Sonic | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Wed, 27 Mar 2024 09:05:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Sonic | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 GameCube Classic ‘Sonic Heroes’ is reportedly getting a remake https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/gamecube-classic-sonic-heroes-is-reportedly-getting-a-remake/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/gamecube-classic-sonic-heroes-is-reportedly-getting-a-remake/#respond Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:00:42 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=652730 Everyone has their own favourite Sonic the Hedgehog game. For some, it's the classic 2D titles. For others, it may be Sonic Adventure, Unleashed, or even one of the more modern releases. Arguably one of the best entries in the long running series is 2003’s Sonic Heroes. Initially released for the GameCube and PS2, the …

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Everyone has their own favourite Sonic the Hedgehog game. For some, it's the classic 2D titles. For others, it may be Sonic Adventure, Unleashed, or even one of the more modern releases. Arguably one of the best entries in the long running series is 2003’s Sonic Heroes. Initially released for the GameCube and PS2, the 20 year old title is seemingly set to get a remake.

As reported by known insiders ‘Necro Felipe Lima’ and ‘Midori’, a Sonic heroes remake is currently in development. Said to be using Unreal Engine for the project, the game is targeting current-gen systems only – meaning PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and the upcoming Nintendo Switch successor.

While no concrete launch window was provided, the leakers did suggest that a 2025 release is likely, assuming development goes smoothly of course.

Sonic Heroes has so much more to offer than just its iconic theme song and so hopefully this remake (the first of its kind for Sonic) manages to be both a critical and commercial success.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic Heroes? Are you surprised to see them using Unreal Engine instead of the Hedgehog Engine? What is your favourite Sonic Game? Let us know down below.

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Multiple mobile Sonic games reportedly in development https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/mustafa-mahmoud/multiple-mobile-sonic-games-reportedly-in-development/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/mustafa-mahmoud/multiple-mobile-sonic-games-reportedly-in-development/#respond Wed, 31 Jan 2024 09:30:52 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=646454 Earlier this month, we reported on a rumour claiming that SEGA are preparing to launch a Sonic the Hedgehog themed Fall Guys-like experience for mobile devices. The leaker has since returned with even more claims, revealing that the publisher is in fact working on 3 separate Sonic games for the platform. Following on from the …

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Earlier this month, we reported on a rumour claiming that SEGA are preparing to launch a Sonic the Hedgehog themed Fall Guys-like experience for mobile devices. The leaker has since returned with even more claims, revealing that the publisher is in fact working on 3 separate Sonic games for the platform.

Following on from the leak earlier this month claiming that “this year, a new Sonic spin-off title will be released for mobile [whose] gameplay elements will be similar to Fall Guys.” notable SEGA/ATLUS leaker ‘MbKKssTBhz5’ returned with even more Sonic news, taking to Twitter to say:

“A Sonic Chao game and new Sonic sports title are both currently in development for mobile devices,” adding that “the Sonic Chao title will be exclusive to Netflix. The Sonic sports title will be on Apple Arcade.”

As mentioned previously, the Fall Guys-like title will not be limited to any service, and will instead be made available directly through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store “at the beginning of summer.”

Sonic has always had a notable presence on mobile, with a number of the Blue Blur’s free-to-play efforts surpassing 100 million downloads on Android alone. Hopefully these upcoming titles offer quality experiences.

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KitGuru says: How do these games sound to you? Are you subscribed to Apple Arcade? What about Netflix? Let us know down below.

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Sonic the Hedgehog reportedly getting Fall Guys-like spin-off https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-the-hedgehog-reportedly-getting-fall-guys-like-spin-off/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-the-hedgehog-reportedly-getting-fall-guys-like-spin-off/#respond Thu, 18 Jan 2024 14:00:34 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=644169 Following a solid 10 years of less-than-stellar Sonic releases, the Blue Blur has had somewhat of a resurgence as of late – with the likes of Sonic Frontiers reinventing the series and the live action Sonic films releasing to great success. SEGA looks set to keep the momentum going with a Fall Guys-like Sonic the …

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Following a solid 10 years of less-than-stellar Sonic releases, the Blue Blur has had somewhat of a resurgence as of late – with the likes of Sonic Frontiers reinventing the series and the live action Sonic films releasing to great success. SEGA looks set to keep the momentum going with a Fall Guys-like Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off.

As reported by a notable SEGA/ATLUS leaker, “This year, a new Sonic spin-off title will be released for mobile. The gameplay elements will be similar to Fall Guys.”

Sonic has had quite a few games released onto mobile platforms over the years. That said, recently we have seen SEGA putting a greater emphasis on bringing high quality games to the platform with the recently-released Sonic dream Team for Apple Arcade.

Unlike Dream Team, this upcoming game will reportedly be coming to both iOS and Android, meaning it should not be limited to any particular subscription service.

SEGA making a Fall Guys Sonic game is interesting, as the Blue Blur is already playable in the actual Fall Guys – well, a Sonic costume is anyways. As with many of SEGA’s mobile efforts, this could wind up being massive for the company, or it could fall completely under the radar. We will have to wait and see.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of this rumour? Would you play a Sonic-themed Fall guys-like game? How can SEGA differentiate it from the original? Let us know down below.

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SEGA refutes Microsoft acquisition rumours https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-refutes-microsoft-acquisition-rumours/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-refutes-microsoft-acquisition-rumours/#respond Thu, 16 Nov 2023 11:00:54 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=637736 Earlier this year, it was reported that Microsoft was considering an acquisition of the Japanese entertainment giant SEGA – among other potential purchases. Now, SEGA’s COO has spoken out on these rumours, claiming that “I don't think that kind of transaction is going to happen.” During this year’s Web Summit tech conference, SEGA’s Chief Operating …

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Earlier this year, it was reported that Microsoft was considering an acquisition of the Japanese entertainment giant SEGA – among other potential purchases. Now, SEGA’s COO has spoken out on these rumours, claiming that “I don't think that kind of transaction is going to happen.”

During this year’s Web Summit tech conference, SEGA’s Chief Operating Officer Shuji Utsumi spoke to CNBC on a number of topics including Sonic the Hedgehog and the potential expansion of its many IPs into other mediums.

Interestingly, the COO also directly addressed the previous rumours that Microsoft were looking to acquire SEGA, with Utsumi saying: “Many companies are interested. We feel honored. We have attractive IPs and potentials. Companies owned by the owner. A strong owner. I don’t think that kind of transaction is going to happen.”

Considering the fact that the COO was singing the praises of SEGA’s current success, it makes sense that the publisher isn’t interested in being acquired for the time being. As mentioned by Utsumi, SEGA owns a bunch of fruitful IPs, many of which are currently performing better than ever.

Following Microsoft’s massive acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, it is somewhat of a relief to see that SEGA is determined to remain independent for now.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the current acquisition spree? Would SEGA benefit from being acquired? What is your favourite SEGA IP? Let us know down below.

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SEGA wants Sonic to surpass Mario “because we respect Mario” https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-wants-sonic-to-surpass-mario-because-we-respect-mario/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-wants-sonic-to-surpass-mario-because-we-respect-mario/#respond Fri, 03 Nov 2023 11:30:56 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=636314 Back in the early 90s Sonic and Mario competed at a level which we have not seen since, with the Blue Blur managing to amass just as much societal awareness as Nintendo’s mascot Italian plumber. Unfortunately, in the decades since, Sonic’s relevance has fallen to the wayside somewhat – especially compared to the juggernaut that …

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Back in the early 90s Sonic and Mario competed at a level which we have not seen since, with the Blue Blur managing to amass just as much societal awareness as Nintendo’s mascot Italian plumber. Unfortunately, in the decades since, Sonic’s relevance has fallen to the wayside somewhat – especially compared to the juggernaut that is Mario. According to SEGA, the publisher hopes to one day surpass Mario “because we respect Mario.”

From the publisher’s Japanese recruitment page, SEGA published an interview with Division 2 – the department in charge of Sonic the Hedgehog. Speaking to General Manager Osamu Ohashi, the developer responded to the question “How will you develop Sonic in the future?” in a rather bold and ambitious manner, saying (as translated by ResetEra user ‘Dooble’):

“Simply put, I want to surpass Mario. Sonic is a game that was originally developed to compete with Mario, and it still hasn't achieved that goal. Our goal is to catch up and surpass Mario because we respect Mario.”

