Takashi Iizuka says 2D pixel art won't be viable for Sonic games in the future

[Shiny Gems]

https://www.ign.com/articles/sonic-team-head-pixel-art-wont-be-viable-art-style-for-sonic-games-in-10-20-years

This...might not go well with some fans, I believe. That said, what are your thoughts on this?

[Red Hot Jack]

I agree with Iizuka. I like Sprites in particular Mania's and the Advance/Battle ones (although I'm done with the latter, I've seen too many fangames and fan series that used them). That said, if pixel art limits the game's audience, by restricting it to "niche" and "retro", and if this means 3D graphics will appeal to more people, why not use 3D graphics? Besides, Superstars looks gorgeous and feels like a grand (complete) project even compared to Mania and Frontiers, so I'm not complaining.

[FReaK]

this was to be expected, honestly.

I absolutely love 16 bit pixel art since I grew up with it, it is still my preferred art style in gaming general. But think of this: we have lots of really really good fan games, they do exceptionally well in 2D art, too. So I kinda see it like something that stands out from the 2D pixel games, since they are the official ones. I think they also do that because of that, this is purely speculation though.

[ShadowXeldron]

I get that the lowest common denominator likes 3D, but I honestly prefer 2D graphics. Part of this is because 2D platformers are easier to play with a keyboard (which is my preferred input device; I do have a controller but I would rather not have to connect it if I don't have to). It's also got lower system requirements so you don't have to dumb down the presentation as much for the Switch. I might as well say that 2.5D is a viable alternative (like what Superstars uses), although Superstars looks visually cheaper every time I look at it and I'm blaming the Nintendo Drift for that.

If they're dropping pixel art, I hope that they'll instead look into hand-drawn 2D sprites similar to what Hollow Knight does. The Sonic Advance style would likely look stunning if it was hand drawn. Heck, give us more hand-drawn 2D games in general! I'd be overjoyed if that happened.

Edited August 30, 2023 by ShadowXeldron
Wanted to expand the comment somewhat

[Salamander]

1 hour ago, ShadowXeldron said:

I get that the lowest common denominator likes 3D [...]

This gets down to the core of it, unfortunately.  The mass-market audience and even to an extent enthusiast audiences just don't care about 2D anymore, and it's the rare breakout 2D title which gets the sort of beefy sales figures the big publishers are looking for.  (Even Square Enix's HD-2D is packed with 3D elements, and is conspicuously aimed at a nostalgic hardcore audience.)  There's a reason all of the big developers have quit making 2D titles and left it to the indies; they've done their market research, they've looked at their sales, and made their decisions accordingly.

But we don't have to be happy about it.

[Cosmos Rogue]

Not really a surprise. Hopefully this doesn't preclude the possibility of getting a Sonic game with 2D art someday. I want a game that looks like the Sonic CD animations.

[Shiny Gems]

7 minutes ago, Cosmos Rogue said:

Not really a surprise. Hopefully this doesn't preclude the possibility of getting a Sonic game with 2D art someday. I want a game that looks like the Sonic CD animations.

Oh, now that would be sweet! I’d love something like that so much!

[Milo]

Reposting from the status updates:

It’s an odd/confusing statement to make, at least in the sense of what are we defining as pixel Sonic games?

Sonic games made primarily, if not entirely, with 2D graphics? Because every 2D (but not 2.5D) platforming Sonic game since, what, the Advance games, has used 3D graphics in some form (either as special stages, and/or for character models/bosses).  Mania itself uses retro-styled 3D graphics as part of its art direction of targeting Sega Saturn-era hardware/limitations, instead of a full-on revert to MD graphics. I’m not all that familiar with the game, but even The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, is a visual novel with lots of 2D illustrations, right?

Or is it just the concept of having a 2D game with a retro/pixel aesthetic, right? Which I don’t mind. Mania was nice as a stand-alone novelty, but I’m long ready to see a 2D game with HD sprites in the vein of the Rayman games, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap remake, or Cuphead. I’ll even settle for modern 2D sprites in 3D worlds like with WayForward’s games. (Although I would love to see this concept turned on its head, where we got a 2.5D Sonic game with an early 3D aesthetic. Like if we got a side scrolling game that looked like Sonic R, Sonic World in Sonic Jam, or Mania’s special stages. Superstars has a couple of shades of that in the Tron world, with the voxel transformations.)

[Tornado]

I mean this is following on from things he said earlier in the year in response to when people were complaining about the game not looking like Mania. People would have loved for Superstars to have Mania's aesthetic as opposed to the kinda... whatever it is they are going for with the actual game. But they wouldn't have bought it at the price Superstars is going to be. You can't make the revenue to justify anything above an indie game budget with spritework.

 

People are already going to loudly question the price point the game is at when it hits shelves. They did it with Metroid Dread last year; a game with higher production values that is almost certainly better than this will end up being when all is said and done. That would turn to outright scorn if Superstars hit store shelves at $60 but at a glance looks like an interchangeable Metroidvania indie game on Steam that costs $20.

[King of Fanta]

Sucks, but I get it. 3D graphics just appeal to a wider audience.

[Starnik]

Soo mean Sonic Team

Edited August 30, 2023 by Starnik
Typo

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

But I like pixel art tho…

Y?

[Jango]

I agree with his decision, but not the motives. Hope to at least get a hand draw 2D Sonic game one day tho'

[Sonicka]

He's not entirely wrong (although I'd argue the market is still there for it).

But really what he's saying is "please can you all now just shut the hell up about Sonic Mania and let us focus on promoting our newest title, it's been 6 years!". 

[Rabid-Coot]

Their earliest fans from the start of Sonic are mid thirties at minimum now there may be a  time limit on that particular nostalgic cash grab especially when talking about adding on another 10-20 years.

[AlexHidanBR]

Well Pixel Art is expensive to do, even the Disgaea game series felt victim to this, so I guess I have to accept it

I just hope it's not a permanent decision - maybe Sega wants to recover the loss it got from a certain free-to-play FPS shooter and then they could reconsider making Sonic Mania 2 a new 2D pixel art Sonic game

[Remynaka]

So much for sonic team having a bigger budget. :/

 

Oh a serious note, that sucks. I hate the look of superstars and wished it WAS 2D honestly.  Just feels like a cheap excuse to not be better and provide.