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Posted: **2007-06-22 04:25am**

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (June 21, 2007)—SEGA© of America, Inc., SEGA® Europe, Ltd., and Canada-based developer studio BioWare® Corp. today announced a partnership to create a new video game based on the classic SEGA flagship icon Sonic The Hedgehog. The exact name of the game is undetermined, and it will ship in 2008.

"BioWare is one of the hottest names in RPG development in the world," said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America, Inc. "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."

BioWare is the award-winning independent developer that has created some of the world's best-selling titles including the Baldur's Gate™ and Neverwinter Nights™ series, the 2003 Game of the Year, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ and the 2005 RPG of the Year, Jade Empire.™ BioWare is currently developing one of the most anticipated next-generation titles of 2007, Mass Effect.™

"We're thrilled to be working with SEGA on Sonic, one of the industry's most enduring and compelling icons," said Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare. "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," added Ray Muzyka, chief executive officer of BioWare.

The relationship with BioWare reinforces SEGA's increased emphasis on Western content development for Western audiences. In the past few years SEGA has announced partnerships with developers Bizarre Creations, Gas Powered Games, Monolith Productions, Obsidian Entertainment, Planet Moon Studios, Pseudo Interactive and Silicon Knights. SEGA has also acquired development studios The Creative Assembly, Secret Level and Sports Interactive.

Source

This is really the most unexpected gaming news I've heard in a while.

Posted: **2007-06-22 04:51am**

Zounds.

Posted: **2007-06-22 04:53am**

...Wow.

I'm actually somewhat intrigued.

Posted: **2007-06-22 05:27am**

Whiskey.
Tango.
Foxtrot.

Over.

Either most awesome news of the day, or I'm going to go hang myself. I'm yet to choose.

Posted: **2007-06-22 05:41am**

Well, they did have that press release back a few months ago where they basically admitted that the mainstream Sonic series has spent the last eight years or so getting progressively more shit and they needed to do something new and different with the character.

Also, Bioware RPG on the go? Gimme!

Posted: **2007-06-22 08:48am**

This is either awesome to the highest degree, or the worst possible decision they can make.

I'm hoping, for my sake, the former.

Posted: **2007-06-22 09:19am**

As long as he runs really fast and I get to bash things, I really don't care what medium they chose.

Posted: **2007-06-22 09:42am**

You got to be kidding me. You have to be.

Posted: **2007-06-22 10:44am**

Well, Mario RPGs worked.

Posted: **2007-06-22 11:56am**

Alan Bolte wrote:Well, Mario RPGs worked.

Mario RPG was made by Square, though. I worry that Bioware will turn a Sonic RPG into NWN lite that just happens to have Sonic characters.

Posted: **2007-06-22 01:15pm**

Sonic games... bad. Bioware games... good.

PARADOX!

Posted: **2007-06-22 01:17pm**

SirNitram wrote:Sonic games... bad. Bioware games... good.

PARADOX!

Funnily, I'd say just the opposite. I didn't like Neverwinter Nights, so I'm leery about their RPG department.

Posted: **2007-06-22 01:19pm**

General Zod wrote:
SirNitram wrote:Sonic games... bad. Bioware games... good.

PARADOX!
Funnily, I'd say just the opposite. I didn't like Neverwinter Nights, so I'm leery about their RPG department.

Did you try some of their other RPGs?

That being said, can you name me a post-16 bit Sonic game that did not reek of an atrocity before God?

Posted: **2007-06-22 01:20pm**

SirNitram wrote:
Did you try some of their other RPGs?

I haven't really had the inclination since I took a gamble on NWN.

That being said, can you name me a post-16 bit Sonic game that did not reek of an atrocity before God?

Admittedly no. Though I haven't really played any post-16 bit Sonic games either except for some of the GBA stuff. (Which wasn't exactly bad, though I wouldn't exactly call it stellar either).

