This Valentine’s Day, why not snuggle up with a fine selection of Sega’s delectable downloadable games on the PlayStation Network — take your pick from the bundles below and watch the savings start to grow.

This limited-time promotion begins today (February 11th) and runs through til February 18th. Check out the information below on the great deals we have available, and look for the special Bundles of Love thumbnail graphics below when you’re at the PlayStation Network store!

Driving Me Crazy

Celebrate this Valentine’s Day with an adrenaline fueled duo that’s bound to drive you crazy. Skid through city streets looking for fares in Crazy Taxi: Farewars and while you’re at it, make sure you wreak motorized mayhem in Full Auto 2: Battlelines. So what are you waiting for? Blow out the candles, scratch the romantic evening for two, and get it on with this action packed downloadable bundle and save $12, only on the PSP and PSP Go.

Set My Pulse Racing

Get ready to set your pulse racing with an exquisitely hot downloadable offer for your PSP and PSP Go. Sonic Rivals 1 and 2 get cozy together for a limited time only to bring you one very swanky package which comes to you for a cool $29.99 – a savings of $16! On your mark, get set, spin.

Love Conquers All

What better way to show your love this Valentine’s Day than by commanding a dedicated squad of militia-men to repel an evil enemy invasion from your beloved homeland. As an added perk, lieutenant, you might just have a sexy officer you can get romantically engaged with. Celebrate this ménage a trios of mission packs for Valkyria Chronicles for the low price of $9.99 – a savings of $5! Just remember, that Love conquers all.

Unleash My Desire

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a beautiful adventure around the world with the world’s fastest hedgehog in his latest adventure – Sonic Unleashed. Right now you can get six extra downloadable add-ons for $11.99 – a savings of $6! So what are you waiting for? Unleash your desires.

Hello, SEGA fans on PlayStation Network! Been sensing that special feeling of love in the air? A certain irresistible urge to break out your two-player co-op games or pass the controller back and forth with your sweetheart on a single-player game? Starting this Thursday, SEGA will have something special for you! Lonely Hearts Club members are of course also welcome, as all are invited to celebrate this Valentine’s Day with bundles of love.

Crazy Taxi, Full Auto 2, Sonic Unleashed DLC, Valkyria Chronicles DLC, and Sonic Rivals 1 and 2 will all positively swoon with discounts. Check back here on Thursday, when this limited-time sale starts, to see the special bundles that will be available!

Happy Holidays — the SEGA Mega Sale for PSN is on!

Every downloadable SEGA game on PSN and PSP is 40% off, from now through January 7th. This is your chance to not only snag downloadable content for all variety of flagship SEGA titles — present and past — but to load up your PSP with SEGA titles, as well.

There’s a pretty wide breadth of stuff here. On the Downloadable Content side, you can shore up your copy of Sonic Unleashed with new stages and missions — all of the various Adventure Packs for Sonic Unleashed are discounted, with tons of daytime and nighttime missions. I’m a big fan of the daytime stages, and all of the available packs feature more daytime than nighttime missions (but for Werehog fans, there’s plenty of nighttime missions as well).

Speaking of Sonic, the “very hard” missions for Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 are also discounted, so if you were ever looking for a dirt-cheap excuse to complete your Sonic collection, there you have it! But the real gem — at least in my own humble opinion — is the extra content for Valkyria Chronicles. This includes all three DLC packs, featuring bonus missions and the amazing EX mode, which has a ton of new features, weapons, and increased difficulty.

I’ve already written lots about my undying love for the tactical strategy of games like Shining Force, and Valkyria Chronicles is absolutely the spiritual successor to these games. While I can’t say enough good things about the game itself, I also am incredibly impressed with the DLC that’s come out — it’s not just an ad-hoc collection of maps or standalone missions, but several new ways to play the game that deepen and add to an already complex and emotionally engaging story.

Don’t just take my word for it though — our own honorary Gallian, Ruby Eclipse, has fought long and hard for this game as a labor of love. His message to the fans who have worked so hard to help make this great game succeed:

To arms, Gallia! In support of the season and our fans’ amazing dedication, we’d like to say thank you with a special 40% off holiday sale across all three packs of Valkyria Chronicles DLC!

See the battlefield from Selvaria’s eyes in Behind Her Blue Flame, take on challenging odds with some of Squad 7′s rising stars in Enter the Edy Detachment, or add a whole new level of difficulty – and earn new, powerful weapons – with Hard Mode EX!

Did I say PSP Games before? Oh yes! A little while back the community team here at SEGA took a look at some of the best & brightest PSP games SEGA had made, in celebration of the launch of the PSP Go. Now those titles are slashed 40%, and it’s nigh time to take a look at shoring up your collection of portable games.

I already wrote about Sonic Rivals, and now both Sonic Rivals and Sonic Rivals 2 are part of the Holiday sale. This was an awesome experience — I hadn’t actually played them until recently, and didn’t really know what to expect. I was surprised to find that these are incredibly well-crafted racing games, but with the exquisite level design that’s always been core to the best games of the Sonic series.

