Sonic Runn..er wait... "SSMB YOU CREATED A TIME PARADOX!"

[Tani Coyote]

I'm aware. I'm wondering if there's any tangible benefit to it, any real reason to (theoretically) disrupt production schedules and go to a bunch of trouble other than because they always have. If there's no Important Game ready for 2016, who cares? It's just a number, unless the game actually has something to do with the anniversary like Generations did. There's always merchandise to put the special 25th logo on.

There is no real marketing reason to my knowledge, no, but sometimes the way you feel takes precedence over what would be logical. Just look at a political discussion.

Jokes aside, one reason an anniversary would be important in financial terms is it demonstrates the longevity of the brand. Can't think of much else besides sentimental reasons, however.

[Tenko]

The 25th anniversary is also known as the silver anniversary. Does this remind anyone of someone?

That's right, I say we will be getting a game focusing on everybody's favorite hedgehog, Silver! You heard it here first, folks.

*throws up a little*

Ugh I hope not haha. Would be an ace reason to bring back Silver (Mecha) Sonic tho huh huh..anyone? Ah whatever.

[Tani Coyote]

I think Ian Flynn once said years ago that as far as he knew, SEGA had no plans to do anything with Silver.

Call it a hunch but I doubt the sentiment has changed much, the baggage of poorly-reviewed titles with him in it probably having a part in that.

[Tails spin]

I think Ian Flynn once said years ago that as far as he knew, SEGA had no plans to do anything with Silver.Call it a hunch but I doubt the sentiment has changed much, the baggage of poorly-reviewed titles with him in it probably having a part in that.

Generations did fine with him in it though

[JAiRO]

Generations did fine with him in it though

 

He had no real plot significance. Yes, you get an emerald from him, but there is no interaction between him and Sonic. You just beat the shit out of him and take it, without as little as a cutscene to link the two events. He was in it, but he wasn't in it.

[Tenko]

On a non Sonic note, what do we figure the chances of seeing a localized release of PSO2 this or next year being? 2015 may be too late, the games already what 2 years old now?

[Shane]

There's... another possibility nobody has considered here. I've been wondering who would make the 25th Anniversary game, as I'm almost sure Sonic 2015 is the next game by the Unleashed/Generations team. I don't think they'd go straight from one anniversary to the next. Heck, the idea of a four-year development cycle is crazy enough as is considering the way SEGA usually rushes these things, and yet that team hasn't released a game since Generations.

 

So Sonic 2015 is going to be big, like Unleashed/Generations. But that other possibility I mentioned at the beginning of this post...

 

What if Sonic 2016 was a downloadable title made by a new team led by Christian Whitehead, otherwise known as The Taxman?

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

He had no real plot significance. Yes, you get an emerald from him, but there is no interaction between him and Sonic. You just beat the shit out of him and take it, without as little as a cutscene to link the two events. He was in it, but he wasn't in it.

Yep. And don't forget the cringing "YOU CAN DO IT SONIC!!!" at the 2nd to last cutscene.

The last game Silver did actually "something", was well his debut game. 7-8 years ago.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

The last game Silver did actually "something", was well his debut game. 7-8 years ago.

And we all know how well that went. =P

[Tani Coyote]

It's going to sadden me if 2015 is the big game. Then again, I assume Sonic Team will want to show itself to still be competent after Boom presumably rocks the place. They'll be under a lot more pressure to perform in that case, after all.

I'd be kind of disappointed if the 25th was just a remake of something. Sonic hasn't gone too terribly down Nintendo's path with regards to remakes, and I would not mind if it stays that way.

[Indigo Rush]

Why do people forget the Rivals series existed?

 

Oh right, they were boring.

 

But hey, Silver had some plot significance in those.

[Tani Coyote]

Why do people forget the Rivals series existed?

 

Oh right, they were boring.

 

But hey, Silver had some plot significance in those.

I was about to say!

I guess I'd feel like a bit of a hypocrite mentioning Rivals since I kind of headtilt whenever the DS games are mentioned, as I often disregard handheld installments.

Other than these spinoffs, though, I think it's safe to say he won't be returning to prominence any time soon. Like most Sonic characters he's just kept around for flavor as a background character.

Though who knows, maybe Boom will re-invent him.

[Jolt_TH]

I'll agree a remake wouldn't be good for the 25th anniversary...unless it was a full 3D remake of Sonic 3 & Knuckles

[azoo]

If we were to have Sonic games with a longer development span by the way, depending so much on anniversary titles would be sort of dumb. Its like.. having an anniversary game be every other game.

