Sonic 30th predictions

[voltaic]

Re-reading that interview quote, I've suddenly realised something that I'm a little worried about. That 2D sonic will continue, but with sega doing it themselves. Who knows, with 2D as a main focus from the start maybe they'll do it well, but honestly I'd be super worried if they announced a Mania 2 only to later say none of the original team had been brought back for it.

[BlueFlare]

@Eclipse Image it end up being something like 2D Sonic in Forces and named as Mania 2. Sega can do it. 

[expansivelovestories]

On 6/27/2020 at 1:27 PM, Eclipse said:

Re-reading that interview quote, I've suddenly realised something that I'm a little worried about. That 2D sonic will continue, but with sega doing it themselves. Who knows, with 2D as a main focus from the start maybe they'll do it well, but honestly I'd be super worried if they announced a Mania 2 only to later say none of the original team had been brought back for it.

beyond the uncertainty, it could really be genuinely wonderful with whatever their current best team would be, to have the Retro engine to make a new game themselves. Even, through some surprising turns, Yuji Naka could return to head the project or otherwise be involved however he'd prefer!! 

One does wonder, how would he have continued the story if it were not needing to jump to 3D??  There just hadn't been the resources (mainly a modern, fully configurable engine for 2D Sonic) and public enthusiasm for it previously!  

Essentially the Genesis storyline had to be abandoned, although it was a fitting enough conclusion.

So, the story of Mania+ would set them up really nicely, both indicating that Eggman somehow repaired his mecha space body in orbit and safely reentered, but then also that he is currently missing.

Eggman has always been seen to be in quite a lot of peril at the end of each 2D game, but has never yet been in such a way that he is indicated to literally not be in their world anymore, due to being sent to another dimension, so that gives many unique openings!!

[expansivelovestories]

Hm!! We are nearing July 22, when it is possible that the previously planned reveals could happen!  I am not at all thinking that it will to be honest, but that is a beyond historic day both for the series and for surprise announcements!   

I would say that it is good news either if this does happen, and also if it doesn't! Both would be an indication that the projects are being managed really well: either that they are prepared now to announce something, or that they are being patient still to announce. 

[iambitter21]

I really hope Sonic Team doesn't screw this up this time. I love this company, and will be both horribly distraught & disappointed if they fail again leaving another bad mark to this jaded franchise. let's see what you got this time, Sonic Team.

[Styx_Linoone]

17 hours ago, expansivelovestories said:

Hm!! We are nearing July 22, when it is possible that the previously planned reveals could happen!

I'm curious how they will broadcast the news to us. I'm still disappointed that they hadn't announce something during New Game Plus. If they want to announce a teaser at best, Wednesday is the time to do it.

[Tracker_TD]

Is July 22nd really a significant date? It was when that 25th Anniversary party was, but that's about it. That doesn't really indicate an announcement to me, it's ultimately not that significant a date in the grand scheme of things (as something like say, June 23rd is) 

Hell, I had to Google just to work out the significance of it. 

[FReaK]

2 hours ago, Tracker_TD said:

Is July 22nd really a significant date? It was when that 25th Anniversary party was, but that's about it. That doesn't really indicate an announcement to me, it's ultimately not that significant a date in the grand scheme of things (as something like say, June 23rd is) 

Hell, I had to Google just to work out the significance of it. 

probably not. I think @expansivelovestories is refering to the japanese monthly sonic stream that's happening on that day. but so far, there was never something big out of those streams.

[iambitter21]

On 5/30/2020 at 12:28 PM, Kuzu said:

There's really no reason to assume that they have learned any real lessons from this and we won't know until we see the next game and play it. 

you know what? I actually really agree to this claim, but not in the way most people claimed it to be.

saying that they "learned their lesson," or something under the line like that, and ONLY doing that every couple of weeks is not a good idea on how to win back fans trust. In fact, with a reputation as crappy as sonic team & Sega, saying that is NEVER a good thing to do ever. when building trust, you don't really use promises, or relief, or trying to make someone feel happy that you actually really care for them. you Instead use work, you use ambition, charisma, effort, COMPETENCE & POLISH, and most importantly, silence & evidence. it's all sonic team ever needs, it's all SEGA of America and Japan ever needed.

