For over a decade now, things haven’t exactly been great for theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise. None of the iconic blue hedgehog’s games have earned the same acclaim as his older titles, and there have been many that have been outright panned by critics. However, Sonic Team may be looking to turn things around forSonic the Hedgehog, as it’s been announced that a new game in the series is in development for unspecified platforms.
Sonic Team studio head Takashi Iizuka confirmed as much during a celebration of the franchise’s 25th anniversary that took place in Tokyo yesterday. Unfortunately, further details on the project are not available at this time, except that it will launch at some point in 2017.
However, fans won’t have to wait too much longer for concrete details on the nextSonic the Hedgehoggame. Iizuka also announced that a full unveiling for the game will occur next month during Sega’sSonic the Hedgehog25th Anniversary Party, which will take place on July 22nd in San Diego, California. Come July 22nd, it’s a safe bet that fans can expect to see plot details, character information, gameplay features, and more.
Even though the newSonic the Hedgehoggame isn’t set to launch until next year, fans should still be able to expect to see a lot of the game at the anniversary celebration next month. Sega has been hinting at a 25th anniversary game for months, and since Sonic Team’s last substantial release was2013’sSonic: Lost Worldon Wii U, it’s probable that the newSonicgame has been in development for quite some time now.
Speaking ofSonic: Lost Worldand its timed Nintendo exclusivity, perhaps the newSonic the Hedgehogwill be exclusive to the Nintendo NX. After all, Sega and Nintendo seem to have a strong relationship, with a number of Nintendo exclusiveSonic the Hedgehoggames releasing over the past few years. With theNintendo NX launching in March 2017, maybe the newSonic the Hedgehogwill be the third game confirmed for the system, afterJust Dance 2017andThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Whatever shape the newSonic the Hedgehoggame takes, Sonic Team needs it to be a hit. Sega has already admitted that it hasbetrayed its fanswith some of its recent gaming projects, and wants to restore the confidence consumers had in the brand back in the 90’s. Since Sonic has been the face of Sega for 25 years now, Sega could achieve its goal of restoring consumer confidence by delivering a high qualitySonic the Hedgehoggame that returns the franchise to its former glory.
The newSonic the Hedgehoggame will release in 2017 for unspecified platforms.
