfare: head in and grab that relic before anyone knows you’re there! Here’s a progression:

Basically you are working to isolate and clear creeps as quickly as possible. You will initially get about 2 units to summon. See what works for you, but one melee and one ranged works well. You can easily use strategies such as pulling and kiting enemies across the field.

Work on getting your units to engage creeps and then moving your Summoning Stone up to one of the additional summoning points — as soon as it occupies an additional summoning point, you can start sending in additional troops.

3. PvP And You

Of course, if another player shows up, you need to be ready to react. Your basic strategy can start out the same – go quickly for a summoning point and don’t get mobbed by creeps. Remember that other players start out with a summoning limit, too: if you have enough units out, you can quickly swarm them and attack their summoning stone directly. Once that’s gone, they can’t summon anyone else. And to start off, they can only summon one or two units, just like you.

Of course, eventually even the best laid plans will be attacked by a horde of well-armed Keepers or Souls. You may get drummed off the field a few times, but here’s a few things to keep in mind as you learn and adapt.

Intro to PvP:

• Disengage from creeps: they will attack whoever is close or attacks them, so let your opponent worry about them if at all possible.
• An opposing player entering a battle is going to quickly need to capture a summoning point or else have very little to work with. Try not charging them — rather, move to protect any free/vulnerable summoning points.
• If you already have troops ready to capture the relic, don’t be afraid to keep doing that. Force your opponent to have to think quickly as you capture more and more of your  goal!
• Don’t panic just because another player shows up. Especially if you have units already on the Relic, wait and read what they’re doing — if they try to swarm you at the Relic, you can charge right past them and take out their summoning stone, swarm their weakest units, or give up ground if you need to regroup your army.
• Those boxes that drop are often the keys to the match: they can increase your damage, heal you, or even instantly kill a random enemy. If you get into a match early, have troops positioned to grab boxes if an enemy shows up, and be the first to grab anything that drops!

This should hopefully give new players an idea of how to approach combat — from here, get into a comfortable pattern of upgrading your buildings, training your troops, and stalking the Battle Map.

Godsrule: War of Mortals – Follow Updates and Play Now

Godsrule will feature regular updates to content and gameplay, and there’s lots more on the way. Here’s where to follow us to find out more and stay up-to-date:

• Add us on Facebook: Updates, events, game art and screens, and more! Or if you prefer, Twitter.
• Join in the discussion: Godsrule forums on the SEGA forums
• Sign up and play right now: http://playgodsrule.com for the main site…
• …Or go right to the game at http://game.playgodsrule.com

In need of a pair of insanely awesome headphones to amp up your mobile gaming? Enter to win a pair of MUNITIO NINES SLV ear buds, a KC2 phone stand, and a MiscGaming hoodie in our latest giveaway sponsored by MiscGaming.org and Munitio!

Head over to the KC2 Facebook Page to Enter

Attention, Knights! We have an update today for Spiral Knights – including a new monster type, a promotion for a previous monster, and some updates to how control schemes are selected and used in-game!

Job Opening: Devilite Workforce Minion

Are you looking for an entry-level position in the exciting field of minion-ry? Does the idea of low pay, long hours, and high risk of being hacked to ribbons by industrious Knights sound like a great career path? If you’re willing to have your body transformed into a grotesque blob while staring hungrily from behind your one bulbous eye, and enjoy screaming in what we assume is either terror or rage at all who approach you then we apologize but the position has been filled.

We are, however, still looking for qualified Knights to come and do battle with the aforementioned miseries.

Introducing the Gorgos – the underworld workforce of the Clockworks has filled its need for cheap low-level labor by demoting their worst & dumbest upper management Devilites. You can find Gorgos alongside their Devilite bosses in any fiendish encounter within the Clockworks, and they come in the following flavors, which is just a metaphor, please do not actually attempt to lick or ingest Gorgos:

+Gorgo (aka, the plain / vanilla variety)
+Firegut
+Guster
+Storm Belly
+Waster

Fiends, Schemes, and Fixing Steam Things

Great Griefing Greavers

Reports from the Clockworks indicate the pesky fluttering fliers, Grievers, have leveled up! In a game without character levels this should not be possible, but that’s why they’re the bad guys: they don’t play by the rules.

To wit: Greavers are now classified as Elite monsters, much like Mecha Knights or Gremlin Twhackers.

