Kikizo Interview with Tetsu Katano

[SuperLink]

You could say I'm fumed. I'm bitter and jealous.

My favourite game series is rideculed and outranked by nearly every other franchise out there. How could I not be? How could I not want change? Surely most of you can agree that you want better Sonic games, or that you're not particularly ecsatic over his current situation?

[Ryan Brown]

Duh, SuperLink, but fuming about it will change NOTHING. All it's gonna do is make you as bitter and disillusioned as the likes of people at GHZ and Sonic CulT.

I'm pissed, too. Hence, why I've been making so many topics recently: to be productive and find a solution.

Edited May 17, 2009 by Ryan Brown

[SuperLink]

Well actually I was fuming in the hopes that I could get other people to see what's what, or why I feel this way. That's generally the reason I rant at all. I do it a lot.

Generally the more indifferent people are about the Sonic series right now, the less notice will be taken to the need of change. When you have a community full of those adamant for improvement, that's when action can be made. I'm pretty sure SEGA are aware of how disappointed we can be. That's how Sonic Team changed to make Unleashed, but it's still not good enough.

[blackherox]

You could say I'm fumed. I'm bitter and jealous.

Doesn't do any good my friend.

My favourite game series is rideculed and outranked by nearly every other franchise out there. How could I not be? How could I not want change? Surely most of you can agree that you want better Sonic games, or that you're not particularly ecsatic over his current situation?

Well for me, its because in the real world, this isn't a problem. People respect what I say and what I play. When a come online, its a whole different situation entirely. I'm thankfully that I live in an environment hat doesn't consist of whiny/bitchy fanboys that have nothing better to do. That is why the whole situtation doesn't bother me as much. I've enjoyed quite a few of the recent Sonic's and in the outside world, I don't get any slack for that. I just buy what I buy, rent what I rent and enjoy what I enjoy, without a care in the world. When I come online to actually discuss my enjoyment, it all just seems to go down the shitter and this is what is turning me off the Online gaming community. It used to be place were we could celebrate gaming in a contsructive manner, but now look.

Now that out of the way, this interview Tetsu seems to like working on the storybook series as opposed to the main. We haven't seen the last of him.

Edit: Well actually I was fuming in the hopes that I could get other people to see what's what, or why I feel this way.

And in doing so, your were attempting to force your opinion down my throat. Which got annoying after a while.

Edited May 17, 2009 by BlackHeroX

[SuperLink]

I thoroughly enjoy every Sonic game I play. That's why I adamantly support the series.

But there are other series' I love nearly as much as Sonic. Pokémon, Mario, amongst others. Those games have such a high rate of quality that playing Sonic games leaves me feeling cheated.

That's all I intended to prove. That Sonic simply isn't good enough, and that you shouldn't be satisfied with the sorry state that some of his recent games have been in. Personally I still think some of the harsher reviews have deluded nostalgic bias against Sonic, but I myself, ex-Sonic fanboy, didn't enjoy half of Sonic Unleashed, and if a Sonic fan can't enjoy it then we have a serious problem... but you should know that already.

Oh, and I'm surrounded by gamers in real life and on the internet. None of them have any respect for the Sonic series in its current state.

Edited May 17, 2009 by SuperLink

[Tombi]

And more and more people have been doing that haven't they? I don't see anyone doing it with Mario. Especially after Galaxy.

Honestly dude, you're not looking hard enough. Just a little while back it seemed like one forth of the Mario fanbase had gotten bitter much like yourself because of long periods with nothing but mini-games released, the gamecube rehashes especially. Where were you during E3 last year? I don't think any of those guys who turned their backs on Ninty still gave a damn about Galaxy. Hell, I've actually seen a pretty good number of people who find Galaxy to be nothing more than a shallow experience with not nearly enough evolution in the franchise.

Sure, I don't think this is the case personally, but some people do. If you really want a solid argument then I'd really stop all the generalisations on the Sonic, and Mario, fanbases. You can still refer to the majority all you want, and from what I can gather you're mostly right about it - but acting like every Sonic fan in the world is bitter and ritually curses the name of SEGA and every Mario fan in the world is a joyful person who runs through fields of flowers hugging Galaxy to their chest will get you nowhere. (And yes, I just made a huge generalisation too, see how silly it looks? )

I suggest to chill out a bit and stop taking this so seriously, especially when most of your reaction is stemming from what is; to be honest, just your opinion. You can keep your fumes going for as long as you want, but you still won't be able to get people who honestly enjoy Sonic (and even the Werehog) and his games more than Mario and his games to stop enjoying them, and having an opinion certainly doesn't make anybody 'wrong'. Does Mario sell better than Sonic? Yes, but who gives a shit? They're not competing. Just enjoy the games, and if you don't, enjoy some other games.

Edited May 17, 2009 by Tombi

[SuperLink]

Like I said before, there are always exceptions, but I'm talking about the majority here...

