Fan Reaction May not Immediately Yield Sega Action
Continuing to publish remarks made by Sega’s Ken Balough, Destructoid’s Jim Sterling has let out another noteworthy tidbit, particularly for those wondering if the company truly is listening to fans when it comes to Sonic 4. Though some significant revisions to physics and level design are in the pipeline, other input may be held over to subsequent episodes.
That came as part of a Balough response to Sterling’s question on why the game is episodic in the first place:
With Episode One you’ll be able to give feedback that will apply to Episode Two and so on. Basically, we’re going to let the community be very involved with Sonic 4 and that’s the way it should be.
It is part of the process of content control, but it is risky. Feedback application from episode to episode is the most official and perhaps efficient way, but with the presence of PartnerNET, it may also give incentive for those who obtain early builds to leak the game–as was the case with Episode 1–in an effort to force Sega’s hand on impromptu revisions.
For those wondering why the complete Sonic 4 isn’t all released at once, Balough explains doing so would be a “a very large and costly download experience”–inferring that a physical disc copy of the game may have never been considered in the first place.
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It would be nice if they would tell us specifically what they are and aren’t changing but that would require saying that Dimps was doing a shitty job before they stepped in.
Delay the game for a year so we can have spot-on Sonic 3 physics.
No, I’m not kidding. I would wait that long for a perfect Sonic 3 sequel (which, by definition, would have to have Sonic 3 physics.)
@ Dr.Eggfang
YES! This is a good point!!
Those statements don’t infer that at ALL, unless you’re literally going out of your way to twist his words to fit your own assumptions.
None of this is new information, and all of this was quoted almost verbatim in a Gamespot interview with Ken that was made available at the exact same time as the initial launch trailer.
Sega has been completely upfront about all of this since the day the game was announced. I think it’s completely irresponsible to parrot back to us information we’ve already heard, putting your own pessimistic spin on it, then trying to pass it off as new.
I’m honestly surprised at Jim as well, for wasting everybody’s time asking questions we all already knew the answers to.
Apparantly Sega just confirmed that they just lost it.
we want perfect classic sonic physics and classic level design without HA sections and no boosters(expect for some zones like Mad Gear that are industrial) id prefer using springs my speed and you’d better yell at the guys at Dimps/Sonic Team about realizing this in Episode 1 or else
(EDIT – Inflammatory -T)
why did you remove my swears they were hilarious
they were directed at Ken Ballough btw
Episode 2 should = zones that are new.
DAMN: It’s because though even I admit I have a bone to pick with Ken (and I may reveal why in the future under the right set of circumstances), you just can’t call him the things you did.
-T
@DAMN
You still haven’t grow up, eh. I told you already your opinion will still exist even if someone disagrees. Good job Tristan. We don’t want to hear your filthy language.
Yeah, this was actually stated when Project Needlemouse was announced to be Sonic the Hedgehog 4 a while ago–by the same Ken Balough, if memory serves. That feedback was intended to be implemented in future episodes based on reactions to the episodes as they came out, I don’t doubt; although it yields less immediate results and wouldn’t help Episode I much, it’s certainly more credible than drawing masses of conclusions based on washed-out, badly-recorded camera footage. It’s really no different than what any game company worth its salt does when developing sequels, it just happens to have “Episode I” in the title.