Love it. Here's some other possible titles: Space Channel 5 reboot. Chu Chu Rocket with mobile to console gameplay. Nights into Dreams sequel with added VR mode. Pandering Dragon's RPG to compete against Square Enix. Jet Set Radio sequel with thorough multi-player modes, including campaign. Samba De Amiga RPG (why not?)
And, finally, a Sonic game as magnum opus. Hire creative team members from Naughty Dog, Insomniac, and, cough, Nintendo. Go all out. Reboot Sonic. Get rid of all the lore, the Sonic Adventure additions. Make a game that the general population is interested in. Try to actually compete with Mario in the platform space. Take inspiration from Enter the Spider-verse for art style, but not as a complete copy. Again, inspiration. Try to conjure up the wonder of the opening Green Hill Zone level from the first game, but not by doing Green Hill Zone. Stop trying to just copy a Nintendo formula (Galaxy, BotW, etc.) Anyway, great post!
I was so close to putting Space Channel 5, it was absolutely on my kind, also a modern remake of Sonic Adventure. Nights is a really interesting idea, it's so hard to imagine what that would look like removed from the Sega Saturn.
I so wish they'd go all out like you say. Sonic always feels so ;budget' today and for the love of God, why does every Sonic game consist of 1/3 remade levels?
Love the Sonic Adventure remake idea. It's be a great way to reboot and grab older fans at the samw time. I think Nights, weirdly, would translate the best into both the mobile game market (via apps) and a Sega home console. Marketing wise, it could appeal to a gen Alpha demo.
As for Sonic in general, I don't understand Sega's strategy. I wrote a piece comparing Sega to Eminem, always trying to figure out how to relive and move on from the past (I didn't publish it; it's insane), and I think the brand has had such damage that it will never recapture the status it has in the late 90's. On the other hand, Sonic has proven to be bulletproof commercially, so it baffles me why they don't take more really weird chances, instead of doing the Nintendo copy-and-paste of some older game?
I'm surprised it's not happened already, seems like the kind of port that would have done really well on the Wii, that console is a bit of a Sonic machine on the quiet, though I guess it would have been awkward since you could already play the original's dubious Gamecube port on it. I really hope they do revisit Nights someday, I'll admit I haven't gotten around to adding it to my Saturn collection yet but that game just has an immaculate, otherworldly atmosphere to it, great soundtrack too.
Funnily enough, I almost included a line in this article about Sega being like KISS haha, different eras, some awful, some awesome, the only throughline being a consistent design theme and set of people. Looking back on their failure I think they just bet on the wrong stuff at every turn: they clung to the arcade when people wanted more mature experiences, they went for the wrong polygon technology, they bet on 2D still being pre-eminent, they started that annoying 90's trend of consoles having add-ons and too many peripherals, the list is endless.
I hate to say this, man, but the least believable part of all this is a successful launch lineup that includes a new Creative Assembly game. This alternate universe must be more different than you let on
Sega spending an enormous amount of money hiring superheroes to explore the multiverse to find a version of Earth where CA is still a competent and trusted developer sounds like exactly the sort of business decision Sega would make in any universe
Similarly, Sega believing their dev teams are infallible and accusing people giving valid criticism of foul-play would also be very Sega. See: Peter Moore being accused of falsifying market research because they couldn't accept that Western gamers had different tastes and Sega game design was outdated.
Just so long as you can plug in your new console into more peripherals to make a Sega Tower of Power 2, otherwise no dice I'm afraid 😂
It's an intriguing idea, I'm not entirely convinced Sega would have just copied the Switch design though. They definitely used to make some bad choices, but Sega could also be surprisingly creative and inventive when they wanted to be. For them to come back as a 4th manufacturer, they would probably need to use a bit of that wackiness to stand out from the crowd of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.
