Don’t Read Too Much Into Lopsided Results
Remember, both Sonics are in the trailer for what we believe to be Sonic Generations released last week. So why was there a fuss over a poll Sega held on its Facebook page asking fans to choose between the blue blur’s modern or classic rendition?
Most obvious, the current results–showing almost three and a half times more votes for Classic Sonic as of this article’s publication–demonstrate a continued desire to see a true return to original form for the hedgehog from the franchise’s oldest fans. But so much of it has been made elsewhere that while most were opining on the box art prototypes we first revealed to the world, Sega took to Twitter Thursday to clear the air.
“(The) Facebook poll is just for fun,” the statement said. “We wanted to try the new poll functionality and give our million+ fans a chance to have fun too.”
The bottom line: Everyone calm down.
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I never was freaked out, I just hope they don’t redesign him AGAIN into his classic form, that would be a cannon problem because BOTH designs are in SG, I seriously don’t like the new look he’s had since SA, but unless there is a reboot sometime soon, stick to Modern Sonic.
Yes, because the near as makes no difference 1000 to 1 in favour of the classic design on a Facebook poll is meaningless….
Sega, don’t put out polls if you don’t like the possibility of the answer not being that you wanted. Particularly, don’t put put anymore spin on it, that it’s “just for fun”.
Because it never is. There is always an ulterior motive with this company. Nothing is ever as simple as “here’s a fun facebook poll”.
Conspiracy theory? No, just close observation of how poorly Sega have handled their PR over the last two years.
Isn’t the “classic v. modern Sonic” flame wars on sites like Sonic Retro, and even this site enough? Sega, seriously, what the heck are you smoking over there?
“Yes, because the near as makes no difference 1000 to 1 in favour of the classic design on a Facebook poll is meaningless….”
Well, it is. That’s not a fair sample of the entire population given that Facebook isn’t supposed to have the kind of kids that would comprise SEGA’s dominant demographic, plus the system can easily be exploited by anyone with basic computer knowledge
Apperently some stuff from mushroom hill zone.
@Copley Hill Zone
Yeah, cause it’s got nothing to do with how batshit the fanbase is, clearly.
Well. I like the modern Sonic better. The classic Sonic’s OK. it just that I like the modern Sonic best.
Me to, Modern Sonic is the best. Again, this is what I think of the looks:
Modern Sonic = Cool
Classic Sonic = Childish
Don’t see what’s wrong with just having a little fun, myself. They know a number of fans prefer Classic’s design (wether just out of spite for Modern being associated with some medicore titles, or just personal prefference), so it’s a nice and easy way to guage exactly how many of them do. It could very well not be just for fun, and maybe the votes will dictate wether Classic appears as an alternate skin in titles to follow or not! But it’s not like it’s gonna effect Sonic’s main design in the future, so it’s still lighthearted fun.
Plus, it hasn’t even gotten 1/5 of a million votes yet! Plenty of voting space to shift the balance in Modern’s favor. ;D
@sonic52789
You= Sheep
@Dan
If you give a shit about canon in Sonic you are part of the problem.
lol sorry people. My opinion still stands…green eyes…black eyes what does it matter? As long as they fix up the physics & no backasswords gimmick stages like those asinine auto runner levels.
@Sonical: “If you give a shit about canon in Sonic you are part of the problem.”
The problem being… ?
Fun or not, the results are in SEGA employee heads.
I just love the overreactions of these people
@Sonical Nevermind then…
@darkgomugomu me too I just love how one little thing can turn into a clusterfuck it’s like lighting a match at a gas station lol
Green eyes…. Black eyes…….. It’s sonic the hedgehog people!!!! It doesn’t matter ecause he is one character, I’m tired of people making it two characters. It is one sonic!
@Sonical – Sheep? Don’t get it.
@koolsk8ter111 – Kinda hard to say that to some, since the teaser had them running alongside each other. Was obviously to show the contrast of the generations the designs represent and to make Classic’s ‘return’ (for just the anniversery) stand out, but some people really are reading into it too far.
Thank goodness it’s just for fun! XD If it were a TRUE survey I’d want ALL the options, not just the 2! Especially since it was somewhat an unfair poll due to being on Facebook! XD
Honestly, I can’t see Classic Sonic in a modern game (even if it’s a classic Styled game) without it feeling uncanon. =P There’s have to be SOME treaks to him or else he just wouldn’t be that attractive. And I mean that litterally. Sure a lot of people like it simply cuz they miss their childhoods and dont’ want to grow up. But it won’t ATTRACT attention anymore compared to everything else on the market.
Of course I don’t think Modern Sonic does either. Go back to the “cool” looking Sonic. He’s not supposed to be cute. That’s what we have Tails for. XD Sonic can be cool without looking weird. =P
Although, Classic Sonic vs Modern Eggman would be interesting. But I have a hard time picturing any facial expressions on him. o,o
Anyhoo, I think I’m starting to sound like I’m freaking out but I’m not. I’m just rambling an thinking too much so my apologies. XD;
There was once a survey, that got leaked, dunno why, don’t remember either, but in that survey, they asked about playing online functionality in SEGA games.