Ohashi continued, “I want people to play it all over the world, including Japan, like Mario, and I want the movie to be a bigger hit than Mario. I would like USJ [Universal Studios Japan] to create a ‘Sonic Area’ as well. That's our goal for those of us who love Sonic.”

In the past few years we have seen Sonic the Hedgehog come back in a rather massive way, releasing multiple successful films; a new TV show; original 2D and 3D Sonic games as well as the recently-announced Apple Arcade exclusive Sonic Dream Team.

While it will take a great deal more than that to overtake Super Mario, Sonic does appear to have found his mojo once again – and so now is perhaps the best time for SEGA to attempt such an ambitious goal. Best of luck to them.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic in 2023? Could he ever regain his 90s era level of fame? What would Sonic need to do to overtake Mario in the long run? Let us know down below.

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SEGA leak details upcoming Sonic titles https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-leak-details-upcoming-sonic-titles/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-leak-details-upcoming-sonic-titles/#respond Mon, 16 Oct 2023 08:00:46 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=634244 Following many years of less-than-stellar releases, Sonic the Hedgehog seems to have had a resurgence of sorts – with the likes of Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Superstars and the two theatrical releases putting the Blue Blur back on the map. SEGA seems to have more big plans for Sonic, as detailed in a leaked presentation from …

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Following many years of less-than-stellar releases, Sonic the Hedgehog seems to have had a resurgence of sorts – with the likes of Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Superstars and the two theatrical releases putting the Blue Blur back on the map. SEGA seems to have more big plans for Sonic, as detailed in a leaked presentation from SEGA of America themselves.

As first shared by Reddit user ‘Vilkam’, a document claiming to be a presentation from SEGA of America highlights many of the publisher’s future plans for the company’s mascot Sonic the Hedgehog.

According to the leak, Sonic’s next mainline entry following 2022’s Sonic Frontiers is planned to release some time during Holiday 2024 – with a prologue of sorts arriving in the months prior to the full games’ release.

That is not all however, as the Blue Blur will also make an appearance on mobile devices in 2024, with a new game said to be releasing on the platform next year. Even during Sonic’s worst years, the hedgehog has found a great deal of success on mobile – with the likes of Sonic Dash and Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom both surpassing 100 million downloads on Android alone.

Finally, the leaked presentation claimed that the recently-released 2D platformer ‘Sonic Superstars’ will get some form of DLC at an unspecified time in the future. DLC has become a common practice for many Sonic titles, and so this does not come as a massive surprise.

Still, for fans of Sonic the Hedgehog, it seems as though SEGA has found a comfortable rhythm and cadence with which to release new titles. It will be interesting to see what the Holiday 2024 title looks like.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic the Hedgehog in 2023? Is the Blue Blur back? What do you want to see from a sequel to Frontiers? Let us know down below.

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Sonic Frontiers’ latest free update adds new playable characters and extra story https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/sonic-frontiers-latest-free-update-adds-new-playable-characters-and-extra-story/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/sonic-frontiers-latest-free-update-adds-new-playable-characters-and-extra-story/#respond Fri, 29 Sep 2023 15:36:30 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=632281 Sonic Frontiers has had some impressive updates since its launch in late 2022, adding in new challenge modes, additional features and new story content. The final free update has landed this week, adding in more playable characters and new missions to complete.  If you install this week's Sonic Frontiers update, you'll find a bunch of …

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Sonic Frontiers has had some impressive updates since its launch in late 2022, adding in new challenge modes, additional features and new story content. The final free update has landed this week, adding in more playable characters and new missions to complete. 

If you install this week's Sonic Frontiers update, you'll find a bunch of new content when you boot up the game. For starters, characters like Tails, Knuckles and Amy are now playable, so you can swap Sonic out for one of his pals, each with their own unique abilities.

This update also introduces new story content set after the events of the main game. You'll need to have finished the main campaign first and once that's done, a new portal will appear on Ouranos Island. Go through the portal and take on the extra challenges that await you on the other side.

While the extra story here is nice, the headliner is really the extra playable characters, as Tails, Knuckles and Amy have not been playable in a 3D sonic game since the release of Sonic the Hedgehog in 2006.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Now that all of the updates are out and Sonic Frontiers seems to run better than it did at launch, I think it is finally time for me to jump in. 

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Pixel art is not “a viable art style” says Sonic Team head https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/pixel-art-is-not-a-viable-art-style-says-sonic-team-head/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/pixel-art-is-not-a-viable-art-style-says-sonic-team-head/#respond Thu, 31 Aug 2023 08:45:28 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=628211 Over the decades we have seen many franchises move away from pixel art aesthetics – due both to the effort required, as well as the overall technical evolution in the video game space. While many indie games still take advantage of 8/16-bit art styles, it seems as though Sonic the Hedgehog may never go back …

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Over the decades we have seen many franchises move away from pixel art aesthetics – due both to the effort required, as well as the overall technical evolution in the video game space. While many indie games still take advantage of 8/16-bit art styles, it seems as though Sonic the Hedgehog may never go back to his iconic look from the 90’s – at least according to the head of Sonic Team.

In an interview conducted by GamesRadar+ during Gamescom, Takashi Iizuka – the head of Sonic Team and producer for the upcoming 2D ‘Sonic Superstars’ – spoke on the decision to go with a polygon-based art style, saying:

“We look at the pixel art – it's great – but when we think about 10-20 years in the future, we don't think it's going to be a viable art style or presentation for our players. And in order to advance and really step things up, we did want to make sure that we're presenting something that 10-20 years down the road we're still evolving and creating new content for.”

While many studios moved away from pixel art once the 3D gaming revolution came about in the late 90’s / early 2000s, we have seen a resurgence in the aesthetic thanks primarily to the indie gaming space – popularising the style for a whole new generation of players.

That said, Iizuka’s statement is still valid, especially due to the many new mechanics being implemented into Sonic Superstars. Hopefully we will still see a new pixel art Sonic game at some point in the future though, even if it takes a while.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic Superstars? Do you like its art style? Would you like to see pixel art Sonic return in the future? Let us know down below.

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Gamescom Opening Night Live earns its stripes with massive showcase https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/gamescom-opening-night-live-earns-its-stripes-with-massive-showcase/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/gamescom-opening-night-live-earns-its-stripes-with-massive-showcase/#respond Wed, 23 Aug 2023 12:27:11 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=627339 Gamescom: Opening Night Live has become a great tradition in recent years. The new stream adds a digital element to the world's biggest gaming convention, delivering new game announcements, trailers and updates. This year's Gamescom: ONL stream was pretty packed, with 39 trailers shown. 

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Gamescom: Opening Night Live has become a great tradition in recent years. The new stream adds a digital element to the world's biggest gaming convention, delivering new game announcements, trailers and updates. This year's Gamescom: ONL stream was pretty packed, with 39 trailers shown. 

At the top of the list, we have an appearance from Todd Howard, introducing a new trailer for Starfield. During Gamescom this week, Howard will also host a few hands-off gameplay sessions, walking viewers through the opening hour of the game. This gameplay footage may not surface online but in the meantime, we do have a new live-action trailer.

Activision officially announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III earlier this month after plenty of leaks. The Sledgehammer-developed sequel is due to release on the 10th of November, ushering in a new wave of multiplayer maps and a new campaign. At Gamescom, the official gameplay trailer was unveiled, giving us a look at campaign gameplay.

Alan Wake II was recently pushed back a bit, with a new release date now set for the 27th of October. The latest trailer mixes live-action scenes with gameplay, giving us a peek at “the dark place”, which we'll all be exploring when this cult-classic horror sequel finally drops.

Mortal Kombat 1 has had plenty of press time in recent months, with several trailers for the game already dropping. A playable beta test also recently took place on Xbox and PlayStation consoles. At Gamescom this week, the official story trailer for the game landed.

