I came across something rather unusual today. It appears that a Sonic the Hedgehog RPG is currently in development for the DS.
The unusual part? It's being developed by BioWare.
Given the circumstances, I'm very intrigued.
The unusual part? It's being developed by BioWare.
Originally posted by Next Gen
BioWare Spinning Sonic RPG for DS
By Kris Graft
Mass Effect developer BioWare is developing a DS role-playing game based around Sonic the Hedgehog, as Sega aims to improve the image of its mascot.
The currently nameless Sonic RPG will be the first time that BioWare has developed for a handheld. The studio announced its preliminary DS plans last year, when it founded an internal handheld games group.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada-based BioWare, whose parent company is VG Holding, is the independent developer behind acclaimed titles including Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. It’s also currently working on the highly-anticipated Xbox 360 RPG Mass Effect.
The studio is known for its tight focus on story-driven gameplay and is well-respected among gamers. The new Sonic RPG is slated for a 2008 release.
Japan-headquartered Sega has been partnering with a wide range of top-tier Western developers in an effort to increase its global presence. The company will be publishing games from Supreme Commander developer Gas Powered Games, Condemned developer Monolith Productions, Star Wars: Empire at War studio Petroglyph, and developers Gearbox and Obsidian, among others.
Sega’s mascot Sonic has endured fairly recent critical beatings. While Sonic Rush for DS and Sonic and the Secret Rings for Wii were well-received critically (the former more than the latter), the major next-gen console debuts of Sonic the Hedgehog were critically panned. Sega president Simon Jeffery told Next-Gen earlier this year that "Sega has been looking at Sonic and the Sonic franchise quite heavily and seriously, figuring out what we can do to improve the quality of games overall."
Despite the shaky quality, Sonic games have continued to be top sellers.
“Everyone at SEGA has huge confidence that Sonic is in the safest of hands, and that BioWare can create the ultimate handheld RPG experience for gamers of all ages,” said Sega's Jeffery in a statement.
BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka added, “As huge fans of Sonic ourselves, we're committed to delivering a truly amazing story-driven experience within the Sonic universe, focusing on capturing the character's broad appeal and placing him in a completely original adventure."
BioWare founded its handheld group last year, driven by the studio’s interest in the hit Nintendo DS handheld. Dan Tudge, head of BioWare’s handheld games group, told Next-Gen at the time, “…The DS really presented the first sort of opportunity to really be innovative, and conducive to the very classic BioWare innovation in the RPG handheld space. That was really the driving factor [to move into the portable space].”
By Kris Graft
Mass Effect developer BioWare is developing a DS role-playing game based around Sonic the Hedgehog, as Sega aims to improve the image of its mascot.
The currently nameless Sonic RPG will be the first time that BioWare has developed for a handheld. The studio announced its preliminary DS plans last year, when it founded an internal handheld games group.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada-based BioWare, whose parent company is VG Holding, is the independent developer behind acclaimed titles including Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. It’s also currently working on the highly-anticipated Xbox 360 RPG Mass Effect.
The studio is known for its tight focus on story-driven gameplay and is well-respected among gamers. The new Sonic RPG is slated for a 2008 release.
Japan-headquartered Sega has been partnering with a wide range of top-tier Western developers in an effort to increase its global presence. The company will be publishing games from Supreme Commander developer Gas Powered Games, Condemned developer Monolith Productions, Star Wars: Empire at War studio Petroglyph, and developers Gearbox and Obsidian, among others.
Sega’s mascot Sonic has endured fairly recent critical beatings. While Sonic Rush for DS and Sonic and the Secret Rings for Wii were well-received critically (the former more than the latter), the major next-gen console debuts of Sonic the Hedgehog were critically panned. Sega president Simon Jeffery told Next-Gen earlier this year that "Sega has been looking at Sonic and the Sonic franchise quite heavily and seriously, figuring out what we can do to improve the quality of games overall."
Despite the shaky quality, Sonic games have continued to be top sellers.
“Everyone at SEGA has huge confidence that Sonic is in the safest of hands, and that BioWare can create the ultimate handheld RPG experience for gamers of all ages,” said Sega's Jeffery in a statement.
BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka added, “As huge fans of Sonic ourselves, we're committed to delivering a truly amazing story-driven experience within the Sonic universe, focusing on capturing the character's broad appeal and placing him in a completely original adventure."
BioWare founded its handheld group last year, driven by the studio’s interest in the hit Nintendo DS handheld. Dan Tudge, head of BioWare’s handheld games group, told Next-Gen at the time, “…The DS really presented the first sort of opportunity to really be innovative, and conducive to the very classic BioWare innovation in the RPG handheld space. That was really the driving factor [to move into the portable space].”
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