I saw a comment on Sam Procrastinates' comment section (that place is crawling with divisive comments, people. trust me I know) that fully explained what we all actually need, it went a little something like this: "Instead of them (sonic team & Sega) keeping on about how they "learned their lesson", they should just show us what they are making, and let the fans decide from there" what they said is completely correct, the best thing that sonic team can do from now on, without people fully distrusting their promises, is to MAKE that promise, don't EVER say it, SHOW IT! and then the fans can decide what it could mean: if they expect it to be bad, then so be it. if they expect it to be good, then so be it. all that matters is that Sonic Team can give the fans a game without being.... whatever they're being now. so basically what it all boils down to is: we need to see it, to believe it.

look, We all know that the franchise is in a very unpredictable and conflicting place, none of it is rocket science, none of it's that hard for even an unfertilized egg to comprehend from it's non-existent brain. It's all fact now and we all understand it, but the least they could do is do what I have described above, to at least give us a message (without saying a single word) that sonic team are working hard, and that they're serious about this, even if the game itself becomes even more controversial than mindless power-trip the video game.

[Shadow Chaos Control]

On 3/1/2020 at 12:25 AM, Wildcat said:

I’d like to get another Gems style collection. Not as the only Anniversary game but as part of the whole thing. Include SegaSonic, Sonic 4, Knuckles Chaotix and some other obscure stuff like those old mobile games.

I know people aren’t asking for these games, except SegaSonic probably, but the point of Gems was to release those obscure/non mainstream games for the novelty of it. I think these all fit that category.

I’d really like to play Knuckles Chaotix for the first time. I never got 32X add on for my Sega Genesis. 

[sonicfan619]

SEGA should get Ben Schwartz to voice Sonic in an Adventure remake and have it release a week before the 2022 movie. Getting him and Jim Carrey to promote the game would generate huge buzz and bring a lot of eyes.

You're probably guaranteeing 3 million sales, if not way more.

[Red Hot Jack]

 

Okay, I'm not mad about this, but not happy either, this increase is likely due to the movie, and of course PS Plus promotion.

On the one hand, it's awesome to see Sonic being popular, on the other hand this is such a wasted opportunity, it was the perfect moment to play Sonic and the last major title is... Forces. Ugh. Screw Sega at this point.

I'm happy if this means they will have resources for bigger games in the future, not crap like Forces, not niche indie games like Mania, but I still want an actual ultimate Sonic experience.

Also, this is really not much of data anyway, because it is only PS4, I'd like to know how much Mania and Forces did in their entirety.

Btw I posted this here because it affects the next game. People played Forces a lot so I'm assuming they will keep at least some elements that "worked" here. Give Classic Sonic its own game, I hope SEGA realised people don't want 2 Sonics or too many gameplay styles that only make games more of a mess.

I really don't mind if the Avatar returns, it's basically most of the appeal of Forces along with the serious tone of the story, and character apperances. Obviously I'd like playable Shadow with his own plot again. Possibly the return of Infinite.

And that's all I can say, I just pray we have more diverse and creative design next time, along with less gameplay styles, a more focused experience but with more polish, my personal hope would be the removal of the boost as well, but I'm not holding my breath on it. And just SEGA... take your time to develop your title!

[Mars]

Wow! Sonic is approaching his 30th birthday. If Sonic were to get a new title, please don't make it be a rushed title. Surprise us, add some spice and flair, but don't forget to iron out the kinks too. It's a huge reason why I avoided his newer 3D games like Forces.

