Summary
A credible Sega insider has revealed some promising information regarding the future of theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise and how it’s intended to be handled going forward. After years of somewhat divisive installments in the iconic video game series, this news is likely to excite manySonic the Hedgehogfans who have been longing for further, more tangible investments in the franchise from Sega.
Having maintained its cultural relevancy for over 30 years, theSonicfranchise is arguably Sega’s most prized possession to this day. The popularity of the series has spiked in recent years, in large part because of the box officesuccess of Paramount’sSonic the Hedgehogmoviesand the commercial hit that wasSonic Frontiers. In spite of that, though,Sonichas yet to reach the near-universal acclaim that the series once had during the 90s. Since the late 2000s, many titles in the franchise have been met with mixed-to-positive reception at best and widespread negative reviews at worst. Because of this, many fans believe thatSonichas lost its luster over the years and, as such, have demanded that Sega invest more into what is supposed to be its mascot franchise. Fortunately, though, judging from a recent report, it seemsSonicfans might just have their wishes come true.
According to a recent thread of tweets from reputable insider Midori, Sega has established a new internal team named Sonic Pillar that is dedicated to being directly involved with the development of futureSonicthe Hedgehogtitles. The team in question is reportedly formed of Sega staff from all major regions around the world, and is focused on ensuring the quality of upcomingSonicprojects. In addition, Midori claims that “Sonic Pillar sometimes supports play tests at Sega and other groups,“alongside hosting meetings on “current Sonic IP projects” and reviewing “short, medium, and long-term IP plans.” To give an example of what this means exactly, titles like therecently-announced mobile gameSonic Rumbleare said to be considered midterm projects bySega, for instance.
In another set of tweets, Midori also notes that Sega plans to makeSonican annual franchise that will receive consistent content by way of brand-new games, DLC expansions, remasters, remakes, and other forms of media. Fans worried about theannualization ofSonicpotentially diluting the quality of the games shouldn’t be too concerned, though, as “quality management is a main priority” for thisacclaimed Sega franchise, according to Midori.
Sega Doubling Down on the Sonic Franchise is Promising News for Sonic Fans
The prospect of a newdivision dedicated to improvingSonictitles and helping Sonic Team get its games out the door is likely to excite manySonicfans who have wanted Sega to do exactly that over the years. Though Midori doesn’t explicitly state as such, the creation of Sonic Pillar might result in bigger budgets, larger scopes, and higher quality bars for futuregames in the series, like therumored sequel toSonic Frontiers. Either way, it’s hard to imagine Sega doubling down so much onSonicthe Hedgehogbeing anything but good news for the franchise.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog is a prolific game franchise that started life on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. Covering both 2D and 3D iterations through the generations, Sonic is known for speedy movements and interesting platforming mechanics.
