I obsess over every entry in the series, I even read that French comic, Sonic Adventures. Though still looking for that manga... So I'm applying for the position. May as well throw my hat in even with the location issue, that way I can at least say I tried, and perhaps show that video I did showing how I would have handled the the Sonic Origins Sonic the Hedgehog 3 cutscene, since Boxer Hockey complimented that I had some solid ideas in there, see if I can take over the Sonic the Hedgehog lore, mould it to perfection, mwahahahahahaaaa! Edit: should add that the last part was a joke.
Said perfection depends on each individual's vision. More than once have I felt your vision didn't suit me (not meant to criticize you, just my honest opinion) ^^" I'm one who doesn't like everything the franchise has. Nor do I like the idea of a single timeline fitting ALL games in existence.
I mean, I don't include things like Tails' Music Maker and the other SEGA Pico games, so there's that And I am the one who knocks.
13:57 - It seems that lately Sega is putting more attention and care to the lore of past Sonic games, like deciding which games are canon and which ones are not and even sorting some games in a more strict chronological order, I reckon the continuity between all Sonic games is a mess and full of plot holes but would you say Sega wants to build a more cohesive narrative between games moving forward or do you see these problems still happening in future games? - I think there is a general desire to be more cohesive going forward. The games that have come out have come out, and there's no way to make them perfectly fit without full on remaster retconning the entire Sonic library. That ain't gonna happen. But I think it's more of "this is where we've been, this is what's been accomplished, where do we go from here?". 39:08 - Does the Sonic's head-shaped island from the Mania title screen exist in-universe? Is it an illusion created by the Phantom Ruby? - I'm pretty sure it's just an asset for the title screen, you're not supposed to take it beyond that.
Yes there is, it's easy to do. There's a couple of awkward ones, sure, like Sonic Chaos' thing with the Chaos Emeralds, but a good story teller can work them in without retcons. And he IS one, so I'm not sure why it's so hard... You mean Sonic doesn't regularly hang out in giant ring emblems off the coast of the islands or in Green Hill Zone? Sonic Origins and do you think that would stop me?
To be fair, it does not depend on him only. The decision of making 1-CD-2-3K the first saga with no adventure in between came from people waaaay above him, based on a marketing point of view (and even so, Ian liked CD after 3K better, and was outvoted). Based on that decision, it's simply impossible to fit the Game Gear games without retconning - and it was kinda already impossible to fit them regardless. What I agree is that it wasn't necessary to retcon nearly anything from the Origins games, with the exception of Knuckles guarding the Chaos Emeralds before S3K.
Yeah, but he was also planning to rewrite and retcon that story entirely to put it there, so... I mean, not really, it's easily done. Actually, I figured out a way to have multiple sets of Chaos Emeralds while still retaining the lore of there only being seven, but that's over in the Headcanon thread. So this isn't even needed
I think this exact discussion is why this job probably shouldn’t go to a mega fan. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with any position on any particular lore discussion, but I think, as fans, we get attached to what we see as the “right” answer, and acting in those interests probably isn’t the best mindset for this position. It’s probably all a moot point anyway as I expect whoever does take up this position will do so more in the capacity of keeping track of canon rather than crafting it themselves. I expect the cabal of Iizuka, Ian, Tyson, Aaron and Kishimoto (along with whoever else is involved in this stuff) will continue to be the driving forces of Sonic canon going forwards.
With all due respect I think your definition of “easily done” differing from most’s is part of how this thread got the way it did, lol. When applying I think it’s important to consider that it’s also not a job about making up or “fixing” stories yourself, it’s working with others to maintain lore and cohesion for the series in a professional setting rather than telling your coworkers why they’re wrong about, say, the Sonic 3 manual. Being a Sonic maniac who keeps up with all of this stuff is a plus, but not one of the main requirements listed. It’s still a job. …I mean, I don’t work at Sega and I’m highly unlikely to get the job myself so maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I took from the listing and my prior knowledge of similar positions at other companies.
