Something to laugh about, SEGA responded to a letter I wrote

Wooduck51 · Post by **Wooduck51** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:04 pm

When wind of the VA change came about, I became highly irate, seeing as one of my most hated things is Sonic X. So I wrote a somewhat lengthy letter to SEGA in protest; now seven months later I have gotten
a reply......

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M.C.Dillinger · Post by **M.C.Dillinger** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:18 pm

Seven months?

Light Speed · Post by **Light Speed** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:23 pm

Seven months, recent correspondence, it's all relative. I like how they took seven months to basically tell you to politely fuck off though.

Hybrid · Post by **Hybrid** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:52 pm

Light Speed wrote:I like how they took seven months to basically tell you to politely fuck off though.

I like how they outright lied and said most gamers prefer the 4Kids voices. Not that the original set of actors were any good either, but I've never actually seen someone say they prefer the new VAs.

Post by **Esrever** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:01 pm

I'm pretty sure most Sonic gamers don't give a rat's ass one way or the other. Apparently they are not a very discerning demographic on the whole.

BlazeHedgehog · Post by **BlazeHedgehog** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:59 pm

When I was a kid, I remember I would write letters to Sega all the time. One time, I came up with this concept - for a Sonic toy. A remote-controlled car, shaped like Sonic. The classic "spinning Sonic legs" would be the two wheels, with a wheel on his tail and a wheel protruding from his stomach to give him balance. It would control like... I guess a Katamari would be the best description. Or Virtual On. You'd get one stick per for each of the two wheels (legs).

I drew up diagrams for Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Each character had their own personalized remote control; for instance, Tails was shaped like his two tails, Knuckles was shaped like his gloves, etc. This was when I was like, 13, mind you. Anyway, I sent it off. A couple months later I recieved a response; but this response was different. It came in a normal letter, but it was thick. Rather than a single page response, there was obviously more to this letter. I ripped it open and what I found amazed me.

Sega had sent me legal papers to sign off the idea to them.

I was 13 years old, again. I kind of panicked. My Mom was wondering if I would get paid for my idea, or if they just wanted me to sign the idea over to them for free. I guess I kind of choked. I never responded; I never signed the papers. Another one of the many things I regret not doing nowadays. I probably still have their response, somewhere, burried underneath a mountain of papers and bills somewhere in a drawer in my Mom's room, where she keeps all that junk.

Nowadays, anything you send to Sega will just give you an automated response.

Post by **Segaholic2** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 12:02 am

Man, you suck. I would have bought those.

CM August · Post by **CM August** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 1:33 am

Signed 'SEGA'? You'd think they would actually give a name, like 'signed, Robert Leffler' or something.

Also, Blaze fails at life. I'd have killed for an opportunity like that.

BlazeHedgehog · Post by **BlazeHedgehog** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 2:44 am

I was dumb and 13! Cut me some slack. I wanted to be credited for my work, but it wasn't clearly outlined in the documents, and neither me nor my mom (or, hell, anyone we knew at the time) really speak Legalese. There was like, six pages of shit to sign.

I didn't want to sign all that stuff and not know what, exactly, it all meant. And of course my Mom was like, "Well, don't you want to get money for your idea?" and I was like, "yeah, I guess". But nobody could figure out if any of the papers they sent said I'd get paid for it, because they have to speak in some kind of mysterious double-language. I could probably understand most of it nowadays, but back then? Hell no.

CM August · Post by **CM August** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 2:53 am

Don't worry about it, I was just leading you on. The whole thing is pretty amusing, though.

Rlan · Post by **Rlan** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 3:42 am

I remember sending letters and art to Archie Comics when I was about 7. On the front of the letter I drew my "Dynamite Duck" character [No relation to the Master System game]. Then seeing Bean in a CVG magazine and going "OMG Archie stole my design and then they gave it to SEGA!!11!!1" :D :D ;P

Wooduck51 · Post by **Wooduck51** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 5:51 am

If you could find the papers, sign em' off and send them back. Who knows what may happen.

Saturnman · Post by **Saturnman** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:12 am

BlazeHedgehog wrote:When I was a kid, I remember I would write letters to Sega all the time.

Why?

Post by **Delphine** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 10:19 am

BlazeHedgehog wrote:I wanted to be credited for my work, but it wasn't clearly outlined in the documents, and neither me nor my mom (or, hell, anyone we knew at the time) really speak Legalese. There was like, six pages of shit to sign.

Dude, you could have just hired some small-time lawyer.

Suit_Girl · Post by **Suit_Girl** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 12:34 pm

I've got a letter from SEGA somewhere. I remember finding it while cleaning out the draws one day. I need to find it again. This was back when they still had Sonic on the letterhead.

(...) · Post by **(...)** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 1:28 pm

This was when I was like, 13, mind you. Anyway, I sent it off. A couple months later I recieved a response; but this response was different. It came in a normal letter, but it was thick. Rather than a single page response, there was obviously more to this letter. I ripped it open and what I found amazed me.

Sega had sent me legal papers to sign off the idea to them.

I was 13 years old, again. I kind of panicked. My Mom was wondering if I would get paid for my idea, or if they just wanted me to sign the idea over to them for free.

Holy shit dude! The exact same thing happened to me when I was 13!

I pitched a Sonic game, Sega sent papers, and seven months later I saw some of my ideas in Sonic & Knuckles (e.g. the upside down level in the Death Egg zone).

I'm not joking.

Light Speed · Post by **Light Speed** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 1:38 pm

Not to burst your bubble or anything, but upside down levels aren't very original in the world of 2D sidescrollers.

Baba O'Reily · Post by **Baba O'Reily** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:38 pm

They are in the 3D world!

Imagine, Sky Rail... UPSIDE DOWN. It'd be like... Ground Rail!

Light Speed · Post by **Light Speed** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:44 pm

Crazy Gadget had some fun shit like that towards the end. I remember it working fairly well. I'm sure I've played some other games that have done it too, I just can't think of any.

So what would a upside down bottomless pit be called? A TOPLESS pit? LOL1!!!!!!111seven!

Shadow Hog · Post by **Shadow Hog** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:29 pm

Light Speed wrote:So what would a upside down bottomless pit be called?

The sky, maybe. Who cares if you're in outer space, well away from any kind of atmosphere; it's the freakin' sky.

(Yes, I know the question was rhetorical.)

Spazz · Post by **Spazz** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:12 pm

SEGA wrote:Although the gamers that like this show are overwhelmingly in the majority

Kids these days.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:35 pm

When I was maybe 8 or so I sent Sega some concept art for a new character. After playing the 16-bit Sonic games endlessly, I realized that Sonic really needed a black friend. So I drew up this half-animal, half-rasta fella and sent it in. A few months later Knuckles made his debut. I received no compensation.

Kishi · Post by **Kishi** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 1:33 am

I invented Naoto Ohshima and Hirokazu Yasuhara. Never saw a dime, man.

Neo Yi · Post by **Neo Yi** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:04 am

I invented Naoto Ohshima and Hirokazu Yasuhara. Never saw a dime, man.

So...you're some kind of God?

Zeta · Post by **Zeta** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 2:47 am

No, he just slept around with a lot of Japanese women in the past four decades.