Is there Room Enough for Two?

[Linkabel]

There's certainly room for both, and like others have said Sonic Boom's success is tied to its tv show which can be a huge success or be cancelled like every other good show on CN (where's my Tower Prep/Young Justice/Green Latern/Beware the Batman CN?!)

I honestly see Sonic Boom having moderate success, but certainly not the kind of success SOA is hoping for (or enough to overtake SegaSonic)

[Sonic The Badass]

At that point I wish they would just mix modern sonic with boom sonic. but I don't think they would do that. Nor do I think they would want to piss of old fans. 

I think sega sonic will probably end up being for the veteran audience. And Boom for the new. Keep it that way. 

[Kuzu]

This is my worry.

 

I have no qualms with Boom existing being a thing, nor do I think it's objectively possible for the two to co-exist. I'm raising my eyebrow at the fact that this thing is getting a huge multimedia push and meanwhile the original line of games are floating in a cloud of ambiguity right now. Sega mean for this thing to be perfectly on par with the SegaSonic games, and I'm not entirely sure the market's gonna dictate that forever due to the quality of upcoming games, whether or not the SegaSonic franchise will continue in its specific direction (I don't see why it won't to keep from muscling in on Boom's appeal), and whether or not Sega will indeed just say "This whole thing was a test, so we're picking the best one and going from there." People say I'm worrying too much. I believe Sega's such an unpredictable bastard with this franchise that no one can say what the hell's going to happen with any kind of certainty five or ten years from now. I mean, last year you couldn't even say Boom was going to be this big, so what the fuck do any of us know? And that's why I'm on my toes.

 

This is my worry.

 

I have no qualms with Boom existing being a thing, nor do I think it's objectively possible for the two to co-exist. I'm raising my eyebrow at the fact that this thing is getting a huge multimedia push and meanwhile the original line of games are floating in a cloud of ambiguity right now. Sega mean for this thing to be perfectly on par with the SegaSonic games, and I'm not entirely sure the market's gonna dictate that forever due to the quality of upcoming games, whether or not the SegaSonic franchise will continue in its specific direction (I don't see why it won't to keep from muscling in on Boom's appeal), and whether or not Sega will indeed just say "This whole thing was a test, so we're picking the best one and going from there." People say I'm worrying too much. I believe Sega's such an unpredictable bastard with this franchise that no one can say what the hell's going to happen with any kind of certainty five or ten years from now. I mean, last year you couldn't even say Boom was going to be this big, so what the fuck do any of us know? And that's why I'm on my toes.

 

Well they didn't really have a choice to push Boom, otherwise it would have been kind of pointless to make. The reason Boom is getting so much attention is because its an established franchise being developed by a Western studio, and knowing that Sonic does far better in the west, they wanna market that as much as they can. I'm pretty sure Sega knows that despite that, Sega Sonic sells just as well in America and despite their questionable handling of the series, I'm still pretty sure Boom won't have any negative consequences on it.

[Autosaver]

I love the Megaman and Megaman X comparison.

 

Sonic Boom will probably be successful considering there will be an AAA title, toy line, AND TV show. This is going to be a huge marketing push.

[Zaysho]

I personally see absolutely no reason why the two (or three, counting Archie) can't co-exist and not interfere with each other's business. You all know what example I'm going to bring up, but I'm going to do it again because I think it's relevant given the recent revelation that "Sonic Boom" exists as its own thing: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This is a franchise that has existed for 30 years with multiple incarnations under its umbrella, often co-existing at the the same time. And not once has it been an issue because the franchise had multiple avenues to appeal to just about every demographic. I'm not going to talk about the quality of those incarnations because I find that irrelevant if we're simply talking about different demographics existing for one franchise. It's perfectly doable with Sonic.

 

I understand the concern of SEGA ditching one for the other, but SEGA themselves have released marketing material that explains that Sonic has a huge audience that spans various age groups. "Sonic Boom" is geared more toward a younger crowd, not us. We're in the periphery because it's Sonic, but we aren't the primary target for it. The marketing push for a TV show and off-shoot media makes perfect sense because kids will more than likely see the cartoon, and if they enjoy it, will likely be attracted to related media and merchandise (games, comics, toys, etc.). And, most likely, they'll spill over into the mainline Sonic stuff as a result of their interest. Meanwhile, SEGA has the older fans to deal with. Ignoring us altogether seems like a huge waste when Sonic Team now has the opportunity to gear their games toward a slightly different (older) demographic while Big Red Button and those handling "Sonic Boom" can worry about "Boom's" demographic. I like to think "Sonic Boom" removes a lot of pressure for Sonic Team to try to hit every part of a dartboard when they can focus on fewer targets, and hopefully that means bigger games with bigger stories and all the things we've been asking for for years now. But I suppose that's all up in the air until we find out what the big game for 2015 is supposed to be. Honestly, all I'm seeing is SEGA actually making more money from the venture because they've expanded the appeal of the brand.

