Shun Nakamura Confirmed as Writer for Forces

[Azure P]

10 hours ago, SenEDDtor Missile said:

Well that's the thing; the Forces Classic Sonic isn't the same Classic Sonic from Generations. The Generations one was only ever the younger version of the main dimension's Sonic. The Forces one is an alternate dimension one who just also happens to be a younger version.

Basically it's like having two parallel dimensions like this:

 

-------------------------------------------------------------- Generations

-------------------------------------------------------------- Forces

 

Now factor in the Sonics:

---- (GCS)----------------------------(GMS)--------- 

---- (FCS)------------------------------------------------

 

GCS = Generations Classic Sonic

GMS - Generations Modern Sonic

FCS - Forces Classic Sonic

Here's an alternative theory.

Generations classic Sonic and Forces classic Sonic are one in the same.

It is the modern Sonic and his world (lol Sonic '06) that is the alternative dimension?

[Whatever the WhoCares]

This whole "younger AND alternate dimension" thing reminds me of the Barenstain Bears AVGN episode. 

Also, this Classic Sonic looks slightly darker blue than the Generations one. It could be a subtle and intentional differentiation. 

[Chris Knopps]

2 hours ago, Whatever the WhoCares said:

This whole "younger AND alternate dimension" thing reminds me of the Barenstain Bears AVGN episode. 

Also, this Classic Sonic looks slightly darker blue than the Generations one. It could be a subtle and intentional differentiation. 

It's probably a reference to the old style used for Classic in western territories back in the day, kind of a nod especially since a darker aka "edgier" color scheme for Classic in Forces would fit right in.

[UpCDownCLeftCRightC]

*delete*

Post from my phone which is acting crazy.

Edited August 15, 2017 by UpCDownCLeftCRightC
Phone go cray cray

[DonWaffleleven]

Weird they didn't use that as a selling point.

"All new, never before seen, playable Character!"

"Golly gee willikers, who could it possibly be?"

"Classic Sonic"

"But... you could play Classic Sonic in Gens"

"Him? Nah that was "younger" Sonic. This is Classic Sonic from another dimension. Totally different"

I mean if you really stretch it it's "technically" true.

[Whatever the WhoCares]

There is one way I'd forgive every cynical marketing decision in this game: a plot twist where Infinite betrays Eggman, and then Eggman kicks his ass and becomes the final boss. 

[Johnny Boy]

1 hour ago, Whatever the WhoCares said:

There is one way I'd forgive every cynical marketing decision in this game: a plot twist where Infinite betrays Eggman, and then Eggman kicks his ass and becomes the final boss. 

Seconded. And the best way for this to happen is for infinite to betray Eggman in a cutscene and serve as phase 1 one and then Eggy comes roaring back with a vengeance and become phase 2.

[Chris Knopps]

I'd feel kind of safe putting money down that some references to Mephiles/06 will be going on in Forces.

[Meta77]

It's futile. The world will betray you. Why fight at all? Why risk your life for those who will persecute you later?.

Can't wait for more quotes like this from lil mephy

[Marcello]

5 hours ago, Whatever the WhoCares said:

There is one way I'd forgive every cynical marketing decision in this game: a plot twist where Infinite betrays Eggman, and then Eggman kicks his ass and becomes the final boss. 

So, basically Lost World?

[Chris Knopps]

42 minutes ago, Marcello said:

So, basically Lost World?

Eggman didn't beat up those who betrayed him. He just tiptoed around in the background while Sonic took care of business.

[Milo]

Decided to put this here, since this concerns the staff about Sonic Forces.

