Overdue: Sega to fix Sonic the Hedgehog 'over time'

by Ludwig Kietzmann on Jul 30th 2009 4:30PM

Would you consider it a small victory if Sega of America's marketing VP, Sean Ratcliffe, was cognizant of the company mascot's ongoing and unceasingly spectacular nosedive? "The quality is something that will be fixed over time," he told Industry Gamers, addressing Sonic the Hedgehog's well-publicized fall from blast-processed grace.

Though Ratcliffe insisted that last year's Sonic Unleashed proved to be a hit with "the kids," it's the "die-hard Sega fans" that were "fairly critical." Which is putting it quite "nicely," we think. Sega is investigating numerous options for Sonic's future -- including digital distribution through iPhone, XBLA "and so on" -- though Ratcliffe warns that "it's always a challenge to raise that quality bar."

Really? When it's all the way down there?

Source

Tags: sega, sonic, sonic-the-hedgehog, sonic-unleashed, this-picture-never-gets-old

Reader Comments (96)

Didn't they say this last time?
I'm afraid Sonic's best times were back in the 16-bit era.

Exactly.

I'm not exactly sure why Sega admitting Sonic is hasn't been featured in a good game since forever is supposed to be a 'victory' when they have admitted this before. Hell, doing a search on Joystiq will reveal prior articles in which Sega did exactly that.

All they need is a 2D reboot like Megaman 9.

Have some catchy kickass tunes. THREE playable characters. (Sonic, Tails, & Knuckles.)

And have levels with a giant amount personality.

And no FUCKING eggman. It's Dr. Ivo Robotnik.

Do sonic New Super Mario Bros. style and all will be well again!

You mean Sonic Rush? It's a pretty good game, but nowhere near the quality of the older games.

Sonic Rush on DS was actually halfway decent, especially when compared unleashed/black knight/sonic '06.

The main problem is FAR too many sonic games are being released. I think that's one of the reasons mario games are still great while sonic games aren't. We don't see 3-4 mario games a year (spinoffs aside, I'm talking actual platformers.) Instead, Nintendo takes their time and puts out one solid game at a time.

But then again, people are buying these new terrible games by the millions, so Sega has no motivation to stop driving sonic team and the sonic franchise into the ground.

Don't know why you got downvoted, I thought it was an OK idea. Joystiq commenters can be fickle mistresses.

Sonic is dead. Move along, move along.

Yeah, finish making Eternal Champions 3.

"No! Again!"

*Phthunk- beeeeeeeeeeeee*

*Phthunk- beep beeeeeeee*

"NOT ON MY WATCH!"

Give him boobs

SEGA, Hire this man.

Nah, all he really needs is a new wisecracking sidekick. The last dozen have been lame, but this new guy - a diamond chinchilla - will be kickass awesome, guaranteed.

This could work. I've seen lots of pictures of Sonic with boobs.

He should also cuss. CAUSE SONIC IS TOTALLY EDGY AND ON THE EDGE.

Lose Dr. Robotnik, Tales, and anything associated with his license. Put some age on him, and rest the fate of the world (post apocalypse) on his shoulders. Then make him fight Zombies

This has to be a joke, right? Why not go with that "Mario shooting hookers" game that Iwata once swore would never happen, while we're at it?

I'm pretty positive this is a witty retort on the latest gaming fads.

Also, it might be a leaked memo from the Sonic Team.

Actually, no. I'd build it like an open world racing game. He'd have to collect rings, but they'd be made of BLOOD

lol, I'd play it.
& this Mario shooting hookers sounds like a GOTY.

Mario & Old Sonic at the Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Hooker Ranch

"Mario & Old Sonic at the Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Hooker Ranch"

Mario would have to be a steampunk/cyborg voiced by Ian Mckellan

Sorry, ha, I'm a little doubtful Sega can fix anything.

"it's always a challenge to raise that quality bar." So, I guess Nintendo made a deal with the Devil?

Come the hell on. Stop giving Sonic shit he DOESN'T need. Skateboards, hoverboards, carts, a fucking support group, guns, swords, and god damn mutation POWERS. Did the Dreamcast really leave you this broken?

He is SONIC. HE RUNS. Build around that.

I'm telling you man, Sonic Adventure 3 without the B.S. Shooting and Treasure finding stages. I would be satisfied with something of that caliber. I was playing SA2 last week just because I loved playing the Sonic and Shadow action stages so much. He can keep the grinding, I liked that part.

