A Sonic RPG from Bioware---wait...WHAT!?!

Recent happenings of pertinence to Sonic fans.
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Ngangbius
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Post by Ngangbius »

I say it's probably high. I don't think the Sonic series lends too well with a turn-based battle. I still wonder if it will have any sort of stylus control?
Senbei wrote:So it sounds like Bioware will be handling most of the development, story included. In fact, he specified "story-driven," which kind of makes me worry...
Maybe the "story-driven" part is like "choose to be good or evil" like most of other Bioware games? Though it would be groan-worthy if Bioware took this franchise as seriously as Sega did with Shadow and Sonic 2K6.

I still wonder if this game will be based on the Archie comics/old cartoon shows seeing that Bioware is a Canadian company, there isn't any indication so far that Sega USA is directly involved with it, and it seems that the Sega of Japan doesn't know about it--or at least they haven't reported it on their website. I'd like to be wrong though.
Last edited by Ngangbius on Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Arcade
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Post by Arcade »

Ngangbius wrote:I guess this would be the real reason why this franchise has growing cast of elventy-billion characters.
The bad point is not the huge amount of characters, the bad point is that most of those are wannabe heroes. Sonic needs more villains or greedy chracters or just really crazy characters like one that "Going to beat the crap out of Robotnik/Eggman because he ate my cheesecake!".

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Post by Ritz »

No, the games just need good characters, period. I wouldn't even care about their personality or anything at this point- if we simply must have a new character every game, at the very least, make them not look like Sonics with different hairstyles/accessories.

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Post by Segaholic2 »

Ngangbius wrote:I still wonder if it will have any sort of stylus control?
Dear God, I hope not.

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Post by Frieza2000 »

Probably for menu navigation, maybe some mini-games. I wouldn't expect a reputable company like Bioware to resort to a touch screen gimmick.

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Post by Isuka »

Actually, considering the DS many limitations the touch-screen functionality sounds useful, be it an action or turn-based game.

Also, if we would take KotOR as reference, maybe we'll end up not controlling Sonic and the gang and having to create our very own furry from scratch, like Zeta said. I'm getting the feeling that, whatever this game's any good or not, it'll totally sell by the thousands.
Ngangbius wrote:It still a mystery why Sega chose Bioware instead going the obvious route of getting some other competent Japanese developer(Tri-Cresendo, maybe)--especially seeing that it possibly would have help remedied Sonic's failing popularity in Japan.

Though, looking at the annoucement, it seems like this was a Sega of America/Sega of Europe decision(I thought Sega of Japan had them by the balls when it came to the Sonic franchise)? Does this mean this game will stay in the west like Sonic Rivals?
Maybe they consider it a "lost cause"; only Sonic X was somewhat popular over there, so SEGA goes for the safe route and tries to release a game that'll most probably sell well in the west? Just a guess.

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Post by James McGeachie »

Esrever wrote:I just hate turn-based battles. I absolutely can not enjoy that kind of gameplay, ever, for any reason, no matter how great the rest of the game is!

What do you suppose the odds are that this Sonic game will be some kind of action RPG instead? :S
I've been assuming it''ll definitely be real time combat, simply because being that a Western developer has the reigns and that it's supposedly aimed at a more Western audience, it doesn't make any sense for it to be turn based. You very rarely see Western developers creating turn based battle systems and although I might be wrong, I'm not aware of Bioware creating any turn based games (then again I'm not sure if I've even played a single one of their titles....whoops).

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Post by Ngangbius »

Frieza2000 wrote:Probably for menu navigation, maybe some mini-games. I wouldn't expect a reputable company like Bioware to resort to a touch screen gimmick.
Seeing how this is on the DS and not on the PSP, leads me to believe otherwise, no matter how reputable Bioware is.

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Post by Opa-Opa »

Image

Image

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Ngangbius
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Post by Ngangbius »

For a second there, I thought it was real. XD

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Post by big_smile »

and it seems that the Sega of Japan doesn't know about it--or at least they haven't reported it on their website.
Ever since Shadow the Hedgehog, it has been standard practise for Western developed titles to be announced by SoE & SoA first and then announced by SoJ a few months later. Even Japanese developed games (such as Secret Rings) are often announced in the west a few days before Japan.

---

Hari Hari found this. It's an article covering a recruitment ad from Bio Ware that was published in 2006. The ad is specifically looking a person who has "experience in the design of successful games targeted at the Japanese market," and an "experience/passion for Japanese games", stating that a "familiarity with the fantasy genre and role-playing games is a must."

Given the date, and the fact that BioWare have yet to announce any other projects that would appeal to a Japanese market, the ad is most likely related to Sonic RPG. This suggests that the new game will not be connected to the Archie comics or Sonic X (which are both unpopular in Japan). It also indicates that the game is not connected to the critical failure of Sonic the Hedgehog (Next Gen).

