Sonic the Hedgehog. It’s a franchise that’s been mercilessly battered to death over the years, and the hedgehog’s deformed and rotting carcass has been hooked to strings and forced to shamelessly dance for the sickened masses who are forced to witness this grotesque necropantomime. Sega knows damn well that this hasn’t pleased fans, and Sega of America marketing boss Sean Ratcliffe admits it.
“Some of that criticism is probably warranted,” Sean stated, before adding that Sega is planning to remedy the situation by taking the “first steps in making sure the quality is right”
“We definitely recognize that a franchise that has been going as long as Sonic, you really have to put a huge amount of effort in to make sure that you maintain that quality, and arguably a disproportionate amount of effort,” Ratcliffe continued. “We’re constantly looking at innovation. We can’t just stand still with Sonic; we’ve got to be looking at different ways to develop the character, different genres, and so on.”
Oh Sega, when will you learn? While it’s good that Sega isn’t completely blind to the fact that Sonic is a running (no pun intended) joke these days, it’s clear that the company doesn’t know how to fix it. Innovation is not what Sonic needs — a good game is what Sonic needs. Mario Galaxy, New Super Mario Bros. — these games are not particularly innovative, but they are loved. Mario hasn’t had to throw a deluge of gimmicks around to enjoy its greatest successes, and it’s about time Sega brought Sonic back to his roots. This senseless and desperate drive for “innovation” will lead many a game down the path of ruin.