 

There's definitely a risk involved because if "Sonic Boom" takes off (and I see little evidence that it won't), and I wouldn't dismiss people's concerns since SEGA tends be a little... funny about how they handle this IP at times, but I want to give them just a smidgen of credit that they aren't going to burn all of us to make way for a new generation of fans.

[JaidynReiman]

I personally see absolutely no reason why the two (or three, counting Archie) can't co-exist and not interfere with each other's business. You all know what example I'm going to bring up, but I'm going to do it again because I think it's relevant given the recent revelation that "Sonic Boom" exists as its own thing: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This is a franchise that has existed for 30 years with multiple incarnations under its umbrella, often co-existing at the the same time. And not once has it been an issue because the franchise had multiple avenues to appeal to just about every demographic. I'm not going to talk about the quality of those incarnations because I find that irrelevant if we're simply talking about different demographics existing for one franchise. It's perfectly doable with Sonic.

 

I understand the concern of SEGA ditching one for the other, but SEGA themselves have released marketing material that explains that Sonic has a huge audience that spans various age groups. "Sonic Boom" is geared more toward a younger crowd, not us. We're in the periphery because it's Sonic, but we aren't the primary target for it. The marketing push for a TV show and off-shoot media makes perfect sense because kids will more than likely see the cartoon, and if they enjoy it, will likely be attracted to related media and merchandise (games, comics, toys, etc.). And, most likely, they'll spill over into the mainline Sonic stuff as a result of their interest. Meanwhile, SEGA has the older fans to deal with. Ignoring us altogether seems like a huge waste when Sonic Team now has the opportunity to gear their games toward a slightly different (older) demographic while Big Red Button and those handling "Sonic Boom" can worry about "Boom's" demographic. I like to think "Sonic Boom" removes a lot of pressure for Sonic Team to try to hit every part of a dartboard when they can focus on fewer targets, and hopefully that means bigger games with bigger stories and all the things we've been asking for for years now. But I suppose that's all up in the air until we find out what the big game for 2015 is supposed to be. Honestly, all I'm seeing is SEGA actually making more money from the venture because they've expanded the appeal of the brand.

 

There's definitely a risk involved because if "Sonic Boom" takes off (and I see little evidence that it won't), and I wouldn't dismiss people's concerns since SEGA tends be a little... funny about how they handle this IP at times, but I want to give them just a smidgen of credit that they aren't going to burn all of us to make way for a new generation of fans.

Actually... I really, REALLY like this idea. Maybe the mainstream Sonic games will be aiming towards a slightly older audience from here on out to appeal to the older demographic?

 

Not that I want them to go full-out mature, guns toting Shadow the Hedgehog or anything, but I'm thinking something more on the lines of SA2, where's there's a nice deep plotline and humor. Sonic Chronicles also springs to mind; personally I'd like to revisit Sonic Chronicles and fix the mistakes Bioware made, I think overall it was pretty good but there were some things that were just really off about it.

[Zaysho]

Actually... I really, REALLY like this idea. Maybe the mainstream Sonic games will be aiming towards a slightly older audience from here on out to appeal to the older demographic?

 

Not that I want them to go full-out mature, guns toting Shadow the Hedgehog or anything, but I'm thinking something more on the lines of SA2, where's there's a nice deep plotline and humor. Sonic Chronicles also springs to mind; personally I'd like to revisit Sonic Chronicles and fix the mistakes Bioware made, I think overall it was pretty good but there were some things that were just really off about it.

 

Pretty much. Sonic games in general have been suffering from something of an identity crisis the last few years (Generations being the exception despite its obvious lack of a plot), and I hope "Sonic Boom" removes the pressure Sonic Team has obviously been under to appeal to everybody when they can focus more on the SEGA!Sonic fans. Games more in the vein of the Adventures and Unleashed, in terms of scope, world building and characters; Storybooks, in terms of writing and characterization; and Lost World, in terms of the way Sonic moved and the amount of control that players were given back, would be great to see, personally. I feel like that covers just about everything people like me and others in the fandom have been wanting for a long time now (though I probably shouldn't speak for anyone else).

