Titles from THQ, Chunsoft to hit stores under the banner of the hedgehog starting early next year.

TOKYO--During its strategy meeting in Japan today, Sega announced that it will become the Japanese publisher for THQ and Chunsoft, the original development house of Square Enix's Dragon Quest series.

The first two THQ titles Sega will publish in Japan are Juiced and Destroy All Humans! for the PlayStation 2, although they are expected to carry Japanese names upon their release in early 2006. Sega has already scheduled four more as-yet-unnamed THQ games for release in Japan.

The first two Chunsoft games to be published by Sega are Kamaitachi no Yoru 2: Kangokutou no Warabe-Uta PSP Special Edition and Machi: Unmei no Kousaten PSP Special Edition. Both titles are PSP ports of previous Chunsoft games and are slated for release in spring 2006. Two other games, Fushigi no Dungeon: Fuurai no Shiren DS for the Nintendo DS and a new Kamaitachi no Yoru title for the PlayStation 2, are also under way for release next year. Chunsoft president Kouichi Nakamura also hinted at the development of another major game, although he didn't elaborate on details.

This is not the first time that Sega has worked with either of these companies. A similar publishing agreement has brought Sega Game Boy Advance titles, such as Sonic Advance 3 and Pinball of the Dead, to the United States and Europe, while Sega published Chunsoft's original Machi: Unmei no Kousaten for the Saturn back in 1998.