 

"Happy 25th anniversary to Sonic! We've released like, 2 games or something since the last anniversary! Yay!" :v

[Sami]

They don't need to make it an event every single time, but they have done it every time since the 10th. It'd be odd to do anything for the 25th, especially since that's considered one of the major ones anyway.

[Tenko]

When they even make a big deal and label up Riders for the 15th it world be odd if they didn't have a 25th. Then again it could end up underwhelming like Mario's, poor guy only got a SNES rom on a CD with a small booklet.

Or worse yet, like Kirby and only have your Anniversary Collection sold in the USA and skip all the PAL territories for no apparent reason >.<

[Sami]

"SEGA is proud to announce that to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of our beloved franchise, fans can look forward to a port of Sonic 1 on Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Happy 25th, Sonic!"

[Tenko]

"SEGA is proud to announce that to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of our beloved franchise, fans can look forward to a port of Sonic 1 on Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Happy 25th, Sonic!"

"And no it's not the new remastered smartphone version - Love Sega"

[Tani Coyote]

If we were to have Sonic games with a longer development span by the way, depending so much on anniversary titles would be sort of dumb. Its like.. having an anniversary game be every other game.

 

"Happy 25th anniversary to Sonic! We've released like, 2 games or something since the last anniversary! Yay!" :v

 

That assumes that every game is in a bubble, when 2 or 3 games can easily be in production at the same time, albeit at various levels.

 

I've heard people say Sonic games suck because they're released every year, but that ignores the fact you can have multiple games in development at the same time, each having a good amount of development time, and then release them in a staggered manner.

 

US Senators are elected every two years, but serve six. That sounds weird, but it's because only one third of the Senate is up for election every two years. In game terms, there could be three games with three-year dev times, but they were each started one year apart; you'd thus have a game released every year, with each still having three years of dev time behind it.

 

Funding and work ethic are more important than dev time, as well. Ratchet and Clank's first three games were released one year apart AND developed back to back. And yet they are all top-notch. Sonic games are thus likely either 1) poorly funded, or 2) made by poor teams. Since Sonic is the only homebrewed Sega IP to get off the ground internationally, I'm getting the odd feeling it's going to be number 2.

 

Which is another reason I'm so highly optimistic to see what will result from this Boom game; Sonic Team or SEGA's usual suspects are nowhere near it.

[DLR_Nexus]

Look at PS4 and XB1 Players.... They're so damn thirty for one Sonic Game and development is taking longer because they gotta thst the Hedgehog Engine and stuff... Tho, I could tell that Sonic Team could do better dev. on the PS4. In fact, IDK if the PS4 will be the best version on the next Multi-platform Sonic game.

[kadybat]

I'll agree a remake wouldn't be good for the 25th anniversary...unless it was a full 3D remake of Sonic 3 & Knuckles

 

I've given up all hope of getting the perfect 2.5D remake of the classics in the style of Sonic 2 HD and Sonic Fan Remix with excellent physics and wonderfully remade music that we obviously deserve.

 

At the very least I'm hoping we get a Taxman remake of S3K, and I'm hoping we see that bundled with Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 in some sort of console and PC 'Sonic Classics Remastered' collection or something. It'd be cool to see such a collection hit PS4 and XB1 because I think they'd be hits on Twitch what with the built-in streaming both of those consoles offer.

[Gabz Girl]

If the wait for SEGA's next Sonic game is that long then it better be worth it. By the time Sonic's 25th Anniversary hits us they have had five years to develop the game, more than the average development time it takes to make a game. They're not going to get away with a lackluster story and short gameplay if that happens!

[azoo]

Like I said before.. if that happens, the wait will either be really painful or wane my interest of Sonic a bit, but the outcome better be worth it.

[Willsy]

Oooh.....oooooh...OOOOOOH! We have confirmation!

http://segabits.com/blog/2014/04/06/sonic-teams-new-sonic-game-to-be-shown-this-year/

“At the moment, the core Sonic team at SEGA is working on a new title that will use the traditional look and mechanics of the series, which will get more details later during the year.

At the same time, Big Red Button, an entirely new studio, is working on a new version of the entire game universe, called Sonic Boom, which will use an entirely new aesthetic and is designed to accompany the delivery of a new range of toys and a new cartoon series.”

[FriendBot]

So the game will look more like Unleashed/Adventure and I'm pretty sure they're using the Lost World gameplay. Looks like it might be good.