Posted: **2007-06-22 01:25pm**

Wow, first that Sonic and Mario crossover game and now this. Sonic's just been full of surprises lately.

I'm not sure how to feel about this. Never played NWN. Didn't like Baldur's Gate much. Loved KOTOR but the fact that it was D&D in space wasn't lost on me.

SirNitram wrote:Sonic games... bad.

I blame Shadow.

Seriously, though, the Sonic games on the handhelds have been pretty good. It's the ones on the big consoles that have been pure shit, so the fact that this will be on the DS is actually pretty encouraging.

Posted: **2007-06-22 01:29pm**

SirNitram wrote:That being said, can you name me a post-16 bit Sonic game that did not reek of an atrocity before God?

I can't personally vouch for this since I still haven't gotten around to picking up a Wii yet, but I've heard that Sonic and the Secret Rings is pretty good.

Sorry about the double post.

Posted: **2007-06-22 01:43pm**

Admiral Valdemar wrote:This is either awesome to the highest degree, or the worst possible decision they can make.

I'm hoping, for my sake, the former.

Well, we said that about Kingdom Hearts, too.

Now had Sega been trying this themselves, I would be worried. But I think Bioware's gonna be careful enough to make this work.

Posted: **2007-06-22 02:47pm**

SirNitram wrote:That being said, can you name me a post-16 bit Sonic game that did not reek of an atrocity before God?

Sonic Adventure 2

Posted: **2007-06-22 02:50pm**

SirNitram wrote:
General Zod wrote:
SirNitram wrote:Sonic games... bad. Bioware games... good.

PARADOX!
Funnily, I'd say just the opposite. I didn't like Neverwinter Nights, so I'm leery about their RPG department.
Did you try some of their other RPGs?

That being said, can you name me a post-16 bit Sonic game that did not reek of an atrocity before God?

Sorry I cannot produce gold out of thin air. The closest was the Sonic and the Rings they tried on the Wii...only because they at least tried to go back to a formula of SONIC ONLY...not Sonic and his 18 furry fuckmates.

Posted: **2007-06-22 03:28pm**

Acidburns wrote:
SirNitram wrote:That being said, can you name me a post-16 bit Sonic game that did not reek of an atrocity before God?
Sonic Adventure 2

If not for the fucking emerald search levels I'd agree with you, but as it was that game was bad. Not Sonic Heroes bad, but still pretty terrible.

Posted: **2007-06-22 03:42pm**

SirNitram wrote:That being said, can you name me a post-16 bit Sonic game that did not reek of an atrocity before God?

Sonic Rush. It's everything you need. It's 2D, it's fast, it's got responsive controls, well designed and fun levels, reasonably challenging bosses, and proper special stages (basically Sonic 2's specials but controlled with the stylus)

The first Sonic Adventure was good, but after it the 3D entries in the series have been getting progressively worse, to the point of being actually painful to experience in the most recent release.

Posted: **2007-06-22 04:31pm**

Trogdor wrote:
Acidburns wrote:
SirNitram wrote:That being said, can you name me a post-16 bit Sonic game that did not reek of an atrocity before God?
Sonic Adventure 2
If not for the fucking emerald search levels I'd agree with you, but as it was that game was bad. Not Sonic Heroes bad, but still pretty terrible.

I actually liked the Knuckles/Rouge stages. My beef was the Tails/Eggman ones.

Posted: **2007-06-22 06:32pm**

I rather liked Sonic Heroes *looks around*

*Runs like Sonic*

Posted: **2007-06-22 06:41pm**

SirNitram wrote:That being said, can you name me a post-16 bit Sonic game that did not reek of an atrocity before God?

SatSR and Rush are the only 2, and Sonic Adventures is a possibility, but contestable as mentioned.

Posted: **2007-06-22 07:10pm**

I hope theres a special ability called "BLAST PROCESSING"

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Sonic the Hedgehog RPG. For the DS. By Bioware.

Sonic the Hedgehog RPG. For the DS. By Bioware.