23 replies to this topic

[henryiii]

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (May 26th, 2010) SEGA ® Europe Ltd. & SEGA ® America, Inc. today announced Sonic ™ Colours, the new high-speed adventure of our famous hero Sonic the Hedgehog. Struggling with saving a colorful alien race fall into the clutches of Dr. Eggman, Sonic will face many obstacles along an inspired sci-fi themed amusement park. Sonic Colours will be available on Wii ™ and Nintendo DS ™ at the end of 2010.

A unique playground has been seen orbiting the planet of Sonic the Hedgehog. Some rumors speak of an alien race called wisps, with a rare colored energy, which is now imprisoned here, by the evil Dr. Eggman. Sonic, once arrived on the planet's entertainment, you can use immediately made aware of this rare power to help colored wisps in the escape! The Wii version of Sonic Colours combines both 2D and 3D gaming perspective, while the Nintendo DS version takes advantage of the characteristics of the double-screen console.

"The lively alien universe of Sonic Colours allows players to race at breakneck speed along amazing planets, each with its peculiarities and unique visual style." Comment on Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing SEGA. "In addition to classic Sonic gameplay, new power-wisps, they offer an innovative way to explore these new worlds and help Sonic to run faster than ever!"

The new Sonic hedgehog Colours see our dear speeding, jumping off himself among enemies like never before in a Sonic game. The aliens WISPs are able to free their "Colour Power" that can be absorbed by Sonic drilling to create new roads, for example, the ground (via the Yellow Drill), or go through the whole internship at supersonic speed (thanks to Cyan Laser). Combining the different available energies can further increase the speed of Sonic and his abilities beyond imagination. Lots of power ups and exclusive versions will be available for Wii and Nintendo DS for a brand new super-fast gameplay of Sonic for fans around the world.

Sonic Colours will be available on Wii ™ and Nintendo DS ™ at the end of 2010.

trailer

[Speedy_25]

Okay.....this looks weird, I was hoping for something a little more epic

[Inhibitor]

I am praying on my knees that no unnecessary characters are in the game. Please no Amy, please no Knuckles, please no Silver, Blaze, Shadow, Marine...GOD doesn't SEGA realize whats killing the franchise!? T.T

But, other than that, the games looks pretty cool.

Okay.....this looks weird, I was hoping for something a little more epic

With a name like Sonic Colors, how the hell COULD it be epic?

[furrykef]

GOD doesn't SEGA realize whats killing the franchise!?

The problem is that for every person who complains about the characters you mentioned, there are several people who praise at least some of them. What's really killing the franchise is how splintered the fanbase is that way, because it's impossible for them to please all of us. It's also probably why SatAM is dead (except what's left of it in Archie), 'cause they'd probably see trying to maintain both the SegaSonic continuity and the SatAM continuity as spreading themselves too thin.

A unique playground has been seen orbiting the planet of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic the Hedgehog is a planet now?

[henryiii]

I am praying on my knees that no unnecessary characters are in the game. Please no Amy, please no Knuckles, please no Silver, Blaze, Shadow, Marine...GOD doesn't SEGA realize whats killing the franchise!? T.T

But, other than that, the games looks pretty cool.

as some one who got into the franchise because of satam and archie making characters who I previously thought dead weight become three dimensional characters under the writers pen. I think people wouldn't look down on the above characters if sega could do the above to the above cast(and if they could write anything worth a damn).

I mean don't most satam/archie fans want those characters canonized, isn't that just more characters to some people?

A unique playground has been seen orbiting the planet of Sonic the Hedgehog.

call it mobius and we'll be good sega

[Robthe1st]

as some one who got into the franchise because of satam and archie making characters who I previously thought dead weight become three dimensional characters under the writers pen. I think people wouldn't look down on the above characters if sega could do the above to the above cast(and if they could write anything worth a damn).

I mean don't most satam/archie fans want those characters canonized, isn't that just more characters to some people?