Tekken 8 was first teased a year ago, but with so many fighting games arriving this year, Bandai Namco's sequel will be drop a little later than we may have anticipated. Following a leak earlier in the day yesterday, the latest Tekken 8 trailer confirms that the game will launch on the 26th of January 2024 for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5.

Blizzard got some stage time during Gamescom: ONL as well, revealing details on Diablo 4's next season. While Season 1 saw us hunting for Malignant Elites to steal their powers, Season 2 will have us hunting down vampires and obtaining vampiric abilities. The new season will launch on October 17th and will include five new endgame bosses, improvements to inventory management and other improvements that you can learn about in Blizzard's blog post.

Assassin's Creed Mirage has been known for a long time now but due to delays, it has arrived much later in the year than initially expected. At Gamescom, a new gameplay trailer arrived, giving us a look at 9th-century Baghdad and the adventure to come. The game will release on the 5th of October.

Cyberpunk 2077 had a resurgence last year with its 1.6 update finally bringing the game up to the high quality bar that we expected at launch. CD Projekt Red is keeping the ball rolling in 2023, with the Phantom Liberty expansion arriving next month. The new trailer gives us a look at the expansion, but that wasn't the only big reveal. With this expansion, the Cyberpunk 2077 base game will also be updated to version 2.0, bringing overhauls to a number of game systems, new story quests and gigs, improved AI, an all-new skill tree system, an increased level cap, new gear and more.

Sonic Superstars, the latest 2D Sonic game, is now officially releasing on October 17th for all platforms. Additionally, SEGA revealed a new trailer for Sonic Frontiers, unveiling the Final Horizon update, bringing a new playable character, story quest and challenges to the game.

Quantic Dream isn't only working on Star Wars: Eclipse. The studio also has a new narrative-driven adventure game arriving in the future, called Dustborn. This new game is set in an alternate version of the USA and will essentially be a road trip with a group of friends. The trailer is purely cinematic and the game does not have a release date at this time.

Little Nightmares 3 has been announced, offering a new co-op adventure with two characters exploring spooky levels. Alongside this new game, the studio has put together a new podcast series called The Sounds of Nightmares, which will tell a new story set in this universe.

Warhaven gets its latest trailer at Gamescom this week. The game features 32-player (16 V 16) medieval battles. Without playing it myself, it is too soon to tell if it can give Chivalry 2 a run for its money, but the game does look like a decent amount of fun.

It has been a while since we last had an update on Black Myth: Wukong. The game has impressed in earlier gameplay showings and the new Gamescom trailer is no exception, with plenty of flashy combat action with our protagonist taking on massive monsters. The full game is set to release sometime in 2024.

The latest Granblue Fantasy game, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, is launching on February 1st 2024, offering new Action RPG gameplay. The trailer gives us a look at both gameplay and teases the story.

Pearl Abyss announced Crimson Desert some time ago. While the studio's previous game, Black Desert, was a huge sprawling MMORPG, Crimson Desert will offer a single-player experience. The new gameplay trailer gives us a look at much of the game, including everything from different forms of combat to fishing. The game certainly looks visually impressive in its current state but the game is still in active development and no release date has been announced.

Age of Empires 4 landed on PC quite a while ago but last night, the team officially unveiled and launched the Xbox version. Now, the latest in this beloved RTS franchise is available to console players for the first time, with updated control schemes to better suit gamepads.

In my opinion, no other game has offered that Left 4 Dead-style experience better than the Killing Floor games (except for Left 4 Dead itself). Killing Floor 1 & 2 were both successful and now, a third game is on the way for PC, Xbox and PlayStation. There is no release date just yet, but hopefully we can pencil this one in for 2024.

From Software's Armored Core 6 is launching later this week. At Gamescom the official launch trailer dropped. The new mecha game promises fast missions and a complete single-player experience. Unfortunately, you can't play the campaign in co-op like you can in Elden Ring, but there will be multiplayer PvP included.

Ubisoft's racing series The Crew is getting its latest entry soon. At Gamescom The Crew Motorfest got a quick gameplay reveal. The game will officially release on September 14th.

Lords of the Fallen is a sequel to one of the first successful Souls-Like games, Lords of the Fallen – yes we know it's confusing. From Software's Dark Souls series has inspired many similar games offering deliberately timed combat and massive boss fights. The new trailer for Lords of the Fallen shown at Gamescom this week is an extended story trailer, setting the groundwork for the adventure to come. The game will release in October for PC, Xbox and PlayStation.

Bulletstorm first released in 2011 but is remaking headlines in 2023 as a new Virtual Reality version of the game is on the way. At Gamescom, a new trailer arrived, revealing a December 14th release date for Bulletstorm VR for the Meta Quest 2, PC VR headsets and PlayStation VR2.

The Last Epoch is still going strong, offering strong competition to other ARPGs on the market today. The Runemaster class is coming to the game in the near future and the latest trailer gives us a look at it in action.

Mihoyo is back with another game. The Genshin Impact studio has now shown off Zenless Zone Zero, a new free-to-play anime-style game set in an urban fantasy world. There's no release date yet, but the new trailer gives a sneak peek at what's to come.

Payday 3 is just a few weeks away after many years of development. We previously saw the game at other events, including the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this year. The new trailer does include gameplay, although it is split between first-person view and a free moving camera capturing more cinematic shots of gameplay taking place. The latest co-op heister looks to be a good time, just as the previous Payday games were.

Homeworld 3 has been delayed a number of times but the game is finally coming out in February 2024. The latest trailer contains a mix of cinematic shots and gameplay. The trailer primarily focuses on story, with lots of spaceship explosions and shots of fleets zipping around space.

Mandragora is a new 2.5D side-scrolling action RPG with a mix of Metroidvania and Soulslike elements. Players will light up their witch lanterns and enter the dark realm of Entropy, dashing through levels, taking on bosses and overcoming platforming sections to reach the end goal. There's no release date just yet, but the game is listed as ‘coming soon' on Steam.

Frontier Developments is back with a new licensed project – a Warhammer game. Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin is due out in November and the latest trailer gives us our first look at gameplay.

Ara History Untold is a new strategy game with large city-building mechanics mixed with strategy combat. If you aren't already a fan of these types of games, then you can easily give it a shot at release, as the game will be available through Game Pass for PC.

Delta Force: Hawk Ops looks to be gunning for Battlefield's throne as the king of large-scale shooters. It will be a free-to-play shooter, so we'll have to hope the microtransactions don't sting too much. This is actually a continuation of a classic PC shooter series, with the original Delta Force game launching all the way back in the 90s.

Those are all of the main trailers, but a few extra announcements were made during Gamescom: ONL this year. For starters, Honkai Star Rail is heading to PS5 and Genshin Impact is getting its own concert. Fort Solis and Immortals of Aveum received launch trailers but as both games are now available, we skipped giving it its own section in this article. Zach Snyder's Rebel Moon film also got its first teaser trailer during the event. The two-part film will be landing on Netflix, with Part 1 arriving in December and Part 2 set to release in April 2024.

A new trailer for Marvel Snap was also shown, announcing that the game's PC version is now out of beta. The game has been freely available on Steam since its launch last year, so this particular trailer can be chalked up to filler content. With that said, the animation is still pretty fun and the trailer is short and sweet.

Overall, Gamescom: ONL was an enjoyable watch this year. No, we didn't get the Tomb Raider reveal we were hoping for and the show was primarily focused on updates for previously announced games. However, given that we have showcases like this several times a year now, rather than once a year during E3, there needs to be a place for announcements exactly like this.

Hopefully, at Keighley's next event, The Game Awards, scheduled for December, our man can get some extra security, as two people successfully rushed the stage during the live show to spout some nonsense. A similar situation occurred during The Game Awards 2022.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What did you all think of Gamescom: Opening Night Live this year? 

