Sonic Mania's reception to determine future direction

[Badnik Mechanic]

From the Metro. Interview with Iizuka.

GC: What do you do about elements in Sonic Forces which older fans might not like but kids will? Sonic’s friends, for example. The goal in the demo level is to find Shadow. And, really… I don’t want to find Shadow. I’d prefer he stayed lost.

TI: [laughs] In the past two decades Sonic games have been trying to target a broader audience from kids to adults. And Forces has that same idea, so that means a wider range of characters that we know children like. Even if other fans may not be quite as keen.
But for Mania it’s kind of like a new approach. To target specifically 2D fans. So we don’t know whether it’ll be accepted positively in the market. We’ll find out after the game’s released, and we can figure out the direction of future titles after seeing the reaction.

http://metro.co.uk/2017/07/04/sonic-mania-and-sonic-forces-hands-on-preview-and-interview-the-focus-is-on-old-school-fans-6753357/

Shall we all start waving goodbye to 3D Sonic now or later?

[Nast]

.

[Osmium]

35 minutes ago, Mayor D said:

Shall we all start waving goodbye to 3D Sonic now or later?

For the near future, I think it's safe to say 3D Sonic will still be around. If Mania does any good, then there may be two concurrent releases for a little while, for a few years or so. 

[Dejimon11]

31 minutes ago, Mayor D said:

Shall we all start waving goodbye to 3D Sonic now or later?

Never. I highly doubt that they're gonna stop making 3D Sonic games if Mania is a success.

[D.K.]

Quote

GC: I was hoping when I asked about other non-Sonic games you might say you were doing a new NiGHTS next.

TI: [laughs] If there is a strong desire from fans I would definitely consider that. But right now I’m not really thinking about it.

GUYS

[Meta77]

It will be a cold day in any lava stage in a sonic game before they end 3d sonic games.  nostalgia one thing but don't get crazy

[GucciBurr]

it's all according to plan. die modern sonic die

but on a serious note, there's no way sega is going to end 3d sonic. i highly doubt this franchise would be able to sustain itself with just 2d games. i think we'll just get more 2d mania style games

[molul]

It's simple: if Mania succeeds, more 2D classic Sonic games (and remasters) might come. And maybe more other classic Sega characters could be brought back. 

[Balding Spider]

1 hour ago, Depression Kong said:

GUYS

I need it, I don't just want it. I NEED IT!!!!

[Kellan]

1 hour ago, Mayor D said:

What do you do about elements in Sonic Forces which older fans might not like but kids will? Sonic’s friends, for example. The goal in the demo level is to find Shadow. And, really… I don’t want to find Shadow. I’d prefer he stayed lost.

Well, that's disheartening.

[Lord-Dreamerz]

1 hour ago, Mayor D said:

GC: What do you do about elements in Sonic Forces which older fans might not like but kids will? Sonic’s friends, for example. The goal in the demo level is to find Shadow. And, really… I don’t want to find Shadow. I’d prefer he stayed lost.

I don't quite get this part? Is he trying to say older fans don't like Sonic's friends and allies? Because if so... that's not true.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

Pretend it doesn't exist so I don't have to think about how it's better than 3D Sonic, which is probably going to be marginalized even further due to the incompetent idiots in control of the franchise.

[DarkRula]

I really hope that if Mania does well and Forces doesn't, it will make them see that the gameplay of 3D games needs to change to something less restrictive and autonomous.

[GucciBurr]

10 minutes ago, Lord-Dreamerz said:

I don't quite get this part? Is he trying to say older fans don't like Sonic's friends and allies? Because if so... that's not true.

a lot of older fans (from the genesis era) and critics don't like anyone from the franchise besides sonic and eggman

[Lord-Dreamerz]

2 minutes ago, GucciBurr said:

a lot of older fans (from the genesis era) don't like the characters besides sonic and eggman

I'm a older fan, been with the series from near the start. and I like many of the extended cast and many other older fans I talk with do too.

[GucciBurr]

2 minutes ago, Lord-Dreamerz said:

I'm a older fan, been with the series from near the start. and I like many of the extended cast and many other older fans I'm I talk with do too.

there are still many who don't like the extended cast though.

[Lord-Dreamerz]

1 minute ago, GucciBurr said:

there are still many who don't like the extended cast though.

Sure. But the problem is that guy's statement made it sound like nearly all older fans don't like them.

