Detective work recovers candid tell-all blog of former Sega employee
Maybe you’ve heard of this story before, and maybe you haven’t: Back in 2006, an anonymous Blogger by the name of “jpeg” appeared, claiming to be somebody within the game industry. He made various posts about both his personal life and his job (like any normal Blogger), though never anything terribly specific. That all changed in early 2007, when he made a post about NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. He spoke on a great many things; he confided that he did not have much faith in the game, despite what he considered the best efforts of Sonic Team. He knew of the game’s troubled development, which he used as a segway to discuss the internal workings of Sega and how it related to Sonic Team, claiming that he knew Sonic Team, personally, “on a professional level”.
Given the deliberately anonymous nature of his blog, though, not many people knew whether to believe him.
A month after writing his post about NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, “jpeg” deleted all of his blog posts and bid farewell to his Blogspot users. Thankfully, however, the internet never forgets: after a little bit of figurative legwork from Green Hill Zone forums user FlashTHD, an archived version of the original blog post regarding Journey of Dreams has been recovered. By now, you are probably wondering why an unconfirmed blog post from an anonymous person on the vast expanse of the internet is so important. As it turns out, one possible reason all previous posts had been removed from the blog is because “jpeg” left a little hint at the end of the post about NiGHTS:
“Sonic Team are a relic from a past age who have overstayed their welcome. For the same marketing reasons that their name was initially kept (and has since backfired) they should be dissolved – it may already be too late for NiGHTS (and I really hope it isn’t and they manage to turn it around, which with Iizuka-san’s passion for the project is a possibility), but for the good of the company’s image; for the future of Sega’s other prestigious IPs and lastly for its iconic mascot it needs to be done… before they release another Sonic game with a transforming Evil ‘Night’ Sonic who looks like a werewolf and can stretch his arms out Dhalsim-style. It will happen, mark my words.“
Over a year before anybody had ever spoken the word “Werehog”, this blog user had tipped us off to the existence of Sonic Unleashed. Obviously, this most likely constituted an illegal breach of NDA, resulting in all posts on the blog being removed.
Today, his blogspot account is still active, containing only his “Goodbye” post. The sidebar of his blog now contains a typical “My opinions are my own and do not reflect upon my employer, and I will not discuss my job with you” disclaimer, but most importantly, reveals the blog owner’s true name: Ben Andac. Ben Andac, as it turns out, worked as a “Game Evaluator” and an “Admissions and Recruitment Executive” for both Sega Europe and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Ben’s job was most likely to evaluate the quality of products coming out of the publisher and potentially scout for new recruits to develop software. Ben now works for online gaming website Idle Thumbs, writing editorials and reviews. (TRISTAN EDIT: Since this story has been published, the Blogspot account linked above has been made completely inactive.)
By confirming Ben’s identity as an employee at Sega Europe, re-reading the March 2007 blog regarding the development of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams shines a spotlight directly on a side of Sega rarely seen by the public. In particular, it reveals an internal strife between Sonic Team and Sega of Japan, highlighted by the fact that NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams was originally developed as an Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 title – going so far as to say he (Ben Andac) played an Xbox 360 build of NiGHTS at one point. Upon witnessing the overnight success of the Wii, Sega of Japan apparently forced Sonic Team to retool the game for Nintendo’s lower-spec platform, something its producer (Takashi Iizuka) was not happy about. Despite the shift in platform, the game’s fast-approaching release date and limited development budget remained firmly unchanged, giving Sonic Team roughly one year to rebuild NiGHTS exclusively for the Wii (when most games typically take two years or more to develop).
As it turned out, according to Mr. Andac, after Sega had restructured itself to re-integrate external development houses like Smilebit and AM2 back in to the main Sega offices, Sonic Team was kept external strictly as a sweatshop to milk the Sonic cashcow, assembly-line style. Sega of Japan had intended NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams as a brief rest from the never-ending onslaught of Sonic game after Sonic game. In Ben’s own words: “There’s no doubt that Sonic Team have lost their quality touch. They are worse than talentless: they are without passion. Bored, weary, closed-minded and out of touch with any sense of what makes games good anymore.” Quite simply put, after making so many of them, Sonic Team is tired of Sonic games – something Ben cites as a reason for Yuji Naka’s resignation in 2006.
