The GHZ Forum

Sonic Stadium have posted this photo from the Jazzware booth, which was at the Nuremberg toy fair in Germany last week. Looks like a new Sonic game is coming for 2015, which of course, shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. What is somewhat surprising is that it doesn't seem to be a Wii U exclusive (as Sega/Nintendo exclusivity deal means that one more title is due for Nintendo's flagship system).

There will probably a spin-off title for this year, which would be the final Nintendo exclusive. However, it seems odd that they wouldn't mention it on the sign.

There's also a bit more information about the new Sonic cartoon.

In the background is an oddly proportioned outline of Sonic. Could this be the new design for the cartoon?

Oh, actually, the odd Sonic outline relates to these mini-morphed items:
In some ways, it's too bad that's not a new design, as it's ultra cute!

I thought I heard somewhere that the final Nintendo-exclusive Sonic game would be the new Super Smash Bros. game.

It's interesting that the new Sonic game is going to be released on the WiiU, the PS4, and the X-box One. I kind of hope that we don't get a fundamentally different (inferior?) version for the WiiU, like what happened with with Unleashed and the Wii, although I do wonder the extra specs the the PS4 and X-Box One enjoy are really necessary for this new game. At this point, the capabilities of all three consoles are so advanced that I'd think it'd just be cheaper for franchises that target younger/non-hardcore gamers like Sonic to make a baseline version of a game for the Wii U and then port it to the others consoles with some graphical polish or a few new features or whatnot.

What really interests me in this is the new information of the upcoming Sonic cartoon. I'll be interesting to see if/how the characters are portrayed differently.

What do they mean by CG animated film? A theatrical picture?

Wombatwarlord777 wrote:I thought I heard somewhere that the final Nintendo-exclusive Sonic game would be the new Super Smash Bros. game.

Sega confirmed on the Sonic Facebook page a while back that Smash Bros isn't the 3rd Nintendo exclusive.

Can't say I'm suprised there's another Sonic game on the way but this all seems a bit odd. Presumably there will be at least one new Sonic game this year so it just seems weird that a new game that doesn't even have a title yet and isn't due out until next year is getting hinted at first. The more cynical part of me wonders if this is Sega's rather sneaky way of revealing that Sonic isn't going to be staying Nintendo exclusive given the fairly negative news about Nintendo over the last few weeks or so.

The whole 3 year deal is a little bit odd. For example, they counted Mario & Sonic as part of the exclusive deal, but then that was always going to be an exclusive. Weirder still, they didn't release a 3DS version.

Did it ever become clear whether those wretched-looking silhouettes we saw in the teaser image were reflective of the final character designs in the new cartoon? It's been so damn long I can barely remember what they looked like. Didn't realize the show would be CG, either. I guess it's... probably better than another shitty flash cartoon?

Target Market: Boys 6-11 yrs.
eleven minute episodes
CG

Yaaaaay.

Based on the episode length, it looks like this will be the first series since AoSTH that isn't too concerned with an overarching plot. If the characterization is done well then that could give us some entertaining shorts. It won't be though. On the bright side, this will probably be the first cartoon legitimately based in the game continuity. I'd be astonished if they made the Sonic X mistake again.

This whole venture makes no sense. Sega-Sammy is broke and they already have good market presence among the 6-11 demo as far as I can tell. I've got kids that age who play outside my apartment and I've heard them talking about Sonic multiple times, even pretending to be Sonic characters (Knuckles, Shadow, and Shadnic. Nobody wanted to be Knuckles). Maybe they figure it's been too long since Sonic X. Or maybe this is Sega resigning themselves to the inevitable and blowing the last of their money in an attempt to go out doing something cool.

It feels like it's been forever since they revealed it back in... June? I'm guessing they want to keep it under wraps until the show is nearly upon us. I mean I'd like an update but you know I'd just use it to remain skeptical.

Sort of related, did anyone see the TMNT movie leaks the other week? It seems all convenient links have been C&D'd by the studio but I figured maybe we'd get something like that, at the very least. :)

Or maybe this is Sega resigning themselves to the inevitable and blowing the last of their money in an attempt to go out doing something cool.

