Exclusive: Next-Gen Sonic Imminent

Fans of the Sega mascot won't have long to wait until his next big title is revealed. Hot details inside.

It seems barely a week passes without some sort of Sonic release these days - but fans have still been anticipating the next, big Sonic game.

Ever since Sega teased with next-gen demo footage back at E3 in May, we've been waiting to see more of Sonic looking so darn good. After all, the other demos that formed part of Sega's closed-booth presentation have all now been announced and shown off at last week's AM show in Japan.

Kikizo can reveal that Next-Gen Sonic is scheduled to be announced at the end of this week, on September 9, before making an appearance at the Tokyo Game Show, which starts September 16.

Next-Gen Sonic is set to reflect the E3 demo, which has since been leaked onto the web in a low-quality video. It showed Sonic speeding through the jungle before facing up to an army of mechanical enemies, which gunned the hero down in a spray of bullets. Poor Sonic! But he became Super Sonic and kicked their ass. Go Sonic!

We'll likely see more of what the game will offer on the 9th, when we expect the first screenshots and details to hit the web. But, when Sonic is shown off at TGS we expect a full, debut trailer at the very least.

However, don't expect to be playing it anytime soon. Next-Gen Sonic won't see release for well over a year. We've not been able to confirm the formats it will appear on, but we're speculating that the initial announcement will focus on Xbox 360, while eventual release will see multiple next-gen platforms. Back at E3, Sega representatives were coy when pushed for details of which hardware the demos represented - particularly in the case of Sonic.

And it's no secret that recent Sonic titles were developed using popular middleware, so it's likely that the demo wasn't format-specific either, and can be scaled to any console. It makes sense for Sonic to remain a multi-platform franchise - but we'll have to wait and see.

Sonic Heroes left a sour taste for some fans, while others loved it. The previous Sonic Adventure titles were generally well received, but still had some widely recognised problems. Sega is listening to critical feedback today more than ever, and also making far more strategic decisions than it has done in the past. Maybe this time, Next-Gen Sonic will get it just right. Some might say Sonic's getting on a bit now - but thankfully, Sega disagrees.

Sonic will be announced ahead of TGS.
One thing that's certain is is that Dr Eggman will sound a bit different this time. Deem Bristow, the voice actor who played the villain in the previous games, sadly passed away in January this year.

So, Yu Suzuki finally returns with a promising new arcade title, legendary AM2 franchises are back, Shenmue is still alive, Nagoshi is exploring an untapped side of his creativity, and now Sonic is set to return in a big way. It seems about the right time to point out "we told you so" when we said that the game was far from over for Sega fans.

And by the way, you can also look forward to new versions of other popular Sega franchises at TGS as well. Be excited!

~Kikizo

Publisher reveals next-gen Hedgehog and current-gen Sonic Riders for 2006; Chromehounds dated and detailed.

It might not have been the fabled "Segaton," (but hey, what is?) but today's flurry of announcements from Sega will elate devotees of the publisher. Late Thursday PDT, the company took the wraps off two heretofore unknown projects and dated one of its top next-generation titles.

First up was the announcement that yes indeed, there is a next-generation Sonic game in the works. Billed as a "re-invention" of the classic franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog will make its debut on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sometime during 2006.

Presiding over the game's development will be none other than Yuji Naka, who, along with character designer Naoto Ohshima, created the original Sonic game for the Sega Genesis in 1991. According to Sega, Naka will "create the most intense sensation of speed ever experienced in videogames" with "an innovative combination of art, physics and game design."

"We are proud to re-create our famous friend, Sonic, for a new generation of gamers on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360," said Naka. "With Sonic the Hedgehog, we have gone back to our starting point, more than 15-years ago, to reinvent the attitude and speed that made our hero a legend. The 'rebirth of Sonic' will offer an unparalleled sense of speed that is only possible using the processing power afforded by the new systems."

Sega also had good news for Xbox, GameCube, or PlayStation 2 owners. The company simultaneously announced Sonic Riders, a new title that "integrates extreme sports, high-speed racing and head-to-head battles," will ship in winter 2006 for all three platforms.

However, Sonic Riders' racing won't involve cars, motorcycles, or Wipeout-esque hovercraft. Instead, players will assume the role of one of several characters riding air boards in an international competition which will pit Sonic and his cohorts against the nefarious Dr. Eggman's team, The Band of Thieves: Babylon. The winner of the contest--which will support up to four players--will take home the fabled Chaos Emerald.

Last but not least, Sega today dated Chromehounds, its forthcoming mech-combat game for the Xbox 360. In development at Tokyo-based From Software (Otogi, Armored Core), the game will ship for Microsoft's next-gen console in spring 2006, around the same time as the PlayStation 3 launch.

Sega did not release any rating or pricing information for Chromehounds. However, it did release a bevy of details on the game, including the fact it will offer both "an absorbing single-player campaign and a fully customizable Xbox Live experience," according to Sega of America vice president of marketing Scott Steinberg. Steinberg also said the game would sport both cooperative and competitive online play and allow players to choose from "thousands of upgrade options, which affect both the look and performance of player mechs."

Sega also said that Chromehounds would have "cooperative and competitive campaigns for up to 12 players" simultaneously, and let players exert squad-based control in "tactics commander" mode. The publisher also promised "photorealistic visuals" of desolate, conflict-swept battlefields.