3DS is the flagship now
Collectively, the Sonic Boom series was the worst selling Sonic subfranchise in history. It only managed to scrape together under 500,000 copies for both the Wii U and 3DS platforms. Big Red Button, who handled the Wii U version, seems to have suffered the most, as Sega will not be moving forward with them, preferring Sanzaru Games with a 3DS follow-up, Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice.
So why no Wii U? Speaking to GameSpot, Sega producer Omar Woodley noted that “the 3DS was definitely the stronger of the two titles last year….we weren’t too happy about the Wii U [version].” Woodley notes that reviews and consumer feedback were crucial when coming to this conclusion.
He also notes that the whole subseries was “confusing” because they didn’t air the TV show before they launched the games, so people thought it was a reboot, when it wasn’t. Now that all of the non-gaming products are out, Sega is going to attempt to capitalize on the younger fanbase. Woodley also reassures fans that the standard Sonic series still exists.
Here’s the thing though — they both weren’t very good. This move to 3DS seems to be a clear response to the popularity of the TV show and toyline, and since the portable is much cheaper to develop for, it’ll probably end up selling enough Fire & Ice merchandise to justify the side development costs that are outsourced to Sanzaru — freeing up Sega to work on Sonic proper.
Sega Isn’t Abandoning “Classic” Sonic, But It Wants to Make Boom Better [GameSpot]
