The Sonic the Hedgehog series is expected to receive “several new titles” for mobile platforms, SEGA’s parent company confirmed in a management meeting late December.
Apple and Google were both named as “key players” in the mobile sector for SEGA, as the publisher detailed an encompassing transmedia scheme for the blue blur, which will include licencing and collaborations with other third-party properties.
“Several new” mobile games under development
With an established presence thanks to the likes of free apps like Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces Speed Battle, the franchise looks set to dive in the world of mobile gaming, as part of SEGA’s future plans.
The publisher did not rule out exclusivity clauses with subscription-based mobile gaming services. In recent days, the publisher signed a contract with Apple to produce Sonic Dream Team, and Netflix announced a mobile port of Sonic Mania Plus for their game subscription service.
No word of a specific timeframe for the aforementioned mobile games, currently in development.
Future Sonic mobile games to adopt Rovio’s Beacon toolkit
As part of the mobile expansion, the upcoming slate is expected to adopt “Beacon”, an internal development and marketing toolkit powered by machine learning, frequently utilized by Rovio, the Finnish studio behind Angry Birds that SEGA acquired over the summer.
The studio described Beacon as a platform to “build games and get games to market, models to profitably grow and monetize the game and live operations tools to maximize our players’ fun.”
The toolkit has been criticized in a number of fan-run Angry Birds forums for incentivizing revenue at the expense of gameplay quality. SEGA did not disclose if the Beacon platform will extend beyond the present suite of HARDIight mobile games.
More details on SEGA’s resurrection of classic hits
SEGA also unveiled these new images and descriptions for the five new games announced at The Game Awards, described as a “power surge’ to re-electrify their classic hits, like Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio.
- Crazy Taxi: Innovative & Fresh Style Driving Action! Cheerful feeling of freedom and fusion of nature and city. Peel out the new stage of Crazy City!
- Jet Set Radio: “Counter-Culture” – Tokyo Street Open World! Experience the “rebellion” movement that feels free in a suffocating society. Make friends, increase your fans, and create a movement!
- Shinobi: Slay the enemies in the silence of the moment. Run through the world of Shinobi, full of monsters and ninja actions. Grab Oberozuki, the legendary sword and slay evil once more. Your clan and the world are counting on you.
- Golden Axe: Warriors arise to subdue the demons! Defeat your enemies with a variety of attacks with swords and magic! The legendary story about the battle axe, Golden Axe is about to begin!
- Streets of Rage Revolution: Beloved side-scrolling beat ’em up action series! Take control of one of the ex-officers and make the city a place where people no longer have to walk the “Streets of Rage.”
The announcement coincided with SEGA’s plans to strengthen their flagship video game brands like Persona and Like a Dragon, and to expand with legacy properties.