 

And I believe this approach can still have that all-important all-ages appeal (you know, like it did in the past) by being perfectly accessible, but it'd be geared to those of us that have stuck around with Sonic through thick and thin all these years. And none of this would affect "Sonic Boom's" success, while "Sonic Boom's" success can only raise the series' profile as a whole.

 

But I'm just dreaming here. It's an approach that I think makes sense because then it offers something for everyone to enjoy, and I would hope SEGA sees this.

[Cyalume]

I actually prefer Tails' Boom design to his current "modern" design. If nothing else sticks, let that stay. Not really so much because of the tools/gear/whatever, just the overall appearance of him. Face, body, etc. It seems different, for the better.

[JezMM]

Arn't Mario's sub-franchises in the same continuity though? They wouldn't take over the main series because they're set within it despite not being 'main series' games, it's more akin to  the Sonic Storybook duology.

 

Mario doesn't really have much in the way of continuity.  They only reference old games or acknowledge/seek to not make them clash if they want to.  There is literally no story reason that Rosalina shows up in 3D World, Paper Mario Sticker Star makes no reference to the previous three games etc.

 

Shigeru Miyamoto himself said he thinks of the Mario characters more like a troupe of actors who play out stories.  Sure Bowser is always the bad guy, but it's why in some stories he's a huge threat and in others he's a race kart rival.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Mario doesn't really have much in the way of continuity.  They only reference old games or acknowledge/seek to not make them clash if they want to.  There is literally no story reason that Rosalina shows up in 3D World, Paper Mario Sticker Star makes no reference to the previous three games etc.

 

Shigeru Miyamoto himself said he thinks of the Mario characters more like a troupe of actors who play out stories.  Sure Bowser is always the bad guy, but it's why in some stories he's a huge threat and in others he's a race kart rival.

great, now you mada me want a mario game where Bowser is the Hero, Mario's the sidekick, Luigi is the villian, and Peach is a femme fatale XD

[Tani Coyote]

From a fan perspective, it'd be sad if Modern Sonic as we know it perished. From a marketing perspective though, I would not blame SEGA; it would wipe the slate clean and reflect its desire to re-invigorate Sonic. There comes a point where you could fix something, but the cost of fixing it can be so much you may as well buy something new.

Boom could very well become the main series in all but name; it would really depend on if the brand could outlive the show. If that happens, however, I think Modern Sonic would still exist as a side title. If classic gaming was (attempted to be) tackled with Sonic 4, I presume the Modern Style could similarly be appealed to by titles that are now the sides.

The good news is Boom has a focus on co-op, whereas main Sonic has been a predominantly single player experience. I'm seeing Boom being more like a party/adventure spinoff series with the main games remaining single player. If Sonic Team tightens things up, main Sonic could be a consistent quality boost/parkour-focused game with Boom being more focused on coop and exploration.

That said, at the same time it looks more like SEGA's testing the waters and could very well replace the main titles. I just don't know.

[Dreadknux]

SEGA putting so much weight behind this 'alternative pillar' for the franchise doesn't make me feel like they're just 'testing the waters' here. Sonic Boom is a concerted, deliberate effort to revitalise interest in Sonic within the key Western kids' demographic. If it succeeds, then it would make sense that it might eventually supersede the Sonic Team games. If it fails, then it's an awful lot of money down the drain for a mere experiment.

 

There's definitely room for both. But SEGA of America has its foot in the door now; its own pet project will likely take precedence over SEGASonic should it come to a choice. At least in the West. After all, when you have two different continuities/designs and one (Boom) is more popular and resonates with kids more than the other (SEGASonic), why would you keep both?

 

I can see a possibility in the future where SEGA of America will use Sonic Boom as the main 'rebooted' series, with Japanese SEGASonic as a fringe/niche effort for older fans. They'll likely continue to use SEGASonic designs for all adult/student merchandising too (like the underwear, retro t-shirts or cufflinks you can buy at NEXT) so they can continue to capture older fans. I don't know if SEGASonic will ever truly be muscled out, but certainly a bigger reception to Boom will position that as the 'mainline' series.

