“I think I’m just gonna go quiet”
Is Sega running scared from the increasing volume of criticism surrounding Sonic Boom? Even community manager legends like Aaron Webber and Ken Balough went all in on the mediocre Sonic 4 franchise when it came to promotion. But this weekend, Boom producer Stephen Frost announced on the Sega forums he is taking a break from responding to fans about the game.
Frost’s words follow below:
Guys, I’m sorry to have to say this, but I think I’m just gonna go quiet and not post for a while. Early on, I made myself a promise to interact more with the fans out there and I thought that forums would be a good way to do this. I could share info and have conservations with some cool and interesting folks, so many of which have supported Sonic for a long time. However, this project took a lot out of me and it seems like I don’t have the energy right now to deal with the back and forth arguments that seem to constantly appear in threads, as well as how aspects of things I post don’t quite get received like I intended them to. I also see several people who appear to have the singular goal of bringing discussions down or just have what appears to be some sort of vandetta against the IP, in general. And this just paints a very negative experience overall, at least in my humble opinion. Basically, I thought this was going to be fun… It has, but not as much as I thought it would be. Now, I don’t get me wrong. I have talked to some great folks that have opinions, both positive and negative, and that have been able to express those opinions in interesting and informative ways. And I love reading those types of posts. I have no problems with people having negative comments about Sonic Boom or anything Sonic at all. All comments help me to learn and get a better understanding of the fan base and there is nothing wrong with any of them. They are your opinions and you are entitled to them.
I just thought the whole idea behind forums like these was so that we can all came together to share thoughts and comments with other fans who shared the same excitement for a particular topic. Unfortunately, through my eyes, it just seems like a place where people have to constantly justify what opinions they have and where simple things can quickly spiral out of control, reducing the overall enjoyment that folks get from hanging out here. It’s unfortunate, really, but maybe that’s just my own perception.
Maybe, in a few weeks, I’ll see how I feel and come back to join you all again (if you’ll have me), but right now I’m just not feeling it. So many of us have worked so hard to try and create something that both fans can enjoy and that could introduce Sonic to a completely new audience… and I’m just tired. It’s a shame really, because I really do love meeting and talking to fans of Sega and Sonic, in general. Even in the short amount of time that I’ve been working on Sonic Boom, I’ve come across so many amazing people who have shared how Sonic has touched their lives and why they love the character so much. They have this genuine passion and excitement that I wish I could bottle. It’s amazing, and that’s why I’m so looking forward to the upcoming Sonic Boom event in NY. I want to meet each and every one of you there, so I hope you can all make it.
Regardless, to all of you that share that same passion and excitement about our blue hedgehog, I thank you for your continued support and for helping to keep Sonic constantly running forward. Even when you weren’t happy with the direction he might have headed in, you were always happy to see where he ended up.
For those still interested in asking me questions over the coming weeks, definitely feel free to send them to me on Twitter or through the message system in these forums. I will do my best to answer as many of them as I can.
See you soon?
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