Is Sega actually making the thing? It used to be people paid YOU so they could make a cartoon about your cool blue dude, not the other way around!

Frieza2000 wrote:Based on the episode length, it looks like this will be the first series since AoSTH that isn't too concerned with an overarching plot. If the characterization is done well then that could give us some entertaining shorts. It won't be though. On the bright side, this will probably be the first cartoon legitimately based in the game continuity. I'd be astonished if they made the Sonic X mistake again.

If anything, this will probably be providing a new continuity for the games. The silhouette teaser suggested that the cartoon will have new designs. It'd be silly to launch a new cartoon that uses different designs from the game, so it's most likely that they will merge everything together, visuals, storyline and all.

Although the fact that they released a silhouette so early could be a sign that they were testing how people would react to a re-design.

This whole venture makes no sense. Sega-Sammy is broke and they already have good market presence among the 6-11 demo as far as I can tell. I've got kids that age who play outside my apartment and I've heard them talking about Sonic multiple times, even pretending to be Sonic characters (Knuckles, Shadow, and Shadnic. Nobody wanted to be Knuckles). Maybe they figure it's been too long since Sonic X. Or maybe this is Sega resigning themselves to the inevitable and blowing the last of their money in an attempt to go out doing something cool.

I think they hope the cartoon will encourage more game sales. I believe Sonic X was still one of the highest rated shows on CW's Vortex block (or was until recently), so I guess Cartoon Network feel they can still get some mileage from the brand.

Sega are now claiming that this information is "incorrect".

I'm guessing this game is probably real but someone at Sega screwed up leading to this game and show info being revealed when it shouldn't have been.

Well to be fair, all this info has come from Jazwares, so the mistake is on their end.

This certainly wins the prize for earliest Sonic leak ever. Although, has there ever been a Sonic game that wasn't leaked in advanced. I think even Sonic Shuffle was revealed ahead of time.

Does anybody really believe the denial? Of course that's what the official company response would be.

Here we go again.

New 2014 forum post TBA

So it seems Sega are going ahead with a redesign:
http://www.tssznews.com/2014/02/05/sega ... gathering/

They held a secret press event today to unveil it. The invite doesn't actually mention anything about a re-design, but it prominently features the cartoon show teaser on it, so it seems likely.

I can't imagine why the event was done in secret. I'd like to think it's because they aren't sure about the re-designs and so want to be able to change their mind if faced with a bad reaction, but obviously, it would be too late in the game to that if the TV show starts this fall.

2014 is going to be the year of Sonic, which I believe is the third time they've done this.

Why are Sonic's gloves wearing bandages?

The future is mummies. Did Sonic tape the shoes to his legs? Are his feet taped up? Did he really need to tape over the buckles?

The real reason these designs bother me is that they didn't change the faces at all to suit the exaggerated proportions. Taking themselves way too seriously right now. What an awkward half measure of a redesign!

I wonder if the blue arms are a colouring mistake.

I think Sonic looks fine, but Knuckles! Could they not redesign the head at ALL? That smile does not fit that body.

I hate that they've demystified Knuckles' rock hard fist nipples. Can he still glide? It's going to look very intimidating.



So much better.

I notice Amy was wearing a skirt in the early silhouette. I wonder which is the finalized version.

Smart alecky Tails now?

...wait, Sonic Boom THE GAME?! We're getting an actual canon tie-in with this?! Maybe this really is a reboot.

Trailer for the Sonic Boom game.

Knuckles looks horrible. Not really sure what to think of everything else at the moment.

THE MOUTHS

THE MOUTHS

Looks great otherwise!

Big Red Button? Not Sonic Team? It also only shows logos for WiiU and 3DS at the end, so maybe this is the missing Nintendo exclusive and Sonic Team are working on the 2015 game.

Tails's gameplay shot included Sonic and Amy tagging along as AI. We may see another attempt at Heroes-style character switching.