Sega continues its slow descent into the shadows

ElysiumGX · Mar 2005

I noticed this yesterday and posted in the chat room about my complete disgust with the idea, and apparently the guys at Penny Arcade share the same feeling.

Sega decides to take its best and legendary franchise, and brutally murder it. Have they no dignity?

http://gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=1528

I love playing the quick little blue guy running around and jumping on robots. And now Sega puts us in control of this Sonic clone (the perfect being created by Robotnic, basically Sonic with black fur and a pathetic attempt to appeal to a certain pop culture). But Shadow the Hedgehog adds a new level of fun for the kids to enjoy. Shadow carries a slick looking pistol, and can "shoot any fools that get in his way". And the only tagline they can manage, "is he good or evil?"

That's great. Give the kids' favorite game character a black coat of paint, and hand him a gun. Then confuse them as to whether shooting a gun is good or evil.

I pity tha foo that steps in Shadows path.

Goodbye Sega. It was fun. You know, Nintendo gave Mario a talking water shooter.

EmAr · Mar 2005

We should've understood it from their creating so many side characters in Sonic games maybe. Whatever, I wish Sonic Team created some new stuff(which I believe they still can). I think I'm going to play some Sonic 2 on my Game Gear

I wish gaming was that fun nowadays too. I mean how far can it go with ww2, zombies and terrifying space creatures? It's ok to have them but they are too many(and sooo similar to each other, I think):( ooh back to topic. R.I.P. Sonic (Team).

Frank · Mar 2005

It's just a (predictable) attempt to make 'Grand Theft Sonic.'

Frank the Avenger

The3DGuy · Mar 2005

[ QUOTE ]
It's just a (predictable) attempt to make 'Grand Theft Sonic.'

Frank the Avenger

[/ QUOTE ]

gotta say i disagree with that statement. all it really is, is just another sonic game but you are given a gun.

oXYnary · Mar 2005

ahem

BWA HA HA HA

Kevin Johnstone · Mar 2005

OMG, it's like putting on my favourite slippers and discovering that some bastard had left a slushy black turd in them...

Rick Stirling · Mar 2005

I'll be getting it on release day. Looks rock solid to me.

BoBo_the_seal · Mar 2005

This is actually something Id like to see more of, not just a repaint and add gun, but games based around spin-off characters. There are a lot of games out there that Id like to continue playing within the mythos of world created but not necessarily as the main character. A lot of worlds are just dropped and left behind.

- BoBo

Rick Stirling · Mar 2005

Isn't Oddworld: Strangers Wrath like that? It's an offshoot of the Oddworld saga instead of part of the series. But I might be talking arse.

CheapAlert · Mar 2005

OH NO HE SHOOTS PROJECTILES LIKE TONS OF PLATFORMER HEROES IN THE PAST

THE WORLD IS OVER

RageUnleashed · Mar 2005

Well the obvious trend in platforming games has been towards more-action oriented gameplay (Ratchet and Crank, Jak 2&3), so it makes sense. But giving him a gun is just silly. When has any character EVER used a gun in that franchise? Personally, I preferred the characters using their abilities, because they never needed guns to get things done.

Rick Stirling · Mar 2005

The robot thing used a gun in Sonic adventure. Or was that SA2?

Cubik · Mar 2005

"If there's one thing the long-running Sonic The Hedgehog series is all about, it's using a handgun to kill the fuck out of your enemies in a gritty world. Right? Sega seems to think so, as the recently announced Sonic Adventure 3: Shadow of Hedgehog (that's 100% real) will feature a darker version of Sonic - creatively called Shadow - running through slums and blowing bad guys' cuddly little skulls apart, presumably to expunge multitudes of golden rings hidden inside.

To some this might appear to be an unnatural change, like a Mario title with nudity or a Tomb Raider game that's good. I say it's a move in the right direction, but it's still not enough. My finger is on the irregular pulse of the gaming community so I can safely state that no one wants originality or unique gameplay elements. What they do want is a bit of the old ultraviolence, a steaming side of the profane, a bowl of the macabre, a teacup full of sexuality, and a gravy boat filled with gravy."

http://www.somethingawful.com/index.htm

hawken · Mar 2005

[ QUOTE ]
It's just a (predictable) attempt to make 'Grand Theft Sonic.'

Frank the Avenger

[/ QUOTE ]

sonic adventure on the dreamcast was there, but you couldn't steal cars.

I'm downloading the video now. I guess it's a good idea to make this type of game, sega never often fail to please. Even if most of their staff have been pinched they still "SEGA DNA" in them

[edit]
just watched the video, pretty interesting. Looks like good fun to play. Interlacing was horrible though, they should get someone who knows about video to encode this.
[/edit]

People are always looking to kick someone when they are down, Sega have been back on their feet for quite a while now so give them a break - they pulled in a profit of US$444.46 million for the nine-month period ending December 2004, (with sales of US$3.84 billion) but people are willing to ignore that.

rooster · Mar 2005

hero or villain? you decide!
I don't care!

I see sega is continuing to try and dig themselves out of a hole, but at least they aren't further soiling my memories of the blue guy.

KeyserSoze · Mar 2005

I lost interest in console gaming around the time that SEGA left (I own an XBox, but I don't play it much). To me, Microsoft and SCE just aren't the same as SEGA and Nintendo. I know that SEGA and Nintendo are corporations just like SCE and MS whose primary objective is to turn a profit, but SEGA and Nintendo are dedicated videogame companies, while Sony and MS are larger corporations who saw a ripe market and wanted to exploit a business opportunity.

I think the real reason is because I was much more naive back then and developed a sentimental attachment to Sega and Nintendo, and also because console gaming has become overly "trendy" and commercialized. Either way, seeing something like this is just like pouring salt on a fresh wound

.

Scott Ruggels · Mar 2005

What sega did, is exactly like what Warners did to their own franchise.

http://www.csh.rit.edu/~rage/TLGmedia/anim_pages/anewbunny.htm

We all knew Robotnik would win.

Scott

ElysiumGX · Mar 2005

[ QUOTE ]

http://www.csh.rit.edu/~rage/TLGmedia/anim_pages/anewbunny.htm

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh man. Oh man, I'm laughing so hard I'm crying right now. Damn. Oh it's so true. I gotta step outside before I pass out.

KDR_11k · Mar 2005

Keyser: You know, it's not like Nintendo isn't still around...

CheapAlert · Mar 2005

i want eternal champions back dammit

sundance · Mar 2005

that sucked

Mojo2k · Mar 2005

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=140

johnwoo · Mar 2005

Sega seems as tho' they maybe back on form...maybe not with the Sonic (debatable) but I just saw the new GameInformer article on their Next-Gen title: Condemned...looks like it could be quite something special...

Sega continues its slow descent into the shadows

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