In the end, what this blog really represents is that, even within their own ranks, members of Sega’s staff are unhappy with the direction Sonic Team as a development studio has headed. While it was easy to assume such, we now have confirmation of internal strife between Sonic Team and their parent subsidary, Sega of Japan. In relation, this goes a long way to explain the shortcomings of games produced by Sonic Team: They are forced to work on a franchise they no longer care about, and when they do get a chance to stretch their legs, it is under tight restrictions.
Stay tuned to TSSZ as we cover all aspects of Sonic the Hedgehog and his related franchises.
Loading ...
lol I love SEGA, and you guys, and those annoying fanboys I want to kill. Sacharcka Mufuras everyone!
@THIS IS BUSINESS:
As far as I’m concerned, Sega built the company using Sonic the Hedgehog. Yes, the Sega Genesis had a lot of great titles (Phantasy Star, VectorMan, Alex Kidd, Shinobi), but it’s a known fact that in the UK and especially in the US, the Genesis did way better financially than it did in Japan, and Sonic pretty much led the charge – he was the #1 Sega Genesis Franchise in those regions. Without Sonic, Sega wouldn’t have had that foothold and they probably would’ve died long ago. That little blue hedgehog more or less defined the company for a lot of people.
Sonic deserves more respect than he is getting, and after a story like this, I wonder if it’s because Sonic has never quite been the gaming superstar in Japan that he was over here. The Japanese see that Sonic sells, but that’s apparently all they see.
I wonder if we could get somebody from Sega America or Sega UK to make a Sonic game – and I don’t mean Sonic Chronicles, either.
@ Ryan Bloom: Hence the nickname–the house Sonic built. SEGA’s been in trouble since Saturn and has since needed a vast restructure. Not only does SEGA itself need a restructure, and needs to stop forcing the dev-houses to do stuff just because something flew off the shelf like hot cakes.
SEGA is a company trying to survive. When a business is in that position, creativity goes out the door.
It’s a shame, because the only way for a business to really be successful is to take risks and create an environment conducive to creativity. But that’s easy for us to say when we’re not the ones trying to keep a company afloat…
Way to make idiots out of these fanboys, TSSZ….
“The only reason it survives is due to the massive amount of fanboys and fangirls that he gained from the beginning, from the enormous number of horrid fancharacters to the countless pictures of Sonic pornography that pop up on the internet.”
Don`t forget Classic-fanfags. Morons who “THINK” Sonic-team is the entire blame. And dumbshits like you,
Why do they do that O.o
@Soapscum: You’re really NOT going to fall for this? Until SEGA gives some feedback on this subject, and how they work on the inside, this is the safe way to assume things.
@crysore:
Yeah, that’s good of Nintendo, but different developers work under Ninendo (usually) to make each of those different types of games. Sega has also made different types of good games like Nintendo has.
And I do realise many people don’t see much change in 3D Mario compared to the old Super Mario Bros games, but I grew up with those, and while 3D Mario is still fun, I can’t honestly say 3D Mario is what I’d hoped for Mario to become. I’d prefer his games would have his life be supported by his power-ups, and the stages be more like the Bowser stages in Mario 64 and Galaxy. Of course, they wouldn’t allow you to just walk off the edge of the stage and die at will or always be as zany. But those Bowser stages are a strong resmblence of what I’m hoping for 3D Mario to become, because those feel very true to the SMB games. (Mario’s first good games, IMO)
THoe who keep saying he needs to be given to a difrent company that depends IF a different company wants to take him
Am i the only one who enjoyed “Sonic Unleashed”??? I thought it was a brilliant game, aside from the fact that it had a stupidly hard last boss who i’ve yet to beat.
The werehog levels were a nice change of pace and, aside from some horrible platforming elements, were nothing but a positive for the franchise. It’s doubtful we’ll ever see the werehog again, however i wouldn’t mind hearing about a “Sonic Unleashed 2″ one bit.
I still see some developpers’ love in “Sonic Rush” series.
They are good game.
For everyone who is saying the hedgehog engine is something that shows they like Sonic-
They’re going to be selling the hedgehog engine. It’s not just for Sonic Unleashed. They probably cared a little bit more.
