Interviews

Iizuka: “We Want To Reach The Widest Possible Audience.”

A few days after Gamesutra talked to Takashi Iizuka, GamereactorTV has posted their own interview with the current head of Sonic Team. While most of the interview is the usual PR speak and things we already know, the answer to the last question is the most interesting:

So the final question, how do you see the next twenty years for Sonic?

Sonic started as an action game twenty years ago and we will continue to focus on creating the best possible action game. But we want to reach the widest possible audience. So, you know, we will probably see Sonic going into other genres of games and also seeing Sonic in different media. So we will hopefully be able to have as many people as possible enjoy Sonic.

We have already seen Sonic race in karts, take place in the olympics and play tennis among other things. Next thing you know he’ll have his own Dance Dance Revolution game. Either way, it looks like there won’t be a shortage of spin-offs in the future of the Sonic franchise, both in games and other media. You can watch the full interview here:

Gamereactor’s Iizuka interview

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35 Comments

  • Reply

    Well, seeing how Sonic breakdances..

  • Reply

    But Sonic already dances …

    In Samba de Amigo.

  • Reply

    i don’t mind too much about spinoffs, but it’s a great idea to get sonic being more mainstream. after all never had too much recognition as the videogame icon that it is.

  • Reply

    I hope we get some new movie or mini series of a cartoon.

  • Reply

    Sonic and Sega All Stars Golf! 

  • Reply

    Sonic & Cooking Mama: Extreme Cook-off

  • Reply

    Weird, I thought I didn’t submit this for review yet.
    Not that it matters much, all I needed to do was add tags. I was also trying to figure out how to embed Youtube videos.

  • Reply

    More spinoffs? Why am I scared all of a sudden? 
    Oh well. Here’s hoping for the best. Personally, I’d like to see a modern Sonic the Fighters. There’s enough crappy friends to make a roster big enough to rival MvC2, so why not?

  • Reply

    Maybe we’ll see Sonic with a gun sometime :p

  • Reply

    Other Media? Gasp! Does this mean what I think it means?!

  • Reply

    You know what’s funny? a few years ago some chick at DA suggested that Sonic needs a DDR game, I so don’t want that, however another fighting game would be cool!

  • Reply

    I don’t get why sonic would ever race in a stupid go-kart if he can exceed mach 1 just by running

  • Reply

    Basically they want to use Sonic as a “Mario”.
    Nothing new here folks 😛

  • Reply

    Sonic and Sega All Stars vs Capcom

  • Reply

    @Jeff
    Because in a sack race you don’t go out of the sack and start running just because you go faster.

  • Reply

    Oh boy… personally I’m not so excited about this. The spin-offs he’s had haven’t been so great…

  • Reply

    That’s PR talk for, we’re gonna milk the ever loving crap of this IP.

  • Reply

    welp, Sonic might as well be re-fucked.

  • Reply

    @Sureman:

    I’ve always wanted a Sega VS. Capcom game for a while. But even if we do get something like this, no telling if Mega Man would be involved at all…

  • Reply

    Crisis city in Generations is awful. Just awful.

  • Reply

    5 words call of duty: mobian warfare, haha I know it’ll never happen, but a sonic fps, sounds errrr possible, oh and ps i actually hate call of duty

  • Reply

    Sega vs Capcom, anyone?

  • Reply

    Sonic FPS confirmed.
    *reads other comments*
    Yep, true gamers in this room.

    Anyways, with any luck a Chao Garden game gets confirmed with online capabilities for Steam/PSN/XBLA.

  • Reply

    Other Genre’s?

    Do I sense a Sonic Vs. Mario on the football field? That would so epic and also insane at the same time. But nonetheless after reading what Iizuka said, I am fearing what Sonic’s future is going to look like.

  • Reply

    Sonic Shuffle 2, a new Sonic fighting game – don’t care if it’s based on Smash Bros. or a Street Fighter/MvC style game, and we DEFINITELY need Sonic Adventure 3 with the same gameplay, plus a Chao Garden with online capabilities. Oh, and SEGA, hurry up and port Sonic Adventure 2 to the Xbox Live Arcade so I can start racing people over Live and have Chao Races with them.

  • Reply

    Oh, and a new racing game, except Sonic is actually on foot like in Sonic R. Except he’s fast and doesn’t handle like shit.

  • Reply

    i think that i will buy a sonic rpg made in japan not by ubisoft will be really cool

  • Reply

    Iizuka: And now to sit back and enjoy my popcorn as I watch the Sonic Fanbase writhe in agony over that comment I made at the end of the interview. Hehhehheh…

  • Reply

    how about the game sonic the hedgehog origins

  • Reply

    It’s already done, just wait 5 more days for the release, no kidding :p

  • Reply

    >appeal to a wider audience
    oh boy, sonic warfare 3
    Abandon franchise!

    In all seriousness, I don’t think any other phrase could possibly make me angrier. It is the single line that usually shows that the developers have no idea what they are talking about and are about to destroy the franchise in an attempt to cash out on the success of the brand.

    I’m very disappointed after how hard they seemingly worked to get sonic back on his feet from this past decade. and now only to turn around and drive him back into the dirt? ugh. the industry is only going to get worse as more developers do this.

  • Reply

    I’ve always wanted a Marvel Vs. Capcom & Sega

  • Reply

    Kind of stupid. Sonic’s main selling point is being Sonic. A fan of football games isn’t gonna buy a sonic football game unless they were a Sonic fan. Fans of CoD and stuff like that hardly obsessed over Shadow the Hedgehoe because of the guns. Just make good games, iizuka. If they’re good and fun to play, people will buy them. You’re not going to draw in any god of war fans by turning Sonic into a werewolf…you get where I’m going with this so I’ll shup

  • Reply

    Dear Iizuka,

    Sonic 1 sold 4 million. Sonic 2 sold 6 million.
    Take the formula used in those game, expand on that, and I think the widest possible audience will follow.

  • Reply

    Sportsmanship and fun? 

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