On the
sixth of February, “Sonic Boom” trailers hit the nation and sent
the gamer community into an uproar. No one seemed to be satisfied
with what had been shown in these previews for the upcoming TV series
and video game. It is to be “...a new branch of the Sonic
Universe...”(SEGA Blog, 2014) that show off a new appearance for
the four main characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. Their new
designs are “...inspired by the abilities and unique personalities
of each of the characters, while still maintaining the core identity
and values...”(SEGA Blog, 2014) While the series is only a
branch-off, and the character designs are reasonable, the fans are
still angry.
Most
people are disappointed in the appearance of Knuckles the Echindna.
His original design was shorter than the rest of the characters, as
well as his body type matched the rest of the cast. In this new
“Sonic Boom” design, he is a lot more taller and bulkier. When
Martin saw the new appearance, he thought that it looked like
Knuckles “...has clearly been working out. A lot.”(Gaston, 2014)
While most are dissatisfied with his new look, there are others that
just don't like the new looks of everyone in general. Most people
would have rather that SEGA had kept the designs the same.
SEGA has
seventy video games, four animated TV series, and several lines of
global merchandising specifically for the Sonic franchise under their
belt.(SEGA Blog, 2014) Their first games were popular, but as they
began to work in changes and try to reach out to mature audiences,
the western regions were liking them less. It could be easily viewed
that SEGA had a hard time when attempting to appeal to the western
fans of Sonic. Here, again, SEGA is trying to “kick-start a global
campaign for Sonic Boom that will excite and engage new and exciting
fans across a variety of platforms.” (SEGA Blog, 2014) However, it
would seem that the western gaming fans of Sonic feel that SEGA has
failed yet again, and are rather content with Sonic's old looks and
gaming style.
The
Sonic fans wish to keep things the same as it used to be, or
stagnation. While it does make sense to not change things that
already work well, does it make it enough? An apple tastes good in
it's original form. If we never tried to do something new with it, we
wouldn't have apple pies. Butters, breads, tarts, candies, and so
much more. For their to be any growth or progress, innovation is
something that is needed. If things never changed, everything would
be the same. Imagine a world where everyone world wore a white shirt,
blue jeans, and black shoes, worked in an office cubicle, and had a
lettuce salad with no dressing everyday for the rest of their lives.
If Sonic
were to stagnate, we would have the same video game every time.
Sooner or later, it will get boring. They won't know how to innovate
him, because they've seen the constant game for so long, they won't
know what changes they want, or are needed. It is best that SEGA
tries to reach out and appeal to the Western audience. In the long
run, they will learn more about their fans so they can satisfy them
better in the future. Even if the game or TV series turns out to be a flop, it is better that they even tried to make changes than them keep doing the same things over again, like Nintendo.
I actually find it funny. Nintendo sticks with what isn't broken and makes good games, and gamers complain that they don't try or need to think out of the box. Then we have SEGA, who tries to do new things to appeal to all of their audiences, and gamers get mad for changing the smallest things and complain that they shouldn't fix what isn't broken. The gaming community is filled with a bunch of picky folks, some that even have double-standards. At the end of the game, we are all behind some sort of screen, playing games regardless.
I hope you have a great day, and Happy Valentines Day! <3
~Jelly
References
Gaston,
M. (2014, February 6). Sonic Boom announced, but just what has Sega
done to Knuckles?. GameSpot. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sonic-boom-announced-but-just-what-has-sega-done- to-knuckles/1100-6417572/
SEGA
Blog | SEGA Launches New Franchise Strategy for Sonic the Hedgehog
with Sonic Boom. (2014, February 6). SEGA Blog RSS. Retrieved
February 9, 2014, from
http://blogs.sega.com/2014/02/06/sega-launches-new-franchise-strategy-for-sonic-the- hedgehog-with-sonic-boom/?0=1
No comments:
Post a Comment