"I was playing SA2 last week just because I loved playing the Sonic and Shadow action stages so much. He can keep the grinding, I liked that part."

THAT'S WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE SERIES! Get back to the classic Sonic games like 2 and 3, Sonic didnt grind rails or switch characters or go on treasure hunts.

HE JUST RAN FAST.

The shooting and treasure-hunting (and the glorious Chao raising subgame), were what helped balance Adventure 2 out, though.

Adventure 2 is the 2nd best game of all time, after all. Everyone on the planet except for Retro Studios should be trying to emulate its glory.

Seriously, Sonic. We love you.

Your parents are assholes.

Peace. *fist pound*

The Adventure games were mediocre. I agree with captainprotonx, screw all the gadgets let Sonic do what he does best.

He platformed too... We need a mix of both.
.. And Tails. I love that guy.

"Adventure 2 is the 2nd best game of all time"

Whenever you say this I completely crack up. I like how they say they will fix it "over time"...it makes it sound like they plan on releasing a few more crappy games before fixing it.

Actually, Worsel, he did all three of those things...

Why does he have to be 3D? Therein lies the problem...and the solution.

It's been, what, 14 years since a good Sonic game came out? How much more "time" do these people need!?

Im convinced that Sega is being run by the same people who are in charge of the Tomb Raider franchise, every game that comes out will be better and it's an even worse pile of crap.

Wake me up if they ever come out with a Dreamcast 2 while we are at it.

Tomb Raider was never good.

Over time? Hasn't the past 5 years been long enough to bring out a Sonic game that wasn't hot garbage?

So now it's "over time"? Well, I guess that's a realistic goal.

How to fix Sonic the Hedgehog:

Step 1: Do an HD remake, or Turbo HD Remix if you will, of one or more of the following:
(1) Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis/Megadrive)
(2) Sonic the Hedgehog 2
(3) Sonic CD
(4) Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles

Step 2: Release on 360, PS3, PC, etc.

Step 3: PROFIT

There is no uncertainty step here.

But that's not going to prepare Sonic for the future at all, though. You're just going to appeal to a small group of nostalgia-driven people. Nostalgia games are fun, but they don't help grow a brand. Just ask Punch-Out!!

Punch-Out didnt grow because they only added in one new person and kept the same strategies on how to defeat the old guys vs, you know, actually spending some time on a game and new characters.

Sometimes going backward is the only way to go forward. Maybe remaking the great games will remind them of what made Sonic great in the first place.

I think Sega's re-released 2D sonic games enough over the years in collection disks and on various platforms... I dont want another port of an old game i have a million of.

Unleashed was a good game, people just didnt like the werehog stuffs..

KingOfHearts is right. Clearly Sonic Team has had every opportunity to recall what made Sonic great, every time they've helped supervise a compilation/re-release, and they've ignored that advice.

And from your comments, Worsel, you can't have played more than half of Punch-Out!!

And you liked SatBK, Khan, so why should anyone listen to your opinion on what to do with Sonic?

Because Sonic and the Black Knight was still closer to what they should do with the series than not. The swordplay was quite satisfying, and the game's balance of speed was quite good. The game's problems were mostly an issue of progression

Read my review:
http://www.vgchartz.com/games/gamereviewdisp.php?id=24881&reviewid=251

Why aren't they making more games like for the DS? Sonic Rush was freaking awesome. It was the best Sonic game in years! (I say that like it means something?)
Why don't they put out some hot 2d platformer action on the XBLM? The old Sonic games were good, just make more of that with some HD graphics.

If the stuck with the 3d yet 2d idea and not add the wolf thing, i would've bought it.

this post reminded me of the "livin in a van down by the river skit"...i lol'd

they can't fix it. this was pretty much inevitable from everything post-Sonic Adventure 2.

also, no more remakes. i'd rather leave the classics where they belong.

"So.. how do we fix this sonic mess..."

"Well, there's these sonic games that already exist that are regarded as good. Maybe we could be like them and li..."

"WHAT? No no no.. that's crazy talk. Let's add more guns, more gameplay styles, and more furry friends! That'll fix this right up!"

"...."

Anyways, fixing Sonic is pretty easy. Just make it play like the ones, or parts of ones, that aren't regarded as awful.

So Sonic Advance and Sonic Rush series just suck right?

O.o

People seem to be denying their existence.

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Overdue: Sega to fix Sonic the Hedgehog 'over time'

Reader Comments (96)

Posted: Jul 30th 2009 4:32PM Manifest37 said

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