And no matter how much you enjoy the Sonic series, I'm never going to be completely happy with it until everyone else is. I compare Sonic to Mario because despite the crappy mini-games, Mario has respect from the gaming community for starring in recent great games. If Sonic isn't respected, it's not because "everyone else is wrong".

Just accepting Sonic as it is is just going to make the undeniable problem worse. I can't imagine a world where Nintendo makes a game like Sonic 2006, but with Sonic Team it's perfectly understandable that they'll make something like that again

Would you really just not care if Sonic went any further down the crapper?

Edited May 17, 2009 by SuperLink

[Badnik Zero]

Is this the "Sonic has gone stale" thread now?

Sonic games in the past three years I can say I honestly enjoyed are Secret Rings, Chronicles, Rush and Rush Adventure, and what I played of Unleashed. Sonic has become a series that's not for everyone anymore, even though in the '90s he was all the hype. He gets more ridicule for that than other franchises like this because he used to be king, that's all.

At least he hasn't lost all dignity like Mortal Kombat. None of these new titles have been good enough to shake the poorly received trinity of crap that was Heroes - SHtH - '06, but they're not bad games. Sega can accomplish with quality control.

Edited May 17, 2009 by Badnikz

[blackherox]

That's all I intended to prove. That Sonic simply isn't good enough, and that you shouldn't be satisfied with the sorry state that some of his recent games have been in.

If I did indeed enjoy said recent game, why shouldn't I e satisfied with what I got?

Oh, and I'm surrounded by gamers in real life and on the internet. None of them have any respect for the Sonic series in its current state.

Well sorry to hear that, I'm not surrounded with ''just'' gamers and it makes the air thinner indeed.

And no matter how much you enjoy the Sonic series, I'm never going to be completely happy with it until everyone else is.

[SuperLink]

I'll admit he does seem passionate, where I thought before that everyone in Sonic Team was made up of isolated guys who make Sonic games just because, not actually putting any care into their work.

Because of games like Unleashed, I can see that this is changing. I still think they have to go the extra mile with this positive change though. If Sonic can possibly become a well respected franchise that no longer tops IGN's "worst game ever" lists (or whatever) then that would be a day to remember.

If I did indeed enjoy said recent game, why shouldn't I e satisfied with what I got?

I enjoyed them too, but there's more than one level of enjoyment. There's enjoyment, and then there's pure gaming bliss. I know this is going to make me sound like a classicfag, but when I was growing up, Sonic was gaming bliss, and everyone agreed.

[Ryan Brown]

Gaming bliss? That's going a wee bit too far.

Sonic's never been THAT great. Amazing, sure, but not to that level.

[ShadiWulf]

after reading this i think SuperLink just wants SEGA dead, well screw that. SEGA is awesome unlike Nintendo and doesn't make lame crap like Wii Fit.

The next Hedgehog Engine game will be amazing, they are still working on improving the hedgehog engine you know. Nintendo would never be able to develop the hedgehog engine, they are stuck in the 90's with lame weak hardware.

[Tombi]

And no matter how much you enjoy the Sonic series, I'm never going to be completely happy with it until everyone else is.

Having seen this; I now understand what you're trying to accomplish a bit more, but like BlackHeroX said, there is absolutely no chance in hell of this happening.

The Sonic fanbase is a very divided one, there will never be that one game that is widely regarded as perfect - it's hard enough to even find a conscious on what a "good" game is. I don't see this changing anytime soon, so by all means wait until a Sonic game fully satisfies you, but don't go waiting around on everybody else to be pleased. (Let's face it, it's not like what they think even matters in the grand scheme of enjoying a game.)

But yeah, hopefully this gets back on topic now. I like Tetsu, and whilst he seems passionate, I don't want him to get burnt out either. Hopefully he gets the opportunity to work on some non-Sonic games in the near future.

And yeah, I never thought Mega Drive Sonic was that good either, funnily enough I didn't actually start to take notice until around Sonic Adventure time. So yeah, not exactly everyone, just a good percentage - and that was 1991, people have a different idea of "Gaming Bliss" now.

Edited May 17, 2009 by Tombi

[SuperLink]

Maybe I get gaming bliss easier than you or something. There's a reason that Sonic 2 and 3 are some of my favourite games of all time though

EDIT: Lol, me want SEGA dead? SEGA still make great games, and I know someone who works there. No, it's Sonic Team I want dead, unless they seriously pick up their act. Also, a good amount of people enjoyed Wii Fit, even if I personally hate it, that's good enough for me.

I mean I bet if Wii Fit was released on PC, the developer wouldn't get this kind of shit from people. It's only because it's brought what is essentially a non-game piece of software onto a console.

Edited May 17, 2009 by SuperLink

[blackherox]

But yeah, hopefully this gets back on topic now. I like Tetsu, and whilst he seems passionate, I don't want him to get burnt out either. Hopefully he gets the opportunity to work on some non-Sonic games in the near future.

