Detective SSMB & The Case of the Sonic 25th Anniversary "P.g. 100 is the best... food discussion started."

[Nepenthe]

I think if we're going to do another History of Sonic lesson anywhere, it should be less about "common knowledge" chronological stuff and more inclusive to games beyond the classics; basically more of like Nintendo's Developer Story thingadoodles. The amount of information we know about the working thoughts and methodologies of the original Sonic Team working on the classics is huge compared to most of the 3D games. And while getting confirmation of stuff like Iizuka animating S3's opening is nice, I'd like to see the same respect for the later games in terms of how final ideas gelled together, who is responsible for specific memorable moments or sequences, any funny stories that happened during production, more information about under-reported things like motion capture, things like that.

[Failinhearts]

You know what I hope for sometime this year? A video documentary similar to this:

Maybe bundle it in for another Collector's Edition or even a special broadcast on TV.

[Badnik Mechanic]

1 hour ago, RubyEclipse said:

I think the quote was "If Aaron would just stop posting memes and get to work on the new Sonic Game..." and I pretty much died right around there.

Should have replied with.

bool SocialMediaManager= true;

if (SocialMediaManager)
{
    PostMemes();
}
else
{
    BigAdventure3GoNow();
}

[JezMM]

1 hour ago, RubyEclipse said:

You weren't actually there, were you? We had an amazing time. The audience was engaged, enthusiastic, and full of great people. Loved chatting with them all and hanging out afterwards.

I hope I wasn't overly harsh because I'm sure that would suck to read, but was only telling it how I saw it, granted I did focus too much on the negative.  For what it's worth actually, shortly after posting while away from the keyboard I was thinking to myself how probably a lot of the corny stuff during fan-run segments at Summer of Sonic would probably be cringey to me over stream but were fun, doofing around when I was there surrounded by the atmosphere.

Also just to say I wasn't bothered at all by the lack of announcement, just the lack of contribution from the guests in the end.  Honestly, as said the 45 minute time limit clearly pushed you, and if you had longer I probably wouldn't have been at all sour about it since it would have been more balanced between your stuff and the guests getting a chance to chat and interact a bit more etc.

Was this your first time (or one of the first few times) you've "hosted" a live panel event like this?  Regardless I'm sure you learned something about tightening your routine for this sort of thing from your pressing time limit here, so best of luck with any future ones.

[Indigo Rush]

A reminder that, from Colors and onwards, all major Sonic games for the year were announced in April-May. That being said, assuming there is a game this year, this year has literally been no different from the others (sans 2015) and the stuff Aaron has been doing is extra fun stuff that would otherwise have been nothing but silence. 

Just keep that in mind.

[Dr. Detective]

Some history about the concepts within a lot of these games would have been nice to hear actually. Ideas behind levels and characters who aren't Sonic and where they came from as well as little fun tidbits about their favorite foods or games or activities or anything other then the usual motions seems like it would have been a lot more fun to see. I suppose that's not something they feel people are interested in though. Maybe I'm the only one who is. I am a bit of a freak.

[Tenko]

Or Aaron could get us in on some of that Sonic X-Treme merch (did I hear right) he mentioned during the panel.

Actually more info on that lost era on the 32x/Saturn would be really interesting too. Fans have put together a lot with Chris Senn's help but I'm sure Sega themselves have a lot hidden away in their vaults.

[Badnik Mechanic]

42 minutes ago, Tenko said:

Or Aaron could get us in on some of that Sonic X-Treme merch (did I hear right) he mentioned during the panel.

Well... actually it's already out there, I even own some.

But you're looking at stuff like pin badges, hats, clothes, books to even more elaborate stuff like walkie talkies and even cassette players.

[J&/MA/MC]

When @RubyEclipse so kindly takes his time here to this site, let me ask you a couple of questions here;

What's the strategy regarding meeting the modern demands of diversity and representation over all at SEGA?

Just asking. It's a hot topic, yes, but none the less very important. You're absolutely free to answer. No hard feelings.

[Paradoxal Gradient]

 

Panel was okay. I enjoyed watching it, really hoping on an announcement at latest July. Love this franchise too much to give up on it. Plus, it's pretty much what I'm playing the majority of the time. Need something with replayability

[Badnik Mechanic]

Announcement might be earlier than some are expecting.

https://www.sonicstadium.org/2016/03/global-license-to-salute-sonic-in-may/

Global license will have an 'exclusive salute to sonic' in May. They hint they are working with Sega on their piece. 

Oh and they also say this...

Sonic Boom”-themed video game. “Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice,” created exclusively for Nintendo 3DS, will hit retailers Sept. 27 in honor of the character’s 25th anniversary.