 

Not sure how I would feel about that, truth be told. I'm still struggling with the idea that, after all these years of Naka and co finally combining international and Japanese Sonic franchises (from Sonic Adventure onwards), SEGA's gone and split it all up again, ha.

[Tani Coyote]

I am more or less seeing Modern going the way of Classic in all probability. A whole generation or two grew up with it so I doubt it will be replaced completely, but SEGA clearly wants the brand to expand, and more of the same isn't going to cut it.

I just hope SEGA's finances frequently going down the toilet doesn't force them to choose between the two. But it probably will, and at that point it will depend on who's running SEGA: the business-minded folks who understand the West's ideas will likely sell more, or the pride-minded folks who would rather a Japanese game than an American one.

[Doctor MK]

I think a lot of things will depend on how well Sonic Boom performs compared to the next "main" Sonic game, which presumably is the 2015 multiplatform entry. If the new approach clearly outshines the current one - particularly in a critical sense, with Sonic precariously dangling over another pit of mediocrity at the moment - then I can completely see them putting their focus on Boom and forging ahead with it as the face of the franchise. As Dreadknux says, if one is clearly superior to the other, why would you keep the one that's holding you back?

 

That said, I think the two universes - as long as they can both warrant existing in terms of quality and style - could complement each other very well. The "main" series will cater more for the traditional fans with its classic platforming approach, whereas Boom will be bringing in a whole new audience as well as offering a different spin on things by adding in an emphasis on exploration and teamwork and buffing up to the extreme. I'm sure the analogy has been used already but I'm thinking of this as being like the Super Mario/Paper Mario distinction. Both based on the same source material, both essentially grounded in the same universe, but completely different directions - one being very traditional and by-the-numbers, the other being the more "interesting" approach that takes more risks and has the potential to achieve things the core experience never could.

 

Having two takes on the series running alongside each other could actually help to keep the quality of the games consistent, too. If BigRedButton absolutely nail it with Boom, the pressure's on Sonic Team to come up with something equally as impressive with their next entry. If they manage to succeed, it's back over to BigRedButton, and so on and so forth. They'll be like two opponents in tennis, both trying to keep the metaphorical ball of the Sonic franchise soaring high in the air where it firmly belongs, and neither one will want to be the person who lets it drop to the ground.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

I'd say if worst comes to worst, they'll just switch the two, making Boom the main canon and the Japanese Sonic the sub-franchise instead.

[Danj86]

Puh-lease.

 

Why worry? Megaman has already been mentioned, but doesn't Mario do it a lot too? Plus M&S is it's own continuity too. (If you can call it that)

A spin-off can only be one thing, and that's a spin-off.

[Tani Coyote]

The main issue though is this is coming off as a lot more than just a spinoff with all the marketing push. It isn't just merch or a cartoon... they had an event devoted to it exclusively. Did any other spinoff get that, and did it make a point to invite mainstream press and not just gaming press?

SEGA may be trying to douse the flames with its denial, but it looks like they want Boom to be the face of Sonic with how hard they're pushing it.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

It's like I said. Maybe SEGA wants to swap places, making SOnic Boom the main canon face of the Sonic franchise, while making Sonic Team's Sonic the sub-franchise.

[Rusty Spy]

I honestly doubt Boom will replace the old canon. This show, all these licensing deals, outsourcing the game to a relatively new development team; Sega want to squeeze as much money out of this as possible.

 

These new designs and 'new direction' seem formulated to be just different enough to grab peoples attention, but still mostly the same so as not to scare away old fans. They don't try to take the characters and concepts and do something truely different that the main series couldn't, like with Megaman X or DMC, they just look new so curious customers will buy into it. If this is the case, then I doubt Sega are going to do anything drastic. This launching of a new series is painted to look like a bold move, but is just safe enough to where they have the SegaSonic series to promote to any fans that don't like Boom.

 

That's not to say I don't have the outmost confidence in Boom, since they at least sound like they're trying to make the game (maybe the show too) good. Whether or not they phone it in is left to be seen.

[BonkersTheAutomaton]

Personally I think it is slightly obvious that if Sonic Boom sells really well (which I'm confident enough to say I'm positive on) they will probably let Sonic Team finish whatever game they are making at the time and let SEGA see if it gets good rating and sells well.  After that I think SEGA as a whole will come to a decision.

 

So here's what I think will happen:

 

1: If Sonic Boom succeeds:

A: Sonic Teams game succeeds = both stay in business.

B: Sonic Teams game fails = Sonic Team go and get replaced by Big Red Button.

