Sega Dumping Substandard Sonic Games

[Logan Westbrook]

Sega Dumping Substandard Sonic Games

Wave goodbye to the likes of Sonic Unleashed [http://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Unleashed-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B0017HIIWW/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1286471334&sr=1-1], because from now on you'll only be able to get them from the pre-owned section.

Sega is delisting a number of Sonic the Hedgehog games, thereby removing them from retailer's shelves, in order to strengthen the brand and prevent any confusion among consumers when Sonic Colors [http://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Colors-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B002I0IIPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1286471378&sr=1-1] and Sonic Free Riders [http://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Free-Riders-Xbox-360/dp/B002I0HEI6/ref=sr_1_4?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1286471403&sr=1-4] are released later in the year.

Any Sonic game with an "average" Metacritic score - presumably anything lower than 75 - is being dropped, leaving only a handful of games still standing. When you factor in the age of most of the "surviving" games, it's likely that only Sonic & Sega All Star Racing [http://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Sega-All-Stars-Racing-Xbox-360/dp/B002BRYHUY/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1286471449&sr=1-1] and Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection [http://www.amazon.com/Sonics-Ultimate-Genesis-Collection-Xbox-360/dp/B001G3AZS2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1286471475&sr=1-1] - which is only nominally a Sonic game anyway - will still be available to purchase new.

Jurgen Post, Sega's senior vice president for the Europe, Middle East and Africa territories, said that the delisting would be very important when more big Sonic games were released. He said that Sega could make a lot of money on Sonic back catalogue titles, but didn't want to run into problems of cannibalizing its own sales.

It's really hard to see this as anything other than a smart move, especially as it's not the poorly selling Sonic games that Sega is removing, it's the poorly reviewed ones. If you're trying to revitalize a brand, distancing it from the things that brought it down in the first place is a great idea.

Source: MCV [http://www.mcvuk.com/news/41217/Sub-standard-Sonics-de-listed]


Permalink

 

[BrunDeign]

But... what if the new ones are bad? I mean what are the new ones about in the first place?

 

[The Cheezy One]

What, like we did years ago?

 

[VanityGirl]

The only way this would be a GOOD thing is if the new games are good. If they are bad, then they won't sell.

 

[yellowhead]

Wait, wtf? So SEGA are fully aware of the bad Sonic games they have been making, but its taken them this long to understand that they shouldn't be selling them?

 

[Xanadu84]

Wait, wtf? So SEGA are fully aware of the bad Sonic games they have been making, but its taken them this long to understand that they shouldn't be selling them?

I am sure after making them, they were convinced they were good. Most people who make something bad just convince themselves that it was actually good.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Let's file this one under, 'Things that should have been done months ago' and move on.

This reminds me, is it still even possible to get a new copy of the RPG on the DS? Can't remember the title...Brotherhood of Darkness I think. It looked interesting and was apparently given good reviews.

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

Oh good, now I have to worry about Sega putting memory-erasing chemicals in my Corn Flakes. Most of the people who review the new Sonic games are still going to have that bad taste in their mouths, whether the games are still available or not.

 

[Jared]

Well, its about time - It feels so, dilluted.

Although I wonder how they will go further with this, in future games and such

 

[Whichi]

I don't blame them. I even got bored and tired of most of the other sonic games that wern't released for the sega genesis.

The ones I found to be the most annoying and tedious is the Sonic Advance games. My paitence and understanding of the gameplay was rather low, and I quit bothering and let my younger sisters play until they got tired of it. The only recent Sonic game I don't dislike (within the past 2 years) was the Sonic Chronicles. It kinda reminds me of the Super Mario RPG, but with touch screen shananagans to make special attacks more effective. It wasn't as epic as legend of dragoon, but going back to these kinds of fundamentals is better than the same old deal you see in a lot of RPGs now these days.

 

[MorteSphere]

>implying sonic has standards

 

[Tipsy Giant]

OR you could just STOP MAKING SHITTY GAMES, fucking hell, they don't get that moving quickly in 3D is impossible and if you aren't fast you ain't Sonic!

Here you go Sega i'm about to save your main franchise, Sonic should only ever be in 2D!!!!

 

[twm1709]

you know, I have the Unleashed demo in my Ps3 and i kinda like it. I've never played the full game so maybe it's the Brutal Lengend effect of the demo being a completely different beast.

 

[The Bandit]

The only way this would be a GOOD thing is if the new games are good. If they are bad, then they won't sell.

It's a smart move either way. It's not as easy for moms to confuse the new titles with old ones now.

 

[TLatshaw]

This move is implying some confidence in their upcoming titles. I'm intrigued.

 

[ShakerSilver]

Wow. Sega is suddenly gaining respect from me. Let's just hope the new Sonic games won't suck, otherwise any respect I had for them would be gone.

 

[commodorejohn]

"Strengthen the brand?" Ha ha, Sega, good one. After you're done strengthening the Sonic brand, maybe you can hire on as an image consultant for O.J. Simpson, or get the Hindenburg back into flying condition?

 

[Jazoni89]

I guess it was predictable that something like this would happen, sonic games haven't really been selling since the dreamcast era. Sega is ashamed of this and rightly so. All that Sega needs to do is to appeal to the sonic fanbase and if they don't, then the games are doomed to fail.

I have to agree that Sonic fans can be extremely fickle especially the pro 2D fans. Who think that every new sonic game should be in 2d. I tend to disagree with these people. Mainly due to the fact i know that 3D sonic can been done well given the right gameplay balance (Sonic adventure 1/2, Unleashed and to a much lesser extent Sonic heroes proved this).

Sega just needs to get on the ball and make it happen.