Sega talks about its Sonic “Road Map” and the future of blue
For a franchise with such a rough history as Sonic, it’s hard to find somebody these days who doesn’t have their own plans on how Sega should “fix” the character – the problem is that not everybody can agree on how, exactly, that should happen. Speaking to Kotaku, newly-crowned Sega of America Head Honcho Mike Hayes admits that it is difficult to please everyone.
“If you read everything, we need to be all things to all gamers with Sonic, and that’s a difficult thing to do,” said Mike Hayes, the head of Sega Europe and, as of last month, the head of Sega of America as well. “Trying to put everything into one game and making everybody happy is impossible. And I think that’s something clear going forward.“
What the interview boils down to is that Sega is re-thinking who Sonic is “for”, and that involves their primary demographic: Children 12 and under.
“It very much is in that under 12 group,” Hayes said. “And what we have to do is make a Sonic that is of a quality that delights that audience, first and foremost. I’d argue that we very much achieved that with products like Sonic Heroes on PS2, and I think we did that with Mario and Sonic 1 on Wii and DS. I think we did it some ways with Sonic and the Secret Rings on Wii. I think [the Wii's Sonic and the] Black Knight was a good game.”
But that does not necessarily mean that the Sonic fans who still remember the old 16-bit games are being left out in the cold, either, as Hayes says Sega is not adverse to throwing the community a bone:
“Often it can be looking at another take on the nostalgic take on Sonic. Or re-issues. They’re very popular. Fans do like that.“
Though Kotaku brought up the possibility of seeing a New Super Mario Bros. style Sonic refresh, Hayes did not comment on whether or not such a project was in development or would even be considered by the company.
To read the full interview, head over to Kotaku.
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Why can’t SEGA just make SA3 and Sonic 4? They can have one team for the Adventure series and one team for the classic 2D series.
SEGA needs to look at what they did well and build on that. (WITHOUT GIMMICKS!!!)
@Sonikku Master: So you’re suggesting we take steps backwards and not forward? Yeah, smart logic there.
Unleashed was that step forward even with the Werehog, they just need to make bigger steps forward with the right decisions.
Yeah! Just go forward!
Article makes sense to me. I see nothing wrong with it.
Sega should know, I just did a little “focus testing” of my own this past weekend. I let my little brother (13) play my Sonic Rush Adventure. He was all “Hey that’s cool.” when he saw things like the the boost, the boats, the levels, & the bosses. But one thing made him go, “That’s awesome!”. Know what it was? I showed him how to stop and rev a spindash really quick.
Edge@: “personally I think sonic is better now than ever. but thats just me… and several other older fans ” I agree with you Edge, and people can see that by playing SONIC UNLEASHED… I’ve played every single Sonic game, in my opinion the best game is Sonic3&K and S.Unleashed (both in first place)
Can’t wait to see what SEGAs next big Sonic title can be!
From Werehog:
”
“Yeah! Just go forward!
Sonic and the Secret Rings? Sonic and the Black Knight? LOL!
@Soul Gauge:
Are you telling me you’d rather have speedy Sonic gameplay AND Werehog gameplay than just Sonic gameplay with more platforming?
Don’t get me wrong, I loved Unleashed, but what’s wrong with pleasing the people that like classic Sonic AND the people that like new Sonic?
Why do you think a third Adventure is a step back anyway?
It doesn’t necessarily have to have treasure hunting and shooting.
@Soul Gauge:
You make it sound like you hate classic Sonic and the Adventure formula.
Tell me your idea of the ideal Sonic game. I bet it will sound a lot like classic Sonic and the Adventure series. Hmmm.
You guys didn’t hear me… step FORWAHD! I don’t believe we only have to take steps back to be good, we just have what we have now and expand on that. Those who go ahead saying we should go about making Sonic 4 or SA3 really aren’t suggesting we go forward than backward.
Instead we should only be using the past to influence our future, I mean, they’ve been doing so since Sonic Adventure with the beefed up character roster but they could try doing so in the fashion that S3&K did, where it had both quality and quantity (If I see the Werehog again, he’d better have a spindash lol (there, you happy Sonikku Master?)).
I’ll admit taking the time to make a Sonic 4 or SA3 might be good (Personally I’m hoping for an SA3 that isn’t 06), but people really seem to treat it like a last resort Sonic Team should take rather than idea for another Sonic game.