 

2: If Sonic Boom fails:

A: Sonic Teams game succeeds = Big Red Button go and Sonic Team stay.

B: Sonic Teams game fails = (all of us are in the pooper) Both stay in business but both with bad reputation.

[Tani Coyote]

That is what I'm anticipating, Bonkers. SEGA wants Sonic's reputation to not be tripe, I think, which is why they're pushing this - I don't think it's just an attempt to milk it, but to redefine Sonic in such a manner they could afford to move away from their past.

Of course, if money remains to be made with SEGA Sonic, it stands to reason they'd still be kept around. But if Boom clearly, utterly dominates SEGA Sonic in sales of merch and overall reviews... it's not insane to assume SEGA would gradually distance itself from SEGA Sonic.

[Zaysho]

The main issue though is this is coming off as a lot more than just a spinoff with all the marketing push. It isn't just merch or a cartoon... they had an event devoted to it exclusively. Did any other spinoff get that, and did it make a point to invite mainstream press and not just gaming press?

SEGA may be trying to douse the flames with its denial, but it looks like they want Boom to be the face of Sonic with how hard they're pushing it.

 

Maybe, but I think it's also possible that it's a fresh and very different take on Sonic than we've seen in about 16 years of Sonic games and media. "Sonic Boom" is a huge thing compared to anything in the last four or five years, and that's when Sonic's image with the general public wasn't exactly good, regardless of what SEGA did and the actual quality of the games. "Sonic Boom" marks the beginning of a new branch of the franchise and needs all the marketing muscle SEGA can afford to put behind it, both for when the show drops this Fall and for the sake of the general franchise's image. "Sonic Boom" starts doing well, Sonic starts doing well.

 

I still hope that the two entities remain separate (though if one wants to adapt concepts/characters from the other, but give it its unique spin, that's fine) because I see no reason to throw one out in favor of the other when you can have the best of both worlds for a such a diverse audience as Sonic fandom. As I've said before, I see both sides of the IP bringing in more money for SEGA than just one would alone.

 

That said, I do know there is a risk that if "Sonic Boom" does really well, moreso than SEGA!Sonic, SEGA might rethink the overall direction of the franchise, so we can only just wait to see what happens, but as I've said, there really isn't a good reason to lose either at the moment IMO.

[Milo]

Personally I hope the presence of Sonic Boom (the series in general can apply, but in this case I'm referring to the tie-in game) prompts Sonic Team to see Boom as a direct challenge (or for the sake of semantics, a threat even, considering how hard Sega's pushing Boom) to the status quo of them holding the (primary) reigns to the Sonic franchise, and /really/ get their shit together after Lost World's mediocre reception.

 

I personally feel that since the Dreamcast (and along with it the Adventure series) died, Sonic games have never really bothered to try making a Sonic game that would surpass well-received Sonic games of the past, let alone compete with other games setting the standard or raising the bar (of their genre)-I think (of all games) Sonic 06 by Sonic Team Japan was the only genuine attempt of this nature, but the original team who started it jumping ship and it's troubled production torpedoed any chances it had of doing so.

 

Sonic Team Japan (1998-2006), Sonic Team USA, and 2007 (and onwards) Sonic Team since Adventure (2) were either doing their own thing (in the sense of trying out new things) with the Sonic IP and other licenses and/or appealing to certain groups within the fanbase and/or the critics (ShadowTH for Shadow fans, Sonic 4 for Genesis games fans, Lost World for Mario fans, etc.). Sonic Team 2007 in particular has been doing both while also trying to restore the reputation of the brand after 06 wrecked it. But none of them have actually released a Sonic game that has tried to meet or /top/ the Genesis/Adventure games or other high-quality platformers.

 

Sonic Boom could change that, though. The stakes of not doing anything great, let alone incredible, come at the (potential) cost of seeing products from Boom and/or other parties outside Sonic Team, supported through Sega, exerting their influences on the main franchise. Which would come at a great expense to Sonic Team who, as we all know, are the guys who not only created the IP, but essentially live on it as Sega does. (Lest we also forget Sonic Team's attempts to keep Western material out of or closer to the main canon, as they retconned the Genesis-era Western canon influenced by the comics around the release of Adventure 1 and have issued mandates on the Archie Sonic comic.) If Sonic Boom turns out to be good, all eyes will be on Sonic Team to match or surpass BRB Entertainment's efforts and thus prove to critics, general gamers, fans, and (most importantly) Sega that they (still) have what it takes to create a great or even excellent Sonic game, despite their setback with Lost World.