Way to jump on the bandwagon, TSSZ Posters. The general tl;dr from every last one of these commenters ranges from: “Sonic Unleashed Sucks, the Werehog’s stupid, the game’s too linear, even though I haven’t played it, truthfully, et al” To Maya bitching about everything SEGA’s ever done.
If that was too much reading for you guys, I’ll condense it: Stop whining.
@Sonic the Plumber: are you sega’s tool or something? did sega pay you just to say that?
I think they’ve improved with unleashed and the rpg we’ll see if this holds up with SABK
*Sigh*, I don’t know how to start
You all provide interesting details and perspectives about this whole SEGA issue and the old and new Sonic Teams. They’re mostly sobering, and make me sad for the fate of a beloved videogame character and his fellowship of pleasant furry companions. An uncharacteristic thing about my reaction is that I didn’t even grow up as a Genesis kid. I was all Nintendo-then-Playstation. Funny how I became a fan, huh?
I saw many good things in Sonic Unleashed when I bought the PS2 version, and I expected to be rewarded. Hell, it looked good, and I already liked Sonic and many of his friends long before I had heard of SU, so I decided I wanted to make my own untainted judgment on the product. Every since I brought it home I had filed it with my other games, only to glance at it every once in a while as I chipped away at Final Fantasy XII (a truly gripping game). Each time I looked at it, my anticipation fluctuated, and I wondered if it was really as bad as everyone says. Each time, my expectations grew a few inches higher. It was about a week before I sat down to play it, a smile of long-awaited anticipation gracing my face as I saw the television unfold a brand new story to me.
The game’s storytelling shines in the vibrant cutscene sequences, giving the impression of an truly entertaining film. The characters are lovingly animated, the voice-acting is believable and faithful to each character, and the environments blend seamlessly with the ensuing action. I swear, this was among the strongest components of SU; I’ve never seen Sonic, Tails, nor Amy more well animated.
The daytime gameplay is what you would expect from a good Sonic game. You probably won’t be an expert at the Sonic Drift or sliding techniques, but eventually you pick them up, and they serve as nice add-ons to the blue hedgehog’s repertoire of high-speed maneuvers. The spindash was at least replaced by the Sonic Boost, which could be executed as soon as you hear “GO!” for an extra charge in your boost gauge.
One criticism I have about the game, and most 3D iterations of 2D games for that matter, is the tendency for the environment to drown out the character you’re playing, especially during the 2D/2.5D segments. Whereas the old school Sonic games you were focused on Sonic or Tails, the new 3D games inundate you in strikingly vast and detailed 3D stages to romp and play in. The problem is that I find myself paying more attention to Sonic surroundings than to Sonic himself; half the time he’s really small, and while he is very fast, the wide panning-out of the camera makes him a little too small, somewhat slower, and less exciting. I do have to admit, though, I find it hilarious when I accidentally slam the poor guy into a wall. That was a really nice touch, and it shows that the team was paying attention (whichever team it was). I guess what I’m saying is this: the 2D segments were nice, but could use some work on perspective and focus on our beloved blue hedgehog (or two-tailed fox and red echidna; perhaps even our dark friend if he changes his attitude).
The same goes for the werehog stages. It was an interested experiment, but no one wanted it, and everyone immediately discredited it on account of it being a rip of God of War. That may be true, but I’ve never played God of War. All I can say is that, like the day stages, the night could use a lot more engagement. I liked the stretchy arms, though; as unorthodox an ability that is for Sonic, it proved to be an entertaining gameplay mechanic for me, and I liked it. It was fun to see just how much it stretched and, by demonstration, how far from the brink it can save you. Nifty, useful, and simple. Even the way you would engage in combat wasn’t that bad either; the problems with the combat were that a) your moves were largely limited to 3-to-5 hit combos with either the left (square) or right (circle) punches interspersed with 3 special triangle button moves, and b) the AI simply flocked towards you and often gave you ample time to thrash ‘em to death; they didn’t force you to do much but throw punches, block occasionally, and just use your special moves to end the fight quickly. You could pick up boxes (or enemies) and throw them at each other, though, and that was actually fun. Nevertheless, the combat system serves more to bog down the gameplay a tad than to challenge you. The good side is that, with the special moves you gain upon accumulating DG points, you plow through most all enemies within a matter of 10 seconds 20 tops. In that way, the combat can actually be fun, because it’s less likely to impede your progress for long, making the werehog stages more like time-attack obstacle courses. See, there is where potential lies! There needed to be more challenge in THAT respect: speedy takedowns and running against the clock. Essentially, with the rank system, this was all the werehog stages were, except if you didn’t care about medals or have already gotten them all on a previous save file, you find yourself just wanting to burn right through the stages and set impressive new records. There should have been more challenge and more ways to beat that challenge.