Took a glance at the slate of directors and designers for the past Sonic Team games over the decade, going back as far as Sonic 2006; over at Retro. What I found:

Sonic 2006:

Director/Game Story/Game Title: Shun Nakamura

Chief Game Designers: Shun Nakamura, Atsushi Kanno

Game Designers: Hiroshi Miyamoto, Takao Hirabayashi, Masayuki Inoue, Takako Nagase, Makoto Hirata, Daisuke Shimizu

Secret Rings:

Producer/Director: Yojiro Ogawa

Lead Game Designer: Morio Kishimoto

Game Designers: Yojiro Ogawa, Shiro Maekawa, Emiko Sunaga, Harumasa Nakajima, Jyunpei Ootsu, Takayuki Okada, Eitaro Toyoda

Unleashed:

Director/Lead Game Designer: Yoshihisa Hashimoto

Day Time Level Designers: Masayuki Inoue, Yoshinobu Uba, Takayuki Ohada

Night Time Level Designers: Takao Hirabayashi, Natsuha Matsubara, Hideo Ohtsika

Lead Planner: Takao Hirabayashi

Boss Game Designer: Eitaro Toyoda

Combat System Designer: Takao Hirabayashi

Black Knight:

Producer/Director - Tetsu Katano

Lead Game Designer - Morio Kishimoto

Game Designers - Harumasa Nakajima, Shintaro Kai, Takahiro Ono, Midori Iwabuchi, Kanano Yamaguchi

Colors:

Director and Lead Game Designer - Morio Kishimoto

Lead Planner - Harumasa Nakajima

Planners - Shintaro Kai, Takeshi Yamazaki, Jyunpei Ootsu, Mitsuru Osakada, Kiyoteru Mizuhara

Lead Level Designer - Takayuki Okada

Level Designers - Natsuha Matsubara, Takahiro Ono, Katsuyuki Shigihara, Kanano Yamaguchi, Midori Iwabachi

Generations:

Director - Hiroshi Miyamoto

Lead Game Designer - Yoshinobu Uba

Game Designers - Daisuke Shimizu, Katsuyuki Shigihara, Utako Yoshino, Takamasa Usui, Takayuki Okada, Kanano Yamaguchi, Haruhiko Kashiwazaki

Lost World:

Director - Morio Kishimoto

Level Designers - Natsuha Matsubara, Takayuki Okada, Kanano Yamaguchi, Rei Hata, Yuma Matsunaga, Jyunpei Ootsu, Takahiro Ono

Forces (what we know so far):

Director - Morio Kishimoto

(Sonic Team directors/designers who have worked on three or more games are italicized.)

Personal observations.

The narrative about Sonic Team being comprised of two different teams is technically true. All of the Nintendo console-exclusive Sonic games (Secret Rings, Black Knight, Colors, and Lost World) have had the same headlining figure (Morio Kishimoto) as a director or lead game designer, and there has been a consistent group of staff responsible for designing behind each game following Secret Rings. However, the multiplatform / HD console Sonic games (2006, Unleashed, and Generations) only share a few recurring designers, and they all have different directors; in contrast to the Nintendo-exclusive Sonic titles, the designer staff for each of the three games aren't consistent.

Generations is an interesting case, as most of the designers were done by Sonic Team staff who weren't involved with any of the previous Sonic games, or returned for the subsequent Lost World. An argument could be made that they were a "B-team" staff assembled solely for the purpose of starting work on Generations, while Colors was still undergoing development. (Makes me wonder a bit how Lost World would had turned out, had it been made by these guys instead.)

Given how Kishimoto has been named the director of Forces and what we've seen from the game's design so far, I expect Forces' staff of designers to also be populated by his crew who have worked on his past titles. I also consequently wouldn't expect any of the design choices from Generations to be incorporated from it either (we've already heard reports from some about the game's controls feeling different from Generations).

[Shaddy Zaphod]

Well, even as someone who likes Forces, I'm not gonna forget that Nakamura was the one who decided 06 should be called "SONIC THE HEDGEHOG". Fuck that bullshit.

[Razule]

So, considering we now know he wasn't the writer, where does his involvement in the game's story fall?

[Gabz Girl]

15 hours ago, Razule said:

So, considering we now know he wasn't the writer, where does his involvement in the game's story fall?

