Despite seemingly being a Nintendo only franchise, new reports suggest that SEGA’s speedy echidna, Sonic, will be released on PS4 and Xbox One in 2015.
There are two widely believed (albeit, relatively false) assumptions about Sonic the Hedgehog. For one, our favourite neon blue mammal isn’t a hedgehog at all and has been confirmed to be an echidna (essentially a hedgehog but less spellcheck friendly). Secondly, it’s also widely believed that Sonic is tied to Nintendo consoles like a family friendly anchor (Sonic only has a 3 game exclusivity deal with the Wii U and 3DS, but all other games past that are potentially off the table), given that Sonic’s gold ring platforming and his tales of teaming up with friends and defeating a cartoonish enemy are well suited to Nintendo’s key 8 years old and under demographic. However, as the series looks to expand, Sonic (and presumably Tails, Knuckles and Doctor Robotnik) are reportedly set to arrive on PS4 and Xbox in a new game rumoured to be released in 2015.
The reports around the Internet are being circulated after a display at the Nuremburg International Toy Fair seemed to list a ‘New 2015 title TBA’ along with the logos for the Wii U, PS4 and the Xbox One. The poster listed this along with several other confirmed Sonic products, including 3DS and Wii U title, Sonic: Lost World, Sonic’s Winter Olympics game, as well as Sonic’s upcoming animated series. The suggestion is lent credence by the fact that not only was the poster not put together by a enthusiastic PS4-owning Sonic fan with a pencil and some crayons, toy vendors are also a prime group of people who would be privy to information such as upcoming video game releases. Furthermore, Sonic has long been a big hit in the toy and licensed merchandise space, giving SEGA (the publisher of the Sonic games) a good reason to let toy vendors in on the news of a new Sonic game before the media ,as the profit could benefit them both.
It’s bad news, however, for Nintendo, whose systems have long been judged on the their third party titles (third party games indicate support for a console outside of the console maker’s sphere) and as Sonic is a somewhat formidable brand (whose popularity hasn’t even diminished that much in the face of atrocious games), it gives plenty of players a reason to trump up the money for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS, two consoles whose sales would suggest that they’d need as much help as they can get to increase popularity. Sega have yet to confirm the game but the reports could see them do so soon.
We’ll keep you posted once we know more.
Source: Forbes
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