Sonic is making a big comeback after years of featuring in mediocre video game. Sega's once boy wonder that was for a time, up on the sale level as Mario back in the '90s, is hoping that a reinvention can return the glory days of old.
In 2014, Sega plans to launch a new Sonic game called Sonic Boom. Sega sees this as a new take on the hedgehog icon, which is an almost completely different story when compared to the original. In fact, both the original and the new Sonic will coexist side-by-side.
Furthermore, Sega has big broad ambitious plans. Not only is the company working on Sonic Boom games for the Nintendo Wii U and the 3DS, but there will also be a CGI TV series based on the video game's character and likeness.
Sega views this move as something similar to how DC and Marvel have several comic book stories of their heroes, and aims to mimic this business model to success.
The new game is called Sonic Boom, and will be a co-op experience where gamers can play as either Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, or Amy. It looks something similar to the Insomniac games of old on the PlayStation 3, but with Sonic and the gang.
Sega is hoping that players will focus on the skill their preferred character possess throughout each level. For example, Sonic is fast, but maybe he won't be able to lift a boulder, which is something Knuckles could do due to his strength. Collaborating on certain aspects such as this is key to having fun with the new game.
On the matter of the TV show, it will air on Cartoon Network this year. Fans should expect 52 episodes, spanning around 11 minutes each. Furthermore, Sega is hoping to distribute toys alongside the video game and the TV show.
"We want to ensure that the Sonic brand continues to evolve and appeal to new generations of Sonic fans and this different look introduces a fresh approach that will be at once both familiar and new to consumers," said John Cheng, President & COO, SEGA of America. "We are committed to supporting this initiative to provide great entertainment to fans for all aspects of their lives."
Having both a video game and a TV show for Sonic Boom, could put Sega and its franchise in a unique position to increase Sonic's populairty against Mario and Luigi. It's been a long time since Sonic has fallen from grace and below the heels of these two Ninendo characters. Maybe this time things could change. It has proven time and time again that a TV show is capable of boosting popularity where video games are concerned. For example, look at Halo 4. The Forward Unto Dawn web series helped a great deal in boosting the game's popularity.
Let's hope Sega is on the verge of bringing Sonic back to the good old days, when the games and the character was seen as more than just a past icon.