Then, following that train of thought, even I could make a decent candidate for the role, I guess? ^^"
Well put. One must keep in mind that this is a corporate position that has more in common with brand management than some sort of grand storytelling position. Note the responsibilities listed in the posting: Primary facilitator for our lore team: helps to set priorities, organizes and leads meetings, takes notes, and reports results. Assists with the creative process, including brainstorming, script writing, and providing feedback. Lore team administration, including navigation of legal and finance processes Reviews story content for narrative accuracy and consistency. Stakeholder in verifying and approving lore documentation Supports other Sonic teams, including game development, marketing, licensing, and animation, through proactive communication, alignment, and intake of lore inquiries. Monitors and reports on evolution of entertainment and development of IP. Able to take on other duties as required. Yes, creative input in certain scripts (I'm assuming for social media efforts and the like) is part of the job, but the position seems to primarily involve communication with other parties and entities and ensuring products are brand consistent. See also one of the required skills: Skilled collaborator and seeker of diverse opinions SEGA surely wants an associate manger to be able to accept differing views on the canon, particularly on subjects that are decided by higher ups. This is not a dictatorial position - it's one that is subject to review and oversight like any other.
I've noted many a time that I am perfectly capable of accepting a different take on the canon, but it has to be reasonable. An example I've used before is Devil May Cry, when they swapped around two games in the timeline (Original order was 3, 1, 4, 2, which changed to 3, 1, 2, 4, V), and it was a fantastic choice that they did. I can accept full games being traded along a timeline happily. The problem is that what they've done with the Classic continuity isn't good, in my opinion, and honestly the biggest defence I've seen of the changes are "it doesn't matter, they're decades old games, no one actually cares!" Well, I care, very much. Still, this has been a repeated, ongoing and fiery dispute with myself and everyone else, so let's just let it be. We'll see what happens, I very much doubt I'll be picked due to location alone, so no one really needs to worry, but hey, I gave it a shot.
Since frontiers officially comes out in a few hours, how are we gonna handle spoilers in this thread? Should there be a seperate lore thread that is spoilery, or should we keep to the two that already exist but put stuff in tags? I think the second one is the best option, partly because 3 diferent lore threads seems excessive.
There's a Sonic Frontiers Spoiler thread already set up, I think we should probably avoid discussing it in here for two weeks and address it all in there, then use inline spoiler and spoiler tags for two weeks after in here for anything continuity wise that we want to bring up.
My vote would be to just put spoiler tags on anything Frontiers related for the time being but keep it here. No reason not to talk about things in the Frontiers Spoiler thread, but the general lore implications should stay here so we don't clutter that thread. Not sure what the policy generally is regarding spoilers on Retro, but following that is a no-brainer.
Keep things in spoiler tags. It's very simple. Having dedicated spoiler threads for a new game makes sense, because it keeps everything contained. You shouldn't have to worry about seeing the end of Frontiers in a thread about Sonic Origins. Or the announcement of the Japanese Sonic X release. Making a new lore thread just to talk Frontiers spoilers is silly. While there will surly be talk about the lore/story of Frontiers in the spoiler-filled Frontiers thread, it is not a replacement for this thread. The Frontiers thread is for all things Frontiers, and going deep into lore page after page might completely derail any other conversation. I mean, conversation in this thread has derailed more than once, and it's about years-old games. That said, if/when Frontiers talk happens in here, keep things in spoiler tags for the next month.
Spoiler: Frontiers incidental dialogue (no plot spoilers) https://twitter.com/IDWSonicNews/status/1589943314739957761?s=20&t=5Dlr2pRgGf2TsCPxoOdFtA IT'S REAL! UNIFIED CANON IS REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAL!
Spoiler Well then. If even Boom characters get nods, then references to IDW characters probably don't meant a lot. I guess we can't assume IDW is canon until Sega or Ian explicitly say so.