The most exciting the combat can get is during the boss battles. The Sonic Team managed the boss battles well, especially the day stages and the Eggmanland battles. Kudos to those, and to the final battle.
Lastly, I’d like to talk about the last new thing this game had to introduce: Chip. Now, ever since I first laid eyes on the guy, I knew he would be a fun and interesting character. He may not have been as interesting as he was a charming comic-relief, but Chip nevertheless had my full attention. He was exceptionally well realized as an original character (now that may be debated, but the point is the team had the good grace to give him a nice personality), and he was cute. Yeah, I said cute. I really adored the little… uh… what’s he supposed to be? A mouse? With wings? I dunno. Anyways, so I actually appreciated his presence in the game, as he was quite literally half the driving force of the narrative while the other was Dark Gaia. The game would soon unfold him as the dark creature’s light counterpart, Light Gaia, upon regaining his memories. I’m glad he still retained his personality even after the fact, because only he would think of getting a picture at the final stage in front of the Eggman statue. It’s the little things that make the biggest impressions, and ultimately I love Chip for his, well, chipper and upbeat attitude about things and his refreshing fixation with food.
Unfortunately, Chip was also the biggest reason why the game left me with a deep-seated feeling of bittersweet disappointment. It felt like the game was just too short; you were given snapshots of really in-depth story progression, and then back to either asking townspeople where the tablet pieces are or looking for them in missions. Your direction feels uninspired, and the story suffers a bit from it, not to mention the player’s appreciation of the entire package. What I’m getting at is that, before you ended up fighting Dark Gaia in the end and defeating him, it felt like so little had happened, and you wish you had spent more time with the characters, namely Chip. Now why is Chip so important in this? Well, because quite plainly, he saves Sonic and stays behind to return to the planet for a millions-of-years sleep until the day Dark Gaia would raise hell once again. In short, Chip dies. I know it sounds bitter and sad, but that’s how the ending left me feeling: bitter and sad. Sure, Chip didn’t really leave forever, right? He left Sonic with the Gaia bracelet keepsake and his final words on the wind, promising to be by his side as the earth he would tread. It should be uplifting, but it’s nevertheless a rather sad moment in the game, even despite the quick pickup with Tails and the ensuing Bowling for Soup number, Endless Possibility, with the credits. After the game is done and I shut off the PS2, I feel conflicted. Should I be happy or sad? Basically, I don’t end up feeling very happy with the game, that’s for sure.
So that’s my treatise on my impressions of Sonic Unleashed, a game that is, with all of our hopes, a step in a bright new direction for Sonic. Lesson to be learned? No, not really. It’s good to talk about what’s going on in your head, though, even if it is clearly tl;dr material for most (but if you’re bothering to read all the way to my post, then surely you have time to read a long one, eh?). What does this have to do with Sega and the Sonic Team?
Well, as far as the Sonic Team goes, I lament the nauseated outlook they seem to have had the past decade or so with new Sonic game after new Sonic game, and I wish them fond farewells. They’re responsible for crafting one of the most beloved videogame characters of all time, Sonic, and the world he lives in with the characters he lives with: Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Amy, etc., not to mention some of the most inventive gameplay experiences I’ve ever had. I really appreciate and respect their efforts, and whether or not they care or don’t care about Sonic anymore, I at least hope they’re happy with at least their earlier, more sincere works, because there are definitely thousands upon thousands of people who are, fanatics or not. I believe that, deep down, they still love Sonic and care about what Sega does with him, but it seems like enough is enough for the old team. As for the new team, well, if they really are fans of Sonic who are truly willing to dedicate themselves to perpetuat his story, then so be it. So far, I think they’ve shown that they can accurately portray the blue hedgehog and his friends in a spectacular way, but may need some more time to train and flex their creative muscles. All in all, SU may be a step in the right direction for the Sonic Team, but they still have a long way to go, and they still have to deal with Sega. I hope for better Sonic titles in the future, and a revitalization of the Sonic name.
