So That Poll That Resulted in ShTH...

[Nepenthe]

The thirteen year old Shadow fans are as responsible for ShtH being the blight on the franchise it is as classic fans are responsible for the complete and utter failure that is Sonic 4. At the end of the day, these games come down to Sonic Team's ability to parse demand and deliver on a solid project. Really, let's give credit where credit is due here.

[Someguy]

The poll happened around February 19th 2005 according to Archive.org's earliest backup. Shadow the Hedgehog was released in November 2005. Do you think the entire game was thought up, developed and finished in 9 or less months(gotta give time for when it went gold) due to one little internet poll? I think they just used it as proof not to cancel the game, which I'm sure came more out of their own love for Shadow and the apparent market for "omg sonic with gunz" that I hear spawned Gamma.

Then again, maybe they did manage to push the game out that fast, since it was probably built off of the Heroes engine shoved into a not-Renderware engine.

[Emmett L. Brown]

The poll happened around February 19th 2005 according to Archive.org's earliest backup. Shadow the Hedgehog was released in November 2005. Do you think the entire game was thought up, developed and finished in 9 or less months(gotta give time for when it went gold) due to one little internet poll? I think they just used it as proof not to cancel the game, which I'm sure came more out of their own love for Shadow and the apparent market for "omg sonic with gunz" that I hear spawned Gamma.

Then again, maybe they did manage to push the game out that fast, since it was probably built off of the Heroes engine shoved into a not-Renderware engine.

Considering the absurd amount of copy-pasted models and textures I'm willing to believe Shadow could have been put together in a year.

EDIT: Awesome pink Metal Shadow avatar, by the way.

Edited October 28, 2012 by Grumpy Old Guy

[Kuzu]

It's funny when you think about it, Sonic Team themselves they can't please all Sonic fans, yet that's exactly what they're trying to do with their games, talk about not following your own advice.

[Emmett L. Brown]

It's funny when you think about it, Sonic Team themselves they can't please all Sonic fans, yet that's exactly what they're trying to do with their games, talk about not following your own advice.

Ragna, you know I like you, but that sentence made no sense whatsoever. They're making a product to sell. Why wouldn't they be trying at all times to maximise the potential customer base?

[Blue Blood]

The poll happened around February 19th 2005 according to Archive.org's earliest backup. Shadow the Hedgehog was released in November 2005. Do you think the entire game was thought up, developed and finished in 9 or less months(gotta give time for when it went gold) due to one little internet poll? I think they just used it as proof not to cancel the game, which I'm sure came more out of their own love for Shadow and the apparent market for "omg sonic with gunz" that I hear spawned Gamma.

Then again, maybe they did manage to push the game out that fast, since it was probably built off of the Heroes engine shoved into a not-Renderware engine.

Hm.

Heroes was finished and released in late 2003 (Japan). I think it's more likely that SEGA spent some time experimenting and doing market research before they ended up with a generic WIP Sonic title. This poll then probably shaped the finished, haphazard project.

[Kuzu]

Ragna, you know I like you, but that sentence made no sense whatsoever. They're making a product to sell. Why wouldn't they be trying at all times to maximise the potential customer base?

What I mean is they're trying to conform to the ideals of one specific portion of the fanbase, while neglecting others instead of just focusing on making a good game in general.

[Autosaver]

These same "behind the scenes" polls are the same ones SEGA used in Sonic Generations. I really hated the level choices in that game too. I wish SEGA would just listen to themselves.

I understand going out to the fans is cool. But if something isn't right then just skip the advice entirely.

[Your Vest Friend]

I'd imagine that the final level choice in Generations was also influenced by themselves as well. I'm certain fans didn't ask for Seaside Hill on five separate occasions.

[Frogging101]

These same "behind the scenes" polls are the same ones SEGA used in Sonic Generations. I really hated the level choices in that game too. I wish SEGA would just listen to themselves.

I understand going out to the fans is cool. But if something isn't right then just skip the advice entirely.

If they leave themselves the option of skipping the advice they get from the fans (in case it just doesn't work) then they also need to make sure that people can't see the results after they vote or everyone will be like "wtf is this shti sega dis isnt wat we votd 4" when the game is released.

[Blue Blood]

These same "behind the scenes" polls are the same ones SEGA used in Sonic Generations. I really hated the level choices in that game too. I wish SEGA would just listen to themselves.

I understand going out to the fans is cool. But if something isn't right then just skip the advice entirely.

This poll wasn't behind the scenes- it was right there in the open for everyone and their dog to vote on. The Generations poll was conducted on Facebook, under the rouse of something meaningless..