If I’m not mistaken, that was near the release of SASAR.
Those are they only things that count for games.
JUST FOR FUN fans…JUST for fun >_<!!
Eggman and Sonic awesome is anyone pet.
I cannot tell if this is good news or bad news, I guess as long as Modern Sonic isn’t scrapped then it’s good news to me.
@FoxBoy
I’m really confused by your comment…are you saying that Classic Sonic is not cool, and that Modern Sonic is not cool, and that Sonic should go back to being cool? Because I don’t remember any Sonic inbetween…
I think some people like to forget, though, that Sonic always has looked different in each game, just much more subtle. There are enough differences between…say…Sonic 1 and Sonic 3 Sonic. But they are still essentially “Classic Sonic.” Just like there are subtle differences between Sonic Adventure and Sonic Colors Sonic, but are still “Modern Sonic.” What I’m hoping is that, just maybe, after this game they’ll try to redesign Sonic again, but find a happy medium between the two. But only if it can look really, really good. If not…well, Classic Sonic just seems so much more inviting. And it’s not a case of nostalgia. That character design was made to last, while the Modern Sonic was made to fit a specific time frame. It worked amazingly well with Sonic Adventure, which is still an amazing game. But it was a very stylized version of the character, and even the model in the game didn’t look as hyper as the art. The models in Sonic Adventure 2 and other games tried to get closer to that look, while the actual drawings by Uekawa just seemed to get more…phoned in?
I do wonder, though, that if the games beyond Sonic Adventure had been able to live up to the quality of their predecessors, how many people nowadays would complain about the look of Sonic. But that’s something else entirely.
I think Dav has it on the nose: So many are now forgetting it’s not how Sonic looks, but how Sonic plays. It wouldn’t even be a thought if the post SA2 era were held in higher regard.
Fact is, we don’t know how either Sonic plays in this yet. For my sanity’s sake, I hope it’s pure 3D or in Colors style.
-T
Heh, they should just hire the guys doing Sonic Fan Remix and Sonic Freerunner. Done.
@Anonymouse I hope sega makes the right decision and doesn’t make two Sonics. Even on Facebook sega clearly stated on the poll: which version of sonic, not which sonic. It would be dumb to put two marios in a Mario game lol
@Tristan Oliver I agree! I like the sonic adventure/sonic heroes style of gameplay, but I guess colors style is better then anything right now. I love sonic, and I hope sega makes a right decision. Because sega still has his independent fanbase here! They should just be listening to us instead of either classic since fans and new gen fans. I mean we are just for sonic being good again and keeping his cool!
@Tristan: I definitely agree with you there, but there are a lot of fans like Anon (LAWL B&) who think that even if this game’s gameplay sucks, just having classic Sonic in the game and not that “lanky ugly stupid ‘ol modern Sonic” will automatically make it good. Naturally, I wholeheartedly disagree with that mentality.
@amuro to be honest, te classic sonic fans are more ignorant then modern sonic fans, but we should all be an independent fanbase. I’m trying to be open minded bit seriously now this is their new thing to complain about now, besides the voices back in 2008. I mean seriously just bring back good sonic gameplay.
@koolSk8ter111
That’s an unfair generalization of classic fans if I ever heard one.
Also making sonic classic again doesn’t mean sonic is good, just means he is going backwards. Also sonic 4 was a good game for the consoles not the iPhone IMO. I do like the older sonic games but I mean i wish they could just move foward with pure 3D platforming gameplay like the older sonic adventures. I played sonic 1, 2, 3, and 4 and a little sonic and knuckles. Sonic 2 is the best IMO only because sonic 1 had no spindash and 3 was just hard as hell, but I’ll try it again LOL
@Skai Cyan I’m sorry to put it that way I mean the usual ones that keep complaining. I may have sounded biased, I apologize for that. It was kind of unfair. I’m just tired of people making sonic into 2 characters and just overall complaining about everything, and making sega have to choose two sides of fanbases. I wish sega was in the middle, of course they are combining both elements but, maybe we don’t want to see sonic side scroll in every future sonic game. Side scrolling is alot better in 2D sonic games then like sonic colors, but I guess colors is our best bet right now. I think i somewhat find sonic 4 more addicting then sonic colors, because it would have been nice to see colors Be in full 3d gameplay like adventure. Side scrolling IMO is a 2D thing. Hopefully sonic generations will be fair for the independent side rather making it for both sides.
Man, no matter what they say, it just never fucking ends, does it?
I can’t believe that it was a joke…. Not even real. They had me going there.
Even tho it is a joke, I think sega is just adding fuel to the fire. But few….. Lol
I’ve been a Sonic fan ever since the first release on the genesis, and in my opinion I think the modern Sonic looks better than the classic one. He just looks more up-to-date and well… to put it bluntly ‘cool’. Things change and people need to learn to cope with it.
I agree Daniel and to be honest, they look almost exactly the same! But I don’t care as long as there is only one sonic the hedgehog.
I’ll disagree with you, Daniel, on a logical point: not necessarily changes are for the better. That things change and people need to cope, that’s true. But even to “cope” means to accept something that wasn’t entirely desired, right?