My line of thinking for most of it was that they just don't have the money to produce something entirely original/cutting edge anymore, though could be wrong of course and in a fantasy world, I'd love to see some classic Sega nonsense return too
Although I never owned one, the Dreamcast was a great example of Sega at their fullest - unique, willing to give anything a shot. That would be their unique selling point, because - let's face it - Sony and Microsoft have become boring and samey
Such a great console, it doesn't feel like anything else to play; I plugged it back in last night to play some more actually.
This is very true also, I own a pretty high-end gaming PC and for the life of me, with all the exclusives coming to us eventually, I cannot find a single reason to buy a PS5 or Series X.
give me a new console with a handful of big games to start with and then expand from there. In the meantime you can fill in time with past titles via online store. For new titles you can have all the genres covered. For platformers, Sonic is a system seller. Give us a big new 3D Sonic game in the vein of Adventure or something similar to it. Have that be a pack in title for the kids. For the teens, pack it with Persona. Adults? Yakuza. That's the mainstream stuff that has the widest appeal. Now here's the other stuff you can release to get them to spend a little extra on the side. Ok first genre, fighting games. The new Virtua Fighter got it covered. Next for racing games we need a new DAYTONA USA or even a crossover racing game similar to Sonic Racing Crossworlds or All Stars Racing/Transformed. RPG? A traditional style Phantasy Star or Skies of Arcadia. Dragon Force, Beyond Oasis... Maybe a remake of Panzer Dragoon Saga since it is a fairly short game and wouldn't take too long to remake. Strategy? Shining Force. Puzzle? PUYO PUYO! Maybe a new ChuChu Rocket with tons of new mini games, multiplayer stuff, ect. Sports? Bring back Sega Sports and make new sports titles. Show EA how it's done. co-op? Gunstar Heroes or Guardian Heroes or some new Heroes game by Treasure. Music/rhythm games? Samba De Amigo, Space Channel 5, Hatsune Miku, or how about this idea: A DJ game starring DJ Professor K!
There’s a officially licensed Phantasy Star TTRPG coming at the end of the month that I preordered back in December.
Been debating picking up the original Phantasy Star for Master System, not really a JRPG fan but trying to include more in my gaming diet
Love it. Here's some other possible titles: Space Channel 5 reboot. Chu Chu Rocket with mobile to console gameplay. Nights into Dreams sequel with added VR mode. Pandering Dragon's RPG to compete against Square Enix. Jet Set Radio sequel with thorough multi-player modes, including campaign. Samba De Amiga RPG (why not?)
And, finally, a Sonic game as magnum opus. Hire creative team members from Naughty Dog, Insomniac, and, cough, Nintendo. Go all out. Reboot Sonic. Get rid of all the lore, the Sonic Adventure additions. Make a game that the general population is interested in. Try to actually compete with Mario in the platform space. Take inspiration from Enter the Spider-verse for art style, but not as a complete copy. Again, inspiration. Try to conjure up the wonder of the opening Green Hill Zone level from the first game, but not by doing Green Hill Zone. Stop trying to just copy a Nintendo formula (Galaxy, BotW, etc.) Anyway, great post!
I was so close to putting Space Channel 5, it was absolutely on my kind, also a modern remake of Sonic Adventure. Nights is a really interesting idea, it's so hard to imagine what that would look like removed from the Sega Saturn.
I so wish they'd go all out like you say. Sonic always feels so ;budget' today and for the love of God, why does every Sonic game consist of 1/3 remade levels?
Glad you liked it!
Love the Sonic Adventure remake idea. It's be a great way to reboot and grab older fans at the samw time. I think Nights, weirdly, would translate the best into both the mobile game market (via apps) and a Sega home console. Marketing wise, it could appeal to a gen Alpha demo.
As for Sonic in general, I don't understand Sega's strategy. I wrote a piece comparing Sega to Eminem, always trying to figure out how to relive and move on from the past (I didn't publish it; it's insane), and I think the brand has had such damage that it will never recapture the status it has in the late 90's. On the other hand, Sonic has proven to be bulletproof commercially, so it baffles me why they don't take more really weird chances, instead of doing the Nintendo copy-and-paste of some older game?