Edited October 29, 2012 by Blue Blood

[mikeblastdude]

I vaguely remember this poll. I definitely remember that I voted for Knuckles.

Also, I remember thinking that the name "Robotnik's Revenge" sounded awesome.

[Linkabel]

This poll wasn't behind the scenes- it was right there in the open for everyone and their dog to vote on. The Generations poll was obscurly conducted via Facebook.

No, there was behind the scenes polls apart from the Facebook poll:

“We took a democratic approach. We only get to celebrate Sonic’s 20th birthday once, so we wanted to make sure everyone got a say. What we did was poll every Sega worker – including those in Europe and America – and asked them to nominate their favourite Sonic levels of all time. Then we did some research with the core fanbase and we were able to draw up a shortlist from there.” – Takashi Iizuka

http://segabits.com/blog/2011/05/11/oxm-reveals-how-they-picked-levels-for-sonic-generation/

And how was the Facebook obscurely?

[Blue Blood]

No, there was behind the scenes polls apart from the Facebook poll:

http://segabits.com/...nic-generation/

And how was the Facebook obscurely?

I rephrased that sentence.

The polls internally at SEGA were done behind the scenes, but that's kind of a given, isn't it? The main way the fanbase was polled was through Facebook. There may have been some more research gone into it though.

[Aero]

I didn't know much about Sonic back then, but I would probably have voted for Tails.

Seeing how his last solo games went....today I'd say Knuckles. His culture is interesting.

(please no Archie canon Knuckles backstory please, Sega. TOO MANY RELATIVES. AHH.)

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I never participated in the poll back then because I came around sometime after it was made. But you know funny enough, back around that era I was actually more of a Tails fan than I was a Shadow fan. The guy was a mechanical genius, and I was obsessed with anything science back then, and I just loved that Tornado mech he was in. I can't really remember what it was that turned me to Shadow, but I certainly know it wasn't the guns in ShTH (despite me defending the game initially).

So, funny enough, this particular Shadow fan would have probably voted Tails in that poll. Today? I would've probably voted Eggman just to go against my likings. Seriously, getting sick of Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow hogging the attention they have among fans.

Edited October 29, 2012 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Mauro Fonseca]

What I mean is they're trying to conform to the ideals of one specific portion of the fanbase, while neglecting others instead of just focusing on making a good game in general.

These same "behind the scenes" polls are the same ones SEGA used in Sonic Generations. I really hated the level choices in that game too. I wish SEGA would just listen to themselves.

I understand going out to the fans is cool. But if something isn't right then just skip the advice entirely.

Kind of going full hypocrisy here, aint' you both? What, when SEGA polls the fans and the results are to your liking they "are focusing on making a good game in general", if they poll the fans and the results aren't to your liking they're focusing on only one part of the fanbase? (Namely, the "not-me!" part)?

Anyways, looking at all those names... I'd probably have gone for "Knuckles: City of Chaos" or "Dr. Eggman: The World is Not Enough"

[Kuzu]

Kind of going full hypocrisy here, aint' you both? What, when SEGA polls the fans and the results are to your liking they "are focusing on making a good game in general", if they poll the fans and the results aren't to your liking they're focusing on only one part of the fanbase? (Namely, the "not-me!" part)?

.....When did I ever imply this, at all? I've never ever been a fan of polls because it singles only but a few people out.

[TwoTailedFox]

I wasn't a Sonic fan back then so I didn't vote. But, if it was conducted today, I would vote for Tails. Next to Sonic, he's my favorite character. Next up would be Eggman because that could be interesting. But only if it wasn't something like Mean Bean Machine

Tails the Two-tailed Fox

And this would be the title I would vote for a Tails game

No in all seriousness, I would vote for either "Tails: Flight of the Fox" or "The Adventures of Tails".

[Johnny Boy]

If I knew Shadow's game was gonna be shit,I would've voted knuckles.

[Stritix]

If I knew Shadow's game was gonna be shit,I would've voted knuckles.

How would that change anything? The team was a mess at the time. I'm pretty sure they would have ruined any other character's game too.

[Diogenes]

At least it wouldn't be based on Shadow being dark and badass.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

If I knew Shadow's game was gonna be shit,I would've voted knuckles.

And who's to say Knuckles' game wouldn't have been shit?

[Diogenes]

Seriously though. Even if Knuckles' game would have been shit, it would not have been the spectacularly awful blend of shit that ShtH was. Can you think of anything they could've plausibly done with him that would've been as embarrassing as this?

[Stritix]

An entire game of treasure hunting perhaps?