I think that Sonic Team should be given totally free creative reign over all of their projects, including RELEASE DATES. Sonic team WANT to make a good game, but Sega won’t let them.
Ah, so it all gets layed out like this. Although, I’m sure that there are alot more major, and more trivial things that lead to the way Sonic is today, I think that Sonic left with Yuji Naka. I personally believe that ALL Sonic games WERE top of the line, cool, fun, fantastic games until Sonic Adventure 2 ) also the Sonic Advance 1,2 3 & Battle) Anything released after Sonic Adventure 2 (Heroes being the worst) I think was pure garbage. They twisted the storyline (Shadow should have remained dead) messed up his perfect running animations (from Adventure and Adventure 2) And now he’s a cocky Duck. If Sega doesn’t care about their mascot, than I am now only a fan of Yuji Naka’s work. In fact, the only reason people are giving Sonic Unleashed a chance is because of the graphics. The game (including the daytime stages) are boring after a while and too easy. I’m sorry Sonic, you loose now. Go back to Ryan Drummand times and now we’re talking.
I have little reason or inclination to trust Sega with Sonic’s image and future, not after this. I find that better left with those fans of Sonic or original Sonic Team members that really want the best for Sonic and for his fans, as well as a profitable business. Passion functions best with experience and know-how of the business, as long as the experience and the know-how doesn’t interfere with the sincerely awesome creative effort that’s going on.
Normally Im a Sonic fan, but I dont like what happend after 1994.
When Saturn took over Sonic, it was like a genesis nightmare.
Like Sonic R really sucked!
And after all the Saturn eruptions, SADX was the best 3D Sonic game ever. before Sonic unleashed came out. After SA2B Sega got enough money to buy any shit they want. SEGA wanted more Sonic games quickly and earlier cause they want to compete with mario, but that went wrong.
Mario never scored a 10. But he does got 9s and 8s.
when Sonic CD cameout, it looked liked one of the best games ever existed.
But, WHY he DIDNT make it to nintendo’s Top 200 best games?
Thats because when SEGA letted Saturn handled the job SEGA couldnt have the potential to revive Sonic.What happend to all the Spikes,Platforming,Robotnik,Creatures, and Enemys!?
In 2006, the world of next-gen gaming letted SEGA tried hard and quick.
SEGA brought in 2 games in 1 year…..WTF!?
In SNG, all did SEGA focused is graphics.
Literally in SNG had bad graphics, bad voice acting, glitches, loading problems,
and the movement of the lips.I also think Elise shouldnt be the the Sonic world.
Besides, I also think humans cannot be in the games cause they are fucking…annoying..
Ryan, I am glad you wasnt gonna voice act in Sonic Next Gen that crappy game.
Thanks to 4kids SEGA made humans on games.
Now back to the discussion, SEGA made Sonic a Vehicle.
I know Sonic Team cares about Sonic.
SEGA should have there seal in Europe, not Japan.
Anyways now my words to the new Sonic Team.
If you are making bad games,FUCK YOU.
I think SEGA should sell Sonic to Dimps.
They make the awesomest games like Sonic Advance 3 and Unleashed for teh kick ass Wii.
Sonic…I hope they seal you back to the old good games… ;(
sigh… i knew they were getting worse but i didnt know why. know i do… to think that all trough my child hood my dream was to grow up and work on awesome sonic games and be in the prestigious sonic team. after reading that im glad i dint follow my dreams.
gawd damn it SEGA! even if your goal is just to make money with sonic if you make a game that is actually fun, even if it takes 4 times as long, 10 times more people will buy it. Dont make a ton of shitty games make one good game. theres more money in that (since you guys are apparently soulless misers whose only pleasure is ruining peoples memories of the good old days with all the games from SA2 and before just to make a buck.)
