GameTavern - Sega Shoots For the Stars with Sonic

Well I generally find it rather difficult to agree with Justin, but this time he is right, Sega needs to not put their expectations so high, but whatever works for them.

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- In an effort to turn around its recent slipping financial earnings, Sega today announced the secret to its success in the year 2003: Sonic the Hedgehog. The company has revealed plans to turn the spiky-haired trademark character into the Nintendo equivalent of Pokemon through an animated television show, a new line of Sonic toys, and -- of course -- many more great Sonic videogame titles.

Well let's see, Sega basically plans on whoring Sonic in the hopes that they can strike gold. Why not try this with a completely new series?

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Debuting in Japan this April, the new Sonic animated television series will also hit the U.S. and European airwaves later this fall. Although Sega has already produced a Sonic cartoon series here in the States, the company is planning to work more closely on the new Japanese production to bolster Sonic's new image both here and abroad.

Well, I don't know this is like Sonic's 3rd or 4th animated series since he first came out, what will make this one any different. I've actually seen some stills and what not of the anime and I think the whole human thing ruins it, but I like the fact they incorpate some of the Adventure elements such as Shadow.

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Sega's toy unit is also following the latest Japanese trends as it ramps up production for an all-new line of Sonic collectables and action figures. And let's not forget about the videogames -- Sega plans to put out four brand-new Sonic titles in Japan alone and a whopping five here in the U.S. and in Europe, where the series has traditionally been much more popular.

Well, I hope they release a Sonic and Shadow bobblehead.
As for the videogame series, at first, I thought that was gonna be a whole lot of milking of the franchise, but I thought about it, and it basically seems to only confirm one new game. I mean form what we know is gonna be released this year

-Sonic Adventure DX
-Sonic Advance 2 (just shipped and was out in Japan since last year that's why the 4 games in Japan instead of 5)
-Sonic Pinball Party
-Sonic N (the launch title for the N-Gage)
-New Sonic title that Yuji Naka was talking about.

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If all goes according to plan, Sega will give new life to its Sonic figurehead and put the company back into the forefront of the gaming and entertainment communities with this new 2003 strategy.

I'm all for Sega trying to get it's name back out there, but I don't think whoring around a franchise is gonna help, I mean maybe a few Sonic games to help highlight their other products. I mean if they really wanted to use Sonic, maybe include demos of their other games in the Sonic gameS?

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Speaking on the new plan, Sega's respected head of Sonic development, Yuji Naka, says that, "This means our dream comes true. The next business year will become the Sonic year for Sega group, centered on the TV program. We would like to make Sonic as big as Pokemon."

Well, like I said at the beginning Sega is shooting for the moon, hopefully if they miss they lead around the stars, but if they fall flat on their face...

I doubt Sonic will become as big as PokeMon, and if he does, I doubt want to be around, I mean the whole fad thing drives me crazy.

http://cube.ign.com/articles/389/389801p1.html