Oh gawd, aaaaand the Hydrocity argument rears it's head in the comments again. I thought that war was over!
With a digital release, what makes it onto the physical store shelf? Like, a card with a pin inside? I think the most important thing Mania can do, in terms of sales, is have some faith in the game and actually push the product. With the hype, positive media reception, and emphasis on artwork garnered to date, this game should get the red carpet treatment to ensure that your average potential customer is actually aware of the game. They should add a little in-store flare, if not a commercial. I can't help but worry Sega is going to put all their eggs in Forces, being as it is the blockbuster title. However, Mania has the potential to be a renaissance for the brand. I get that this is a $20 title, and not a fluffed-up $60 title, but IMO Sega should be thinking about Sonic Mania as an investment in the future, rather than a near-term source of profit, and be investing in advertising so that people are aware that quality exists in the series once again.
Actually, this brings a good point. I've only seen Gamestops in my area advertising the CE and the digital versions. But it seems like they decided to do it because they basically printed it out on regular paper instead of being official material. The commercial idea seems cool too, though every recent game except for Sonic 4 and handheld titles have gotten one. It would be nice if Mania broke the mold for that.
If the game is digital, I say load up on the digital advertisements. I'm talking YouTube ads, Facebook and Twitter promotions, all that stuff. Even an advertisement in the Xbox/Playstation home screens or a newsletter on the Switch would likely go a long way. There is more of an opportunity than ever to get the word out- get creative SEGA!
Advertisement is very important, but word of mouth and social media are still keys to the success of this title, and those aspects are doing pretty well so far. The trailer for the switch version on Nintendo's channel has 5 million views, not nearly as much as Mario Odyssey at 24 million, but it still is one of the top videos on their entire channel. Combine that with what has been rave E3 reviews leading to excellent press reception/coverage and you've got some of the key formulas for success already there. Frankly, every one of us needs to hype this game like nobody's business among the general gamer population ourselves. Let people know that Genesis Sonic is back and this time it really 'is' a quality product. Sharing the trailers and a few bits of gameplay footage like the chemical plant/studiopolis bits is usually all people need to see. Frankly, the real hurdle to this succeeding isn't quality, it's determining how big the market for Sonic actually really is. Sonic was never truly as popular as Nintendo IPs save about 3 years or so in 91-93, and even then sales always lagged far behind what the Big N typically did. That may ultimately be the biggest limiting factor for success here. (Also, to put that in perspective, the most popular Sonic Forces trailer only has 2.5million views.)
Good post HEDGESMFG. It is great when we work together to achieve something meaningful - however I honestly don't think Mania needs us. It has massive positive buzz, strong hype and good momentum and is destined to be a sales success. To give you an idea, the Sonic Forces announcement thread on NeoGAF reached 10 pages. Sonic Mania's reached 50. Gamers have been super excited and super warm and positive about Mania since the beginning, and Sega's marketing has been pretty great in terms of keeping the narrative going with more stages, announcements and so on. Sonic Mania just is going to do well, because it's a game everyone wants. Honestly don't think we need to do anything. Then again, helping the game sell more is still a good idea, so perhaps we can still unite to do something meaningful. Anything to ensure Mania 2.
I just think we should spread the love where possible. I post on it pretty regularly, and frankly, it's nice because the existence of this game alone is already doing a lot to help Sonic's battered reputation. But yes, word of mouth has already done very well. That too was part of my point, and it will only get better if the game comes out and is good as we all hope (and more or less know) it will be. I already know I'm buying both a steam and a switch copy. Being released on all major platforms (minus mobile for some odd reason) will also be hugely helpful to achieving sales success. It can reach as broad of a gaming audience as possible.
I regularly share the trailers on Facebook and I got likes even from non-gamer people, or people that grew up with the Genesis and then the Playstation 1, but then nothing. It's quite amazing; I don't know if it holds true in Brazil, but here in Argentina modern Sonic is pretty non-existent. The most people I know only remember the Sonic from the Genesis era, because it was the typical game bundled here with the console twenty years ago (and also because both the Saturn and the Dreamcast hardly existed here, so the first 3D entries are pretty unknown to the common folk). Anyway, I want to ask something. Am I the only one who feels that the most dangerous threat to Sonic Mania's success is Sega itself? Given the Sega Forever fiasco, I can't trust them no more; I constantly think they are gonna pull something off, and ruin the final product. I don't know if I'm being paraonid, or not :P
Absolutely you're not the only one. Sonic's biggest problem is Sega. Otherwise, I have this little theory that "Modern Sonic" is actually Robotnik in disguise, dead-set on ruining Sonic's reputation. FFS the entire plan was outlined in an animated short, in Sonic Jam. It's been right in front of our noses the entire time, "Classic Sonic" is THE only true Sonic. Shadow had it right all along, "Modern Sonic" is an imposter, a fake!