Nintendo make a sonic game?! that’s a horrible idea! sonic would then become victim to the monstrosity known as the wii mote for more then just “secret rings” *shutters* its just impossible to have a fun fast pased game without a controller. plus it sucks when sonic is associated with that fat Italian bastard (with the exception of ssbb of course but Mario is a terrible character on that game anyway i know of not one person who plays as him.) we would end up with more sonic and Mario at the Olympic games type stuff. gawd i don’t want to deal with that. so please don’t even joke about Nintendo producing a sonic game, its just too unbearable to think about. im confident that if sonic team tried to make a sonic game where sonic was the ONLY playable character it would be fantastic, only after they try and succeed in that should they continue with making games that have other playable characters. i mean look at unleashed the sonic day stages are half assed but better than the night stages that are one forth assed. so the only logical solution would to be to take the better part of it (day stages) and expand on that. thus giving birth to a wondrous thing that sega has not produced since the release of sonic heroes a good %&#$ing sonic game!
once again Nintendo could never do a sonic game that is enjoyable unless thay gave up on the damn wii mote for a controller
If sonic team were americans instead of Japanese people then the Sonic games would have a chance again
“Sega only want money / sega is just trying to survive”
“Sonic team doesn’t care/Sonic team doesnt have the freedom to create”
“Sell sonic to nintendo/don’t sell him at all”….
so, is it safe to say that no one really knows What should happen at this point?
all i can say is, i like sonic games, and i always will. And i know i speak for a good chunk of the fans when i say, as long as there is a sonic game to play, i will play it. with so-called “Horrible gameplay, crappy controls, generic storyline” and still manage to like it.
Sure, we may be contribbuting to the cash-milking frenzy…but it would hurt more NOT to get the game at all. unfortunately, this is Also to our disadvantage, becuz they are using this against us as well.
All we can do is voice our opinions (which we do pretty well lol) and wait and hope for the sun to come out. (which i do beleive it is, slowly)
and now for a retarded analogy…..
(you can’t look at a delinquent and send him straight to the electric chair, you have to give him time amd opportunities to 1. see his errors, 2. correct them and 3. move forward. We are at step one. They Have SEEN the errors, and hear too)
Damn… I kinda hate Sega officials now. They force Sonic Team to release games in a series they don’t care much for anymore (Solution: GET A NEW DEVELOPER TO MAKE FUTURE SONIC GAMES, DAMMIT.), and even when Sonic Team DOES get a break and can make a different game or two, Sega gives them God knows how many restrictions.
Damn, to think sega trying to kill our favorite hedgehog! I know I’m probably exadderating, but I’ve been working toward going to sega and helping them. Now I’m gonna send them a letter about this!! With my ideas for characters and maybe some video games I’ve also come up with that HAVE the original speed and NO big bulky Sonic that look like some circus freak. Nintendo makes the most E rated games, and if they controled Sonic, they put him in E rated games more! They would probably remove Shadow’s aditude or him all together! I’m not saying Mario is bad but it’s a bit childish….. Seriously. They should make Sonic games like when they still made the gamecube ones (Sonic adventure DX, Sonic adventure 2 battle,) Stuff like that actually represented how well Sega could do. I’m basically dedicated to helping Sonic and his fans from suffering. Are you trying to help to?
OMG who the hell cares about Nintendo and there E rated mario for all the people who want the glory of sega restored I salute you. Do you remember the days of 1989-1991 where sega kicked everyone out I meen they had altered beast and golden axe and in 1991 our favourite little hedgehog who was sooooo much more badass then mario could ever be screw Nintendo give me SEGA anyday! I think that a new console would be to fast but as a lot of people are saying I think it would be an ok idea for the next generation possibly with a decent pricetag, online play and great games which we came to love. LONG LIVE SEGA !!!!!!
i dont care wat yall say i still lllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee
sonic and nights
sonic the most
I agree Sega only want sonic for money, at least they could do is split the sonic team up like Sega America do the games and Sega europe do the t.v shows and publicity and Sega Japan do the rest, Canada even did chronicles and that was proved to be a step forward, why can’t the sonic team pull themselfs together and sort them selfs out. We need a good game with a good story line
I’ll just post one link, every fan needs to see this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjK8YtVJHvk&feature=PlayList&p=241F4275BE2549EF&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=4
You guys aren’t really falling for this shit are you? It’s clearly a fired employee throwing a hissyfit and using broken-beyond-repair fanbase to badmouth his ex-bosses and boost his own ego.
