If Sonic was ever sold to another game company...

[NoirSuede]

 

That's nice and all but it still has nothing to do with either of our original points - you specifically brought up mods as a compromise for the game turning out shit, which is something that can already be avoided by handing over to a dev that can be trusted not to make a shit game. Hell, even if fans outright overhaul a AAA-level fuckup it's still going to take them a good year or so after release in the very best case scenario, and that's even assuming they're all collaborating on the same project rather than hundreds of individual fixes and tweaks that might not even be compatible with each other, Skyrim's Workshop community case in point.

This is a needlessly defeatist way of thinking at its core. Fair enough if you just want a moddable Sonic game, but Bethesda is pretty much the worst possible dev imaginable to handle the game it's built on. It's like endorsing a turd sundae just because you can choose the toppings.

You're going to need more than two words to tell me how this is significant at all to the discussion here.

No, not really. And even if it were, it's not like they're moving out of their comfort zone or anything - it's virtually the same loot-based sandbox shooter based on a loot-based sandbox slasher it always was. The problem with your argument here is that Bethesda specialize in first person games, and pretty dull looking ones to boot, and for every indication they've shown so far, would be absolutely horrible at making a platforming game of any kind, let alone one as dynamic as Sonic. You can keep crying "bbbbbut the fans!" all you like, but you're only kidding yourself if you're insinuating mod capability is somehow a better deal than simply getting a great core game right from the start.

Alright, you win, I'll admit right now that Bethesda is a shit company that can't possibly handle Sonic no matter what.

[ChikaBoing]

They may do something like that.

But Sonic is such a ridiculously big franchise that I imagine some company would try to give them an offer they couldn't refuse. Mario would be held by Nintendo to their very deathbed because of how iconic Mario is as a part of Nintendo's legacy. Sonic is the same to Sega, but Sega is a much smaller and less powerful company who knows their allies.

In a dream world, I'd like to imagine a 'what if' scenario of Sonic Team itself being bought by Nintendo, although still in partnership with Sega as they have supervision, oversight and support in name only (kind of like Bayonetta). Not only would it still be a Sega property, but Nintendo would be behind it's new management and new recruits, and give the more tired members of the team jobs on different games in the house of the newly-structured EPD. This would also open up chances to get Sonic Team to return to making other IPs, since the burden would be less on them having to make a new Sonic every time they need money (which under Sega alone is "all the time").

Plus, it would open up chances to get Yasuhara, Naka or Oshima back on board for a game or two, and to be honest I yearn for the day we get those guys back on again. Actually, having Sonic Team partially owned by Nintendo would make a good chance for Yasuhara to rejoin Sonic Team and take position as lead game designer or whatever, idk that guy's work is genius and needs to get back onto a Sonic game.

I'm just spitballing at a pipe dream, but it's fun so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I know you're pipedreaming and all, but I just think Oshima and Yasuhara just don't care about Sonic anymore, maybe they had enough trust into other members succeeding them at Sega, rather than continueing to work at Sega.

I also think the creative work for Yasuhara and Oshima is long gone, and probably just do managerial work.

 

[Chaos Incarnate]

I'd be totally okay with this, as long as whoever ended up taking the reigns of the franchise is capable of making a good game. That's all that matters to me at this point, and it's not as if I have faith in Sonic Team or Sega to do that anymore.

[FriendBot]

I'd be totally okay with this, as long as whoever ended up taking the reigns of the franchise is capable of making a good game. That's all that matters to me at this point, and it's not as if I have faith in Sonic Team or Sega to do that anymore.

But is a "good game" enough? I mean, we could have the best fishing game ever made but put Sonic's face in it and it'll be mediocre as hell. Exaggeration, I know.

But what makes people so confident that other companies can make good SONIC games. The key word in bold. From what I see, NOBODY and I mean, nobody can do Sonic better than what Sonic Team does or have the budget to make a high-quality product. I get that people are tired of SEGA screwing up Sonic but remember the times that SEGA did Sonic write, those moments are what made Sonic "Sonic". So yeah, Sonic Team when they're done screwing around and I do believe that they won't screw it up next game.

[Chaos Incarnate]

But is a "good game" enough? I mean, we could have the best fishing game ever made but put Sonic's face in it and it'll be mediocre as hell. Exaggeration, I know.

Indeed, it is an exaggeration. I understand people are worried about Sonic losing his identity if someone else took the reigns, but I have no reason to assume there isn't a game developer or company that could do Sonic justice.

But what makes people so confident that other companies can make good SONIC games. The key word in bold. From what I see, NOBODY and I mean, nobody can do Sonic better than what Sonic Team does or have the budget to make a high-quality product.

It's worked for other franchises where new developers took over, though. Retro Studios and Metroid, for instance.

 I get that people are tired of SEGA screwing up Sonic but remember the times that SEGA did Sonic write, those moments are what made Sonic "Sonic". So yeah, Sonic Team when they're done screwing around and I do believe that they won't screw it up next game.

