Contrary to how it may seem Sega has not suddenly changed. They have not suddenly decided to abandon their fans. They've been this way the entire time. Sega's like the confident and aggressive player who covinces you to sleep with him by saying, "Show me your tits." He's different and in an odd way charming, so you give into his demands. After the fact you try to get a hold of him, but he doesn't respond, and if he does he's very rude about it. You then wonder why he suddenly became a jerk to you. In reality, he was always a jerk, you just didn't realize it until he left you, but your traumatized, and now you can't help but crave and desire bad boys. Why does Sega treat it's fans poorly, yet I still crave it? You wonder. Why do fans remain loyal? Others wonder. Why do we still crave the jerk when we have every reason to hate them. In both cases it's the same. It's the psychological response to loss. http://www.caregiverslibrary.org/caregivers-resources/grp-end-of-life-issues/hsgrp-grief-and-loss/psychological-responses-to-loss-article.aspx
Let's face it. Sega' doesn't really care about any one particular type of Sonic. It doesn't favor any one particular type of fans over the other. They just want your money. Much like the player that just wants your body, but just as players are never contempt with one woman, Sega is never content with one group of fans. They have a systematically approach; a pattern for how they go about seducing new fans. Here's how Sega decides to market it's games. First, they make a game to attract new fans. For example Sonic 1. Next, they pump out a sequel as fast as they can to capture and capitilize on the hype of the new audience. For example Sonic 2. Then, they feast on their new found herd of cattle; draining them for every penny they've gone. Lastly, as they're now satisfied, bored of their old meal, and craving more, they go back to step one to once again go on the hunt and seek out new sheep to replenish their herd with fresh, new meat.
I name these 3 target markets:
1. New Potential fans
2. Hype Train People
3. Loyal fansIn my marketing classing I learned businesses actually think and identify groups like this, so I wouldn't be surprised if they actually had some sort of official targets like these. Anyway, here's how it looks when applied to the games.
Sonic 1: New Potential fans
Sonic 2: Hype Train People
Sonic 3: Loyal fans
Sonic Adventure 1: New, potential fans
Sonic Adventure 2: Hype Train people
Sonic Hereos: Loyal fans of Classics
Shadow: New People
Sonic 06: Hype from Shadow's game
Sonic Unleashed: Loyal Fans of Adventure games
Sonic Colors: New Nintendo, casual fans
Sonic Generations: Hype Train of "Sonic's finally good again"
Sonic Lost World: Fans of Sonic Colors
Sonic Boom: New
Sonic Runners?: Hype?
Sonic Boom 2? For Boom Fans? Adventure 3 because boom failed?: Fans?
There's a lot of conclusion we can draw from this. The most mind bloggling of them to fans who see the classic games as the same is that No, Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 are relatively nothing like a Sonic game, as defined by it's predecessors. Yep, that's right the Sonic Adventure 1, the critically acclaimed, fan favorite. The magnus opum of Sonic games was nothing like one. SA1 was a drastically different type of game. The six playstyles and characters was to have broad appeal. It was nothing like a classic Sonic game. It was more or less an "Open World", RPG, inspired by the genesis games rather than a direct sequel to them. Sonic Heroes was the first serious attempt to make a genesis Sonic game into 3d outside of 3d blast. SA1 did exactly what Sonic Boom attempted to do, in other words it introduced new fans (myself included) who at this point have taken over the fandom. It's a good thing for us adventure fans, that Sonic Boom was a flop, if it was a success we'd have found ourselves in the midst of a serious Sonic civil war. A multifactioned war, even more severe than any current disputes within us.
A second conclusion is that the hype train games are the most well known, and so far according to my capacity to perceive the public opinion that idea seems to hold up. Sonic 2, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic 06, and Sonic Generations are the most well known Sonic games.
A third conclusion is that Sonic 06 is the slammed out the door sequel to capitolize on the success of Shadow the Hedgehog. In a lot of way this statement is correct. It focused on realistic, high fidelity, graphics (something that call of duty and halo fans tend to care a lot about) the story revolves around Shadow. It focuses on hedgehogs in the campaigns and not Tails or Knuckles, so people who only played Shadow's game won't be confused. Shadow's gameplay in 06 was designed to bring back elements from Shadow the Hedgehog. From magazine articles and from when I first played 06 and all other clues, I didn't feel like the game was for me, a fan of the adventure games, but towards the typical Sony and Xbox gamer. The game, it's story. I didn't know it was supposed to be a sequel or connected to the adventure games it felt like a reboot to me.
Another conclusion is that Sonic Unleashed was clearly marketed and made for Adventure fans more than anything else. Even outside of the pattern it was almost called Sonic Adventure 3. As someone who has been introduced to Sonic with the Adventure games, Unleashed feels the closest to a third adventure game.
From there, and the ending of Sonic Boom, it looks like a sequel for Boom might actually be in the works, or at the very least it looks like that's what was planned until Boom and Big Red Button failed. The sheep are wising up to the player's tricks and they're getting old, so I wonder what the Sega has up their sleeve now.
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