FUCK YEAH! MARIO FTW! NINTENDO OWNS YOU NIGGA!
Sonic (and most of SEGA by extension) died with Deem Bristow. The man DEFINED the voice of Doctor Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik; he was “The E.G.G.M.A.N.” But more importantly, his death was the reason SEGA was “forced” into hiring the lackluster 4Kids voice actors. Problems I had with (and possible replacements for) each of the replacements include:
Sonic: Jason GRIFFith tries too HARD to make his VOICE sound COOL and winds up making SONIC sound like a total DWEEB who NEVER outgrew VOICE CRACKS. Vic Mignogna would be perfect, but he’s not with 4Kids; so I guess Sean Schemmel could make Sonic sound like a badass again.
Tails: …When the HELL did Tails get a sex change? Not even Bill Corkery made Tails sounds like a freaking GIRL. If you still have Veronica Taylor, GET HER DUBBING TAILS. Her “Ash” voice would be perfect for Tails, and her “May” voice would be perfect for…
Amy Rose: It sounds like she has a permanent sinus clog. If you’re trying to make her sound snobby, good job, 4Kids! But, if you’re trying to make her sound like her old VA, hire Veronica! (But now that I think about it, Rachael Lillis could do it just as well, so either’s fine.)
Knuckles the Echidna: Surprisingly, he’s stopped sounding like Yami Yugi over time; that DOESN’T mean he’s improved to Scott Drier level or ever will, however. Marc Diraison (Zolo/Zoro from the One Piece dub) will fit if 4Kids doesn’t touch a script.
Shadow the Hedgehog: He sounds less badass and more emo/goth, but otherwise the best of this awful dub. Marc Diraison again.
Rouge the Bat: …GOOD GOD KAHN! You can’t leave sex appeal well enough alone, can you? Rachael Lillis FTW.
Cream the Rabbit: *headdesk* TOO *headdesk* DAMN *headdesk* SQUEAKY! Rachael Lillis again, as she did May’s squeaky Torchic beautifully.
E-123 Omega: This is the ONLY reason I am even remotely glad Maddie Blaustein died; now she doesn’t have to do this. Get Andrew Rannells back, as I hardly noticed a difference in Shadow the Hedgehog.
Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik: In all honesty, I don’t think Mike was worth the original VAs. Dan Green would probably fit the role better.
Team Chaotix: Espio’s less gruff, Charmy’s more annoying (but that may be for the better), and Vector is “FIND THE COMPUTER ROOM!” Griffith could actually do a good Espio if he wanted, Charmy’s actually fine, and Vector… maybe David Willis could work.
I’d like to comment on others, but most were created or first voiced after the switch and have no voice to be compared TO. So yeah; I know having good voice acting is no substitute for bad gameplay, but you gotta start somewhere, right?
The Sonic games are bad. They’ve been bad for a long time. The Genesis ones were fantastic, and I won’t deny that I’m a huge fan of them as well as the original character designs (Tails was pretty adorable). The GBA/Advance series retained some of the same spirit. The Adventure games were decent, if a little clunky.
But beyond that, it’s all been gimmicky and just… wrong.
“Lol let’s make Sonic a werewolf!”
“Lol let’s give Sonic a sword!”
“Lol let’s add a million freakin’ characters just for the hell of it!”
Sonic is basically a cash-cow nowadays. SEGA knows that the loyal fanbase of Sonic will go out and buy any game with Sonic on the cover and they’re exploiting it. SEGA lost a lot of money with the failure of the Dreamcast (A great console, poorly timed release though) and instead of allowing Sonic Team free reign in developing Sonic or other titles, they are setting restrictions on them to release games as quickly as possible.
I believe that staff at Sonic Team really would like to make a good game but they can’t because they’re overworked and are forced to work to a set time frame.
Personally I’d like to be able to play an awesome Sonic game but sadly I don’t think that’s ever going to be possible again. I bought Sonic Unleashed for the XBOX 360, it was the first game I bought for it, I naively thought that I’d enjoy it and that I wasn’t wasting my money as I did with Sonic Heroes and Shadow The Hedgehog which both managed to disappoint me. Sonic Unleashed was awful. I’ve never given a crap about the story in the Sonic games, preferring to just play level after level (Yes, I guess I’m a retrofag, I loved the Genesis titles) but they somehow managed to make the story more obtrusive that it ever was before, They forced to overplay levels and search areas for coins to unlock more levels, that pissed me off. The levels themselves were brilliant when I could actually fucking play them. I didn’t like the Werehog stages at all though, I tried to enjoy them but sadly, I just couldn’t.