Ask Sega. But, they won't llisten. Unless you work for them or some sort (Of course they always take ideas from them).

Its sucks that Sega wouldn't make a video game based on SatAM / Archie. I think it's time for them to change their hearts and listen to us, instead of making more dumb Sonic-related video games.

That's all I can say.

[Inhibitor]

GOD doesn't SEGA realize whats killing the franchise!?

The problem is that for every person who complains about the characters you mentioned, there are several people who praise at least some of them. What's really killing the franchise is how splintered the fanbase is that way, because it's impossible for them to please all of us. It's also probably why SatAM is dead (except what's left of it in Archie), 'cause they'd probably see trying to maintain both the SegaSonic continuity and the SatAM continuity as spreading themselves too thin.

I'll admit, I was being way too critical. The franchise isn't going downhill, but it's not going anywhere! It's almost like a cycle. New characters, new gimmick, repeat. New characters, new gimmick, repeat. Normally this wouldn't be a bad thing, mainly because they're trying to keep the series from getting stale, but for the most part they don't pull it off well. The characters they implement are often unimaginative and forgettable, and there's always some sort of unnecessary gimmick added that ruins the fun. They reattempt the same formula hoping for a change, but so far things haven't been looking too hot. Alright, alright, I'm closing this up, but my point is this; if SEGA were to perhaps bring in more features WITHOUT overdoing it then the games would be a lot better. Sonic Unleashed. The daytime stages were received well and brought back memories to fans with the blazing fast speed and 2D and 3D perspectives. THERE. They should have left it at that. But what did SEGA allow? Werehog. That one word was the downfall for what could have been a revolutionary game. The hub worlds gave the game a sense of exploration, but were completely pointless in the PS2 and Wii versions. And character wise?

But it does seem that SEGA is finally getting the point. Sonic 4 is going back to its roots with all the 2D, fast-paced action the series was recognized with, and Sonic Colors is looking to be an old-fashioned adventure game using a similar formula to the day stages of Sonic Unleashed. So far it seems like the game is focusing on Sonic and Tails, with those Wisps as side-characters. (lets hope it stays that way) Forget everything I said in my previous post. The one thing many fans don't do is properly analyze the material within the games. Kinda ironic since I always criticize people who complain about the very things I said earlier. I feel bad because SEGA and Sonic Team are working hard to please the fanbase, and like you said Kef, they can't please us all. But even if we (in this case, me) don't like it that much, we should commend SEGA and the gang for keeping our favorite blue hedgehog alive.












I feel like a combination of a faggot and a hypocrite. But honestly, that doesn't surprise me.

[chief]

It reminds me of Mario Sunshine... Well...not the plot or anything..Just it randomly does.


And Yeah I'm with Kef on the WTF is Sonic the Hedgehog being a planet now? ....Mario Galaxy. Damnit

[henryiii]

Apperantly their main demographic for the game is the youngest of gamers

Exclusive: Sonic Colors Developed by Storybook Division, Meant for Young Crowd

Tristan Oliver | May 27, 2010

How Close We Were–And Perhaps Still Are–to Another Sonic Storybook

The next Sonic for Nintendo Wii and DS, Sonic Colors, will be developed in the same vein as Sonic and the Black Knight–toward the very young fan, not necessarily a Sonic fan, and not the mainstream gamer.

That is one of several pieces of information an independent source confirmed to TSSZ News regarding the game, slated for release this Holiday season. In fact, it will be the same Sonic Team division behind SBK and Sonic and the Secret Rings–dubbed the “Storybook” division, who will head up most of the development on the Wii edition, our source said.

So, why isn’t it a part of the Sonic Storybook Series? It’s most likely because the franchise is dead, our source explained. Decision makers at Sega killed off a future Storybook installment after realizing the damage done to Sonic branding upon SBK’s very poor sales and reception–opting instead to push forward with this project. An unofficial estimate at VGChartz.com claims the game to date has sold only a hair above half a million copies worldwide.

