In a new Q&A with investors and analysts, Sega addressed the goals the company has set for Sonic Frontiers.
Although Sonic Frontiers introduced the game’s setting as the Starfall Islands, Sega has yet to show off the gameplay of the title.
Sonic Frontiers has caught the eye of critics and fans alike as the game promises to be the Sonic series’ first attempt at creating an open-world title. While Sega has yet to reveal too much information regarding the game, it is completely clear that Sonic Team has been working to ensure that the next main Sonic title will impress fans. However, a recent Q&A with analysts and investors revealed that Sega not only aims to please fans of the series but critics as well.
The first time fans saw the project that Sonic Team is working on was during Sonic Central’s presentation last year with a fascinating short trailer. The game’s title and release timeframe were revealed later in a longer trailer at The Game Awards event last December. Although Sonic Frontiers introduced the game’s setting as the Starfall Islands, Sega has yet to show off the gameplay of the title.
According to Video Games Chronicle, during a recent investor meeting, Sega was asked if they aim for Sonic Frontiers to achieve a certain target score on review aggregator sites. CEO Haruki Satomi and chief financial officer Koichi Fukazawa have said that a good review score can lead to Frontiers becoming a “must buy game” and a good review score can “create synergy with sales”, so they have set internal goals that are also related to the critics’ reception of the game.
Satomi and Fukazawa have also stated that the Sonic franchise is currently “rising”, in part due to the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 theatrical film.
This aligns with what Sega has said in previous internal meetings when asked about the development of Frontiers. Late last year, a management meeting revealed that the game had been intentionally discontinued during Sonic’s 30th anniversary to ensure that “there weren’t any compromises in terms of quality.”
Satomi and Fukazawa have also stated that the Sonic franchise is currently “rising”, in part due to the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 theatrical film. On top of that, Sonic Frontiers could be part of a fresh new future. bright for the series as recent moves imply that Sega is working towards stabilizing the franchise. However, due to previous missteps, critics and many gamers are inclined to think badly of the Sonic series. The series’ last major release, Sonic Forces, ended with a score of 57 on Metacritic and low reviews. With the development of Sonic Frontiers promising, it probably needs to be a really great game for Sega to achieve these lofty goals. Loyal fans of the green hedgehog should definitely keep an eye out for Frontiers as it could end up being a product that makes a sizable impact overall. Sonic Frontiers is scheduled to release in late 2022 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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