DAMN YOU JAPANESE FANBASE

[Agent York]

ITT: Sonic fans become self-aware and begin noticing the other channels of Sonic fans and communities that have co-existed in ignorance for years.

"There's so many of them like us out there!"

...

Sorry, couldn't resist. XD; But I think of a fanbase as a whole even when divided into parts, since the love is the same. The Sonic fanbase has so many divides already, and different tastes and such so I don't think language and region barriers are too huge, it's just another part of the fandom. Albeit one we can't read without knowing Japanese or the hefty use of translators.

[BaronSFel001]

There is. They called it Shadow the Hedgehog.

Not that Shadow was bad, but it was not all too well-received in the reviews. Then again, what do reviews matter, considering it still sold well? But in any case, I doubt that is the answer, since the USA Team would develop the second NiGHTS game before closing shop.

Sonic is one of those Japanese ideas that happens to have great appeal to the West. Of course, he was originally designed for global appeal, and succeeded marvelously. An OVA and 78-episode series were produced, which should say something (even though the final 26 episodes were never broadcast in the Land of the Rising Sun). I cannot at all speak for their fanbase - the fact is that the Japanese in general are socially and culturally (should I say?) interesting people. The kinds of media they put out is probably the biggest reason why I admire their culture.

[lounge]

I still don't get why most of Sonic's development is still based in Japan if most of the market is in the western hemisphere. I'd imagine there's a reason Sonic Team USA up and died, but I still feel that being made in Japan just creates an unnecessary "uncanny valley" vibe in presentation

In a magazine scan that was posted on these forums actually, Takashi Iizuka said after Yuji Naka left, he realized Sonic Team should be as one. I was baffled for years on that issue. After reading that interview though, I was like, so that's why...

[batson]

Iv'e noticed too that the Japanese fanbase seems to be much more interested in the newer Sonic games than in the classics. I guess this might be the real reason for why games in the Series for so many years (until very recently) seemed to cram references to events of other 3D titles in them but hardly even recognize that the Mega Drive games even took place in the same continuity.

[SHAX Hedgefox]

I don't see why they just abandon Sonic Team Japan and move to the UK. I mean, you poms do seem to really REALLY like Sonic a bit more than the U.S.

Oh yeah, and I don't think Sonic Central's been updated since about 2007/2008. What's up with that?

[SuperStingray]

There is. They called it Shadow the Hedgehog.

I've been wondering this myself, though. I mean, it does feel slightly odd to love something Japanese that's laughed at in Japan. Sonic is clearly designed and characterised with a western (dare I specify, American) attitude. That said, if you shake up the system, you get products like the aforementioned "dark and gritty" spinoff which just end up disappointing and dividing the fanbase.

Edited January 4, 2011 by SuperStingray