 

[RubyEclipse]

2 hours ago, JezMM said:

Was this your first time (or one of the first few times) you've "hosted" a live panel event like this?  Regardless I'm sure you learned something about tightening your routine for this sort of thing from your pressing time limit here, so best of luck with any future ones.

Appreciate the kinder comments in the first part of your post! With regard to history, I've actually hosted a number of panels at conventions across the US over the last few years. Definitely not my first rodeo. There's nothing to learn about pressing time limits, as this is almost always the case! A good panel runs right up to the end, but doesn't go over - and we took the Q&A and let people do that after the panel, along with the signings.

The challenge is that they'll give you a set amount of time (in this case: "You only get 45 minutes") and an approved topic ("Cover the history of Sonic!") and then it's all about trying to keep your audience entertained and having a good time, while still offering them something new. Now take your special guests and try to work them in, ensuring they all get time, too - even if some may not have been as involved in all the parts of the history you're covering. Now factor in that you're going to lose even more time to translation... the list goes on!

If that sounds easy - it's totally not! Now imagine that you're going to have a few hundred live people watching. and maybe 5,000 or more online... (I think we ended up with over 11k online viewers, combining Twitch + YouTube)... and this is where you pray that you don't get nervous or any bit of stage fright.  

TL;dr: Panels are tough to host, and even tougher to host while keeping entertaining. I'm really thankful that our live audience was so awesome, because they made the entire thing so much better. 

24 minutes ago, AMC/H&M said:

When @RubyEclipse so kindly takes his time here to this site, let me ask you a couple of questions here;

What's the strategy regarding meeting the modern demands of diversity and representation over all at SEGA?

Just asking. It's a hot topic, yes, but none the less very important. You're absolutely free to answer. No hard feelings.

By diversity and representation, do you mean in regard to the Sonic fanbase? Guessing so, but just want to be sure!

20 minutes ago, Paradoxal Gradient said:

Yo guys @RubyEclipse is currently browsing this thread. Well, he HAS been browsing it. 

Shhh. He's totally not here. He's a ninja.

[Badnik Mechanic]

4 minutes ago, RubyEclipse said:

and this is where you pray that you don't get nervous or any bit of stage fright.  

TL;dr: Panels are tough to host, and even tougher to host while keeping entertaining. I'm really thankful that our live audience was so awesome, because they made the entire thing so much better.

Just do what I do when I host Nevermind the Buzzbombers, randomly put in small dance moves, if the audience likes one, do it again!

 

Watch as everybody rushes to watch old Summer of Sonic videos to try and spot said dance moves. 

[Enesephus]

7 minutes ago, Detective Hogfather said:

Announcement might be earlier than some are expecting.

https://www.sonicstadium.org/2016/03/global-license-to-salute-sonic-in-may/

Global license will have an 'exclusive salute to sonic' in May. They hint they are working with Sega on their piece. 

Yay, I suppose. I'm not getting hyped, but this sounds interesting.

Quote

 

Oh and they also say this...

Sonic Boom”-themed video game. “Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice,” created exclusively for Nintendo 3DS, will hit retailers Sept. 27 in honor of the character’s 25th anniversary.

 

Pfffft. Okay, I'll admit, that is pretty funny.

[FriendBot]

14 minutes ago, RubyEclipse said:

By diversity and representation, do you mean in regard to the Sonic fanbase? Guessing so, but just want to be sure!

Well it's one thing to handle the international market of Sonic media but it's a whole another ballpark when it comes to the fanbase so yes, how do you handle the fanbase? Because I hear some reasonable critiques that there isn't much stuff that makes fans feel more comfortable with being fans, kinda like stuff like Fan Art Fridays (whether it's how to draw Classic or Modern Sonic where's Boom Sonic tho?  or showing off really cool fanart) 

I totally get that making memes is what made the social media accounts as popular as they are (heck, you got an award for it so you're obviously doing something right) but it would be nice to give a nice shoutout on how cool games like the Adventures, Heroes, Generations heck even Unleashed were something to ease the tensions.

I really don't want to come off as telling you to do your job but I would atleast like you to consider it, to help ease out the insecurity some fans feel.

[J&/MA/MC]

10 minutes ago, RubyEclipse said:

By diversity and representation, do you mean in regard to the Sonic fanbase? Guessing so, but just want to be sure!

Well, to put this straight, you've been (through the Sonic Social Media accounts) accused of white-washing, casual sexism, transphobia, transmisogyny and regressive behaviour. Those accusations are not to be taken lightly. Not in 2016. 

You've created an environment that've made gamergaters feel welcome in the fanbase because of this and that is not okay. These are the ones defending you with the "It's just a joke!" card and such, harrassing other fans into the dark. You have to keep looking out for those patterns. 

Just a few isuggestions on improvements here. Have fun! P.L.U.R!  

