SEGA president Shuji Utsumi has said in a recent interview that he feels that Sonic Superstars turned out to be a disappointment for the company and didn’t live up to the company’s expectations. However, he says that he is immensely pleased with Sonic x Shadow Generations as that turned out to be not only a great game but received good reviews from the gaming press and gamers alike. He then went on to say that 2025 is going to be “next level” for the long-running franchise.
When Nintendo puts out a mainline Mario game, it’s a big event. One only comes out every five years or so. There’s always a new theme, but it’s still fundamentally ‘Mario’. At one point there were so many Sonic games coming out, it felt like there was no quality control. It just felt like a fiscal obligation. What are you doing to increase the quality level of Sonic games?
Utsumi: That’s a very good question. We were trying to do something creative with Sonic Frontiers. With Sonic Superstars it turned out to be a disappointment, in terms of the outcome compared to what we delivered. This time we have Sonic X Shadow Generations and the next Sonic movie, so we’re pushing things in the transmedia direction – movies and games working in harmony to make things bigger. But the core [of the experience] is the game. The game needs to be very good or else there is no transmedia effect.
The Sonic X Shadow Generations game is actually very good, I would say awesome, action-wise. But starting next year, it’s going to be the next level, as you will just see at TGA.
Thanks to Greatsong1 and Sonicgalaxy27 for sending in the news tip!
Sega is truly disappointing itself… but real talk, glad that they acknowledged that the reason superstars tanked was because it was not very good aside from releasing it close to wonder. NOW MAKE MANIA 2!
In their defences, Sonic Frontiers was (at least for me) great, and Shadow Generations was fantastic. So it’s not like if Sonic is not having anything to go with at all.
Sonic mania 2 is what we all wanted, but Sega was too butt hurt about this success of part one and the fact that they didn’t make it themselves.
So they thought they could do better with Sonic Superstars…
That’s why Sonic mania 2 never got made.
Perhaps now we have a chance.
Hats off to the journalist, brilliant question.
I feel like Sega are so inconsistent with the Sonic brand.
Yeah it’s been an issue for a long time. Sad that Sonic SuperStars ended up being the way it was.
Maybe if they didn’t try and release the game in the same week and for a similar price point as their biggest historical competitor’s new game, which has a history of outselling them, they might have stood a chance of not disappointing themselves.
And that’s how you reinvent rock ‘n roll, lol.
At least he had the guts to admit that a Sonic game was a disappointment.
Exactly what I was thinking 😂
Hey don’t hate on Classic Sonic in Sonic Superstars, I loved the game as did many others that appreciate it. For I as an older Sonic Fan prefer Classic Sonic and I have been waiting for Sonic Superstars 2 as are many other fans that actually did love it. I say make Sonic Superstars 2 for the fans that love Classic Sonic, Sonic Superstars was labeled an instant Classic when it was released. There is room in this world for both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic, but all you care about is making money, you don’t care about certain fan voices that actually care. Look all I’m asking stop making it about the damn MONEY, do it for the Classic Sonic Fans, the brought alot Fans back once Classic Sonic back. So maybe it’s time to take a step back an realize Canon and Non Canon doesn’t really matter to some Sonic Fans. After all Hyper Sonic is Non Canon and he is way more powerful than Super Sonic, and yet Fans still remember such things along with the shows. Can’t you see Sonic has a large variety of Fans, I this grand multi verse of Sonic Fans, so what if there is differences that what makes it so unique at the same time. And that’s coming from an old Sonic Satam Fan like me, maybe it’s time to listen to all Sonic Fans not just the majority, you’ll lose fans that just like before. As I said before there is room in this world for all Sonic Multi Verses and the Multi Verse of Sonic Fans. Maybe it’s to settle, instead of trying to control everything like Eggman does and actually listen to what each Sonic is saying together hand in hand United. For the Multi Sonic Fan Universe to be set free and exist in many different levels. But who am I to say, you Sega have the final say, so here is waiting, I just hoped my words reach your hearts to all of Sega and all my fellow Sonic Fans. Anyway Merry Christmas to all.
Classic Sonic is pixel art and 2D. Not 3D models and bad Jun Senuoe music and horrific design akin to Sonic 4. Superstars was horrible. We want Mania 2.
….and leave the classic topdown 3D to Traveler’s Tales.
“As you’ll see at TGA” I wouldn’t consider a new Sonic Racing game “next level”
The best Sonic game (for me so it’s only my responsibility) remains Sonic Adventure 1 released more than 25 years ago…
In fact, Sega without Atlus would have gone bankrupt a long time ago.
Glitchy broken mess. NOSTALGIA OVERLOAD
You can’t go bankrupt with the sonic brand, merch alone make them stay afloat forever
Generations was so hype back in the day, and it didn’t disappoint. I’m glad they managed to renew it now for another breath of life.
I wonder if our “friend” sonicgalaxy27</b”> hates arzest as much as he unfairly hates dimps because the wii version of spnic unleashed.
Sega needs to focus on something besides Sonic for a change.
They are reviving like 5 dead IP’s right now, while having persona and yakuza making a shit load of money and Metaphor is doing amazing. I think sonic is not the only thing they have rn
Superstars was really fun for me but it didn’t defined the experience of the Sonic brand.
How many years have passed and you are still obsessed with Sonic?
What do you want troller? Why are you using that name?
Maybe if they didn’t try and release the game in the same week and for a similar price point as their biggest historical competitor’s new game, which has a history of outselling them, they might have stood a chance of not disappointing themselves.
Sega is killing it
TRUE!
I just bought a Switch and Sonic Superstars. Is he gonna give me my money back now? 😭
Nah, it’s fun. The bosses are pretty meh to bad though. You’ll probably enjoy it as a speed mastery game if you enjoyed the Genesis games.
All I know is, don’t blame fans for wanting Fang to return. Nobody asked for such a cheap final boss battle, along with cool-down phases and bosses hanging out in the background, where you can only interact with the various hazards they throw at you, some that can even insta-kill you.
It was priced too high.
Why buy Sonic Superstars at high cost when you could buy and play Sonic Mania for a fraction of the price? From all accounts I’ve heard, Mania is the superior game anyway.
For a fraction of the cost.
Honestly Sonic Superstars is much better than Mania or Frontiers, definitely one of the best games ever.