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PowerA partners with SEGA to launch Sonic-themed accessories for Xbox and Switch consoles https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/joao-silva/powera-partners-with-sega-to-launch-sonic-themed-accessories-for-xbox-and-switch-consoles/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/joao-silva/powera-partners-with-sega-to-launch-sonic-themed-accessories-for-xbox-and-switch-consoles/#respond Tue, 08 Aug 2023 08:00:46 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=625688 Teaming up with SEGA, PowerA has launched an array of Sonic the Hedgehog gaming accessories. This fresh collection encompasses a duo of themed wired controllers tailored for both Switch and Xbox platforms, along with a Switch console case and a game card wallet, serving as a protective haven for your precious game cartridges. The inaugural …

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Teaming up with SEGA, PowerA has launched an array of Sonic the Hedgehog gaming accessories. This fresh collection encompasses a duo of themed wired controllers tailored for both Switch and Xbox platforms, along with a Switch console case and a game card wallet, serving as a protective haven for your precious game cartridges.

The inaugural releases within this product line include controllers compatible with the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S. Additionally, the lineup also encompasses a Sonic-inspired protective case tailored for the Nintendo Switch, as well as a Trifold Game Card Holder designed to embrace and secure your valuable Nintendo Switch cartridges.

In the case of the PowerA Sonic Switch gear, a vivid colour palette takes centre stage, punctuated by splashes of yellow and blue, each featuring a different image of our favourite blue hedgehog. As for the Xbox controller, it comes with a two-tone blue square pattern with stars, with Sonic posing on the left side.

The PowerA lineup of Sonic-themed gaming accessories is now available. At the time of writing, the price of the Xbox Series X|S controller is unknown, but considering the cost of similar controllers, it should go for $37.99. As for the Nintendo Switch accessories, the card holder goes for $9.99, the protective case for $19.99, and the wired controller for $29.99.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you a fan of Sonic? Do you plan on ordering any of PowerA's new Sonic-themed gaming accessories?

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SEGA President praises Sonic Frontiers’ sales https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-president-praises-sonic-frontiers-sales/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-president-praises-sonic-frontiers-sales/#respond Tue, 18 Jul 2023 13:15:22 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=623527 Following many less-than-stellar entries in the series, Sonic Team seemed to have hit it out of the park with Sonic Frontiers. Since its release last year, the game has been increasingly praised by fans, selling millions of copies as a result. According to SEGA’s President and COO, the game has “managed to sell more copies …

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Following many less-than-stellar entries in the series, Sonic Team seemed to have hit it out of the park with Sonic Frontiers. Since its release last year, the game has been increasingly praised by fans, selling millions of copies as a result. According to SEGA’s President and COO, the game has “managed to sell more copies than we anticipated.”

In an interview conducted by Japanese magazine Famitsu, SEGA’s President and COO Yukio Sugino was asked about what he found to be memorable last year, with the executive responding (as translated by NintendoEverything):

“Of course, first I have to mention Sonic Frontiers. With Utsumi (Mr. Shuji, vice president, representative director and co-COO of SEGA) at the center, a multitude of projects meant to make Sonic even bigger than before progressed to the point of bearing fruit. In April last year, the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released in North America, which fortunately resulted in a good start, allowing our global revenue to reach over about 570 million yen.”

Sugino continued, “We released Sonic Frontiers on the back of that, and managed to sell more copies than we anticipated. That in itself was heartening, we were also happy to receive a lot of messages, mainly from North American fans, expressing joy that Sonic was moving towards a good direction.”

Latest figures have put Sonic Frontiers as having sold over 3.5 million copies since its release in November of last year. That said, with the continued support that the game is seeing from SEGA and Sonic Team, it is safe to say that Sonic Frontiers’ success is not slowing down any time soon.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic Frontiers? Are you one of the 3.5 million? Is Sonic having a resurgence? Let us know down below.

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SEGA is “considering” remakes and reboots of Sonic games https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-is-considering-remakes-and-reboots-of-sonic-games/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-is-considering-remakes-and-reboots-of-sonic-games/#respond Mon, 17 Jul 2023 13:00:58 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=623383 Following many years of less-than-stellar releases, SEGA and Sonic Team seem to have gotten back on track when it comes to creating and publishing high quality Sonic the Hedgehog experiences. According to the company’s President and Chief Operations Officer Yukio Sugino “in parallel with the new [Sonic] game, we are considering reboots and remakes.” SEGA …

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Following many years of less-than-stellar releases, SEGA and Sonic Team seem to have gotten back on track when it comes to creating and publishing high quality Sonic the Hedgehog experiences. According to the company’s President and Chief Operations Officer Yukio Sugino “in parallel with the new [Sonic] game, we are considering reboots and remakes.”

SEGA President and Chief Operations Officer Yukio Sugino recently sat down with Japanese publication Famitsu to discuss the upcoming Samba De Amigo: Party Central – a pseudo-reboot of the 1999 classic rhythm game.

In discussing the concept of reboots and remakes, (as translated by DualShockers) Sugino stated that “Of course, we have to do new things, but as with all IPs, we don't have new works or reboots. We will develop while selecting which is appropriate at this timing for each IP, such as ‘This is the best way to do this IP'. ‘Sonic' is also SEGA's signature IP, and in parallel with the new game, we are considering reboots and remakes.”

The concept of what constitutes a remake has been a rather contentious topic in the past. That said, a number of Sonic titles have technically been remade previously, including the RetroEngine versions of 1991’s Sonic the Hedgehog (and its sequels). With other SEGA properties starting to be remade (i.e. Persona 3), it will be interesting to see whether we will ever get a Sonic Unleashed or Adventure remake.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of these statements? Would you like to see more remakes from SEGA? What Sonic game would you like to see rebooted? Let us know down below.

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Sonic Mania composer believes Superstars’ soundtrack is superior https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-mania-composer-believes-superstars-soundtrack-is-superior/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-mania-composer-believes-superstars-soundtrack-is-superior/#respond Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:00:11 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=623272 2016’s Sonic Mania was praised for a whole host of reasons, from its gorgeous visuals to the game’s personality and a whole lot more. That said, one of its most praised aspects is Sonic Mania’s soundtrack composed by Tee Lopes. Ahead of the release of Sonic Superstars, the composer has claimed that this next Sonic …

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2016’s Sonic Mania was praised for a whole host of reasons, from its gorgeous visuals to the game’s personality and a whole lot more. That said, one of its most praised aspects is Sonic Mania’s soundtrack composed by Tee Lopes. Ahead of the release of Sonic Superstars, the composer has claimed that this next Sonic game is “better than my stuff on Mania.”

Following his successful involvement in composing the OST for Sonic Mania, Tee Lopes is once again partnering with SEGA, this time for the upcoming Sonic Superstars. Little of the game’s soundtrack has been shared so far, with previous gameplay demos featuring placeholder music.

While some feared that Superstars might disappoint in a way which few Sonic games have (its music), Tee Lopes took to Twitter to quell fears and excite fans, saying “I think my stuff on Superstars is better than my stuff on Mania. Again, to each their own, but that's how I personally feel.”

It is worth noting that long-time Sonic composer Jun Senoue will helm the primary role of composer, however Tee Lopes is assisting with the soundtrack’s development. If Sonic Superstars’ OST is even half as good as Mania’s then we will have another banger Sonic soundtrack on our hands. We will have to wait and hear.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this claim? Are you a fan of Tee Lopes’ music? Who is your favourite composer? Let us know down below.

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Sonic Frontiers update adds spin dash, momentum physics and more https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-frontiers-update-adds-spin-dash-momentum-physics-and-more/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-frontiers-update-adds-spin-dash-momentum-physics-and-more/#respond Mon, 26 Jun 2023 14:00:35 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=620819 Following many years of less-than-stellar Sonic the Hedgehog video games, Sonic Team seemed to finally find their groove once again with 2022’s Sonic Frontiers. Having already sold over 3 million copies, the game was promised to be getting multiple waves of free DLC. The second wave has now gone live, and brings with it some …

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Following many years of less-than-stellar Sonic the Hedgehog video games, Sonic Team seemed to finally find their groove once again with 2022’s Sonic Frontiers. Having already sold over 3 million copies, the game was promised to be getting multiple waves of free DLC. The second wave has now gone live, and brings with it some surprising features, including new momentum physics.

