Peter Gillibrand and
Tom RichardsonBBC Newsbeat
Sega“Sega does what Nintendon’t”.
The slogan, from the Nineteen Nineties, is among the most well-known in online game historical past.
It was a time when the bitter rivalry between the 2 Japanese recreation firms was at its fiercest.
At present, that relationship has softened.
You possibly can play Sonic video games on Nintendo consoles and the characters have even appeared in video games collectively.
However is Sega making an attempt to restart the meat?
The advert for its newest launch, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, intently resembles a 1992 business that claimed superiority over Nintendo.
And in August, the person answerable for the mascot character appeared to take a pop at Mario Kart from the stage of this yr’s Summer season Recreation Fest.
However when BBC Newsbeat catches up with Sonic Group head Takashi Iizuka, he is not naming names.
“So I did not name out any particular title, and there is quite a lot of racing video games on the market,” he says.
The concept that Sega is significantly making an attempt to choose a combat with Nintendo is unlikely, in response to Chris Dring, editor-in-chief of The Video games Enterprise.
He suggests Sega is “having a little bit of enjoyable” and factors out that its new recreation, which is offered throughout totally different consoles and on PC, remains to be more likely to promote probably the most copies on Nintendo’s Swap.
Sega is clearly assured in its new recreation, he says, however there may be “a component of leveraging the recognition of Mario Kart”.
“The Sonic versus Mario speak very a lot advantages Sonic,” he says.
SegaThe larger problem for long-running titles is attracting new gamers and going up towards the brand new giants of the video games business.
Followers stick to titles reminiscent of Fortnite, Roblox and Name of Responsibility – so-called “reside service” video games that supply a revolving, ever-updating number of content material – for months if not years on finish.
With CrossWorlds, there are plans so as to add a revolving solid of characters and supply gamers a “season go” add-on to entry sure extras – a function seen in lots of on-line titles.
Mr Iizuka says the objective is to “be sure we’re refreshing the sport each month and to essentially make it a enjoyable expertise to consistently come again to”.
It is a frequent follow, and one recreation firms are utilizing to maintain gamers engaged as growth time and prices hold rising.
“There was once a time the place you launched a brand new recreation yearly,” says journalist Chris.
“That is not how issues work anymore in video video games, they usually take 5 years-plus to make.”
Chris says rolling content material drops are a great way to take care of curiosity as soon as the hype of an enormous launch has light.
And it is smart to “embrace” the trendy gaming panorama, he says.
For instance, he says probably the most common current Sonic releases was an official recreation inside Roblox.
Alongside the profitable film tie-ins, Chris says, it is a manner of “introducing Sonic the Hedgehog to these gamers after which hopefully convincing them to step throughout and play one thing like CrossWorlds”.
SegaOnline game firms have been leaning on remakes and remasters of older titles lately.
The pattern had sparked hope amongst die-hard Sega followers that remakes of the Sonic Journey sequence – among the many character’s first 3D outings – would even be coming.
However Mr Iizuka insists it isn’t one thing his workforce will probably be , as new know-how allows them to create “richer, extra advanced, extra fascinating worlds”.
“As a substitute of utilizing all that point and vitality to remake a recreation that folks have already skilled, we may make a model new recreation as a substitute,” he says.
“I feel the workforce is absolutely curious about taking that very same period of time and vitality and energy to essentially carry a brand new expertise to the gamers.”
The stance is in keeping with Sega’s method to a few of its different retro titles.
It is presently growing new entries in long-dormant sequence reminiscent of arcade racer Loopy Taxi, hack-and-slash battler Golden Axe and the inline-skating-themed Jet Set Radio.
The primary of those revival initiatives, ninja journey Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance, slashed its manner on to some critics’ recreation of the yr shortlists when it got here out final month.
Within the case of Sonic, journalist Chris factors out that it would not make sense to have your flagship growth workforce engaged on remakes.
However he would not rule out the chance solely, particularly as Sega has kind for re-releasing titles from the character’s again catalogue.
“In the event that they wished to, if they do not have it of their capability as a workforce, they’ll at all times outsource it to a lot of gifted people who find themselves massive Sonic followers that would do it justice,” he says.
However, he provides, Sega would not wish to be seen solely as a retro firm.
“There is a stability between doing new issues and doing outdated issues as a way to make it possible for they’re an organization that is wanting forward and never simply being an organization that is counting on its previous,” he says.
