The world’s fastest hedgehog is getting a new game next year in celebration of Sonic the Hedgehog‘s 25th anniversary. But, for fans of the character, they can expect to see even more of Sonic in the future as SEGA has plans to turn the video game icon into an entertainment superstar.
Lusting after the power that characters like Mario and Pikachu wield, SEGA wants their own beloved Sonic to level up and outrun the competition into fans’ homes. While Sonic is already an undeniably popular character, SEGA wants to use the franchise’s milestone anniversary to catapult the figure into an even larger public consciousness.
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SEGA, of course, announced they would be releasing a new Sonic game IN 2017 to a cautiously excited fanbase who’s been waiting for such news. The company then went on to discuss its plans to push Sonic towards an even bigger audience. In an interview with MCV, CBO Ivo Gerscovich said, “We are really focussed on turning Sonic into an entertainment icon, not just a games icon…We want to go across all platforms and elevate his status even further, which explains why we are doing so much. SEGA is really – as of this last year – putting a huge emphasis on quality.”
Most recently, Sonic the Hedgehog has been thriving on Nintendo’s 3DS with SEGA’s Sonic Boom series doing well on the console. Sonic Boom, which is based off a TV show of the same name, will have a new game entitled Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice released for the system in September. The last Sonic game to hit a home console from Xbox or Playstation was released five years ago for Sonic’s 20th birthday, but it seems as if SEGA is looking to expand its game titles to more next-generation consoles in the future.
Unfortunately, most of Sonic’s most recent games have been marred by critical reviews and complaints by fans who miss the franchise’s old style. Takashi Iizuka, VP of Product Development and Creative Services at SEGA, wants to assure fans that the company is now more dedicated than ever to creating quality Sonic titles from here on out. He said, “We want to release good titles to all the players, and that is the challenge for us moving forward – making sure our games are great.”
For now, fans will have to wait until San Diego Comic Con starts later in July to hear more about SEGA’s plans for Sonic the Hedgehog. They will be hosting an anniversary party at the convention on July 22nd, and the event can be watched via livestream on Twitch.