I played Mania once, but it got me dizzy playing it on the Switch. It was so weird cause it was really, dizzying. And yeah, I played the Genesis titles as a child, but to continue with the "Classic" route I believe at this point needs to be correctly executed. Because they gave us good Mania games, but a Mania 2? I just don't know. (I'm NOT just saying that cause I got dizzy).

And also, I really want an Adventure 1 or Adventure 2 remake now that Mario got his "3D All Stars." I think a 3D collection would be stellar with Adventure 1, Adventure 2, and Heroes. One can dream, right?

[iambitter21]

Y'know what I just realized? most of sonic team's criticism's are like "double standards,": you got some people a few months ago saying "WE SHOULDN'T GIVE SEGA ANY MONEY, THEY'LL NEVER LISTEN, YOU'LL ONLY LEARN LIKE THIS SEGA!" and then a few months later you got people going "SEGA ISN'T GIVING SONIC ENOUGH SALES, HE NEEDS MORE MONEY, GIVE HIM MORE MONEY SEGA!!!" I know the "drought" making everyone impatient and easy to anger, but like, pick a protest and stick with it, or don't protest at all.

I also find it very baffling that people also say Sonic Team is "excusing" their mediocrity... when they're never even addressing it, just making games. mediocre one's nowadays? sure, but never talking about it, or excusing it. then there's also the "the sonic 2019 trailer was a publicity stunt," gents, which is such bullcrap, Paramount didn't make this for attention, they just did a crappy job. people are pulling a few of these allegations from their anus', I swear.

[Milo]

56 minutes ago, iambitter21 said:

Y'know what I just realized? most of sonic team's criticism's are like "double standards,": you got some people a few months ago saying "WE SHOULDN'T GIVE SEGA ANY MONEY, THEY'LL NEVER LISTEN, YOU'LL ONLY LEARN LIKE THIS SEGA!" and then a few months later you got people going "SEGA ISN'T GIVING SONIC ENOUGH SALES, HE NEEDS MORE MONEY, GIVE HIM MORE MONEY SEGA!!!" I know the "drought" making everyone impatient and easy to anger, but like, pick a protest and stick with it, or don't protest at all.

Are we sure the same people crying about the series needing more money are the same people warning people not to give Sega money for mediocre/bad Sonic games? People aren't a monolith or a hivemind of opinions. With that said, I'm of a more nuanced take that sees value in both arguments.

I think Sonic has been lacking in some departments as of late (marketing, production values) and I think it could use some renewed support in those areas. Especially the former, I think Sega giving up on promoting Sonic games in mainstream avenues after the 2015 restructure is a big reason as to why sales for recent games have been especially lackluster.

At the same time, I recognize that added resources can only go so far for Sonic games if the underlying game design is still rancid with no meaningful improvements and there is still no course correction in the developer's design philosophy. So if the end result still stinks despite more money and more time poured into it, I still wouldn't pay for it and advise others to do the same.

[Wraith]

SEGA has enough lucrative businesses outside of Sonic to splurge more on the franchise, and honestly, if you're releasing a game I'm not sure why you wouldn't put the extra cash down to try to sell the damn thing, bad game or not. 

[Kuzu]

3 hours ago, Wraith said:

SEGA has enough lucrative businesses outside of Sonic to splurge more on the franchise, and honestly, if you're releasing a game I'm not sure why you wouldn't put the extra cash down to try to sell the damn thing, bad game or not. 

Losing money is losing money. Even if Sega aren't exactly bankrupt, there's no economical reason to invest money into something that isn't selling. I can understand why they decided to play it safe with Sonic and budget the hell out of it... even if the only reason that's the case is their own damn fault.

Obviously none of that matters to us, because we're consumers who just want a good product worth our money and investment. I'm just seeing the business side of it.

 

[Wraith]

1 minute ago, Kuzu said:

Losing money is losing money. Even if Sega aren't exactly bankrupt, there's no economical reason to invest money into something that isn't selling. I can understand why they decided to play it safe with Sonic and budget the hell out of it... even if the only reason that's the case is their own damn fault.