Though the true Storybook elements are gone, Sonic Colors may retain some callbacks, especially in difficulty and demographics. On the former, our source made clear this game will not have a huge learning curve to it, and will be easy for target audiences to pick up and play. That audience, we were told, leans young. Though this is a Sonic game, Sega will push marketing of Colors toward general, mainstream Wii players–not necessarily generalized, mainstream gamers. Our source compared the marketing strategy of Colors to Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue, which Sega released last year with hints of education components to the Nintendo Wii and DS. It’s interesting to know that, when you consider the select few adults in mainstream gaming press who have claimed to play Colors in its current state seem pleased with the product.

More jaded Sonic fans can welcome one bit of information. Our source believes only Sonic will be playable in Sonic Colors’s main campaign. Tails was seen in the trailer Sega released Thursday, but our source believes the fox’s role will be limited, perhaps as part of a multiplayer component.

But what about gimmicks? Nintendo Power teased a lack of gimmicks, but we’ve been informed that won’t quite be the case. To complement Sonic Colors’s push toward young players, our source says there will be gimmicks that involve pointing and touching various items in-game. That said, we’ve been assured this isn’t a game breaker, and that the gimmicks play out very well with overall game mechanics.

As for fans already comparing Sonic Colors to Super Mario Galaxy sight unseen, we are told that may be on par with comparing apples and oranges. Our source cited Super Mario Galaxy’s universally mainstream appeal, which Colors is internally not trying to accomplish. Still, the source hinted at possible Galaxy-like elements in the game, and believed Sega’s PR staff may use that as a marketing tactic to appeal to the more selective mainstream.

Those are the new details we have independently learned this week. It won’t be long before we know more when Sonic Colors is playable on the show floor of the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo. But we’re not done with the exclusives. Friday on TSSZ News, we’ll have some new information to share with you regarding Sonic the Hedgehog 4, and we think you’ll like it.

And Yeah I'm with Kef on the WTF is Sonic the Hedgehog being a planet now?

seeing how this is a translation from an Italian source, its most likely a mistranslation.

[furrykef]

It's not really a mistranslation so much as awkward wording, I think. "The planet of Sonic the Hedgehog" makes perfect sense, it's just humorously ambiguous ("Sonic the Hedgehog's planet" would be better and remove the ambiguity).

[CTM]

And this, kids, is why passive voice is bad.

I'll have to admit, the first thing I thought was Super Mario Galaxy as well. The timing doesn't help, either, since Super Mario Galaxy 2 was released a few days before this news article. It certainly wouldn't be the first time Sega has ripped off borrowed ideas from Mario games.

[furrykef]

And this, kids, is why passive voice is bad.

Although the sentence in question did use the passive voice, I don't think the use of "the planet of Sonic the Hedgehog" has anything to do with the passive voice. Replace "has been seen orbiting" with the active "is orbiting" and the situation doesn't really change.

I also don't think the passive voice is as bad as many make it out to be. If it weren't useful, it wouldn't have been invented. (See? I just used it right there. Would "people wouldn't have invented it" really be a big improvement?) Not to mention that the use of the passive voice can, at times, remind one of newspapers (as they are notorious for overusing it), which didn't seem inappropriate in this context.

[CTM]

Passive voice has its uses, obviously. Fiction is a good example, when you want information to be given to the reader in a certain way, to serve a certain purpose: one that deliberately conflicts with being clear and precise.

But it's bad when you need to be clear and precise with the information you're conveying, like when you write a news article. There's a reason it's vilified. In this context it's often lazy writing, perpetrated by those unaware of what they're doing with the format.

(But, since you seem to be the only other person on this board who actually cares, I was referring in fact to the entire article, and the tendency for newspapers to do this way too often. I used this as an opportunity to express my dissatisfaction, noting how you amusingly pointed out the potential ambiguity of that one phrase as an excuse, even if it wasn't entirely appropriate. Don't look too much into it, furrykef. It was a throwaway comment.)