[Nepenthe]

15 minutes ago, AMC/H&M said:

Well, to put this straight, you've been (through the Sonic Social Media accounts) accused of white-washing, casual sexism, transphobia, transmisogyny and regressive behaviour. Those accusations are not to be taken lightly. Not in 2016. 

You've created an environment that've made gamergaters feel welcome in the fanbase because of this and that is not okay. These are the ones defending you with the "It's just a joke!" card and such, harrassing other fans into the dark. You have to keep looking out for those patterns. 

Just a few isuggestions on improvements here. Have fun! P.L.U.R!  

It's pretty telling that you think the type of gamer who would angrily deny casual slip-ups and biases and things of that nature wasn't already deeply rooted in the Sonic fanbase well before the Sonic Twitter account came into existence, so accusing Aaron of creating the environment where they feel welcome among the fanbase is pretty fucking inaccurate...and ignorant...and appalling...and disgusting...and a whole list of other words expressing my utter shock at how you could get this interaction with Aaron and your reading of the fanbase so wrong.

And you condescendingly use a smiley on top of it. Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow.

[Badnik Mechanic]

24 minutes ago, AMC/H&M said:

Well, to put this straight, you've been (through the Sonic Social Media accounts) accused of white-washing, casual sexism, transphobia, transmisogyny and regressive behaviour. Those accusations are not to be taken lightly. Not in 2016.

Urm no. YOU have accused him of that, and everytime someone has asked for you to explain how or provide an example as to why you laugh it off or ignore it.

[Tani Coyote]

Am I the only one who finds it really weird that a 25th anniversary would get a big celebration for the sake of a handheld title? Especially one from a side franchise that a sizable chunk of the fanbase loathes?

I don't know. Unless it's been confirmed somewhere Fire & Ice is the only non-Olympic game this year... it just seems odd that there's not another in the cards, doubly so given it's been 3 years since the last Sonic Team game.

Sure, emphasis on quality and all. But I think it's apparent by this time that Sonic Boom is not the moneymaker of the brand and probably never will be. The new leadership would have to be genuinely radical to actually start spacing out the flagship franchise rather than milking it with annual releases as has been done for the past decade and a half.

[shdowhunt60]

1 hour ago, Ogilviochi Cooper said:

Am I the only one who finds it really weird that a 25th anniversary would get a big celebration for the sake of a handheld title? Especially one from a side franchise that a sizable chunk of the fanbase loathes?

Nah, I doubt it too This sounds like pure marketing at play here.

4 hours ago, Detective Hogfather said:

Announcement might be earlier than some are expecting.

https://www.sonicstadium.org/2016/03/global-license-to-salute-sonic-in-may/

Global license will have an 'exclusive salute to sonic' in May. They hint they are working with Sega on their piece. 

Oh and they also say this...

Sonic Boom”-themed video game. “Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice,” created exclusively for Nintendo 3DS, will hit retailers Sept. 27 in honor of the character’s 25th anniversary.

 

Actually, maybe not. Um. Okay, crazy theory time. The poems that Ruby referenced specifically were for March, May, and June right? So... What if those were months where some sort of announcement or thing was supposed to happen?

I dunno. It's a thought. I think we may be missing something. Who knows, maybe when that one joke that's been beaten to death by no finally comes full circle we'll get some more indepth.

Oh, and I forgot, has anyone figured out if that reference to Hugo amounted to anything?

[BlueFlare]

5 hours ago, Detective Hogfather said:

Announcement might be earlier than some are expecting.

https://www.sonicstadium.org/2016/03/global-license-to-salute-sonic-in-may/

Global license will have an 'exclusive salute to sonic' in May. They hint they are working with Sega on their piece. 

Oh and they also say this...

Sonic Boom”-themed video game. “Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice,” created exclusively for Nintendo 3DS, will hit retailers Sept. 27 in honor of the character’s 25th anniversary.

 

Well yes, that sure sounds funny. Fire and Ice is basically the 25th anniversary game. Right?

[----]

Um, Mr @RubyEclipse do you mind sharing that Powerpoint you used in that panel, if that's okay with you?

[Ellipsis-Ultima]

So if Fire and Ice is the game that will be releasing in honor of Sonics 25, Lets hope the game does well.

Actually, I hope we get to see another sneak peek of that game, just to see how it's doing.

[Zaysho]

You know something.

Enough is enough. The last thing this thread needs is to be derailed into talk about GamerGate, nor do we need people slinging ridiculous and appalling accusations at Aaron for encouraging or "inviting" this sort of thing through the Sonic Twitter in the first place.

Get back on topic, discuss the panel, discuss whatever plans we're aware of, feel free to ask Aaron questions. Any more of this crap and strikes are going out. Stop.

[GoldfishGroup]

@RubyEclipse Will Big's Big Fishing Adventure 3 let you catch Froggy or just regular fish?