Control Schemes

We’ve added a new way to set your controls in the options menu!
For new players, the option to choose a control scheme will appear after creating your character! For existing players installing the game on a new machine or for those who have never changed their controls, the option to choose controls will appear just after logging in.

If you’d like to change your controls at any time, you’ll find the new options under “Controls” in the options menu! Please note: choosing a new default control scheme will override any customized controls.

You can still customize your controls with the Custom Scheme option, as well – please note if you have any initial trouble with your configuration, you can just set it how you need this way, as well.

Bug fix!

The Steam mic icon no longer overlaps Party leader icon. Huzzah for icon elbow room!

With the incredible success of the Kingdom Conquest series, we were excited to sit down with Producer Shiino-san, one of the main individuals responsible for creating the games we’ve come to love!

Check out the interview on the KC forums.

House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels released last week on Android and iOS devices and I can’t stop playing it! For those that haven’t picked it up yet, you might not be aware that you can play as your favorite SEGA ninja, bridging two of my favorite series together in a way I would never thought possible.

… And it works – brilliantly! The Ninja Star upgrade replaces the Colt weapon and retains the classic 16 bit pixelated goodness throughout your play sessions.

When I was told of this feature in game, I was wary, but playing with it in game is far too much fun to put down. Much like the old bonus stage of classic SEGA titles of old, where the Ninja Star upgrade was pulled from, mutants are just as fast and unpredictable as Ninjas. You’ll do well to upgrade the Colt for maximum violence and maintained combos throughout the game.

Earning the Ninja Star upgrade is a Snap!

Prioritize your upgrades! Be sure to pick up the Combo Upgrade pack in gadgets as your first upgrade to boost your score modifier to x6 (up from x3). The score boost should help you get high ranks and earn more Ka$h faster!

Buy the Combo Extender Consumable! If you are having trouble keeping your new 6x multiplier up, pick up the Combo Extender, which will help you earn S Rank (and the most Ka$h possible) with each level.

Find the Ka$h! Play levels where you can get an S Rank and pick up all in level Ka$h – this will help you quickly get the funds needed to pick up both the Colt and the upgrade. Easy!

You’ll want to have the colt before picking up the Ninja Star upgrade, otherwise you’ll be sad when you can’t use it immediately. The Colt is a great weapon and can easily replace your standard Pistol. Just make sure you upgrade as you go!

Pick up House of the Dead on Android
Pick up House of the Dead on the App Store

Are you playing House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels? Let us know in the comments below, along with your favorite moments or tips & tricks!

Today we are proud to announce that Company of Heroes 2 will ship with an all-new mode called Theater of War on top of its gripping cinematic campaign and intense competitive multiplayer modes!

Theater of War allows us to tell different stories from The Eastern Front in the form of new playable single player and co-operative content. The mode includes solo challenges where players are pitted against overwhelming odds, AI battles against an enemy commander with a unique play style and co-operative scenarios for fans to enjoy with your friends.

At the launch of COH2, the Theater of War mode will include missions from key battles in 1941. Choosing either the Soviet Red Army or the Germans, players will visit different locations across the Eastern Front and take part in some of the most famous battles that occurred that year. Each faction has 9 unique missions included. More Theater of War missions will be added to the game at a later date, including the previously announced mini-pack for all eligible pre-order customers.

Greg Wilson, Producer of Company of Heroes 2, commented, “We get a lot of requests from fans to showcase specific conflicts from the war and it isn’t always possible to fit these into the campaign. Theater of War gives us the opportunity to deliver these new gameplay experiences to our fans.”

Quinn Duffy, Game Director commented, “Theater of War acts as a perfect bridge between the game’s single and multiplayer content providing a high level of re-playability and helping to introduce traditionally solo players to the online elements of the game.”

Be sure to let us know what you think about Theatre of War! Are you excited to play out the events of the Eastern Front with your friends in co-op?

In today’s Free Stuff Friday giveaway, we’re taking a break from free download codes in favor of some cool Sonic figurines and toys! Check below for the details on each item and see you online for today’s giveaway!