During the recent Sonic Central showcase, Frontier’s 2nd big DLC ‘Sonic’s Birthday Bash’ update released, bringing with it some anniversary-related decorations, new game+ and so much more, with just some of the patch notes reading as follows:

  • Birthday Celebration – The Starfall Islands have been decked out to celebrate Sonic’s birthday! Check out the decorations and party with a new costume for Sonic’s big day!
  • Action Chain Challenge – new challenges have been added to the Open Zones.
  • New Skill: Spin Dash – The legendary Sonic move returns! Unlock the Spin Dash and discover new ways to traverse the Starfall Islands.
  • New Koco – There’s new kinds of Koco waiting to be found on the Starfall Islands. Keep an eye out for their fun outfits!
  • New Game + – Relive the story of Sonic Frontiers with all your stats and skills carried over from your previous playthrough.

The patch notes continue:

  • Added an ability to change the rate of deceleration when jumping.
  • Added an ON/OFF option to set whether the camera will use dramatic angles when skills are used.
  • Added an option to set the deceleration rate to reach a complete stop.
  • Added an ON/OFF option to set whether to maintain a boost during a jump.
  • Added 24 songs to the Juke Box. Added Sound Memories on each island.

While for many the spin dash is likely the star of this update, by far the most impactful addition is the ability to add momentum physics to jumps alongside custom deceleration rates. It is rare to see such gameplay-altering changes and additions being made to a game following its launch.

All of the many core changes being made to Sonic Frontiers will hopefully make for an even more impressive and ambitious sequel.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the update? What new feature are you most excited for? What do you want to see from update 3? Let us know down below.

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Sonic Superstars “was conceptualised during a Zoom drinking party” https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-superstars-was-conceptualised-during-a-zoom-drinking-party/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-superstars-was-conceptualised-during-a-zoom-drinking-party/#respond Mon, 26 Jun 2023 12:00:31 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=620822 Sonic Superstars came as a massive surprise when it was announced during Summer Game Fest. Ahead of the new 2.5D platformer’s release later this year, the team has revealed the surprising origins of this project – being “conceptualised during a Zoom drinking party.” Takahashi Iizuka, the creative officer for Sonic the Hedgehog, recently sat down …

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Sonic Superstars came as a massive surprise when it was announced during Summer Game Fest. Ahead of the new 2.5D platformer’s release later this year, the team has revealed the surprising origins of this project – being “conceptualised during a Zoom drinking party.”

Takahashi Iizuka, the creative officer for Sonic the Hedgehog, recently sat down with VGC for an interview where the executive revealed a whole bunch of information on the upcoming Sonic Superstars. It was known that Superstars is not being headed by Sonic Team, with one of the original Sonic creators ‘Naoto Ohshima’ and his studio Arzest helming development instead. That said, Iizuka has now confirmed that 100% of the game’s development is being managed by Arzest, saying:

“Sonic Superstars is really all developed by Arzest, but Sonic Team in Japan is working with them on design and some other elements. Arzest and Ohshima-san are 100% developers of the game.”

It’s been 20 years since Naoto Ohshima was last involved with Sonic the Hedgehog, making his return extra surprising. In discussing how this collaboration came to be, Iizuka claimed:

“During the coronavirus lockdown Ohshima-san reached out and we set up a Zoom drinking party connecting America and Japan. We decided to get together and just have some fun. During this conversation, I mentioned that I wanted to make a new 2D Sonic game, and Ohshima-san replied, ‘You know what? Met too. That sounds like a really great idea'. So what started out as a really casual conversation ended up being executed on.”

While Arzest has had somewhat of a spotty past, Ohshima has amassed a great deal of respect over the decades, and so it is exciting to see him return to Sonic after so long away. The full interview can be found HERE.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic Superstars? Are you optimistic?  Let us know down below.

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SEGA announces Sonic Central Showcase Stream https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-announces-sonic-central-showcase-stream/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-announces-sonic-central-showcase-stream/#respond Thu, 22 Jun 2023 09:15:59 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=620399 In recent years we have seen SEGA putting a greater deal of effort and time into the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, be it through new games, spin-offs, multi-media events and more. As part of the Blue Blur’s 32nd birthday, the publisher has now announced a new Sonic Central showcase. Making the announcement on Twitter, the …

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In recent years we have seen SEGA putting a greater deal of effort and time into the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, be it through new games, spin-offs, multi-media events and more. As part of the Blue Blur’s 32nd birthday, the publisher has now announced a new Sonic Central showcase.

Making the announcement on Twitter, the official Sonic the Hedgehog page said “Surprise! Sonic Central returns this Friday on Sonic's birthday!” adding that fans should “Tune in for a sneak peek of some of our upcoming projects, partnerships and events happening in 2023.”

The Sonic Central showcase will take place tomorrow – the 23rd of June – at 8am PST (4pm UK Time), and while we don’t have any concrete details on what to expect, there are a lot of Sonic-related things happening at the moment.

That said, we will likely get new information on Sonic Frontiers’ 2nd major update (titled ‘Sonic’s Birthday’), alongside more footage of Sonic Superstars, and perhaps a trailer for the Knuckles spin-off show. We don’t have long to wait in order to find out.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic in 2023? Are you excited for the showcase? What do you hope to see announced / shown off? Let us know down below.

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Sonic Superstars includes classic physics and momentum https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-superstars-includes-classic-physics-and-momentum/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-superstars-includes-classic-physics-and-momentum/#respond Thu, 15 Jun 2023 11:00:25 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=619513 One of the biggest surprises at Summer Game Fest was the announcement of Sonic Superstars – a brand new 2D entry not seen since 2016’s Sonic Mania. Speaking of, one of the biggest concerns regarding Sonic Superstars was whether the game would feature momentum and physics similar to the classics. Fortunately, we now know that …

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One of the biggest surprises at Summer Game Fest was the announcement of Sonic Superstars – a brand new 2D entry not seen since 2016’s Sonic Mania. Speaking of, one of the biggest concerns regarding Sonic Superstars was whether the game would feature momentum and physics similar to the classics. Fortunately, we now know that this is indeed the case.

One of Sonic’s biggest unique selling points back in the day was the game’s use of physics and momentum to calculate Sonic’s movement – making for a series which rewards players’ inventiveness and ability to keep moving forward.

Unfortunately, in recent years this sense of momentum was removed, with the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Sonic Generations, Forces and more featuring rather stilted and inauthentic-feeling versions of 2D Sonic.

It therefore comes as a huge relief to see that despite Sonic Superstars being a 2.5D title, the game will include the exact same physics and momentum as seen in the likes of classic Sonic titles and Sonic Mania, with Headcannon’s Christian Whitehead taking to Twitter to confirm this: “Will have more to say on this when it's appropriate, but the Mania physics were indeed fully translated to modern 3D.”

After so many years of substandard Sonic releases, it is exciting to see that we seem to have entered a new age for the Blue Blur. Hopefully Sonic Superstars ends up being as good as it looks.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic Superstars? Did the lack of momentum in other games bother you? What game do you think features the best-controlling Sonic? Let us know down below.

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4-player co-op Sonic Superstars announced https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/4-player-co-op-sonic-superstars-announced/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/4-player-co-op-sonic-superstars-announced/#respond Fri, 09 Jun 2023 11:00:12 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=618925 Sonic the Hedgehog has had a tumultuous life, with the Blue Blur going back and forth between quality and…not so quality titles. That said, in the past few years SEGA seems to have gotten its groove back, with the latest Sonic title being a surprise 2.5D co-op experience. Making the announcement during Summer Game Fest’s …

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Sonic the Hedgehog has had a tumultuous life, with the Blue Blur going back and forth between quality and…not so quality titles. That said, in the past few years SEGA seems to have gotten its groove back, with the latest Sonic title being a surprise 2.5D co-op experience.

Making the announcement during Summer Game Fest’s Kick Off (and expanded upon via a press release), SEGA officially unveiled Sonic Superstars: “an all-new Sonic the Hedgehog game bringing a new standard of play to classic high-speed 2D Sonic platforming” adding that “In Sonic Superstars, Sonic and his friends’ journey starts on the beautiful North Star Islands, a mystical place offering never-before-seen environments, as well as a mysterious story waiting to unfold.”

Looking like a mix of new and familiar, this side-scrolling platformer includes 4 playable characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy – each of which also have their own unique abilities.