I'm not ruling out the possibility of Sonic Team making another good game. But I'm also not ruling out the possibility of giving someone else a shot, and judging by Sonic Team's track record (which isn't necessarily objective, if you're pleased with most of their games, that's fine, and I can totally see where you are coming from.), I wouldn't be hot and bothered if someone else took up the reigns.

The future is uncertain, though, so there really is no way for me to say how it would turn out, one way or another. I just wouldn't be bothered by it.

[FriendBot]

Oh, I'm totally fine with other developers trying out Sonic. I would actually would play a fishing game with Big (if it's not taking itself seriously, that would just make me want to play it more). But hearing all this "oh, *insert company that has no actual experience in making a Sonic-like game* should make Sonic games from now on because lol 06 and RoL were shit" is again tiring and doesn't give me an actual reason to be convinced of their views. 

Maybe it's just a consequence of hearing such baseless statements constantly that turns me off at the idea of it but since I'm pretty curious on what Fire & Ice has to offer, I'm making myself look like a hypocrite. XD

[Weh]

I'd be all for Nintendo gettin' their hands on Sonic, hell yeah! This is purely from my own POV obviously, but I buy every Nintendo system as it is, so Sonic being exclusive to Nintendo systems wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Plus, for all the shit people give Nintendo about barely releasing games in some of their franchises, at least they treat them with the respect that they deserve when they do. I'd be all over the idea of getting a glorious Nintendo-quality Sonic game at the cost of getting way less of them. In fact, I'd prefer it to what Sega's been doing with Sonic for the last... 20 years.

Also, I hear peoples' concerns about Nintendo taking Sonic's art style and making it too similar to their other sidescrolling series's. I do not think that this would happen. If Nintendo would be willing to plonk down the money to buy Sonic, I'm certain they would also be willing to put effort into researching what makes Sonic's visual style tick. And this goes for the gameplay as well. I really don't feel like they'd look at Sonic and go "EH, JUST MAKE IT LIKE KIRBY. CLOSE ENOUGH."

Hypothetically, of course. They could also buy the series, mess it up horribly and just let it die. Who knows!

[Roger_van_der_weide]

I would actually would play a fishing game with Big (if it's not taking itself seriously, that would just make me want to play it more).

Actually I'd WANT them to take it serious.
Imagine a Big fishing game with the intensity of Shadow's game.
Where's that DAMN Froggy?!
If Hogfather already loved the intense Big the cat battle in Sonic adventure versus Chaos 6, imagine a whole game like that.
Pretty much this with a Big the Cat theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDvI_0o1oe8

Joking aside, man, Sumo Digital. They NAIL the Sega arcade feel. I'd love to see Sumo try to tackle a Sonic game, provided they finally remember Sonic had more games then just Sonic Heroes in his repetoire.

And to defend Nintendo, but man. Been playing Mario 8 yesterday.
If a new Sonic game had the stages looking like those tracks, then I'd retract my Nintendo concerns.
That Disco level, that beachside town. The Airport. Fantastic.

Edited September 24, 2015 by Roger_van_der_weide

[Tani Coyote]

Merchandise has been in decline, most of the announced stuff fails to make it to retail. As for Boom Merch, you are kidding right? Boom is right now exclusive to TRU in the US and The Entertainer in the UK.

The Entertainer in the UK is NOT restocking the Boom merch, case in point is Eggman, Eggman has been sold out since day 1 and he's never been back in stock, the placement of Boom merch in my local Entertainer store has been relegated to a clearance shelf and today I just posted this tweet.

Entertainer is trying to get rid of it, there is barely any of it left and with no new episodes in the UK there is little to no reason to keep it in store right now. 

I would hypothesise that the only reason Boom merch appears to be selling out is because there is barely any stock and retailers are not restocking it. I was the first person in my local entertainer to buy the Eggman figure for instance, I instantly put my name down for the second one to come into stock... I am still waiting for one. This was several months ago.... I am still waiting at number 1 on the waiting list.

 

While brick-and-mortar retail still maintains a presence, younger buyers are more savvy and increasingly do all their shopping online. Wal-Mart may seem like God right now, but it is Amazon that will reign supreme in a decade or two. In-person purchasing is on the way out.

 

Speaking as someone who has sold Boom toys from time to time, they sell pretty well. Where the physical stores have not been stocking, there's a slew of smaller e-tail chains that sell the toys in abundance.

 

Unfortunately, those same physical stores lobby distributors not to sell to online stores. Now you know who your enemies are.

 

Non-Boom merch continues to sell stellarly. And my statistics aren't as good as my rivals' because I have less of a market presence. Sonic is still an amazing brand in merchandise.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if that changes in the next few years if they don't work to suck more kids into the brand, though. Kids and parents alike are wising up to the inferiority of the actual games.

 

While I'm here, I'll echo what several have said - Disney or Sony. Both have pretty good reputations for quality titles. Unfortunately it really is a case that nearly any company would be better than the current situation.

 

What I'd like is if Sonic Team was allowed to continue to exist, but under different corporate overseers. Sonic Team as a whole has a good grasp on design, they just have a bunch of decisions forced on them, all while being given tight schedules.

Edited September 27, 2015 by Garbage King Ogilvie