Sega nearly killed Sonic before the movies revived the franchise

[Shawn Knight]

Through the looking glass: Sonic the Hedgehog has been the face of Sega for well over three decades. In the early 90s, Sonic squared off with Mario for 16-bit console supremacy – and some say he got the better of the bout. But it hasn't always been sunshine and rainbows for the furry blue hedgehog. Indeed, at one point in the not too distant past, Sega almost did away with their iconic mascot.

During a recent interview at the Tokyo Game Show, Sonic boss Takashi Iizuka recalled both the good and bad times. "During the worst times, I was told by the higher-ups that we should cancel the entire franchise. I had to fight within the organization to keep the franchise as long as possible."

A key turning point in the fight to keep Sonic alive came in 2020 with the first live-action movie. If you recall, the first trailer sent the Internet into a tailspin. Viewers were horrified by Sonic's normal-sized eyes, white fur hands, and a mouth full of human-looking teeth. Fortunately, the film's director listened to the criticism and total redesigned the character ahead of launch.

The gamble paid off. Sonic the Hedgehog ended up grossing $320 million at the box office and paved the way for multiple sequels. More importantly, it proved to Sega that the demand for Sonic was alive and well.

The tale highlights just how unstable the entertainment industry can be, and how one project has the potential to make or break a franchise and change the trajectory of history. To date, the Sonic franchise has sold over 1.5 billion copies worldwide.

Imagine how Nintendo's timeline might have looked had the company abandoned Mario following the release of the 1993 live action film. Had the 2020 Sonic film flopped, it's very possible that Nintendo might have thought twice about releasing The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023. That animated flick raked in $1.36 billion at the box office.

And who knows how many awesome games and characters we have missed out on because an executive prematurely pulled the plug on a budding franchise. Perhaps in an alternate, parallel timeline, folks are enjoying movies and games we never will.

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Sega nearly killed Sonic before the movies revived the franchise

 

[NumberNine]

Releasing the film didn't save Sonic, listening to feedback saved him. Well, that and Sonic Mania.

 

[PierreJG]

For me, the Sonic game died when they started making it 3D. to Date Sonic 2 is still the best Sonic ever made. It reminds me of, I think it was Street Fighter X3 or something for PlayStation 1. A 2D game made 3D. Not a big fan. Classics are classics for a reason. I do like the Sonic movies, though. Donut Lord and Sonic (Should have been the first Sonic movie's name)

 

[opckieran]

Releasing the film didn't save Sonic, listening to feedback saved him. Well, that and Sonic Mania.

The fans know Sonic far better than SEGA does at this point. Truly, the series has been woefully mismanaged these past 20 years. Thankfully the fangame scene is alive and kicking.

 

[NumberNine]

For me, the Sonic game died when they started making it 3D. to Date Sonic 2 is still the best Sonic ever made. It reminds me of, I think it was Street Fighter X3 or something for PlayStation 1. A 2D game made 3D. Not a big fan. Classics are classics for a reason. I do like the Sonic movies, though. Donut Lord and Sonic (Should have been the first Sonic movie's name)

When I was a kid, during the summers one extended family adult was selected to care for us while all the other parents worked and we were excited when it was one specific aunt because she had Sonic 2 and we were on it all day long every day trying to beat it.

Casino Nights is still my favorite zone. Many people also never realized the 2 Player mode has its own soundtrack for each zone, separate from single player.