The trailer showed off many creative ideas including pseudo-3D elements in the form of wall running and waterfall climbing as well as art-style changes depending on the scenario (with them teasing a Pac-Man inspired voxel-looking area).

There have been rumours that a new 2D Sonic was on its way, though many expected to see a sequel to Mania. While that very much could still be the case, it is exciting to see SEGA trying something a bit new with Sonic – while hopefully keeping all of the franchise’s core gameplay identities. Sonic Superstars launches later “this Fall” for $60.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic Superstars so far? Do you like the art style? Is this a step in the right direction for 2D Sonic? Let us know your thoughts down below.

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SEGA announces Sonic Symphony world tour https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-announces-sonic-symphony-world-tour/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-announces-sonic-symphony-world-tour/#respond Mon, 22 May 2023 08:00:19 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=616041 Sonic the Hedgehog has had a tumultuous life. Following the past decade or so of mediocrity, the Blue Blur has had somewhat of a resurgence thanks to the likes of the Sonic films, the Netflix original Sonic Prime and of course, the success of the latest mainline video game entry: Sonic Frontiers. Taking advantage of …

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Sonic the Hedgehog has had a tumultuous life. Following the past decade or so of mediocrity, the Blue Blur has had somewhat of a resurgence thanks to the likes of the Sonic films, the Netflix original Sonic Prime and of course, the success of the latest mainline video game entry: Sonic Frontiers. Taking advantage of the series’ current hotness, SEGA has announced a Sonic Symphony World Tour.

Making the announcement via a press release, SEGA said “The music of Sonic the Hedgehog continues! Following the standalone Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Symphony and Brazil Game Show 2022 performances, today SEGA announced the Sonic Symphony World Tour will kick off this fall into 2024, bringing a medley of fan-favourite Sonic tracks to multiple cities.”

Taking place this September, the tour dates released so far is as follows:

  • September 16, 2023 – London, UK at Barbican Hall
  • September 30, 2023 – Los Angeles, CA at Dolby Theatre

For those interested in the performances, pre-sale tickets will go live this Thursday on the 25th of May at 10am local time, with public sales following the next day on Friday the 26th.

As mentioned, the Sonic the Hedgehog series has been rather inconsistent in the past, with gameplay, story and more all suffering from title to title. That said, one aspect of the series which has received constant praise is its music, and so for Sonic fans this symphony will be representing the best of the franchise regardless of which OST’s make an appearance. Hopefully more franchises in the future offer similarly exciting world tour performances.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic’s music? Are you interested in this tour? What franchise would you like to see get a symphony? Let us know down below.

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SEGA might be next in line to increase its game prices https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-might-be-next-in-line-to-increase-its-game-prices/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-might-be-next-in-line-to-increase-its-game-prices/#respond Wed, 17 May 2023 09:15:04 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=615117 With the launch of this latest generation of consoles, we have seen a wide reaching number of publishers increase the price of their current-gen titles to $70 – with them citing various reasons for its necessity. It seems as though SEGA might be the next publisher to embrace the $70 game, with them set to …

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With the launch of this latest generation of consoles, we have seen a wide reaching number of publishers increase the price of their current-gen titles to $70 – with them citing various reasons for its necessity. It seems as though SEGA might be the next publisher to embrace the $70 game, with them set to review their prices in the not-too-distant-future.

As part of SEGA Sammy’s fiscal earnings report, the CEO (Haruki Satomi) and CFO (Koichi Fukazawa) were asked about the ongoing trend of increasing game prices from the previous standard of $60 to a new AAA minimum of $70.

As reported by VGC, in response the executives said “In the global marketplace, AAA game titles for console have been sold at $59.99 for many years, but titles sold at $69.99 have appeared in the last year.”

They continued, “We would like to review the prices of titles that we believe are commensurate with price increases, while also keeping an eye on market conditions.”

If SEGA were to increase its AAA games to $70 it would be interesting to see which titles end up being boosted to this premium tier: Sonic the Hedgehog? Like a Dragon? Persona? We will have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: What do you think of SEGA’s statement? What’s your opinion on the increase to $70? Is it justified? Let us know your thoughts down below.

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SEGA shares lifetime sales for its biggest franchises https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-shares-lifetime-sales-for-its-biggest-franchises/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sega-shares-lifetime-sales-for-its-biggest-franchises/#respond Tue, 09 May 2023 09:15:02 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=614338 SEGA may not be the industry juggernaut that it once was, but it has amassed a respectable reputation in recent years thanks to a renewed focus on releasing quality titles. As part of the company’s recent fiscal reports, SEGA offered total sales stats on its most popular franchises. SEGA (and new subsidiary Rovio) recently held …

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SEGA may not be the industry juggernaut that it once was, but it has amassed a respectable reputation in recent years thanks to a renewed focus on releasing quality titles. As part of the company’s recent fiscal reports, SEGA offered total sales stats on its most popular franchises.

SEGA (and new subsidiary Rovio) recently held a press conference for its investors, offering new sales stats and more on its many IPs. As part of this, the company released total unit sales figures for its biggest franchises, with the breakdown being as follows:

Japanese Studios

  1. Sonic the Hedgehog – 1.4 Billion
  2. Like a Dragon (Yakuza) – 20 Million
  3. Persona – 17 Million
  4. Phantasy Star – 9 Million

European Studios

  1. Total War – 38 Million
  2. Football Manager – 24 Million
  3. Company of Heroes – 10 Million
  4. Two Point (Hospital and Campus) – 3 Million

While Sonic the Hedgehog is by far SEGA’s biggest franchise, it is surprising to see the disparity in sales between it and the second most-popular franchise. That said, it is worth noting that the 1.4 billion figure includes free-to-play mobile titles and so the comparison is not 1-to-1.

Even so, it is safe to assume that despite having more critically acclaimed franchises, Sonic the Hedgehog will always remain the face of SEGA. Hopefully the eventual release of Persona 6 helps to push that franchise to new heights.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of SEGA’s biggest franchises? Which is your favourite? How do you think the list will look 10 years from now? Let us know down below.

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Knuckles spin-off series starring Idris Elba officially detailed https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/knuckles-spin-off-series-starring-idris-elba-officially-detailed/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/knuckles-spin-off-series-starring-idris-elba-officially-detailed/#respond Tue, 18 Apr 2023 11:00:56 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=611987 Back in February of last year we reported that a Knuckles the Echidna spin-off TV show was in the works at Paramount+ following the success of the second Sonic the Hedgehog film – which of course introduced Knuckles to the film franchise. One year on from its initial announcement we now have official details on …

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Back in February of last year we reported that a Knuckles the Echidna spin-off TV show was in the works at Paramount+ following the success of the second Sonic the Hedgehog film – which of course introduced Knuckles to the film franchise. One year on from its initial announcement we now have official details on the show – including the fact that the film’s director will return for the TV show.

As reported by Variety, the Knuckles spin-off show is set between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (currently planned to hit cinemas in December 2024) and sees Knuckles “[agreeing] to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior”. Unsurprisingly, both Idris Elba and Adam Pally will reprise their roles as Knuckles and Wade whippie respectively for the show.

Making the show feel in alignment with the films, Sonic 1 and 2’s director Jeff Fowler is serving as an executive producer for the series and will even direct the pilot episode. More of the film’s creative crew are also returning for the show, with Neal H. Moritz; Toby Ascher; Toru Nakahara and Elba himself all serving as executive producers.

Both Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2 were fun films with near-universal appeal, and so it is exciting to see this iteration of the Blue Blur (and his friends) expanding into more mediums. Hopefully the show ends up being just as good as the films. We will have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the details released so far? Are you excited for this show? What did you think of Idris Elba as Knuckles in Sonic 2? Let us know down below.

