När Segas product manager Jim Dyer nyligen snackade med Twinfinite om Sonic-spel i allmänhet - detta med tanke på att både Sonic Mania och Sonic Forces - väntar runt knuten, var han oväntat öppen om tidigare delar i serien. Utan större krusiduller medgavs att kottens utveckling genom åren inte varit sådär övermåttans dunderbra alla gånger:
"At the end of the day, Sega is a business and there is a strategy behind everything. Every publisher has their niche, and one of our biggest niches is our community. People who love Sega, love Sega. Our model has changed drastically over the past decade. We went from a [Japanese] franchise into evolving into a PC, RTS powerhouse. This was great for our business model, but our fans who love our original titles are still there and we need to speak to that audience.
Sonic is a franchise that we've tried to evolve but it hasn't necessarily worked - I can openly say that. Generations and Colors were huge successes within the modern Sonic world, but it is about taking modern Sonic and making it something more."
Det väcker ju såklart frågan om Sonic Mania och Forces kommer leverera på den punkten, och lyckligtvis hade Dyer ett svar att komma med även där:
"Sonic Mania is for the fans. The plan with Sonic Forces, bringing Forces out soon after, is that it is a Sonic game for everyone. Sonic Mania is one for fans, either because of nostalgia or for people who just love the brand, or for kids that recognise the character."
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