 

In short, I hope Boom goads Sonic Team into getting competitive so they can show the world why they still call the shots on the franchise, which can only be done by not producing a "good (enough)" Sonic game, but rather a great Sonic game.

[RK64]

Personally I hope the presence of Sonic Boom (the series in general can apply, but in this case I'm referring to the tie-in game) prompts Sonic Team to see Boom as a direct challenge (or for the sake of semantics, a threat even, considering how hard Sega's pushing Boom) to the status quo of them holding the (primary) reigns to the Sonic franchise, and /really/ get their shit together after Lost World's mediocre reception.

 

I personally feel that since the Dreamcast (and along with it the Adventure series) died, Sonic games have never really bothered to try making a Sonic game that would surpass well-received Sonic games of the past, let alone compete with other games setting the standard or raising the bar-I think (of all games) Sonic 06 by Sonic Team Japan was the only genuine attempt of this nature, but the original team who started it jumping ship and it's troubled production torpedoed any chances it had of doing so.

 

Sonic Team Japan (1998-2006), Sonic Team USA, and 2007 Sonic Team since Adventure (2) were either doing their own thing (in the sense of trying out new things) with the Sonic IP and other licenses and/or appealing to certain groups within the fanbase and/or the critics (ShadowTH for Shadow fans, Sonic 4 for Genesis games fans, Lost World for Mario fans, etc.). Sonic Team 2007 in particular has been doing the latter two while also trying to restore the brand after 06 wrecked it. But none of them have actually released a Sonic game that has tried to meet or /top/ the Genesis/Adventure games or other high-quality platformers.

 

Sonic Boom could change that, though. The stakes of not doing anything good, if not impressive, come at the (potential) cost of seeing products from other parties outside Sonic Team, supported through Sega, exerting their influences on the main franchise-which would come at a great expense to Sonic Team-you know, the guys who not only created the IP, but essentially live on it as Sega does. (Lest we also forget Sonic Team's attempts to keep Western material out of or closer to the main canon, as they retconned the Genesis-era Western canon influenced by the comics around the release of Adventure 1 and have issued mandates on the Archie Sonic comic.). If Sonic Boom turns out to be good, all eyes will be on Sonic Team to match or surpass BRB Entertainment's efforts and thus prove to critics, general gamers, fans, and (most importantly) Sega that they (still) have what it takes to create a good or even great Sonic game, despite their setback with Lost World.

 

In short, I hope Boom causes Sonic Team to get competitive and show the world why they still call the shots on the franchise-which can only be done by not producing a "good (enough)" Sonic game, but rather a great Sonic game.

 

I agree with you man, but not just to be a big fat wake up call to Sonic Team; to give also give them more time with their games. Lets be honest here; games like Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Generations have greatness in them but are subdued by design issues or many other factors. With Unleashed they had the Werehog, metal collecting and bad optimization on consoles but all of those could of been avoided if they had more time to work with (more time to better the games preformace, re-tooling the metal collecting into a more enjoyable thing, more time to alter the Werehogs level/combat design to make him more Sonic-like).

 

Same thing with Generations, as with another 6 or so months of development time, they could of added 3 more stages, a REAL story, and more acts for the normal stages. Sonic Team are, well the Sonic Team, but that is more of a burden than anything else because that all they do; back in the Genesis/Saturn days they made so many original IP like Ristar, Burning Rangers and Nights. They tried to do that in the GC era with Billy Hatcher but that was only average (and their second Nights game wasn't so great either...). Bacilly, due to only making Sonic, they have to shove their interesting ideas into the Sonic brand...explaining things like the Werehog, the sword combat in Black Night, the Sonic Riders series, the gun play in Shadow and the like. I think that if they took a break from the Sonic series and hand it over to another developer, they could stretch their creative musles again and make some great original games. I don't know, but I'm sure that if they had the chance to take a brake from Sonic and do something new and fresh....maybe they will leap at the opportunity.

[Mauro Fonseca]

Should be noted that "a REAL story" is not something anyone complained about outside dedicated Sonic communities

 

much like how, amusingly enough, "it has PLOT!!!" isn't being seen as a holy grail regarding Boom outside pretty much... here.

 

EDIT: By which I mean that outside the bosses and short amount of content, Generations already was the perfect game.