I'd like to see him and Hiroshima (sp?) team up on the next main Sonic title. Although he does prefer working on the storybook series. I guess we'll see in time.

[Dreadknux]

after reading this i think SuperLink just wants SEGA dead, well screw that. SEGA is awesome unlike Nintendo and doesn't make lame crap like Wii Fit.

Where did you get that silly conclusion from? SuperLink's just a frustrated gamer that enjoys quality games, and feels that Sonic games have fallen short of the mark lately. I personally agree with him, but the whole debate is kind of derailing the main topic a little bit. Mind you, your post is just practically flying it off the rails with a pointless anti-Nintendo tangent. So stop it. =P

As for Tetsu Katano... eh, sounds like he really just wants to escape the Sonic franchise himself. To be honest, I can't really say I blame him. Being the head of Sonic Team in this day and age is just asking for beatdowns from every angle. Maybe it's about time the studio was brought back into Sega like the other ex-studios...

[blackherox]

As for Tetsu Katano... eh, sounds like he really just wants to escape the Sonic franchise himself.

Really? I didn't get that. Granted, I do think he should be allowed to develop games that aren't Sonic also.

[SuperLink]

I'd love that so much T-T If a Sonic game got the same love an attention from SEGA's main/new studios like Virtua Fighter or Valkyria Chronicles got then it wouldn't be long until the series was "saved" per se.

And I'm usually far more optimistic about Sonic than I am today. I was simply being pessimistic because I couldn't see why people were satisfied. I still can't, but I'll shut up.

EDIT: Don't you think they need fresh air? I know it's not the perfect example, but in Square Enix, Tetsuya Nomura's team is currently working on a Final Fantasy title during their break from Kingdom Hearts.

Taking turns with other teams on the same franchise is easily the best way to evolve and get different aspects of a series.

Edited May 17, 2009 by SuperLink

[Dreadknux]

Really? I didn't get that. Granted, I do think he should be allowed to develop games that aren't Sonic also.

To be fair, one of the saddest things I find about Sonic Team now is their lack of freedom to pursue other imaginitive projects. Billy Hatcher was about the last one (and despite the odd spot of bother, was a really nice game). I'd be quite happy for them to stretch their legs on other things -- especially given that we could have avoided Sonic 06 and Silver the Hedgehog entirely (Shun Nakamura mentioned that Silver was from an idea for another game he was working on... Remember Fifth Phantom Saga? Sonic Team original IP, FPS game where you used telekenesis to lift boxes and crates... blatantly).

It was in his mentioning about leaving Sonic - sounded like he wanted to work on a few more games and then 'escape' or something. XD

[ShadiWulf]

Where did you get that silly conclusion from? SuperLink's just a frustrated gamer that enjoys quality games, and feels that Sonic games have fallen short of the mark lately. I personally agree with him, but the whole debate is kind of derailing the main topic a little bit. Mind you, your post is just practically flying it off the rails with a pointless anti-Nintendo tangent. So stop it. =P

As for Tetsu Katano... eh, sounds like he really just wants to escape the Sonic franchise himself. To be honest, I can't really say I blame him. Being the head of Sonic Team in this day and age is just asking for beatdowns from every angle. Maybe it's about time the studio was brought back into Sega like the other ex-studios...

Sonic Team is back inside SEGA, just like all other teams. They just got to keep their name since it has strong brand recognition.

[Phos]

Gaming bliss? That's going a wee bit too far.

Sonic's never been THAT great. Amazing, sure, but not to that level.

That explains you're views on Sonic.

Sonic Team is back inside SEGA, just like all other teams. They just got to keep their name since it has strong brand recognition.

The other studios did as well. The modern Sonic Team no longer includes any members from Sonic's glory days.

[Ryan Brown]

That explains you're views on Sonic.

First of all, if you're going to call me out/insult me, learn to spell.

Secondly, I enjoy Sonic as a whole. I don't see any type of version, gameplay style or whatever as superior over another. I don't care what anyone else says, and I'm sure you don't give a damn about anyone who disagrees with you, so don't you dare try to make my views out to be any less viable than yours, if that is indeed what you are implying. Do you understand me?

You do not have to be a prick to get your points across, Phos, so I'd appreciate it if you stopped.

[Phos]

Wow, you're like a human powder keg.

Previously, I couldn't understand why you would argue against certain views of my own. Now I understand why. Problem?

[Ryan Brown]

Wow, you're like a human powder keg.

Previously, I couldn't understand why you would argue against certain views of my own. Now I understand why. Problem?

You understand zilch. You can PM me if you've got a problem. Otherwise, we need to stop derailing this topic before it gets locked.

[Indigo Rush]

You understand zilch. You can PM me if you've got a problem. Otherwise, we need to stop derailing this topic before it gets locked.

Nerd fiiiiiight!!!

Seriously though... Sonic is Sonic. Calm down guys... :-/