.......okay so anyway I think the best way Sega could promote Mania would be to put out actual commercials of the game in action; perhaps a cut of the original trailer. Sonic fans already know about it, of course, but promoting it to gamers and the public en masse with a commercial that shows off what the game is about would go a long way toward cutting off talk of the Sonic Cycle and such at the pass.
I think the final product will be solid, but I still think Sega going out with stuff like the C.E. and the vinyl OST, but not doing some form of physical/retail release (which arguably several people have requested), is an strange case of priorities. But we've already spent the last few pages talking about that, and I'd already said my two cents on the matter. I'm more concerned about where Genesis Sonic goes from here following Mania. Will Mania lead to more Genesis Sonic projects made outside Sonic Team by people who care about that direction of the series? Or --as suggested by someone a while back-- will Mania be mandated by Sega/Iizuka/Sonic Team as a one-off project, regardless of how well it reviews/performs? And if it does get new projects, what would be the allowed scope? Would we be able to see Genesis Sonic get major projects, like a major 2D game with modern production values (a la NSMB/DKCR/Rayman treatment), or even the fabled crack at 3D gameplay separate from Sonic Team's intents and design decisions? Or would retraux low-budget games like Mania be mandated as the ceiling for where Genesis Sonic projects could go? Needless to say, if Mania is an anomaly and doesn't change the status quo of Sonic Team(/Dimps) being our (only) source for Sonic games...man, way to not capitalize on or shoot down a golden opportunity. I'd honestly be really saddened more than disappointed/angry over such an outcome.
I think a one-off project is exactly what Mania is. A celebration of the classic titles to mark the 26th 25th anniversary. Mania's success would have to be phenomenal to make SEGA and Iizuka want to invest in more 2d projects. It's gonna need wide-spread acclaim and amazing sales to have even the smallest chance of it leading to more 2d games. We're always going to get 3d Sonic games. I can't see SEGA being prepared to invest the type of budget they have for a 3d Sonic game instead towards a 2d game with modern graphics (like Rayman Origins). One of the best things that could come out of this is that Iizuka might realise he doesn't need to shoe-horn classic Sonic into the 3d titles. Far better to keep him separate, like a separate branch of new 2d titles. Then we can have 3d Sonic games with only Modern Sonic (and maybe some other Modern playable characters).
I think Mania will get a sequel if it is popular enough. I just hope that said sequel doesn't come too soon like Mega Man 10 did. And what is the news regarding patch updates for the Switch version? Will it be up to date like the other three versions due to Wayforward handling the port? I'll still probably get it anyway for the portability.
Just a stray thought, but it would've been a cool bit of continuity if Green Hill Zone had the flowers from Sonic 1's good ending.
#BuySonicManiaForOverlord2017 This would be a very nice touch, I certainly forgot about those flowers!
Speaking of good endings, this is awesome BTW: http://pre02.deviantart.net/314a/th/pre/i/2012/291/1/1/sonic_the_hedgehog1__good_ending_by_ketrindarkdragon-d5i5p4x.jpg
I am absolutely stoked for this game. Last year they guessed the game would be out by now, but I am glad they were willing to push it back if it needed it. We don't want time constraints to weaken the game's possibilities for quality like the old Sega used to do. Let it be as polished as a Nintendo franchise game. As far as release goes, physical would be a nice option. Even if they don't do it initially, maybe Limited Run would at least be allowed to make a disc of the PS4 version. Limited Run kind of sucks though because they basically create a scalper's market for games you could get a lot cheaper digitally. I wanted their physical release of Oddworld: New 'N Tasty for PS4, but I decided it would be dumb to buy it physically off Amazon or ebay for $100 for just PS4 when the digital version is so cheap and is a cross-buy for PS4, PS Vita and PS3. The 2 system limit seems to also be for each separate port of the game too so I can have it on my PS4, Vita and both of my PS3's. With Sony's account-based re-downloadable setup I feel a lot more comfortable buying digital games than I used to. I wouldn't want to buy it on Nintendo where they lock all their digital stuff to the system it was purchased on. As long as the price of digital games is kept much lower than physical retail games, I guess it's not that bad after all. I was stubborn about it for a while but then realized that as games get pulled, you better get these digital games and enjoy them while you can or otherwise you could potentially miss out on them forever. Now someday I'm going to have to either mod my thirft-store bought low firmware PS3 which looks like a painstaking process and find a download of a pirated copy of the Castle of Illusion remake, or search online for someone selling a PS3 or Xbox 360 system that has the Castle of Illusion remake installed on it. Kind of like how people did buying phones with Flappy Bird on them after it got pulled in the beginning. Haha I feel lucky my wife has a working old ipod with Brick on it. All my old ipods died and Brick is impossible to put on newer iPods. She even has the ipod clickwheel version of Sonic 1. The control is terrible but it is really funny trying to play Sonic 1 on such a small device.
