Sega expects Olympic sales from Mario & Sonic
by Jason Dobson 
{ Sep 21st 2007 at 1:22PM }
Wacky or not, however, Sega Sammy expects big things from the forthcoming title, with the company anticipating sales of 4 million units. If accurate, this would equal nearly 20 percent of the sales of all games sold by Sega Sammy over the previous fiscal year. The prediction was made by the firm's corporate director Masanao Maeda, who interestingly did not elaborate on when he believes the games will reach this prestigious milestone.
Realistic? Given the amount of namedropping associated with this title, and that its development at Sega is being overseen by Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, all signs points to 'possibly.' Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games hurdles to retail for both the Wii and Nintendo DS this Christmas.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Sean @ Sep 21st 2007 1:27PM
I'm still waiting for the bombshell that Sonic will be in his first appearence with Mario in Super Smash Bros.
But to stay on topic, can Bowser run as fast as Sonic, too? Because that's just ludicrous.
vidGuy @ Sep 21st 2007 1:34PM
The way I've read it the characters are given attributes just like they would have in other games. So Mario is generally average, but is a better jumper than Sonic. Sonic's a little faster, but not enough to make him an automatic win in every race. Bowser will probably be able to throw far with his strength but will be really slow. You get the idea.
Sean @ Sep 21st 2007 1:35PM
That'd make sense.
Also, what are those things in the background on that advertisement??
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Sep 21st 2007 1:38PM
Those are the mascots of the 2008 Olympics Games: The Five Friendlies, the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow and the Olympic Flame.
Sean @ Sep 21st 2007 1:41PM
Oh, alright. The Tibetan Antelope? Obscure.
The new screen has Mario schooling Sonic.
T3H WICKERMAN @ Sep 21st 2007 2:01PM
u mean they are not going to supress the tibetan antelope's right to freedom and let it be an almost equal?Truly this is the best MADNESS DAY 07 ever!
Dormammu @ Sep 21st 2007 2:30PM
I too want nothing more than Sonic in Super Smash Bros Battle!
Sean @ Sep 21st 2007 2:32PM
They'd be dumb not to put Sonic in Brawl, imo.
Shagittarius @ Sep 21st 2007 1:27PM
Just forget that all olympic games suck.
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Sep 21st 2007 1:40PM
You sucks.
Shagittarius @ Sep 21st 2007 1:41PM
U R MR GAY
Exo @ Sep 21st 2007 1:43PM
Never forget that Shagittarius sucks.
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Sep 21st 2007 1:44PM
Shhh Shaggi. Its our secret. Nobody needs to know that Im active and your pasive, honey.
Shagittarius @ Sep 21st 2007 1:51PM
"Never forget that Shagittarius sucks."
Say hello to my little troll.
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Sep 21st 2007 2:02PM
hello
FrankTheCrank @ Sep 21st 2007 2:04PM
No way...people are going to eat this up.
Think Track & Field with waggle controls.
Sounds like a winner to me.
ymmv @ Sep 21st 2007 1:28PM
I wonder why Sega expects so much from this game. The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has been known for uber-crappy games for many, many years now. It takes a wonder to convince the public otherwise by now.
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Sep 21st 2007 1:30PM
Sonic Rush and Rush Adventure for the DS are prety good.
WiNG @ Sep 21st 2007 1:50PM
I just bought Sonic Advance 2 and it is AWESOME
My only complaint is that it is so friggin HARD to get the bonus stages. I mean, in the old Sonic games you just had to get 50 rings and make it to a sign post, or find one special bonus ring.
In Sonic Advance 2 you have to find SEVEN special rings without dying once all on ONE STAGE to even GET to the bonus stage, every time. WTF is that?? For me that is not acceptable! just give me my fake 3d half pipe back!!!!
Guybrush Threepwood @ Sep 21st 2007 2:46PM
Many, many?
It's been six years since Sonic Adventure 2, right? That's not "many, many" years.
And I'm not even counting the handheld games on the GBA and DS, which have been good.
Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Sep 21st 2007 9:02PM
That fake 3-D halfpipe was the best thing on the Genesis. The reason I liked Sonic and the Secret rings was because the whole game was a Sonic 2 halfpipe flashback for me.
OnimushaSoki @ Sep 21st 2007 1:31PM
Before anyone posts it(again)... the reason why Mario can keep up with Sonic is because of the sweet, sweet power of Capitalism(and spicy meatballs)fueling the world's most famous plumber. Sonic hasn't been "fast" since Sonic Adventure.
Oh, and I've got a prediction for SegaSammy... If they put Sonic in SUPER SMASH BROS BRAWL, I *predict* they'll outsell this half-ass licensing fun 4-to-1.
ThornedVenom @ Sep 21st 2007 6:16PM
You're nuts: everyone knows that Mario is a red soviet hard-working plumber with a Stalin-type moustache, fighting against the giant capitalist demon that is Bowser!
vidGuy @ Sep 21st 2007 1:32PM
Absolutely no way. It'll sell well, but not GOTY-well. I'd say more like 1.25 million, not 4 mil copies.
vidGuy @ Sep 21st 2007 1:37PM
Oh, and that's the Wii and DS versions put together. If Sega expects 4 million out of the Wii itself, I'm REALLY going to fall over laughing at that one.
baby sea tuna @ Sep 21st 2007 1:33PM
I like Mario and I like Sonic but I can't imagine a game coming out that I'm less interested in.
