Well, that's the problem with media presentations. To be honest I supposed "diverse and sophisticated" does apply, given that it has multiple facets and some fairly complex desires. Basically you've got the 30-something original sonic fans, the furries, and of course kids who are given Sonic games due to it's long standing image as a "kid safe" property.
In short to develop a sonic game they have to try and walk between the raindrops of the new technology kids today are expecting, the retro desires of the original fans in an era where fairly straightforward 2d platformers aren't common, and those who are into sonic simply due to the anthromorphics... coming up with artwork that is inherantly kid friendly but open to deviant sexualization by a fan community probably isn't as easy as many people give it credit for.
Spelling all that out wouldn't flow well in a speech, and probably wouldn't be considered positive. All three of those audiences need to be catered to, while many people would be thinking "WTF" in regards to the furries, if you look at the material out there about Sonic on various art sites and so on, you'll see it's been going on for years and years. That fan base, while creepy, has been a part of the platform holding up Der Hedgehog for this long. It's also the most reliable part of the platform since the original fans of "classic" Sonic tend to be constantly disappointed and buy products sporadically, while the interest of kids has always been transient, with an interest in Sonic fading in and out. The Furries however have pretty much always been there with their deviant art pages, and "alternative lifestyle" pages. Basically when you check out sites like say Encyclopedia Dramatica and similar and find that people have covered "Sonic Themed Furpiles" (ie orgies full of furries in suits) complete with eye-burning photos (no, I have not checked recently, but I imagine I could find links easily enough, I just won't because it would probably violate Escapist policy... and really you DON'T want to see it even if you think you do) with some surprising regularity, your looking at a market so fanatical where they probably buy up every Sonic property there is and represent a marketing force... basically if these guys buy crotchless/buttless fursuits (and perhaps more than one to become differant characters) which can cost thousands of dollars apiece, it's a foregone conclusion they are going to buy your next game. I'd imagine that if various expose/dark humor/internet culture sites have covered and outed this, TEAM SONIC can't exactly be oblivious.
In short to develop a sonic game they have to try and walk between the raindrops of the new technology kids today are expecting, the retro desires of the original fans in an era where fairly straightforward 2d platformers aren't common, and those who are into sonic simply due to the anthromorphics... coming up with artwork that is inherantly kid friendly but open to deviant sexualization by a fan community probably isn't as easy as many people give it credit for.
Spelling all that out wouldn't flow well in a speech, and probably wouldn't be considered positive. All three of those audiences need to be catered to, while many people would be thinking "WTF" in regards to the furries, if you look at the material out there about Sonic on various art sites and so on, you'll see it's been going on for years and years. That fan base, while creepy, has been a part of the platform holding up Der Hedgehog for this long. It's also the most reliable part of the platform since the original fans of "classic" Sonic tend to be constantly disappointed and buy products sporadically, while the interest of kids has always been transient, with an interest in Sonic fading in and out. The Furries however have pretty much always been there with their deviant art pages, and "alternative lifestyle" pages. Basically when you check out sites like say Encyclopedia Dramatica and similar and find that people have covered "Sonic Themed Furpiles" (ie orgies full of furries in suits) complete with eye-burning photos (no, I have not checked recently, but I imagine I could find links easily enough, I just won't because it would probably violate Escapist policy... and really you DON'T want to see it even if you think you do) with some surprising regularity, your looking at a market so fanatical where they probably buy up every Sonic property there is and represent a marketing force... basically if these guys buy crotchless/buttless fursuits (and perhaps more than one to become differant characters) which can cost thousands of dollars apiece, it's a foregone conclusion they are going to buy your next game. I'd imagine that if various expose/dark humor/internet culture sites have covered and outed this, TEAM SONIC can't exactly be oblivious.
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