 

Sonic games didn't stop selling until after 2015 when they cut back on marketing. What are you talking about?

[Kuzu]

1 minute ago, Wraith said:

Sonic games didn't stop selling until after 2015 when they cut back on marketing. What are you talking about?

They put a BUNCH of marketing into Sonic Boom remember? Sonic Boom had one of the biggest market pushes of thr franchise to date. What do you think happened when the franchise underperformed and sold less than expected?

[Wraith]

24 minutes ago, Kuzu said:

They put a BUNCH of marketing into Sonic Boom remember? Sonic Boom had one of the biggest market pushes of thr franchise to date. What do you think happened when the franchise underperformed and sold less than expected?

Yeah I forgot Sonic Boom was a Sonic game. My bad

[Kuzu]

I don't blame you for forgetting that, there are times it feels it was just a fever dream to me too.

[Jango]

I keep getting this sensation that SEGA's gonna jump into the nostalgia train again for the next entry in the franchise. In a ideal world I would gladly accept a complete remake of Sonic Aventure 1 and 2 with a remastered version of Sonic Heroes (widescreen, online leaderboards or multiplayer even, better textures and such) in one big package for the next-gen consoles.

The likes of Sonic Colors, Unleashed, Generations and Lost Word could see a next-gen release aswell later in 2022 in a second package, remastered, not remade. 

But of course.  Not all of this is going to happen.

[Blue Blood]

I'm genuinely surprised that SEGA hasn't dished out a cheap and easy Generations port to XB1, PS4 and NS. Switch would be the biggest market because the console version of the game didn't ever come to the Wii or Wii U, but the other platforms would suit the game too. A simple improvement to the framerate and resolution alongside a budget price would be easy money. Of course I'd like them to include include other games (Unleashed and Colours for a boost trilogy), but I'm just talking about the easiest way to get a popular Sonic game on the shelves this year. 

10 hours ago, Jango said:

The likes of Sonic Colors, Unleashed, Generations and Lost Word could see a next-gen release aswell later in 2022 in a second package, remastered, not remade. 

But of course.  Not all of this is going to happen.

Yep. By all means put them out on the next-gen platforms instead because we're almost there already. Very few new bells and whistles, just a quick re-release. Generations is nine years old, Colours is 10 and Unleashed is 12. That SEGA haven't banked on them already considering what the industry is like is actually kind of incredible. 

Actually, now that I think about it,  a collection is what I'd most like for the inevitable 30th anniversary game. I don't want yet another new anniversary game in-vein of Generations or Mania that's all about celebrating the series' history; virtually all the the series has done since Generations is retread the past. Put out some sort of collection of 3D Sonic games to celebrate the past and introduce an entirely new 30th anniversary game that bears the anniversary logo but otherwise is just a big new instalment in the series. Essentially it would be the same set up as 2006; S1 Genesis on GBA celebrated the old while '06 was entirely new. The only difference being that hopefully neither of the games this time around would be total horse shit...

We still don't have enough to go on for actual predictions though.

[Jango]

I'm just looking for excuses to replay Sonic Heroes more easily 

No, but seriously, it is kinda of amazing that SEGA haven't brought this titles to current gen at least. Generations, Colors are good games, and everyone is always asking for Unleashed too. 

I kinda liked what 2K did with Mafia recently: they remade the first game completely and ported the other 2 to the current platforms. Obviously I'm not taking into account the actual quality of these ports, but the idea was pretty interesting and I think SEGA could benefit from something like that. Adventure remake + remasters of the other titles along the way. Heroes first quarter of 2022, Unleashed second quarter, Colors third and Generations forth. Keep the ball rolling. Or just freaking release it all at the same time.

 

[Kuzu]

well Unleashed is still available on PS3, and Generations is on PC.

So there's some degree of logic in not releasing them. Colors is the only game not available on current consoles.