Sega plays synergy game with anime series 'Bleach'
Bleach: Shattered Blade is set to be available on the Nintendo Wii, while Bleach: The Blade of Fate is for Nintendo's DS portable system.
Bleach has been a solid ratings earner in the United States, and it begins its second season in the fall. Rob Lightner, vice president business development at Sega of America, suggested that the games should appeal even to people who haven't seen Bleach on the small screen.
"A gamer can learn about the characters in the series by playing the game, and if they are already familiar with the Bleach TV series, it will make the gameplay experience even richer," he added.
Sega has been moving aggressively in recent years to take advantage of content from other entertainment media. The publisher is coming out with games for the holiday season based on the fantasy book The Golden Compass, which also is a highly anticipated New Line film starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.
"We also have games in the works based on licensed characters from Marvel Entertainment such as Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America," Lightner said. "All of these games will benefit from huge fan bases that love the characters they have followed for years, and are now eager to take control and drive the experience personally."