I'm surprised it's not happened already, seems like the kind of port that would have done really well on the Wii, that console is a bit of a Sonic machine on the quiet, though I guess it would have been awkward since you could already play the original's dubious Gamecube port on it. I really hope they do revisit Nights someday, I'll admit I haven't gotten around to adding it to my Saturn collection yet but that game just has an immaculate, otherworldly atmosphere to it, great soundtrack too.
Funnily enough, I almost included a line in this article about Sega being like KISS haha, different eras, some awful, some awesome, the only throughline being a consistent design theme and set of people. Looking back on their failure I think they just bet on the wrong stuff at every turn: they clung to the arcade when people wanted more mature experiences, they went for the wrong polygon technology, they bet on 2D still being pre-eminent, they started that annoying 90's trend of consoles having add-ons and too many peripherals, the list is endless.
I hate to say this, man, but the least believable part of all this is a successful launch lineup that includes a new Creative Assembly game. This alternate universe must be more different than you let on
I'm not convinced Creative Assembly can make a good game, let alone what would be the most anticipated sequel in RTS history.
Sega spending an enormous amount of money hiring superheroes to explore the multiverse to find a version of Earth where CA is still a competent and trusted developer sounds like exactly the sort of business decision Sega would make in any universe
Similarly, Sega believing their dev teams are infallible and accusing people giving valid criticism of foul-play would also be very Sega. See: Peter Moore being accused of falsifying market research because they couldn't accept that Western gamers had different tastes and Sega game design was outdated.
Just so long as you can plug in your new console into more peripherals to make a Sega Tower of Power 2, otherwise no dice I'm afraid 😂
It's an intriguing idea, I'm not entirely convinced Sega would have just copied the Switch design though. They definitely used to make some bad choices, but Sega could also be surprisingly creative and inventive when they wanted to be. For them to come back as a 4th manufacturer, they would probably need to use a bit of that wackiness to stand out from the crowd of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.
My line of thinking for most of it was that they just don't have the money to produce something entirely original/cutting edge anymore, though could be wrong of course and in a fantasy world, I'd love to see some classic Sega nonsense return too
Although I never owned one, the Dreamcast was a great example of Sega at their fullest - unique, willing to give anything a shot. That would be their unique selling point, because - let's face it - Sony and Microsoft have become boring and samey
Such a great console, it doesn't feel like anything else to play; I plugged it back in last night to play some more actually.
This is very true also, I own a pretty high-end gaming PC and for the life of me, with all the exclusives coming to us eventually, I cannot find a single reason to buy a PS5 or Series X.
give me a new console with a handful of big games to start with and then expand from there. In the meantime you can fill in time with past titles via online store. For new titles you can have all the genres covered. For platformers, Sonic is a system seller. Give us a big new 3D Sonic game in the vein of Adventure or something similar to it. Have that be a pack in title for the kids. For the teens, pack it with Persona. Adults? Yakuza. That's the mainstream stuff that has the widest appeal. Now here's the other stuff you can release to get them to spend a little extra on the side. Ok first genre, fighting games. The new Virtua Fighter got it covered. Next for racing games we need a new DAYTONA USA or even a crossover racing game similar to Sonic Racing Crossworlds or All Stars Racing/Transformed. RPG? A traditional style Phantasy Star or Skies of Arcadia. Dragon Force, Beyond Oasis... Maybe a remake of Panzer Dragoon Saga since it is a fairly short game and wouldn't take too long to remake. Strategy? Shining Force. Puzzle? PUYO PUYO! Maybe a new ChuChu Rocket with tons of new mini games, multiplayer stuff, ect. Sports? Bring back Sega Sports and make new sports titles. Show EA how it's done. co-op? Gunstar Heroes or Guardian Heroes or some new Heroes game by Treasure. Music/rhythm games? Samba De Amigo, Space Channel 5, Hatsune Miku, or how about this idea: A DJ game starring DJ Professor K!