On the Block

1. Sonic The Hedgehog Team Chaotix Figures
2. Sonic The Hedgehog Universal Wristlet
3. Sonic The Hedgehog Roller Racers
4. Sonic The Hedgehog Teach Chaotix Figures – that’s right, we’re giving away two of these!
5. Sonic The Hedgehog Anniversary 10 inch Action Figure – Comic-con 2011 Exclusive with flocked / fuzzy appearance (might be hard to see in the image)

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!” (don’t actually DM this, it’s not the way to enter)

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 if you are using the Twitter website. 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.

Got any weekend Dashing on your horizon?

We’ve got a boost for you then: Boost Bundle and Breeze Bundle for Sonic Dash are both on sale for 70% off! This sale lasts for this weekend only (now through April 28th)!

Boost Bundle:
5000 Rings
70% Off — Now just 99 cents / 69p / €0.89 / 0.99 AUD

Breeze Bundle:
30 Red Star Rings
70% Off – Now just 99 cents / 69p / €0.89 / 0.99 AUD
 
You can download Sonic Dash for free here at the App Store!
 

The House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels is now available for Android and iOS devices! Finally, House of the Dead is available on the go!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Lost Reels puts fans back into the action with Agent G and Detective Washington as they fight their way through Bayou City to Papa Caesar’s Mansion in this gritty arcade shooter. Play in Story mode and enjoy non-stop shooting action as you blow apart mutants across three levels (each with 4 levels and a boss) – it starts off easy and quickly ramps in difficulty. Looking for more challenge? Test your skills in Survivor Mode, which features wave after wave of blood-thirsty mutants.

Upgrade your Arsenal

Pick from seven different mutant killing weapons, including the trusty magnum, SMG, assault rifle – even a full on mini-gun! All weapons can be customized for maximum violence using in game earned Ka$h. Boost damage, recoil, even reload speeds to help you kill with maximum efficiency. Use your Ka$H to enhance your killing prowess with combo extenders, reload boosters, and other game-changing upgrades.

There are additional upgrades for key weapons that we won’t spoil on the blog, but let’s just say that classic SEGA fans will be very excited. Will you pick it up? Let us know if you do and post a comment about your experiences!

“Traditionally, laptops haven’t been known for providing the best gaming experience.” This was the first thought that crossed the mind of Steve Lycett, executive producer (Sumo Digital) on Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and one that was rapidly dispelled. “As soon as we received the Ultrabook device and spoke to the engineers at Intel, we realized that suddenly we were dealing with the next generation.”

Charged with bringing one of SEGA’s landmark franchise to Ultrabook devices, the team at Sumo Digital in Sheffield, England, more than rose to the challenge. Acclaimed racing game Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is the latest in the no-holds-barred series that lets players leap into the cars (which then transform into boats and planes) of world famous SEGA luminaries, from Sonic all the way to Wreck-It Ralph, fresh from his Hollywood debut. SEGA has never rested on its laurels with the series, so bringing the game to Ultrabook devices with touch screens was a next logical step.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“We tailored the game for the Ultrabook range to ensure we made the most of the hardware,” said Lycett, who worked with his team to make sure players would always have just as much touch control as they wanted. “We’ve specifically designed the user interface so touch can be used throughout. You can select modes, decide which track to play, and check out all the vehicles with a simple touch of your finger.”

There was no doubt in Lycett’s mind that he needed to bring touch to his games. Though at first glance, a PC racing title isn’t the most obvious home for a touch interface, players are becoming irreversibly accustomed to it in their games. “Users want to reach out and touch the worlds we create. It’s a natural user interface you’re taught from the day you’re born, and one that ptovides an immediate connection with instant feedback.”

Ultrabook devices bring a new level of flexibility and interaction to Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. In regular laptop configuration, players can go head-to-head with up to four controllers for chaotic split-screen racing, while a convertible device allows for play in tablet setup, making full use of both touch and tilt interfaces. Players will find a game that has been carefully optimized for play in either configuration.

Click here to view the embedded video.

But it’s not only the interface options that led Lycett and his team to so heartily embrace the Ultrabook device. “Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed on the Ultrabook platform takes advantage of the fact that we know there is a consistent set of technologies that is available to us,” said Lycett.

“The high-quality screens really let the colors pop, plus the touch screens are smooth and sensitive, and the tilt sensors give you immediate and accurate control. Tie all this together with a lot of processing and graphics power, and much more memory compared to what even the latest console has, and you’ve got a recipe for a great gaming experience.”

Let’s race.