BioWare - Announces Sonic the Hedgehog Handheld RPG

Dhruin

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Huh. I didn't see this coming - but then I'm probably not the target audience:
SEGA ANNOUNCES BIOWARE WILL CREATE SONIC ROLE PLAYING GAME FOR THE NINTENDO DS

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (June 21, 2007)—SEGA© of America, Inc., SEGA® Europe, Ltd., and Canada-based developer studio BioWare® Corp. today announced a partnership to create a new video game based on the classic SEGA flagship icon Sonic The Hedgehog. The exact name of the game is undetermined, and it will ship in 2008.
"BioWare is one of the hottest names in RPG development in the world," said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America, Inc. "Everyone at SEGA has huge confidence that Sonic is in the safest of hands, and that BioWare can create the ultimate handheld RPG experience for gamers of all ages."
BioWare is the award-winning independent developer that has created some of the world's best-selling titles including the Baldur's Gate™ and Neverwinter Nights™ series, the 2003 Game of the Year, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ and the 2005 RPG of the Year, Jade Empire.™ BioWare is currently developing one of the most anticipated next-generation titles of 2007, Mass Effect.™
"We're thrilled to be working with SEGA on Sonic, one of the industry's most enduring and compelling icons," said Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare. "As huge fans of Sonic ourselves, we're committed to delivering a truly amazing story-driven experience within the Sonic universe, focusing on capturing the character's broad appeal and placing him in a completely original adventure," added Ray Muzyka, chief executive officer of BioWare.
The relationship with BioWare reinforces SEGA's increased emphasis on Western content development for Western audiences. In the past few years SEGA has announced partnerships with developers Bizarre Creations, Gas Powered Games, Monolith Productions, Obsidian Entertainment, Planet Moon Studios, Pseudo Interactive and Silicon Knights. SEGA has also acquired development studios The Creative Assembly, Secret Level and Sports Interactive.
More information.
 
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dhruin said:
Yes, my first thought, too.

Revenge for several KotOR3 rumours? At least another topic for Mike's "The whole World..." series. :)

A Sonic RPG? Huh? *baffled*
 
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wtf? Its even more hilarious than handheld nuclear catapult...nahh Ive changed my mind, handheld catapult beats everything :) .
 
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I did mention it in the blog... :)

I'm not on the project, but I'm friends with the writer assigned to it. He's really excited about how they're going to be combining aspects of RPGs with the things that made the non-sucky Sonic games non-sucky.
 
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Wacky.

Can't wait to see how they combine Sonic with Epic shtorry and gay romances.
 
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Could someone clarify for those of us who've never played a Sonic game...

Sonic games are not RPGs, right?
They've never included RPG elements, right?
You just run around really fast and... uh, do something, right?

'Cause about all I know of hedgehogs is their reputed immunities to things you wouldn't otherwise find in your typical CRPG.
 
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So it will be sort of mix with arcade playing, but with rpg stats, skills and abilities??

And there will be dialoque, choice & consequences?? then ?? as well ??

Didn't someone already try this with Lionheart? Mixing Arcade playing style with rpg elements??

Look, I'm not saying that he won't be a good game. I'm just pointing out that if I'm going to play this game on my to bee Nintendo DS(lite), then it better not be like Lionheart. I'm not that fond of platform arcade games anyway, so there probably only is very slim chance that I will play this game. And while we're at it: Who is going to be play this game??

Fans of the original Sonic - the Hedgehog. Or fans of the rpg-genre??

I'm not saying that in can't be done....it is just very hard to convince people to try other genres than the ones they like.
 
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Could someone clarify for those of us who've never played a Sonic game...

Sonic games are not RPGs, right?
They've never included RPG elements, right?
You just run around really fast and... uh, do something, right?

'Cause about all I know of hedgehogs is their reputed immunities to things you wouldn't otherwise find in your typical CRPG.

I actually played some of a Sonic - the Hedgehog game about 15 years ago, I think. My father! had just gotten a SEGA console with a Sonic game included (I think). The gameplay was just to jump around in sort of platform environment, collecting rings (I think), and to jump from one platform to the next as fast as possible. Sometimes, you would fall down, and then you needed to jump up again. I think you could get extrapoints if you could reach some gold bars? or if you could jump out on some small islands to get some gold, too. You needed to eat something, too. Hearts or waffles or apples, I think. And if you ate enough, you would get a cookie --- na, ;) --- you would get a new life ----

So yes, Sonic - The Hedgehog was never an RPG. Why the need now to make it into one?? Maybe to compete with Zelda or Mario ??
 
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...immunities to things you wouldn't otherwise find in your typical CRPG.
Thanks for that link. I never actually thought about that before. I'd definitely call that "non-sucky." I mean, depending on the game world, that could be a real advantage.

Maybe it's going to take place in a prison setting. Now it's starting to make sense. ;)
 
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It's funny how Sega has gotten two very established RPG game companies to do two RPG games, that traditionally aren't connected with the RPG genre. Sonic RPG and Alien RPG.
 
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Sega knows what they're doing, I bet. With CRPGs trending toward simulation, maybe they see an opportunity to do it differently and capture some market share.

Wasn't somebody else talking about making a cartoon CRPG? That sounded pretty cool too, actually. I loved watching Jonny Quest cartoons when I was a kid and would have swapped places with him in a heartbeat!
 
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Handheld. Arcade. Franchise. Superficial character. And Bioware?! Waste of time and talent?

the writer assigned to it

Well, maybe not that big a waste if this only occupies a single wirter. Still kinda sad.
 
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It will be much the same as the Paper Mario RPG I think, in other words it is not really an RPG they just call it that so they can try to attract a different market as well as the market for fans of the series.
 
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I'd say it depends on how you define what an RPG is.

(ducks to avoid flamewar)
 
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I like the game idea :)... it's all fine with me as long as it's not yet another medieval-ish sword&sorcery type Rolemaster ripoff. I still love most of the Sonic games, so I'm actually looking forward to this one.
 
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I know this is an internet-dialect cliché', but I think this announcement certainly warrants it...

WTF!?

:lol:
 
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