Bad design decisions happen, too. Many things change for the worse. It should be obvious that, unless you have a clear model of perfection in mind, and guide all your changes towards that ideal, changes will be a matter of taste and fad. In my personal opinion, that’s what happened to Sonic: in an attempt to make him “cooler” (clearly after a fad), they changed him for the worse.
Of course, it can all be considered a matter of opinion. And in that case, I’m actually pretty happy that Classic Sonic is winning by more than double the votes. But for me, I do think that the classic games are still the ideal to be pursued. Since the last game of the trilogy, I’ve never see a better platformer come out (except maybe Mario Galaxy, but certainly not a 2D one). So that’s what I’d call ideal. And I mean it all, physics, gameplay and yes, design too.
If Sega can ake something better with the modern Sonic, I’m still to be impressed. Meanwhile, please bring classic Sonic back!
I think that what we all have to remember is that just because classic sonic has made a re-appearance it doesnt meant that this game is going to be the best game ever…
What it DOES show is that sega are listening to what people are asking for, which may hopefully extend to classic physics… we can already gather that classic style “zones” are returning…
I don’t think classic sonic means this game is going to be automatically awesome, i just think its an incredibly good sign that sega are listening… I have high hopes for this game, but i think im going to reserve my final judgement till i see some gameplay…
@andy
At this point, buddy, the prospect that Sega may be listening counts more than the game itself. Here’s to future games and hoping that Sonic’s road back to glory is a short one, at least from now on.
Maybe both the Sonics be together in one game for the 20th anniversary. I do like a crossover, even when there are in a different time.
oh my god that ‘haha jk’ response to the poll is such a joke. Sega’s been hit with a heavy blow with fans liking a hint of Classic over the 10+ years we’ve put up with Modern and they’re trying to look like they’re still in control of things. Trust me if Modern happened to win over Classic they’d be saying something totally different.
I don’t buy for a second that the poll question was intended to be for fun. If Sega’s PR really knew a thing or two about diehard Sonic fans, they’d know that Classic trumps Modern, no contest. Just admit that you’re breaking your own rules and let us play with a classic Sonic in a classic setting with the classic level of quality and fun Sonic 1-3&K have been known for (15 years and counting)
There’s one thing I just realized. Link has had more “redesigns” that were way more drastic than Sonic’s, yet I never really hear complaints about that. (Except for the occasional Cel shaded look but even that’s pushing it.)
@Andre
i completely agree mate, knowing that they are listening is a very positive sign, and after colours and unleashed i think this has the potential to be better than both of them, but until i see gameplay im not making any big judgements…. it just seems too good to be true so far y’know lol
Heres hoping for the best sonic game ever =P
@chaos-controller Not only redesigns but different links. In Sonics case he is one hedgehog, but people don’t realize that, and if sega makes the classic one work in a proper way like time travel, I can see me exited, but as long as future games don’t make sonic two character I might have faith in sega making better games. I hope sega can handle this without screwing up. I think sega needs to stop listening to the fans, because the fans don’t know what they want.
SEGA maybe will do something like they did in SonicCD when you pass that kinda’off “Past/Future” chechpoint and run in sonic speed to come back to the past, in this new game when you accomplished that Sonic should come back to his old form, and when in the present in his regular form… I don’t know but could be awsome that hehe
(sorry for my english I’m so excited about this idea)
@chaos_controller and @koolsk8ter111
The difference, of course, is that Link’s redesigns were actually good ones. I specially love Link in The Minish Cap, for example. Yes, they were drastic, but they were good. His proportions never make him a caricature, like in Sonic’s case. Same thing with Mario.
I know it can be hard to believe that such a bad redesign happened EXACTLY with the character we love the most, in that case, Sonic. But it actually did. Modern Sonic is such a case of bad design decision that stayed around for far too long.
I disagree with koolsk8ter111′s final remark in a special way. I do not believe, for a second, that Sonic fans don’t know what they want. Check the Retro forums, for example. They even have a guideline for the physics in that website. And in the current poll, the victory of the classic design couldn’t be clearer. If it was 50/50, then you’d have a point. But it’s not. It’s a Facebook poll, which means the results are not skewed towards classic or modern either.
Sonic’s current state is not the result of Sega listening too much to the fans. On the contrary. The japanese, traditionally, have always been notoriously bad at listening to fan feedback from the Internet. Let’s hope this is beginning to change now, and it does change the franchise to the better.
And never, brother, never hope for a company to listen LESS to its fans. The way I see it, the fanbase is only divided this way:
1) The people that complain and want Sonic back to its glory days;
2) The people that defend Sega and attack the other fans as “whiners”
The curious thing is that group number 2 would actually enjoy if the changes proposed by group 1 took place. Or at least wouldn’t mind them. Both groups got excited when Classic Sonic appeared on the screen in the last trailer, and both were hyped to heaven and back when Project Needlemouse was announced, with all its promises of retro gamestyle and “going back to Sonic’s roots”.
Next year the complaints are gonna be about his nose!