Even if Sonic The Hedgehog has been struggling for the past few years, Sonic is still an icon in the video game world. So much so that, if SEGA makes an announcement that could even reference the blue speedster, people often take notice.
Well, SEGA is making an appearance at E3 tomorrow, and apparently, Sonic the Hedgehog is confirmed to be on the menu, so mark your calendars.
In an announcement on its YouTube channel, SEGA Europe confirmed that it would be making an appearance at the event and will be hosting a special SEGA Central episode. During the stream, special guests from Relic Entertainment and Sonic Team will also be making an appearance.
Honestly, this is standard affair for an E3 press conference/stream, so all of that should be expected. However, there is one part of that announcement that is sure to catch anyone's eye: SEGA will be unveiling news for Sonic the Hedgehog.
This is certainly a nice turn of events, albeit somewhat expected, as there have been plenty of indications that SEGA would have a major announcement concerning Sonic the Hedgehog at some point this year. The first of those came simply due to the time of year: Sonic turns 25 this year, this month specifically, and SEGA has set a precedent of releasing anniversary titles to celebrate — Sonic the Hedgehog in 2006 and Sonic Generations in 2011. The second came last month when the Sonic Twitter account strongly suggested that there was a new game in the works.
With this announcement confirming that new Sonic news would be on the horizon, would it finally be safe for fans to assume that SEGA is ready to reveal a brand new Sonic game? Not quite. In fact, if the announcement is anything to go by, fans may be in for some disappointment once the stream goes live.
Why? Yes, there will be an announcement about Sonic, but whatever it is, it will only apply to Europe. This likely means that it won't be a brand new Sonic game (unless SEGA has apparently decided to embark on a sadistic streak and flat-out releases a new mainstream Sonic game that is exclusive to Europe).
With that in mind, the announcement will probably be Sega 3D Classics Collection. The game has been out in Japan and North America for quite some time now, and since the 3DS is region-locked, European gamers haven't had access to the game unless they imported it.
Of course, this doesn't automatically mean that a new Sonic game won't be revealed, just that the language makes it unlikely. In other words: don't get too excited.
Be sure to tune in to the stream at 2 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. PDT tomorrow to find out what SEGA Europe has in store.
