Sonic: Dark Brotherhood - Nintendo Power Article at Bioware

txa1265

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Bioware is hosting a PDF version of an article from the February issue of Nintendo Power that describes some details about the upcoming RPG for the Nintendo DS.
* Find out how BioWare has created a whole new way to interact with Sonic in his first RPG
* Discover which of your favorite Sonic characters will appear in the game
* See the very first screenshots and concept art from the development team
* Learn about the innovative controls for Sonic and his friends on the Nintendo DS
* Get a behind-the-scenes look at game development from BioWare’s co-founders
The link allows you to download the PDF file and also to subscribe to a newsletter to stay up to date with the progress of this game.
More information.
 
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I still think its's just a joke.

What's next? FPS from Monkey Island?:D
 
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It is a pretty odd RPG title at first blush. But for all that, it's perfectly positioned to do well in the DS market. Third party titles don't sell very well - comparatively- in DS land. If you are Nintendo? Sure - you can sell five million carts. But nobody else does.

The NDS platform is about selling popular characters to kids of all ages, essentially. Pre-selling your market through branding is extremely important. Because Sonic is a well known brand, and because BioWare is also a well known brand with extremely competent and well funded designers - the potential for BioWare to hit a home run with Sonic Chronicles is very real, imo. They have already spent nearly twice the "normal" dev time for a DS game on Sonic Chronicles. This is not meant to suggest they are fumbling, rather, they have taken the time to give a DS title a triple A budget and squeeze new gameplay and control systems out of the NDS with a take-no-prisoners design.

Everything I have heard from inside BioWare indicates that morale on their hand held team is extremely high. The devs there are really enjoying working on the title.

I think BioWare has a good chance of hitting this one out of the park. For the platform, it is a brilliantly positioned product. Time will tell if BioWare is able to execute on it.
 
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I remember when I first heard of this last summer (summer of 2007). I and every other member of the bioware boards were just like this O_O

Then, I did a little research on the Sonic Series. It was mainly done by reading Wikipedia articles on the subject and listening to what the Sonic fans had to say. And believe you me, they were as surprised as we were. However, they seemed to be more positive about this news & info. I think maybe thwy see this as way to revitalize their, and the worlds interest, in Sonic - the Hedgehog.

I read a lot of stuff regarding Sonic on wikipedia and I thought to myself -'yeah', this could work'. You could do that or that or this and this and then you would have a full fledged rpg on your hands'.

The game world in Sonic is really huge, while gaving some really interesting characters, most of them coming from Sonic's younger days. Some of the newer characters are interesting, too. And now for the big surprise: According to the article, combat will be turnbased, there will ne hexagonal grid, where you will move your characters around when in combat.

I like the hand drawn 2D backgrounds as well...
 
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I wonder if it will include a lesbian lovestory.

I don't think so as this is as DS game whose audience mainly seem to be aimed at a much younger customer base than say Mass Effect. I think Ray and Greg, the Joint CEOs at Bioware, once said that the SONIC rpg was a game for youngsters, but that of course there would be something for adults to enjoy, too.
 
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To me that is one of the great things about the DS platform - the natural tendency to hit that E-10+ - T age range, and still offer plenty for adults. Games like Zelda, the recent Advance Wars, and so on. Really objectively good games (i.e. not just 'good for kiddies') for all ages.
 
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"Dark Brotherhood" ... - this adds very nicely to the cliché of RPGs = dark, murky, secrets, evil, violence, gothic, da vinci code, mystery, all of this stuff.

An RPG called "Light Brotherhood" would never sell - at least among those who believe that this cliché is right (and sells).
 
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I remember when I first heard of this last summer (summer of 2007). I and every other member of the bioware boards were just like this O_O

Well, it certainly can be viewed as an odd direction for BioWare in terms of the games they have delivered in the past.

But BioWare has also made it pretty clear that they aren't just in the business to make PC RPGs. In fact, they've made it abundantly clear that they are in the business to make games - period. And being in the business of making games, that want to make games that sell and make money.

That explains their foray into MMOs, Xbox and 360 titles and now - the DS. The DS is an extremely profitible platform for those who do well at it.

It's just that not many outside of Nintendo have done so.

BioWare aims to leverage their special skills on a platform that presents rich opportunities for those with the IP and talent to pitch to that market. And on hand helds - Sonic is a perfectly positioned character to do so. Add in BioWare and their specialty - you get a "Sonic RPG". No mystery to that chocolate and peanut butter combo.

I really wouldn't read into it any more than that.

Will it be BG, Mass Effect or KotOR? No. Should you expect deep character insight in to Sonic or furry lesbian alien geisha cat diplomats? No. It's an E title for the NDS. Adjust your expectations to the platform - and it will probably satisfy them (and glowingly at that) if you can do so.

If a person cannot do so - then both the game and quite possibly the DS platform is not for them. That's not a problem for that person - and it is probably not a problem for BioWare, either. It's a big market.

I do think, generally speaking, that people should give the DS a good look though. It's a surprisingly entertaining little gadget and packs as much power as a ca. 1997 era PC (and with better 3d at that). The thing is surprisingly powerful.
 
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This gay (traditional meaning) "Sonic the Hedgehog" made me buy (or better my parents) the Mega Drive (aka Genesis), it was a tough decision between SNES and Mega Drive, so I converted from Nintendo (NES) to Sega. And Sonic made the difference! This game still gives me goose bumps! :D
 
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There was once even a PC jump & run game with Sonic released (oh my, my grammar ...), it was not hyped, so I guess many people forgot it.

Still need to track it down (I think i saw it recently on ebay ...)
 
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