[Mad Convoy]

I want to see how this plays out. Sonic Team has made claims like this before. I recall after Sonic Generations came out, Sonic Team assured everybody that Classic Sonic wasn't being planned to come back anytime soon, though never say never. Hence implying that Classic Sonic was a special 3D anniversary thing.

http://www.gamesradar.com/sega-has-no-plans-classic-sonic-after-sonic-generations/

https://www.sonicstadium.org/2011/10/sega-has-no-plans-to-bring-classic-sonic-back-after-sonic-generations/

And then, 6-7 years later, we get Sonic Mania and Gens!Classic gameplay in Forces. In other words, Sonic Team made plans for Classic because they decided that people can like Classic after all. And the notion of Classic or even Classic-derived games used to be considered ridiculous before Mania because of Dimps focusing on 3D or Gens-derived 2.5D games and both episodes of Sonic 4 being a major embarrassment. The point is that plans can change and gameplay styles long thought dead can return. Judging how vaguely Iizuka worded "figure out the direction of future titles after seeing the reaction", there's no indication that this figuring out necessitates not planning any 3D Sonic game ever. Heck, given that its in response to concerns over Mania's broader appeal when its so fan-oriented, its possible that he was only referring to the Classic Sonic branch of Sonic and how the developers should go about making a Mania sequel if its feasible to do so.

So, in short:

9 minutes ago, Lord-Dreamerz said:

I don't quite get this part? Is he trying to say older fans don't like Sonic's friends and allies? Because if so... that's not true ya know.

A lot of Classic fans don't like Sonic's friends and allies. Not all of them, of course, but a vocal amount of them.

However, I do hope he doesn't think that all older fans are Classic fans, because there are many who got introduced to the franchise through the Adventure era games-- usually SA1 and SA2, sometimes Heroes, Shadow, Rush, and the Advance series, and rarely Sonic 06. They tend to be a lot more receptive to new friends and allies and many have been clamoring for the return of their favorites to mainline games.

[GucciBurr]

9 minutes ago, Lord-Dreamerz said:

Sure. But the problem is that guy's statement made it sound like nearly all older fans don't like them.

i don't think that's what he meant. overall, people are mixed towards the extensive cast. they might like them, they might not. so him saying they might not like them is accurate

[Lord-Dreamerz]

11 minutes ago, Mad Convoy said:

A lot of Classic fans don't like Sonic's friends and allies. Not all of them, of course, but a vocal amount of them.

However, I do hope he doesn't think that all older fans are Classic fans, because there are many who got introduced to the franchise through the Adventure era games-- usually SA1 and SA2, sometimes Heroes, Shadow, Rush, and the Advance series, and rarely Sonic 06. They tend to be a lot more receptive to new friends and allies and many have been clamoring for the return of their favorites to mainline games.

Sonic 2 was my first Sonic game. I love the classic games/old Sonic cartoons...I also like the modern series well enough & some aspects of Boom too. But I always looked forward roughly to half of the new characters that come out. Feels sad to think many classic fans don't feel the same.

[JosepHenry]

SEGA should never give up on the 3D games. I love 3D games in general more than 2D (And I grew up with a SNES and Genesis), if Sonic Team gives up on 3D titles entirely just because Mania is better... Man they are really... Not smart. They could so much with Sonic in full 3D , but even now they keep using the 2D sections and automation as an excuse for not knowing what do with the 3D movement and platforming. At least that's what it think.

[Roger_van_der_weide]

Maybe it means that if Sonic Mania is succesful, the new direction Sonic Team takes based on Mania's positive reception isn't so much the meaningless superficial elements from Mania. Like it's Classic Sonic and has Green Hill Zone in it, but he means the direction, the soul, the spirit, the focus of Mania.
That future games will be more tightly planned, clean games with a clear direction and focus, instead of a Tower of Pisa pile of contradicting half completed concepts. Maybe.

Hah.
Ahahahaha.
Hahahahahahaha.

[Shiny Gems]

I personally don't think this will be the end of 3D Sonic games, especially if Forces does well. I doubt they would stop making 3D games because of Mania's reception if positive. However, I have a feeling that this may mean that they could add in momentum based classic physics in future 3D Sonic games if Sonic Mania is successful. I can see that happening. How likely it is is another story altogether, but I think that is what Iizuka meant in a way when he said the reception of Mania would determine the future of the franchise. I could be wrong, of course, but that is what I think. I wouldn't even be surprised at all if that were to happen. Well, we'll just have to wait and see how Mania does and how this impacts the future of Sonic.

[Strickerx5]

He sort of sounded like the 3D games are here to stay whether the older fans like it or not due to their already proven popularity. Sounds like 2D games are more on the line with Mania's success than anything the way I'm reading it.

Honestly, I feel as though a future with the two game types running parallel to each other is much more likely than anything. Sega knows both games cover different audiences so why not keep the new smaller team on and make more money that way. I mean it's not like the Sonic series is new to that concept or anything.

[Shaddy Zaphod]

Yeah I guarantee this just means "if Mania does well, we'll ask Headcannon to do it again"