Bioware teams up with SEGA to do Sonic RPG on Nintendo DS

This is frankly the most insane piece of news I have seen outside April 1 for a long long time.

Official Announcement

SEGA AND BIOWARE COLLABORATE ON NEW SONIC ROLE PLAYING GAME FOR THE NINTENDO DS

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (Thurs 21st June 2007) -- SEGA® Europe, Ltd., SEGA® of America, Inc. 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, but this new title developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS 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.

Its only their logical next Step … from Baldur's Gate to Neverwinter Nights to Star Wars then Jade Empire and now Sonic the RPG… their next RGP is probably about the Teletubbies

Of course "exclusively for Nintendo DS" … Oh, crap. I just guess they won't release it for the PC because all of the action-lovers won't like such a cute character at all.

Sonic is not 1337 on the PC.

Originally Posted by Fenris
Its only their logical next Step … from Baldur's Gate to Neverwinter Nights to Star Wars then Jade Empire and now Sonic the RPG… their next RGP is probably about the Teletubbies

Teletubbies vs. The Ewoks!

it does look like an April Fools joke, big time!

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Of course "exclusively for Nintendo DS" … Oh, crap. I just guess they won't release it for the PC because all of the action-lovers won't like such a cute character at all.

Sonic is not 1337 on the PC.

Shame on them. Perhaps Sonic would teach them a few lessons.

Actually, I like the premises. For me, any CRPG in a setting other than medieval fantasy is welcome.

Actually, I'd like to see a Sonic RPG - on the PC of course - just because it is so different. And "difference" often means "innovartion" to me at the same time.

Of course, the first quest will involve fetching 100 gold rings.

Well, since the series has really stagnated with several lackluster titles in the last few years, I'd say going off in another direction is warranted. After Sonic Heroes, and the Next-Gen Sonic the Hedgehog; as well as only tolerable Sonic Advance games; and lets not forget Shadow the Hedgehog; they need to do something. Of course, what is a good question. Mega-man didn't do so hot when the X series was shoe-horned into an RPG, though the semi-action wish-it-was-an-RPG EXE series has done well despite being one game repeatedly released over and over in new packaging.

I'll probably try it out; I want a DS but there hasn't been enough games I want to justify the purchase.

Who knows? It might actually be good. But it would have been better if it was a japanese developer, since a Sonic RPG should be a JRPG, not a western type one just based on Sonic, and a developer who actually made previous games on the DS.

Originally Posted by azraelck
I'll probably try it out; I want a DS but there hasn't been enough games I want to justify the purchase.

There are plenty of games for the DS. As far as my own interests go, i'd love to get my hands on at least 1 - Puzzle Quest, 2 - Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (still upcoming though, if not mistaken) 3 - FF3 4 - FFXII - Revenant Wings 5 - FFIV (again still upcoming) . And that is just probably the top of the iceberg.