Could new Sonic game be most polished ever?

[Radrappy]

I don't think SEGA needs to appeal to all the groups, and if - say - Adventure fans are pissed off at whatever is announced this year... fuck them. As long as the game is good and sells well.

I personally want a return to the 90s aesthetics (simple character designs, tropical islands, 50s era bi-planes, animal-inspired robot enemies) and refined Generations-style gameplay with both 2D and 3D stages. But if we get something entirely different, as long as it is a good game I'm happy.

Sonic Colors is a good example. When it was revealed I thought the idea of a theme park in outer space and the wisps did not fit with the franchise, but after playing it I loved the game. It wasn't what I expected or wanted from the franchise, but after playing it I rank it as one of the best Sonic games.

Couldnt have said it better myself.  Fuck the fans, just make a great goddamn game.

[Tad]

I'd happily go with that.

Make a great game and most of them will just say "it's not adventure/boost/mega drive, but it's a lot of fun!" Anyway.

[Barry the Nomad]

I know it sounds wrong, but when has any franchise (game or otherwise) ever gotten better when trying to appeal to, and pander to, as many fans as possible? Especially those that are fragmented. I'm honestly trying to think of examples and nothing comes to mind.

Sonic Team should just focus on what made Sonic good and enjoyable. Rise of Lyric was a classic example of using sales figures and focus groups to create a game, SEGA of America wanted Heroes 2 because it sold so well, and fans wanted several playable characters. Look what we got.

Look at Star Wars. It is incredibly fragmented with OT fans, Prequel fans, TCW fans, Rebels fans, fans of the old novels, fans of the gritty video games, fans of the comics. There is no way to appeal to everybody, and the best Star Wars stuff as of recent looks to the stuff that works for inspiration for how to move forward. That is why The Force Awakens borrows so heavily from the OT and Rebels borrows so heavily from The Clone Wars. Sure fans of the old canon are miffed, but end of the day Lucasfilm is focusing on making something of quality. And it worked for them, as nearly every fan of Star Wars (not some subsect) enjoy the new stuff.

I'd also argue that if you claim to be a Sonic fan and do not like the Genesis originals, you are not a Sonic fan. If SEGA were to look to the classics for inspiration in making the 25th anniversary game and you aren't happy with it, you should reassess if you are a fan. Having done the fan site thing for 8 years, I've encountered some pretty zany people who think Shadow as a character and Sonic 06 as a game are great. If a new Sonic thing doesn't feature Shadow or doesn't have a dark gritty story, they're put off. These are not Sonic fans, these are Shadow fans or Sonic 06 fans. There is nothing wrong with this, but they need to understand that they are fans of a small portion of a much larger franchise.

[Tad]

Not to my knowledge.

I don't think you need to like the mega drive games as such, as the technology and refinements capable now make the new games different enough that newer fans might prefer. Some of the older ones did have some cheap and meh acts after all.

I think regardless of what structure Sonic Team opted for, as long as it's good it won't matter.

[Tad]

From Segabits twitter account:

The #Sonic25 anniversary stream will be live in 30 minutes, go watch a episode of the Simpsons and come back: https://t.co/GHkbU8E3iW

[George]

So some interesting bits;

Sonic the Hedgehog Sand Diego party on July 22nd, Aaron said if you are waiting for the next game you might want to be there.

[FlareHabanero]

There were genuine human beings actually expecting a new video game announcement despite being told there was none.

[Happy Cat]

I can't speak for everyone of course, but me personally, finding out that we got 4-5 more months to wait before we see the game is just a big excitement killer. I wasn't expecting any game announcements, but I was hopeful for a hint, but instead all we got were more cryptic teasers.

I get that it's either teasing or radio silence, but, we've been getting dragged along since late 2015. It's not hard to understand why people are upset. I'm not angry myself, just disappointed.


Part of me is still hopeful Aaron is just being Aaron and we get some kind of announcement on April 1st, but I'm starting to think all we will get on April 1st is Big's Big Fishing Adventure 3, which probably has more cryptic teasers within the game.


I'm getting off this hype train. I'll watch from the side.

[Pao]

Probably waiting to reveal it alongside NX at E3.
Hopefully it's not another exclusive.

[Sharky]

Probably waiting to reveal it alongside NX at E3.
Hopefully it's not another exclusive.

It wont be.

[Tad]

I also doubt it will be too. Not only because it would be silly, but few studios actually have NX kits hear.

[George]

Rumor has it that porting code from PS4/Xbone to NX will be 'damn near easy', so if Nintendo goes with the whole "You can port your games over here with no effort', it would be stupid to ignore the NX for a Sonic game.

[NoirSuede]

There were genuine human beings actually expecting a new video game announcement despite being told there was none.

Well modern society is conditioned to see corporates as lying bastards so whenever they say something we automatically assume that they're lying even tho they're telling the truth.

[fernandeath]

Sonic Boom Fire & Ice will be the 25th annyversary one.

[Radrappy]

Sonic Boom Fire & Ice will be the 25th annyversary one.

I think at the rate we're going, the new mainline game isn't going to come out this year.  That said, as long as it comes before feb 2nd it could technically still qualify as an anniversary title.