Aside from the great Sonic games that graced the PSP I’m thrilled to say that some of the most eclectic and unique titles ended up on that system as well. I am speaking here of the incomparable Crazy Taxi and Crush. Crazy Taxi is exactly what it sounds like, and this is a very good thing. It’s also good that it’s on a portable system, because this is one of those games where one’s body tends to move in direct proportion to the craziness of the game as you twist & turn your way through crowded city streets.

Crush, meanwhile, is  a totally unique adventure-puzzle game. I’m actually less familiar with it, but thankfully SEGA’s own community manager Clumsyorchid recently wrote this love letter to the game.

This really just scratches the surface — you can also pick up the gnarly road-battler Full Auto 2: Battlelines, the charming & addictive Super Monkey Ball Adventure, and the awesome 2D action shooter, Gunstar Heroes!

PSP:
Alien Syndrome
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars
Crush
Full Auto 2: Battlelines
Gunstar Heroes
Iron Man
Sega Genesis Collection
Sonic Rivals
Sonic Rivals 2
Super Monkey Ball Adventure

PSN:
Sonic Unleashed Apatos & Shamar Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Chun-nan Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Empire City & Adabat Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Holoska Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Mazuri Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Spagonia Adventure Pack
SONIC: Very Hard Shadow Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Silver Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Sonic Missions
Valkyria Chronicles Edy’s Mission “Enter the Edy Detachment”
Valkyria Chronicles Hard EX Mode
Valkyria Chronicles Selveria’s Mission “Behind Her Blue Flame”

The voting has begun! The 27th Annual Golden Joystick Awards are here, and SEGA has a strong presence in just about every category out there.

To vote, just click here, pick your entries and submit! I voted earlier today – here’s what my list looked like:

Yeah, I voted for Valkyria in every category I could. (You should too. ) MadWorld and Headstrong games (Who created Overkill) were also easy choices for me.

If everyone votes together, there’s a great chance that a number of SEGA hits could end up winning. Above all though, just vote for the ones you want and make sure to get your votes in, then spread the word  - I’m looking at you, Valkyria Fans!

Finally, here’s the full list of SEGA games or entries:

—
FAMILY GAME OF THE YEAR
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Beijing Olympics 2008 — The Official Videogame
Iron Man
Samba de Amigo
Sonic and the Black Knight
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic Unleashed
The Incredible Hulk
Valkyria Chronicles

HANDHELD GAME OF THE YEAR
Bleach: Dark Souls
Football Manager handheld 2009
Iron Man
Phantasy Star Portable
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
The Incredible Hulk

MOBILE GAME OF THE YEAR
Samba de Amigo
Sega Columns Deluxe
The Incredible Hulk

MULTIPLAYER GAME OF THE YEAR
Beijing 2008
Football Manager handheld 2009
Football Manager Live
Madworld
Samba de Amigo
Sega Megadrive Ultimate Collection

NINTENDO GAME OF THE YEAR
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Bleach: Dark Souls
Earthworm Jim
Ecco Jr
Iron Man
Madworld
Samba de Amigo
Sonic and the Black Knight
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic Unleashed

THE ONE TO WATCH
Aliens vs. Predator
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Bayonetta
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
The Conduit
Vancouver 2010: The Official Videogame
Virtua Tennis 2009

ONLINE GAME OF THE YEAR
Empire: Total War
Football Manager 2009
Football Manager Live

PC GAME OF THE YEAR
Empire: Total War
Football Manager 2009
Football Manager Live
Incredible Hulk

PLAYSTATION GAME OF THE YEAR
Beijing 2008
Football Manager Handheld 2009
Golden Axe
Golden Axe: Beast Rider
Incredible Hulk
Iron Man
OutRun Arcade
Phantasy Star Portable
Sega Megadrive Ultimate Collection
Sega Superstars Tennis
Sonic Unleashed
The Incredible Hulk
Valkyria Chronicles
Yakuza 2

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR
Sega

SOUNDTRACK OF THE YEAR
Empire: Total War
Madworld
Samba de Amigo
SEGA Megadrive Ultimate Collection
Sonic Unleashed
Valkyria Chronicles

ULTIMATE GAME OF THE YEAR
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Alpha Protocol
Beijing 2008
Earthworm Jim
Ecco Jr
Empire: Total War
Football Manager 2009
Football Manager Handheld 2009
Football Manager Live
Golden Axe: Beast Rider
Iron Man
Madworld
OutRun Arcade
Sega Megadrive Ultimate Collection
Sega Superstars Tennis
Sonic and the Black Knight
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic Unleashed
Space Siege
The Incredible Hulk
Valkyria Chronicles
Yakuza 2

XBOX GAME OF THE YEAR
Alpha Protocol
Beijing 2008
Golden Axe: Beast Rider
Incredible Hulk
Iron Man
Sega Megadrive Ultimate Collection

This weekend is the yearly Cherry Blossom Festival here in San Francisco! The festival, which takes place in Japantown, is a great chance to immerse yourself in some modern and traditional Japanese culture, get some tasty authentic Japanese food, and take a look at all sorts of Japanese things – and SEGA video games from Japan are no exception!