@Doctor Eggman: I think those games were great steps forward! Especially Secret rings that came after the game we all should forget.
@Soul Gauge: I’m totally on your side!
But it would’nt be wrong with a new version of the old game on one of the portable consoles… just like new super mario bros. Why not?
But the other series should just be focused to be improved and even better.
@SoulGauge: “Instead we should only be using the past to influence our future”
Doesn’t this sound like what Mario’s been doing all these years? Yeah, Sonic should definitely take a page from Mario then and learn how to be himself again.
Look toward Mario Galaxy on how they should do a new Sonic game.
Yeh. I’m still waiting for SEGA to remake Sonic X-Treme and make it their answer to Super Mario Galaxy, and uhh.. the universe. FISH-EYE PEERRR-SPECTIVE!
@Greg: Yet, I bet you’ve said you want classic style gameplay from a Sonic game before, haven’t you?
Listen, Mario just sticks to a certain formula while not straying away to far from it’s core elements that had made it so popular. Only added to them. Simiple as that. People are silly for complaining or using only him as a example in the first place. Sure Sonic shouldn’t necessarily follow such a format, but it hasn’t been working for him all to well for a decade now, hasn’t it?
Some of the best platform games of this generation do the same thing Mario does and while they aren’t as popular as him they are still greatly recieved for the most part.
Ex. Ratchet and Clank (Basically 4 sequels of the same thing except with tweaks and additions to the gameplay.)
R&C’s only real difference in this pattern is that it has an actually story.
Still, why condone Mario in particular? Just because he’s older and been around much longer? If so, what a bunch of bull….
Seriously, you guys expect too much of the Sonic series……
And Azure, what’s wrong with using Mario? I don’t think his idea should be disrespected in anyway.
Mario is popular and well-known. Considering how popular Mario is, it makes perfect sense to use Mario as an example.
“Seriously, you guys expect too much of the Sonic series”
People have the freedom to expect, like, or dislike what they choose.
When you say people “expect too much” the most common complaint about Sonic games is related to gameplay changes like Werehogging or Treasure Hunting. Sega is even aware of this. Infact, Sega claimed the reason this happens in Sonic games is because they find it “hard” to make lots of Sonic levels. Sonic Unleashed developers agree.
http://www.indoorheroes.com/article.php?id=58
It’s a concern when the Sega themselves don’t even want to add the gimmicks but do so because they feel that inorder to create a proper 3d Sonic game, you’ll have to create levels the size that is an “ungodly number.” And since the advertising and marketing focuses so much on the “Sonic” parts, Sega probably has a good idea of what the biggest complaints regarding their newest 3d games would be (even before they are released.)
http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/podcasts/games/~5/466609192/Three%20Red%20Lights,%20Ep%2049.mp3
Hello, 15 year olds play Sonic too! They can’t aim the games to 12 and under. Just make the stories worth paying attention to and don’t add gameplay that involves puzzles and slow, meditating stuff.
Sonic rules people!
They don’t need to make heaps of Sonic levels if Tails and Knuckles can go through Sonic stages while accessing different routes/shortcuts.
@Soul Gauge:
Give the Spindash to the Werehog? How about Sonic! *laughs*
He can’t do it in Unleashed! (Silly).
There are so many comments here I just had to blank them out.
Like it or not, Sonic is still a series targeted for kids. It’s not targeted for nostalgic gamers from the nineties – rather, it’s targeted for an audience that is going to be around for much longer.
And if you take a look at the ‘good old days’ you’ll notice that those games were intended for kids as well. And it worked, because those games drew your attention, and now we’re all arguing about it with such an impressive seriousness on an unoffical newsblog eighteen years on.
Now, the interesting thing here is what your personal interpretation of a kid is age-wise. Mike Hayes’ opinion is that ‘kids’ are strictly under-thirteens. My opinion is that ‘kids’ are whatever age they are when they think they’re a kid.
Which means that for all of you who still have an inner child and enjoy nice and silly things once in a while even if your main focus is entirely different – guess what! Sonic the Hedgehog is still for you. And you’d be amazed how many people actually like nice and silly things alongside things like war games, strategy, JRPGs and their daily lives.
i think they should make a new game with chao