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SEGA’s April Fools joke game surpasses 1 million players https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mustafa-mahmoud/segas-april-fools-joke-game-surpasses-1-million-players/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mustafa-mahmoud/segas-april-fools-joke-game-surpasses-1-million-players/#respond Thu, 06 Apr 2023 14:00:14 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=610502 Sonic the Hedgehog is known for many things. Perhaps even more popular than the franchise itself however are the memes that have spawned from it. SEGA took this in stride as they released ‘The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog’ on the 1st of April. Surprisingly – or perhaps unsurprisingly – the game is a big …

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Sonic the Hedgehog is known for many things. Perhaps even more popular than the franchise itself however are the memes that have spawned from it. SEGA took this in stride as they released ‘The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog’ on the 1st of April. Surprisingly – or perhaps unsurprisingly – the game is a big hit, surpassing 1 million players in just a few days.

As reported by the Social Media Manager for Sonic the Hedgehog on Twitter, ‘Katie MiniKitty’ (who pitched the concept for The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog) took to the platform to say “Over 1,000,000 of you have grabbed The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog and it's currently the #61 highest rated game on Steam of ALL TIME. Absolutely unreal. Thank you all so, so much.”

For the uninitiated, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is a free visual novel / platforming murder mystery in which “It's Amy Rose's birthday, and she's hosting a murder mystery party on the Mirage Express! When Sonic the Hedgehog becomes the game's victim, everyone is off to get to the bottom of things. However, something feels a bit off – is this really an innocent game or is something more sinister afoot?”

In recent years we have seen many game developers and publishers have fun with April Fool’s day, leading to the joke announcement of many fake and wacky games. It is exciting however to see that SEGA went all-in and not only created a trailer for the game – but that it is an actual game which anyone can play for free. Hopefully more publishers take this approach with April Fool’s in the future.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What was your favourite April Fool’s Day gag from this year? Have you played The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog? What did you think? Let us know down below.

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Sonic Mania studio confirms they are working on Origins Plus https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-mania-studio-confirms-they-are-working-on-origins-plus/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-mania-studio-confirms-they-are-working-on-origins-plus/#respond Thu, 30 Mar 2023 14:58:17 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=600701 Sonic Origins released last year to somewhat of a mixed reception. While the remastered games included in the collection were solid, the offering as a whole felt somewhat incomplete. Following the announcement by SEGA that a new package in the form of ‘Sonic Origins Plus’ is on its way, the independent studio behind the much-loved …

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Sonic Origins released last year to somewhat of a mixed reception. While the remastered games included in the collection were solid, the offering as a whole felt somewhat incomplete. Following the announcement by SEGA that a new package in the form of ‘Sonic Origins Plus’ is on its way, the independent studio behind the much-loved Sonic Mania has confirmed that they are working on this enhanced release.

Sonic Origins brought remastered versions of SEGA classics Sonic the Hedgehog 1, CD, 2, 3 and Knuckles to modern platforms. While development of these remasters were handled by the highly talented team at Headcannon, the package as a whole was a SEGA joint, with many of the non-gaming elements seeing a substantial reduction in quality comparatively.

Fortunately, despite the somewhat strained development of the original Origins release, Headcannon have now confirmed that they are returning to bring this complete collection to fruition, saying:

“It's coming – Sonic Origins Plus! We're happy to announce that we’ve once again cooperated with SEGA to update this project; you know we can't resist Sonic!” adding that “We were excited to hear that SEGA wanted to make Amy playable, and we couldn’t resist an opportunity to help her into the spotlight! New playable characters need new sprites, and our own @AStartShow was certainly up to the design task while @DashPadSPD performed data management.”

The team continued, “Knuckles is now playable in Sonic CD, as well! As with the inclusion of playable Amy, we were thrilled to provide some new graphics to complement SEGA’s efforts in making this possible.”

It seems many of the issues and off quirks of the original release are set to be fixed, with Headcannon claiming that “Alongside SEGA’s work in updating the collection, we were also able to supply a few additional updates and enhancements to help make the title the best it can be! We appreciate their openness to our feedback and suggestions” and concluded by stating:

“We're very proud to have had a hand in bringing out the best In this collection; Sega have placed a lot of trust in us in by allowing this, and we appreciate that greatly! We can’t wait for you to experience it!”

As mentioned, the initial release of Sonic Origins felt somewhat inconsistent, with there being a notable drop in quality between the work done by Headcannon vs SEGA’s own internal efforts. It is therefore exciting to see that Headcannon are now helming a great deal of this project themselves – meaning that Sonic Origins Plus could indeed finally be the ultimate collection of these classic titles like it was promised to be.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Sonic Origins? Are you excited for this upcoming Plus release? Would you like to see Headcannon work on another Sonic title? Let us know down below.

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Sonic Origins Plus announced with 12 new games and playable Amy https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-origins-plus-announced-with-12-new-games-and-playable-amy/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-origins-plus-announced-with-12-new-games-and-playable-amy/#respond Sat, 25 Mar 2023 18:00:48 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=597884 Sonic Origins released last year to somewhat of a mixed reception. While the remastered games included in the package were solid, the offering as a whole felt somewhat incomplete. Exactly one year after its initial launch, Sonic Origins Plus will be released – bringing a dozen more games as well as making Amy Rose playable …

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Sonic Origins released last year to somewhat of a mixed reception. While the remastered games included in the package were solid, the offering as a whole felt somewhat incomplete. Exactly one year after its initial launch, Sonic Origins Plus will be released – bringing a dozen more games as well as making Amy Rose playable in the classic quadrilogy.

Available on the 23rd of June 2023 (exactly one year after the original game’s release), Sonic Origins Plus is a new all-in-one bundle which not only fixes many of the issues fans had with the initial Origins release, but brings a whole host of additional content on top of it.

In addition to the remasters of Sonic 1, CD, 2, 3 and Knuckles, owners of the Plus expansion will be treated to 12 additional games in the form of the Sonic Game Gear titles. Unfortunately, it seems as though these games will not be remastered like the prior titles, but are instead accurate representations of the original experience – screen crunch included.

Beyond the added games however, Knuckles will now be playable in Sonic CD (an odd omission from the initial release) but even more excitingly, Amy Rose will be playable across the entirety of the remastered games for the first time – meaning Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic CD.

Finally, purchasing the Plus expansion will net you all of the content previously limited to the Digital Deluxe edition such as premium animations, new backgrounds and more (though in all honestly these should have been included in the base game).

Sonic Origins Plus launches on the 23rd of June and will be available to buy in both physical and digital formats (with the former including a 20-page artbook and a reversible coversheet “that pays homage to the classic 1990s era of Sonic”), costing $39.99 [£34.99]. Alternatively, those who already own Origins will be able to purchase the expansion for $9.99.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the new content? Is Sonic Origins now a complete package in your mind? Will you pick the game up? Let us know down below.

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Sonic Frontiers has officially sold 3 million units https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-frontiers-has-officially-sold-3-million-units/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-frontiers-has-officially-sold-3-million-units/#respond Thu, 23 Mar 2023 15:00:05 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=597714 Following many years of less-than-stellar video game releases, Sonic Team seem to have knocked it out of the park with Sonic Frontiers. Released back in November 2022, the open-zone platformer has already managed to become one of the franchises better-selling titles, having officially surpassed 3 million copies in just 4 months. Making the announcement on …

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Following many years of less-than-stellar video game releases, Sonic Team seem to have knocked it out of the park with Sonic Frontiers. Released back in November 2022, the open-zone platformer has already managed to become one of the franchises better-selling titles, having officially surpassed 3 million copies in just 4 months.

Making the announcement on Twitter, the official Japanese Sonic account revealed that just 4 months after its 8th of November 2022 launch, Sonic Frontiers has officially surpassed 3 million copies sold.

While this in no way makes Frontiers the best-performing game in the franchise, SEGA has in recent years failed to offer any sales statistics on the likes of 2017’s Sonic Forces – or when they have (such as with Sonic Lost World) – the numbers have not been great.

To see SEGA celebrating Sonic’s sales success after so many duds is a welcome change, and with Frontiers recently getting its first wave of free DLC, the title is likely to continue performing admirably.

Of course, it is worth noting that a majority of these 3 million copies sold occurred during the game’s first month – but this is typically the case with many games. As mentioned, the first of 3 waves of free DLC has now been released, meaning that over the course of the year and, with each new content drop, expect more people to flock to the game. It will be highly interesting to see how many copies the game sells when all is said and done.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic Frontiers? Are you one of the three million? What would you like to see from the sequel? Let us know down below.