Play unreleased SEGA Games!

We’re going to have a lot of playable demos at the show, including:

• Let’s Tap – EXCLUSIVE
• Sonic and the Black Knight
• Samba De Amigo
• Sonic Unleashed
• Bleach: Third Phantom – EXCLUSIVE
• Phantasy Star Portable

Especially notable on that list are Let’s Tap! and Bleach: Third Phantom, which I highlighted (for good reason) in bright cherry blossom pink. Both of these games have never been demonstrated to the public in the US before – so if you’re in the area, you have a chance to be one of the first in the country to check out these games in English!

Meet the SEGA Community Team!

Kellie, Clumsyorchid, and RubyEclipse from the SEGA Community team are also going to be there, so feel free to drop by and say hello to us! Kellie and Clumsy will be there early Saturday afternoon, and Ruby will be dropping by Sunday afternoon. Also feel free to work on your conversational Japanese with Clumsy, as he’s been learning recently. (We’re sure he’ll appreciate the extra practice!)

Compete in a special Community contest!

Drop by our booth on Sunday, April 11th, at 3 PM for the first-ever Cherry Blossom SEGA Trivia Contest! Ruby is going to be bringing along some special merchandise to give out to the hardcore fans who score the most points in this contest of both old and new SEGA knowledge and speed – be the first to shout out the right answer to the question he asks, and you’ll score a point. Get the most points and you’re going home with something to show for it!

Get free SEGA stuff!

And there was much rejoicing. We’re going to be giving out free goodies all weekend to people who visit the booth! Drop by and ask what kind of stuff we have left, and we may be able to get you hooked up with some SEGA merch that’s normally exclusive to press or employees internally!

Of course, there are tons of other things to check out at the festival too, which you can find listed here. If you’re in the area, we hope you’ll join us this weekend for a fantastic mix of Japanese and SEGA fun!

Update: The SEGA Booth will be located in the Imperial Ballroom B, and will be open from 11-5 both days!

A little something all you Sonic Unleashed owners will enjoy – check out this amazing Shamar speed run that user ShadiWulf on the forums tipped us off to. Thanks Shadi – this is awesome!

This video also made the rounds internally here in the office, and we were all quite impressed – especially the Sonic Brand Managers!

Well, that’s not quite accurate – actually, one of our Sonic Brand Managers prides himself on being the fastest player in the office, and was astounded when he realized that this guy absolutely smoked his best time. In fact, he says, this is quite possibly one of the fastest level clear time they’ve seen for any stage in the entire game.

Not bad, you random Japanese player, you.

The SEGA of America and SEGA Europe community teams have a special surprise for all you Sonic fans -  an exclusive audio podcast with the SOA producer for Sonic Unleashed, Patrick Riley!

We sat down with Patrick to talk about Unleashed, a look at his job as the producer, and his favorite – and likewise the most challenging – parts of his job producing the game. We’ve also included a number of the awesome music tracks from Unleashed, which you can listen to in the background! Check it out here, and let us know what you thought!

( There are a couple parts where we refer to the game as ‘upcoming’ – this was all recorded before Wii/PS2 launch, but for clarity’s sake, we’re also talking about the 360 and PS3 versions. )

We’ll soon have an official SEGA Podcast feed live through Itunes, so keep your eyes peeled for even more SEGA goodness coming your way in the near future. All feedback is appreciated, and we’d love to hear what you guys want to hear and see in future episodes!

Two new Sonic Unleashed trailers are coming out today in time for the game’s release! Both videos can be viewed below, so check em out!  Be sure to head to our SEGA YouTube page for all our videos, including the last few weeks of Sonic Unleashed trailers!

Both Wii and PS2 versions of Sonic Unleashed are out and available in stores today, so go out and grab your copies! Next Gen versions are coming out very soon as well, so hold on for their release in the coming weeks.

Happy Friday! To help celebrate the incoming wekend, we have two new movies to show for Sonic Unleashed!  The two videos feature footage of Sonic and the Werehog in the Holoska and Adabat locations in both Next Gen and Wii flavors.  Enjoy!

I hope everyone is excited for Halloween, I know I am. To help you get into the mood we’ve got some spooky Sonic Unleashed updates in both website and video form. Our US Sonic Unleashed website has seen a small makeover to show off some Halloween flair, I won’t spoil it for you, but do check it out for yourself! Next, we have a special teaser trailer for our upcoming CG movie, Night of the Werehog! The teaser is … well, a teaser. Look for the full movie soon.

Outside of Halloween-y updates, we’ve got two new Sonic Unleashed trailers going up today for Wii and Next Gen systems. The videos feature new footage from Chu-nan and Mazuri levels with both Sonic and the Werehog. Check em out on our Youtube page! (currently uploading, check back shortly!)

Lastly, we’ll have another blog going up today talking about the Hedgehog engine, written by Yoshihisa Hashimoto, the Project Lead for Sonic Unleashed. It’s a great read and we’ve even got some special screenshots showing off the Hedgehog engine in action.

I hope everyone has a great Halloween, be safe and have fun!