Unless, of course, there's a Cooking Mama 2 on the way...
Koopaknight29 @ Sep 21st 2007 1:38PM
Uh, you -might- not want to look at the TGS coverage then...
>_>
(You're being rhetorical aren't you.)
More on topic. Mario and Sonic, looks interesting but I dunno about 4 million, that's a bit... optimistic.
Shagittarius @ Sep 21st 2007 1:41PM
The only way I can see this game looking interesting is if you were born after the last summer olympics took place and never saw one of these games before.
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Sep 21st 2007 2:05PM
Whats up with all the Olympics hate, Shagi? Got something against friendly competition between nations in common and ancient athletic events?
Oh I get it, its popular to hate the olympics, so you do, because your a sheep.
Shagittarius @ Sep 21st 2007 2:12PM
I don't hate the olympics, I hate the cash in games that offer repetative mini games based particularly on the olympics.
AstroZombie @ Sep 21st 2007 3:23PM
I hate to say it, but I agree with Shaggi on this one. I was excited about this game at first. I grew up during the Nintendo/Sega rivalry, so this game is sort of the ultimate mash-up. But then I remembered that Olympics-based games do, in fact, suck balls. It's nothing against the Olympics themselves, but as each event is basically a one-note affair, gameplay usually consists of multiple variations of "alternately tap the buttons as quickly as possible, while occasionally tapping another button to jump." I just don't think "waggle the controller as quickly as possible, while occasionally flicking the controller to jump" is going to improve the formula much. I hope I'm proven wrong, and it turns out to be great, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
upz @ Sep 21st 2007 3:26PM
Since when was it ever popular to hate the Olympics?
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Sep 21st 2007 3:41PM
Since snot nosed brats who thinks anything somebody else does took over half the internet.
1995.
WhatIsThatThing @ Sep 21st 2007 4:05PM
Since you were a COMMUNIST.
Almack64 (NOF - Ultrazord) @ Sep 21st 2007 1:43PM
4 million eh... They must be smoking some good stuff over there. Maybe high rolling Miyamoto is sharing some of the expensive stuff with his buddies at Sega.
Sean @ Sep 21st 2007 1:46PM
Why in the flipping flying hell is Sonic last in the updated picture? He looks like he's running as fast as Bowser, and I distinctly remember Bowser being a slow spikey koopa.
T3H WICKERMAN @ Sep 21st 2007 1:46PM
Oh I wonder if this games case will contain large traces of lead and kill all pets that come into contact with it?
vidGuy @ Sep 21st 2007 1:50PM
"Hey sexy momma, wanna kill all humans?"
T3H WICKERMAN @ Sep 21st 2007 1:56PM
yes i do. lost.
T3H WICKERMAN @ Sep 21st 2007 1:50PM
This crossover is mental so in response all of shaggys post get voted up while fernando and anyone else that doesnt agree w/shaggy get a minus! MADNESS DAY 07!
megaStryke @ Sep 21st 2007 1:55PM
You know what a good Mario/Sonic crossover game would have been? An actual platformer. Ya know, like the ones both characters became famous for? Crazy idea, I know.
Bidoof Protection Military @ Sep 21st 2007 2:34PM
Like the Spyro/Crash crossover game(s), but good? Yeah, I could totally go for that. I would imagine this won't be the last time the plumber and the hedgehog cross paths.
Sonic in Mario Kart Wii. You heard it here first, folks!
samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Sep 21st 2007 2:35PM
I think that would require a good Sonic platformer that doesn't suck, first.
Bidoof Protection Military @ Sep 21st 2007 2:37PM
What, you mean all the Genesis ones (Sonic CD included)? Or the GBA and DS ones?
'Cause, yeah, those all totally suck.
samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Sep 21st 2007 2:59PM
I was referring more to the 3D ones, rather than the 2D ones. I love the 2D ones.
Allow me to rephrase it:
I assume a Mario/Sonic platformer would be in 3D; therefore, if one were to create a crossover game, you would have to make a 3D Sonic platformer that doesn't suck first.
megaStryke @ Sep 21st 2007 3:18PM
Only if Sega were to make it, Sammy. Now, if NINTENDO were the ones behind the game with minimal input from Sega, we actually WOULD have a good 3D Sonic platformer.
WhatIsThatThing @ Sep 21st 2007 4:07PM
Or would it? Nintendo doesn't have the experience (or blast processing) that even Sega has when it comes to making Sonic games. Remember: Sega does what Nintendon't!
Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Sep 22nd 2007 12:08AM
Yeah and Nintendon't make shitty 3-D sonic games. What's your point? ZAP.
DeadPlasmaCell @ Sep 21st 2007 1:57PM
Damn it these pictures still hurt my heart.. to see what Sonic is reduced to.. neck and neck with Bowser Koopa.. NECK AND NECK FOR F*CK SAKE!
/my heart is heavy
Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Sep 21st 2007 1:57PM
And I expect Epic fail from this game,It looks like crap even for the Wii.
Sorry I have to be honest,Not Mario or Sonic deserve this crap,I mean why it should be a minigame collection and a bad one why it couldn't be an adventure game with Mario and Sonic?