[LaserX5]

Doesn't SEGA realize whats killing the franchise!? T.T

No, they don't. If they did, they wouldn't keep plowing ahead towards this ridiculous path of mediocrity over and over.

Of course, Nintendo is largely responsible for this since they don't want the blue hedgehog to surpass their mascot.

Sega's last 2 Sonic games as an independent company were their best ones to date. Had they been able to survive on their own to this day, who knows how good they could have been?

Even so, they're only hurting themselves by putting the Sonic Franchise on a leash.

If Nintendo turned him loose and gave the fans what they really wanted in the current Sega games, he would easily become the most popular Nintendo character within 3-5 years.

[Gojira007]

LaserX...you do realize Nintendo does not own Sonic in any way and has no say over how SEGA decides to use him, right?

[LaserX5]

LaserX...you do realize Nintendo does not own Sonic in any way and has no say over how SEGA decides to use him, right?

Technically, Nintendo does not own him or Sega.

But they and Sega have been working together in making games since the demise of the Dreamcast.

Sonic is one of the characters in Super Smash Bros Brawl and stars along side Mario in the Olympic games.

To be honest, I wish Nintendo would buy them out and then show Sega how to make Sonic games as well as they do for Mario.

[furrykef]

That still has pretty much nothing to do with why Sega can't make a good Sonic game.

[Chaosmaster8753]

Its sucks that Sega wouldn't make a video game based on SatAM / Archie. I think it's time for them to change their hearts and listen to us, instead of making more dumb Sonic-related video games.

That's all I can say.

I'd rather not let Archie/SatAM get incorporated in the games, it would make them even more convulted.

I am praying on my knees that no unnecessary characters are in the game. Please no Amy, please no Knuckles, please no Silver, Blaze, Shadow, Marine...GOD doesn't SEGA realize whats killing the franchise!? T.T

That's not killing the franchise. There's nothing wrong w/adding new characters, the way they handle them is more of a problem. Besides, Mario adds new characters too.

Can we please reserve the nitpicking until we actually see the game in action?

[chief]

To be all ...fair here. Its a kids game. I'm not sure why a bunch of 15-late 20 year olds are looking that hard into this.

Are you going to bash the next Dora the Explorer game too?


"OMG!!!! They are killing the franchise! SHES STILL NOT SEXY!!!"

Come on guys, its a fucking kids game. It would be neat for SEGA to release a Sonic game bent on more the older market, but I don't see them doing that any time soon. Why? Bigger market in kids. "OMG I WANT THE SONIC GAME" And then poor Daddy goes out and buys the game. Where as most of the adult market will just rent the game, beat it in a week and return it. Most Adults wont get obsessed and buy a hole crap load of game T Shirts and all that too. When I say most adults don't look at your freak of a collection and go "HEY! I have shirts!!!" Cause I ment most. Not the random select few.


Thus..Its a kids game. Simple isn't it? I mean if we were 6 years old, you would probably play the shit out of this game and design a cardbord rocket to get you to Planet Sonic The Hedgehog.

KIIIIDS GAAAAMMMMEEE.


Glad we talked about this.

[Inhibitor]

I am praying on my knees that no unnecessary characters are in the game. Please no Amy, please no Knuckles, please no Silver, Blaze, Shadow, Marine...GOD doesn't SEGA realize whats killing the franchise!? T.T

That's not killing the franchise. There's nothing wrong w/adding new characters, the way they handle them is more of a problem. Besides, Mario adds new characters too.

Can we please reserve the nitpicking until we actually see the game in action?

You know I sorta made another post whereas I actually state more in-depth reasons why I made that statement. If you want to ignore it, whatever. But you should read that before stating you opinions at least. I will admit, however, my assumption was made too early. I'll wait for some gameplay, then I'll start trolling.