Transcript of the 2017 Sonic the Hedgehog panel at South by Southwest

Sonic 2017

SONIC 2017 (20 Minutes)
Panelists: All

AARON: Well then, I think it’s time to talk about Sonic 2017—

MIKE: [Eggman Laugh SFX jingle from his phone] Oh, sorry, excuse me, I just got a really important text message.

AARON: What? Um, ok…


MIKE: Yikes. Looks like I’m a full five minutes overdue for World Domination. Sorry, you know how it is. I’ll be back in a moment, OK?

[MIKE EXISTS AND MOVE TOWARDS AUSTIN, WHO HAS THE MICROPHONE]

ROGER: [Slightly suspicious] Wait, where’s he going now?

AARON: I have no idea. Well, allllright. lizuka-san, Roger, I guess it’s just us for this one. So, let’s move right on to Sonic 2017, a brand new Sonic title featuring Modern Sonic that—

EGGMAN: AHAHAHAHAH! I TOLD YOU I’D BE BACK! Did you miss me, Audience?

AARON: (Facepalm) … You know, I should have seen that coming.

EGGMAN: Welcome to a world where I reign supreme! A world where Sonic has finally failed. A world shaped into the Eggman Empire as I truly imagined it!

ROGER: (Visibly more concerned now) Oh no. No no no. I uh, hey, look at that, I just got a text message too! Cat’s on fire or something. I’ll be RIGHT BACK. (Roger hurries off into the audience, looking for Eggman.) Miiiiiike? Where are you? Miiiiike!

EGGMAN: Stay over there, you bumbling do-gooder! Things are going to be different this time around. In the next Sonic game, you get to see a world in which I’m the victor. But don’t worry. I’m a kind, noble ruler. Everyone gets fair, totally equal treatment. Well, terrible treatment, but it’s still equally terrible for all!

[ROGER HAS FOUND MIKE, AND IS SLOWLY PUSHING HIM TOWARDS THE STAGE, MIC IN HAND]

EGGMAN: Hey! Hey! Do you know who I am?! DO YOU KNOW WHO! AM?!

ROGER: It’s time to keep the panel moving, Mike. Come on. Let’s go.

MIKE: *Grumble Grumble*

[MIKE AND ROGER REJOIN THE TEAM AT THE STAGE]

AARON: Alright, well, welcome back, guys! Roger, how’s your cat?

ROGER: Oh, uh, totally fine now. Definitely no longer on fire.

MIKE: Hmph. You always spoil my fun, you know that?

ROGER: That is literally my day job sometimes.

Name of Sonic 2017

AARON: Alright, well, it’s time to talk about Sonic 2017! In a moment, we’re going to come back to Mike and Roger for some questions regarding both the world of voice acting in video games and also your involvement on this project specifically. But before we do, we have something to kick things off with, don’t we, lizuka-san.

[***NOTE: THIS ENTIRE NAME SECTION IS LIKELY CUT — LEAVING HERE IN CASE SOMETHING CHANGES. PLEASE SKIP TO THE NEXT SECTION.***]

IIZUKA-SAN: That’s right. [To audience] Do you all remember the trailer we showed last July, at the 25th Anniversary Party?

[Audience cheers]

IIZUKA-SAN: We’re going to show you that trailer, one more time. But we changed one thing. Can you spot it?

AARON: Alright audience, we’re about to play that same trailer, like lizuka-san mentioned, with a single change. Let’s take a look…

[TRAILER PLAYS — NOW WITH “SONIC 2017” LOGO AT THE END.]

[Audience cheers]

AARON: Iizuka-san, is that what I think it is? Can we finally stop calling the game Sonic 2017?

IIZUKA-SAN: That’s right, Aaron. We are pleased to announce the real title for Sonic 2017… “SONIC 2017”!

[More cheers]

AARON: lizuka-san, can you give us a little insight into why the game is titled Sonic 2017?

IIZUKA-SAN: One of the key features of the game are the “2017” (FORCES) — both good and bad — fighting for control. On one side, you have Sonic and his friends, on the other side Eggman, and then… well, perhaps we haven’t finished showing everyone who quite all the main 2017 will be just yet. Force also represents power, and we’re excited to show a new side of the characters’ strengths in this game.

AARON: Interesting… I think everyone is probably looking forward to that, lizuka-san.

[***SKIP TO THIS SECTION IF NAME AND TRAILER ARE CUT***]

Concept artwork

AARON: Next, let’s take a look at something that a few of you have already seen pieces of…

[CONCEPT ART — FROM PRESS APPEARS — IT IS SHOWN IN ONE CORNER. THE OTHER CORNERS ARE BLACK.]

AARON: Anyone seen this before? You may have spotted this over on our social channels…

[CONCEPT ART PIECE 2 — FIRST TEASER — APPEARS]

AARON: … or maybe you saw this piece, which went live as part of our ongoing teaser campaign. Then, just this week we hid a third part…

[CONCEPT ART PIECE 3 — SECOND TEASER — APPEARS]

AARON: and finally, today, we’d like to add to that the final piece of the puzzle, which completes the Concept Art.

[CONCEPT ART — PIECE 4 — FINAL TEASER — APPEARS]

ROGER: That’s… a lot of fire.

MIKE: I think it looks pretty great, personally. That Eggman guy deserves a win or two, with as long as he’s been trying.

IIZUKA-SAN: Well, I think it’s nice concept art. Of course, not every level will be quite so dark.

AARON: Actually, now that we’ve shown this off, please commit it to memory, because it’s going to come up again near the end of the panel.

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