Concept Art Fridays

[Gatestormer]

http://blogs.sega.co...ept-art-friday/

Quote

We’re revealing new concept art for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II each Friday, so you can get a sneak peek at what we’ve got in store for you! This week, we’re taking a request from Facebook user Jose Portela, who last week predicted that our next concept art would be of a tree branch.

We’ve taken his ever-so-helpful suggestion, and so this week, we’re showing you concept art of some grass and tree-related level design elements.

Bloody good trolling SEGA. I love you right now.

[Your Vest Friend]

What a tree-mendous batch this has been!

[Badnik Mechanic]

It's three pieces of concept art... 3 different blocks. They gave us 3 pieces of concept art... and a tree stump. They gave us 4 pieces of concept art. Sonic 4, with 4 pieces of concept art.

And thats wonderful.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Hogfather

[Detective Shadzter]

I like how there is still a little branch on the stump like the guy asked for.

[Sonictrainer]

It's obviously the Great Oak slide that goes to Knothole Village.

[Salamander]

Episode 2 marketing as we truly imagined it.

[Detective Shadzter]

In the Facebook comments.

Hey Jose Portela - it's not a tree branch, but I hope a stump is ok.

http://www.facebook....50342417&type=1

[Vec]

Wait, it's not just a stump. They labeled it as a "Breakable" stump

[Chaos Warp]

So, Kamatari time?

[Barry the Nomad]

My, Earth really is full of platforms!

Edited March 9, 2012 by Barry the Nomad

[Badnik Mechanic]

My, Earth really is full of platforms!

I think you should put the redhog... hiding just inside the tree stump.

But still... it's tree-mendous that you are still doing this. Don't let anything block you from updating it again.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Hogfather

[Barry the Nomad]

You thought I'd get writers block? You think SEGA can stump me?! I will never stop doing this. If SSMB takes away my right, I will find another platform! And another! And another! (I stop at three)

---

Oh redhog will make his appearance, I'm saving him for something. It probably won't be something special, but it's something.

[TheOcelot]

Sonic must be BARKing up the wrong tree!

[Barry the Nomad]

Those Knothole guesses may not have been too far off!

[Soniman]

Sorry I'm late, but Sega's recent trolling is the most hilarious think I ever seen.

I don't even care that the art is lame. That made everything worth it.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Groosenator032

[A Spray Can in Tokyo-to]

Those Knothole guesses may not have been too far off!

OH GOD COMIC SANS IT BUUUUUURNS

[Chooch]

It's not trolling.

It's typical Sega pushing unsubstantial nonsense that's disguised as trolling.

[sonfan1984]

Thought it may appear "unprofessional zomg", to some fools, needless to say, what SoA did was quite funny, really. It's nice to see companies like this have a sense of humor with their fans. SEGA (and Capcom) are A-okay in my book!

Edited March 9, 2012 by sonfan1984

[SweeCrue]

Edited March 9, 2012 by Sweecrue

[Barry the Nomad]

I really don't see how this is seen as being 'unprofessional'. It's not like they posted anything raunchy as a response to the guy at Facebook. One thing I like is that atleast the SEGA staff have a sense of humor. Some people really need to lighten up.

[Indigo Rush]

Good show, SEGA! Had a good chuckle there.

It's typical Sega pushing unsubstantial nonsense that's disguised as trolling.

[Dark Qiviut]

*LOL @ trolling* Sega, that was one humongous trolling you put in there. It really cracked me up. Great work!

Since @SEGA felt the need to call out one of their fans for Concept Art Friday, I don't think we'll be relaying it this wk. Don't be dicks.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Dark Qiviut

[Voyant]

Tristian of all people feels offended?

Really?

This reminds me of how the voice actor for the chef dude on Southpark got mad at the creators for making fun of his religion.

Despite joking on everyone's religion for like 5 years or so. Hypocritical BS at its finest.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Voy-Boy

[TheOcelot]

I actually quite like the TSSZ.

Having read the article where they are refusing to post the concept art, I had to try and stop myself from laughing too hard. SEGA's response to the sarcastic fans comment on their forums was brilliant (unprofessional) but hilarious. Who says SEGA don't listen to their fans.

I hope Jason Berry posts his usual Concept Art thread. I alway like his puns.

Edited March 9, 2012 by MilesKnightwing

[Indigo Rush]

Hoo dilly.

They released a news article about it:

http://www.tssznews.com/2012/03/09/sega-cm-calls-out-fan-in-latest-concept-art-friday-reveal/

(spoilered for those who don't like walls of text, or don't care for Tristan's antics)

Funny, Unprofessional, or Both?

This week, we’re not going to relay the week’s Concept Art Friday reveal from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode IIthat Sega usually releases. Instead, we’ll tell you about how Sega prefaced this week’s reveal; it is certainly one of the more unique introductions it’s seen.

For this week, Sega community manager Kellie Parker elected to frame the art around a fan’s sarcastic request seen on Facebook. The fan, Jose Portela, wrote this in response to last week’s artwork:

How exciting. Whats [sic] the next piece of concept art going to be? A tree branch?

Portela was simply relaying what many fans now feel about these weekly reveals: they’ve become uninspired and, frankly, not that informative, at least compared to info like game mechanics or actual screenshots. Still, Parker equaled that sarcasm by affording these words before showing off, in her words, “tree-related level design elements” (the most relevant of which was a stump):

We’ve taken his ever-so-helpful suggestion….

On the Sonic Facebook page, someone on the Sega team not confirmed to be Parker essentially finished that thought, directly intended for Portela:

Hey Jose Portela – it’s not a tree branch, but I hope a stump is OK.

Portela has not responded yet to the thinly veiled retort on the Sonic Facebook page, or anywhere else. By the sake token, Sega hasn’t really responded to his underlying concern: when all this concept art will eventually yield more useful information. Parker, however, did say this after the publication:

I’m glad people see the humor we tried to put into this. This is not at all a way to slap a fan’s face, and it’s not about Jose personally. (In fact, the comments on our Facebook posting of the tree stump image are downright hilarious.)

When we posted the concept art last week and I saw that comment, I laughed because we actually did have tree-related concept art on our schedule already. We all thought it was pretty ironic and funny, so rather than just releasing the concept art, we thought we’d have some fun with it.

—–

Allow me to step off the “news” pedestal for a moment. While it’s fine for Sega staff to have some fun every now and then–and Sega certainly has a track record of that–remember that positions like these are the first line of defense for any company, and the people behind them are supposed to be about useful fan engagement and customer service, maintaining the company’s positive image. To be fair, many did find the shot at Portela funny, but little actual outreach was accomplished beyond perhaps a snide underlying message of stop complaining. Given how many fans are keeping a much closer eye on Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II than usual, those complaints and concerns aren’t ending anytime soon.

Though Sega and its staff may be able to get away with some trolling like today’s, were Nike, Gap, or any other major brand in the same situation, it likely would have received far more attention and criticism for its arguably unprofessional nature, even if in the name of humor or coincidence. Sega, and Parker especially, should know better. If the company can’t handle the volume of concern and criticism surrounding this game, big or small–or this is the healthiest way they have to handle that criticism going forward–perhaps management needs to perform a hard reset on those tasked to tackle it.

—-

What are your thoughts? Could Parker and Sega have been a bit more tactful handling this? Or did you find it funny, and are getting sick of the nitpicking surrounding both this game and its promotion? Have a discussion below.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Indigo Rush