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Sonic Frontiers’ first major update detailed, bringing Challenge mode and more https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-frontiers-first-major-update-detailed-bringing-challenge-mode-and-more/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-frontiers-first-major-update-detailed-bringing-challenge-mode-and-more/#respond Tue, 21 Mar 2023 12:45:26 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=597390 Following many years of less-than-stellar Sonic the Hedgehog video games, Sonic Team seemed to finally find their groove once again with 2022’s Sonic Frontiers. Having already sold over 3 million copies, the game was promised to be getting multiple waves of free DLC. The first update has now been detailed, and will be arriving in …

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Following many years of less-than-stellar Sonic the Hedgehog video games, Sonic Team seemed to finally find their groove once again with 2022’s Sonic Frontiers. Having already sold over 3 million copies, the game was promised to be getting multiple waves of free DLC. The first update has now been detailed, and will be arriving in just a few short days on the 23rd of March.

Making the announcement on the PlayStation Blog, Sonic Team’s Thalia Piedra detailed the first wave of free DLC for Sonic Frontiers, saying “Get ready, Sonic fans – it’s time to keep the Sonic Frontiers excitement going with new updates players are sure to love. On Thursday, March 23 at 1am CET [12am UK Time], the first of three Sonic Frontiers content updates this year – the Sights, Sounds, and Speed Update will [be released].”

As the name implies, this update will be bringing with it three main new features. First is the Challenge mode, which will offer much more content for both the Cyber Space and overworld levels. Available after beating the main story, the Cyber Space Challenge is a new time-attack mode where “you’ll complete seven stages from each island (Kronos, Ares, Chaos) while competing against the clock.”

Those who prefer the gameplay of the Starfall Islands will not be left behind either, as Battle Rush is also being added – “a timed-battle mode where you rapidly defeat multiple rounds of enemies, Guardians, and Titans in one go. Aim for the fastest clear time, and you may get a special surprise.”

The second major feature coming with this update is a Jukebox, allowing you to unlock and then listen to over 50 songs from both Sonic Frontiers and past games while speeding about the open zones.

Last but not least is the addition of a photo mode, letting you capture all of the best moments from Sonic Frontiers however you wish – pausing the action and allowing you to channel your inner photographer.

The Sonic Frontiers Sights, Sounds, and Speed Update is the first of three major free DLC drops, with future updates set to bring with it new features, challenges, playable characters, and more.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for this update? Do you use photo modes in games? What do you want to see from future updates? Let us know down below.

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Yuji Naka pleads guilty to insider trading at Square Enix https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/yuji-naka-pleads-guilty-to-insider-trading-at-square-enix/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/yuji-naka-pleads-guilty-to-insider-trading-at-square-enix/#respond Fri, 03 Mar 2023 14:38:29 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=595380 Yuji Naka is well known in the gaming world, having helped create Sonic the Hedgehog, working at Sega for many years before transitioning over to Square Enix in 2016. Naka made headlines in late 2022 for less-than-stellar reasons, having been caught out for insider trading, a charge that he has now pleaded guilty to.  In …

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Yuji Naka is well known in the gaming world, having helped create Sonic the Hedgehog, working at Sega for many years before transitioning over to Square Enix in 2016. Naka made headlines in late 2022 for less-than-stellar reasons, having been caught out for insider trading, a charge that he has now pleaded guilty to. 

In November 2022, it was reported that Yuji Naka and two other Square Enix employees were arrested for insider trading. They were said to have purchased shares in a Japanese game studio shortly before the studio announced it was working on a Dragon Quest game. Investigators believed that Naka and this other employee were aware of the announcement ahead of time, allowing them to purchase shares in the company at a discount to turn a quick and easy profit.

The game in question is Dragon Quest Tact, a mobile tactical RPG, which launched for iOS and Android back in February 2020. Naka is said to have bought shares in Aiming as early as December 2019, prior to the game's official unveiling.

Now, as reported by NHK, Naka has pleaded guilty to violating Japan's Financial Instruments and Exchange Act by illegally buying shares based on inside information. A sentence does not seem to have been handed out yet, so there should be another update to this story soon.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Naka hasn't worked at Square Enix for a while now, having left the company due to disputes over the development of Balan Wonderland. 

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Future Sonic games will have bigger budgets following Frontiers’ success https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/future-sonic-games-will-have-bigger-budgets-following-frontiers-success/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/future-sonic-games-will-have-bigger-budgets-following-frontiers-success/#respond Fri, 17 Feb 2023 11:15:04 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=593778 Following a lengthy development period, Sonic Frontiers finally released late last year to a positive response both from mainstream critics, but especially from hardcore Sonic fans. In the months since, we have seen the game go from strength to strength, selling an impressive 2.9 million units in well under two months – a major achievement …

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Following a lengthy development period, Sonic Frontiers finally released late last year to a positive response both from mainstream critics, but especially from hardcore Sonic fans. In the months since, we have seen the game go from strength to strength, selling an impressive 2.9 million units in well under two months – a major achievement for the franchise. Thanks to this success, SEGA has confirmed that future entries in the Sonic series will be given much larger budgets.

One of the common criticisms seen with Sonic games in the past was the fact that they were created with rather tight budgets as well as relatively short development times. With Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Team were finally given the time needed to create a game much greater in scope when compared to recent prior entries. This has resonated well with fans, leading to the aforementioned sales and critical success.

As reported and translated by TailsChannel, SEGA recently held an investor Q&A where one attendee asked “With the strong performance of Sonic Frontiers and other global titles, will you be focusing more on products like it in the future?” to which the publisher quite excitingly responded with:

“We expect development costs for new titles to grow even larger in the future,” adding that “We will strive to ensure solid quality in the development of major titles from our existing franchises. However, development labour costs will rise due to the impact of the global external environment, and we expect this trend to continue for the foreseeable future.”

They continued, “Since it is necessary to take on these challenges for major titles, we are proceeding with a bigger budget, even from the basic research stage. Therefore, we assume that development costs for future new titles will increase accordingly.”

Sonic Frontiers has proven that Sonic Team still have the juice – they just needed time and resources. With even more being afforded to them thanks to Frontiers’ success, it will be highly interesting to see what their next title looks like.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Sonic Frontiers? Where would you like to see the extra budget go towards? Let us know down below.

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Sonic Origins Plus seemingly confirmed as game gets rated in Korea https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-origins-plus-seemingly-confirmed-as-game-gets-rated-in-korea/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sonic-origins-plus-seemingly-confirmed-as-game-gets-rated-in-korea/#respond Mon, 13 Feb 2023 10:45:16 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=593251 Back in mid-2022 SEGA released Sonic Origins, a collection of the 4 classic Sonic titles remastered and bundled into one package alongside a bunch of extras. While a good collection, some fans were hoping for more. Luckily, it seems this will be the case as the Korean ratings board has a new listing for ‘Sonic …

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Back in mid-2022 SEGA released Sonic Origins, a collection of the 4 classic Sonic titles remastered and bundled into one package alongside a bunch of extras. While a good collection, some fans were hoping for more. Luckily, it seems this will be the case as the Korean ratings board has a new listing for ‘Sonic Origins Plus’.

As reported by Gematsu, The Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea recently added a listing for Sonic Origins Plus, seemingly confirming that an updated version of the game is set to soon be on its way.

Sonic fans are likely familiar with the ‘Plus’ moniker as the much-loved Sonic Mania received a Plus variant. For the uninitiated, Sonic Mania Plus released as its own SKU, but was also made available for existing owners through a £4.49 purchase of the game’s Encore DLC.

Sonic Mania Plus brought with it a significant amount of changes and new content, including two new characters (Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel); an additional game mode – Encore Mode; as well as an expansion to the competition mode.

Around the same time as the DLC, Sonic Mania received a major patch, including bug fixes, aesthetic changes and so much more. It will be interesting to see what exactly Sonic Origins Plus brings with it. Hopefully we won’t have too long to wait in order to find out.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Sonic Origins? What would you like to see added for this re-release? Which game in the quadrilogy is your favourite? Let us know down below.

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