The Sonic franchise is nothing to me any more. Since moving on from my Dreamcast and purchasing both a Playstation 2 and later an XBOX 360 and buying 3 disappointing titles in the franchise, I don’t want any more. I don’t care if they continue to make Sonic games or if the series gets run down into the ground. I won’t be there to buy any more.
When I was younger, I enjoyed so many SEGA games on my Genesis, I grew up wanting to one day work for SEGA and make games as fun as the ones that I played but I see the truth now. SEGA doesn’t give a shit about quality, they want to exploit both their fanbase and their franchises to make a quick buck.
So I guess we can definitely expect a 20th anniversary whoring of Sonic games. lol
It’s a real shame what it boils down to though. Sega makes Sonic Team put out craptastic Sonic games, blind Sonic fans keep buying the games, and the cycle continues. If Sonic fans decided to boycott a bad Sonic game, maybe it would give Sega a wakeup call that we, as Sonic fans, won’t accept the crap they call Sonic games anymore. But… I guess… that will never happen… because there are waaaaay too many blind Sonic fans that will blindly buy crappy Sonic games…
Wow Sega you’re a real assholes somtimes. I mean you see the potential in a game and think of an really horrible way to mess up.
God speed Sonic Team, I have a feeling this is only the begining of a Horrible gaming nightmare.
Interesting story. I kind a understand that if you make the same game again and again you will get tired of it. Sega shouldn’t do that, give the game to an other team sometimes. Just like Nintendo did with F-zero, Starfox, etc.
Nintendo couldn’t do Sonic, imo. They don’t dig it that way. Sonic would fail in Nintendo’s hands because Sonic just isn’t Nintendo. Easy come, easy flow, y’know? Nintendo isn’t Sonic. That’s just… the way it is. Nothign’s going to allow Nintendo to make Sonic because Nintendo isn’t -speed-. Nintendo isn’t -speedy platforming-. I cannot name a Nintendo platformer where the base of the game is on speed like 2D Sonic.
It’s that reason that I don’t think Sonic would do well in Nintendo’s hands. I love Nintendo, I do, but it wouldn’t come naturally to Nintendo to have Sonic under their belt. The game wouldn’t flow like it should. It wouldn’t be natural.
It’s like Red Hot Chili Peppers trying to take Alice in Chains’s music.
It’s not gonna happen~ And even if they weren’t BAD at it, it still wouldn’t be AiC. Nintendo wouldn’t make a BAD Sonic game, but is surely wouldn’t be SONIC.
However, I hold no love for Sega anymore. They’re just a bad dev now. Their consoles failed, and they’re close to going into the shitter for good.
Interesting stuff. I know this is over a year old now, but you may want to correct a significant typo anyway: “segway” is the brand of personal scooter, the word you’re looking for is “segue.”
Its not just Sonic who is being shafted by Sega. Just look at what has happened to their internal development teams, who used to churn out highly creative, distinctive games on a regular basis.
The last Sonic Team games that had the old Soni Team magic were Project Rub and Rub Rabbits.
Tetsuya Mizaguchi and Yuji Naka have left, Yu Suzuki seems to have been demoted and locked away, while Reiko Kodama, who I suspect would love to do a new Phantasy Star (offline) or Skies of Arcadia, is pretty much relegated to minor DS titles.
Aside from Valkyria Chronicles and Virtua Fighter 5, pretty much all Sega’s quality output has come from Platiunum Games and the Creative Assembly. Sega’s now just another publisher.
Sega’s over-reliance on external devs will be its downfall.
the comments on this blog sadden me so much because they’re SO TRUE .
… now i kinda wish i was back in second grade again . at least back then , no one was complaining about sonic 360 or unleashed , fans weren’t always whining about going back to the 2D games , and the only real problem was getting to the goal ring .
Damn this makes me feel sad… damn sega…
@Buitenlampen I agree with you, we are about two-years ago from this post and it still makes me sad. Not many changed, is the same history.