The Shadow DLC perhaps? We know he loves Shadow since he played such a big role in Sonic 06 and his connection to the villain Mephiles. In the DLC he has a similar connection with Infinite, but it’s all for naught in the end because they never even meet again in the main story of Sonic Forces. ><

[Zaysho]

I imagine Nakamura, being the producer, came up with the general plot, Infinite's character, and set the tone of the story. Toyoda (and Pontaff, on the English side of things--apparently the scripts went back and forth between SoA and SoJ a lot which explains why the localization seems more subdued than Colors or Lost World) probably took it from there.

[Dee Dude]

>The thought of Nakamura only merely creating the general premise of the plot, Infinite, and tone while Pontaff took over the actual story...

 Oh god, if that was actually the case....

EDIT: Ok misread, Toyoda most likely did the actual story, but the Pontaff thought is still horrifying.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

42 minutes ago, Dee Dude said:

>The thought of Nakamura only merely creating the general premise of the plot, Infinite, and tone while Pontaff took over the actual story...

 Oh god, if that was actually the case....

EDIT: Ok misread, Toyoda most likely did the actual story, but the Pontaff thought is still horrifying.

 Okay,  not for nothing but Pontaff tend to be made the scapegoat far more than deserved and Forces is one of the greatest examples of such so far. Honestly they did their job just fine with this game. 

[RedFox99]

1 minute ago, Jovahexeon Ace Joranvexeon said:

 Okay,  not for nothing but Pontaff tend to be made the scapegoat far more than deserved and Forces is one of the greatest examples of such so far. Honestly they did their job just fine with this game. 

To be fair, some of the changes in the English script like the torture part didn't help.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

11 minutes ago, RedFox99 said:

To be fair, some of the changes in the English script like the torture part didn't help.

 Do we even have confirmation on what was changed on accord and choice of the localizers? Heck,  that sounds like more of a Japanese bit,  not that the torture line was even really a big deal worth getting aggravated over. 

[Zaysho]

10 minutes ago, RedFox99 said:

To be fair, some of the changes in the English script like the torture part didn't help.

This was a change? Is there a translation of the original line?

[RedFox99]

Just now, Zaysho said:

This was a change? Is there a translation of the original line?

Apparently Rouge said in the Japanese version that the villains were giving Sonic a hard time.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

3 minutes ago, RedFox99 said:

Apparently Rouge said in the Japanese version that the villains were giving Sonic a hard time.

Do we have a concrete source or link to such?

[Zaysho]

7 minutes ago, RedFox99 said:

Apparently Rouge said in the Japanese version that the villains were giving Sonic a hard time.

I'd have to see an exact line/translation, but it's possible saying Sonic was tortured was still in-line with the original intention regardless.

I've watched two playthroughs of this game, the localization seems way more controlled than the last few games. I'm sure it's embellished/punched up in spots, but I'm doubtful it's a bad representation of the Japanese script. The scripts being worked on and passed back and forth between the two teams strongly suggests they had a specific vision for it.

[FlameStream]

During my playthrough, I did notice some differences between the Japanese and English script. A few of them were very different, but for the particular line being discussed...

Quote

ソニックは宇宙の監獄にブチ込まれてる。
報告によると、ソニックは何か月もそこで
ただ、ひでえ目にあわされて続けてるらしい…

The choice of word "torture" probably wasn't the best one to use, as blatant torture is typically 拷問する. The localization team probably thought that it needed to exaggerate his situation. A closer translation would be:

Quote

Sonic's held prisoner in a space prison.
According to reports, Sonic's been there for months and
it seems that he's having a rough time...

I might go play it again take down the major differences. But one particular instance is that scene where he was talking about chili dog. I remember being really confused because my friend read the subs as I was busy looking at the pretty scenes, hah. It's not an important change, and I imagine that there won't be too many, but it was different enough for me to not continue in English for the first playthrough afterwards.