Sonic Team boss Takashi Iizuka has revealed that Sega once considered cancelling the entire Sonic franchise before the first movie saved the Blue Blur.
Sonic has become one of gaming’s most recognizable characters, spanning games, movies, animation, and even getting his own blue curry (you know the one).
However, the lightning-fast hedgehog’s decades-long journey hasn’t always been easy, with Sonic boss Takashi Iizuka revealing that he had to fight for the series’ survival to stop Sega from pulling the plug.
“There had been good times, and there had been 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,” said Takashi Iizuka during an interview with One More Game.
According to Iizuka, the major turning point arrived with the release of the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie in 2020. As you may remember, the movie initially faced widespread backlash over Sonic’s original design, mainly over the character’s human teeth (I still get nightmares).
However, the mixture of memes and overall backlash forced Paramount to delay the release and eventually redesign Sonic completely. Ultimately, the film’s success helped bring Sonic firmly back into discussion amongst both new fans and series veterans.
“The biggest milestone for me was the first movie. That had been a great hit and definitely changed the course of this franchise,” said Iizuka.
While the movie may have helped secure Sonic’s resurgence, Iizuka believes Sonic Adventure remains the most important game in the franchise’s history.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/sonic-team-boss-says-first-movie-saved-entire-series-from-cancellation-3411248/