^_^

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Post by THEbigLANDMAN »

James McGeachie wrote:I'm not aware of Bioware creating any turn based games (then again I'm not sure if I've even played a single one of their titles....whoops).
Knights of the Old Republic is turn based, you control the actions with menus, the only "manual" thing you do is walking freely with one character

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Post by Ngangbius »

big_smile wrote:
Hari Hari found this. It's an article covering a recruitment ad from Bio Ware that was published in 2006. The ad is specifically looking a person who has "experience in the design of successful games targeted at the Japanese market," and an "experience/passion for Japanese games", stating that a "familiarity with the fantasy genre and role-playing games is a must."
Now, I knew about the news of Bioware making games for the DS, but I didn't know the full details. Interesting, if it is true that they are trying to emulate "JRPG-style" for this title. Though many in the video gaming community scoffed at Western developers who copied the game and art design of popular JRPGs. Though, I personally thought Secret of Evermore was decent, and if it wasn't for FF:MQ, I would have gotten into the genre in the first place. =) Still, it's Bioware so I expect a better "JRPG" from them than TOSE or Gust.

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Post by Opa-Opa »

big_smile wrote:
the new game will not be connected to the Archie comics or Sonic X[/i].
Are we really discussing this possibility? C'mon... even SEGA knows it would be stupid.

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Post by gr4yJ4Y »

Ngangbius wrote:
big_smile wrote:
Hari Hari found this. It's an article covering a recruitment ad from Bio Ware that was published in 2006. The ad is specifically looking a person who has "experience in the design of successful games targeted at the Japanese market," and an "experience/passion for Japanese games", stating that a "familiarity with the fantasy genre and role-playing games is a must."
Now, I knew about the news of Bioware making games for the DS, but I didn't know the full details. Interesting, if it is true that they are trying to emulate "JRPG-style" for this title.
This makes me happy.

Also~! (Taken from big smile's link)
Greg Zeschuk wrote:As always, we are committed to creating the best story-driven games in the world, and the Nintendo DS offers us an exciting new platform to engage.
Sounds like they're going to be using some of the DS's unique offerings.

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Post by Frieza2000 »

Ngangbius wrote:
Frieza2000 wrote:Probably for menu navigation, maybe some mini-games. I wouldn't expect a reputable company like Bioware to resort to a touch screen gimmick.
Seeing how this is on the DS and not on the PSP, leads me to believe otherwise, no matter how reputable Bioware is.
The dual screens lend themselves well to the multiple menus, maps, stat displays, and other screens RPGs always have. Not to mention that the DS sells better than the PSP and I suspect most Sonic fans favor the Nintendo system, as Sonic 360's failure seems to confirm.

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Ngangbius
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Post by Ngangbius »

I don't know, Western developers usually favors the PSP over the DS, even with the DS other features.

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Post by Mep »

Hmm...DS...Wifi maybe? Yay? Anybody?

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Post by Yami CJMErl »

Ngangbius wrote:I don't know, Western developers usually favors the PSP over the DS, even with the DS other features.
They obviously haven't been reading the sales data recently.

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Post by Isuka »

That's funny; PSP started selling really well over the East, because of a price cut, I heard (same goes for UMD movies). It seems that economy is Sony's main problem with both machines.

Though it should be noted that most of the best-selling DS games in Japan are of the pachinko, pachislot, braining, "Simon-says", and mini-games genres. Not like they build their whole culture around Wanda or anything.

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Post by Ngangbius »

^I'm not sure if 20,000-30,000 units a week is exactly called selling really well.

Or maybe it is and Wii's and DS's sales are abnormally outstanding.

The PSP does sell more in the U.S. than in Japan per month.

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Post by Ritz »

Brief interview with Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka.

I half-figured Bioware's enthusiasm in the press release was just PR midriff, but it sounds like they're genuinely committed to making this game a respectable one. Truly, Sonic is in good hands.
Last edited by Ritz on Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Segaholic2 »

That interview didn't reveal anything besides more rehearsed PR bullshit.

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Post by Ritz »

Well, of course there's nothing new there, but if Ray is willing to go so far as to say that he frequently plays Sonic games on his autographed Genesis, then at the very least, it shows they're aiming to please, right?

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Post by Locit »

No, it means he knows what to say to make it sound like he's getting back to Sonic's purported "roots," whatever the hell those are supposed to be these days. He also never says how frequently he plays Sonics 1 and 2, just that his Genesis is sitting there next to his other consoles. So there you go, he really said nothing in particular, but he sure sounded good doing it! And he referenced the early Genesis Sonic titles! Give the man a gold star!

And why the hell is he playing an autographed Genesis? I'd have that thing vacuum-sealed in a glass case above a small altar for animal sacrifice.

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