Project Needlemouse: old threads

I don't really see a new 2D Sonic being released on disc if it's on Xbox 360 or PS3. Wii is the only console that had disc releases of old school game sequels/remakes.

 

I'll say this: if Sega doesn't backport Needlemouse to WiiWare, they're losing a lot of potential profit. The Wii has a large retro base, as evidenced by the sales of Mega Man 9 on the Wii alone. And a lot of these people (me) don't have a PS3 or 360.

 

If the game is a huge success, it may be put onto WiiWare at a later time. If not, if the game is successful enough to get a sequel, said sequel may appear on the Wii.

 

I mean plain 2D, not Sonic Rush '2D', which is what I expect them to do.

 

I'm amazed anyone's even _questioning_ that this is a Digitally Distributed release.

For games like this and Megaman 9 and such, there is no way they would make a game like this _without_ being digital release. I find it more amazing that some of the people in this thread don't realize that the _whole reason_ the genre of 2D platformers has even come back around is BECAUSE of digital distribution. (Which is different from DLC; that's add-on content.)

2D platformers and retro games have far-less budget requirements than 3D HD games, however, companies can't make a profit in store because they can't sell them for 5-10 bucks a pop, and getting shelf space for games that sell niche amounts is very hard. WalMart, et. al, don't want to stock a meager performer, they want to stock a God of War or a Halo. There's also replication fees on top of certification, etc. Drop on that that these games very rarely take up 1/8th of a DVD. With a digitally distributed title, there's as many copies of a game as there's demand for it. They have no supply issues, they do not over order or under order. These are all issues that could make or break a small game.

It's downloadable games that make a profitability index that has allowed creators to come back to retro-games. They don't have to spend tons on CG, et. al, and it allows a company to take far less financial risk when funding a game. Thus why they are now willing to take more of a chance. I think 'lower budget' is not the same thing as 'low budget,' and the thought behind that is a bit of a misnomer. I'm sure that for the game of its type it probably has a good budget behind it. Then again, it's sometimes the low budget games that ignite the passion in programmers: Megaman 2 was made all in the team's spare time, because Megaman 1 bombed horribly and they sort of made it in secret.

Megaman 9 is interesting because it had the original creator working on it, and the scope of the project was as-such that he could actually get into the process more than just supervision. I think a lot of these guys started in the nitty gritty of games, and when they got promoted lost a lot of the fun since they had to become more business and management minded. Small teams doesn't invariably mean small budget; When you have 4-10 guys working on something vs. 30-100, you have a more intimate working environment. You can take a bit more care in a game, to a degree. When you're not spending millions of the company's money, you have less bean counters, execs, etc. breathing down your neck, you have less focus on marketability, and thus the possibility of a less tampered project.

I know people will shout; 'What about New Super Mario Bros. Wii'? And that's fair. However, Nintendo is one of the few companies right now in a position to release a retro game like that on a console and expect it to sell. Mario and friends have a sort of classic Disney-like quality to the people, I guess. Even then, their entire slate of titles, first party, are all developed on last-gen specs, so their budgets are less-high all around, thus they probably have more capital to take risks.

 

You never know, there might be flying pigs, Like Megamans original creator being very hands on for MM9, could it be possible Sega rangle back Yuji naka for some oldschool programming? Didn't he say in an interview he wanted to work on another "sonic type" game? mabye he is!

*spooky wooooOOOoo noise*

No wait, flying pigs, CURSE YOU!

 

I'm so sick of this god damn guessing game will they just tell us something already? We've waited almost 4 months for information that should be enough.

All it takes is one update. When they give us something, they'll probably tell us what platform it's on, if it's on a disc or not, and then we'll see if it's using modern Sonic or not and we can finally tell the direction this game is taking.

 

So, optical disks are analog then?

 

We've been spoiled enough in the past. I don't think a little bit of patience from us is really asking for much, when in the long run this game could be quite good or bad anyway.

 

I'm not asking for them to spoil the whole game like they did with Brawl or something. Just a screenshot and basic information like if the game is on a disc and what platforms it's on. Hell we aren't even sure of that and it's been 4 months.

 

This man makes sense. You should listen to him.

You know what would make me happiest? Graphics, music, level design, those are all important, but what I want the most is the old-school Sonic physics. I want to press down and gain momentum as I roll down a hill, and I want to try to accelerate to my top speed before going through a loop instead of automagically speeding up as my feet touch the start of the incline. What makes a Sonic game classic in my mind isn't the way it looks; it's the way it moves.

 

I'm very surprised nothing at all has been leaked, like usually.

 

Read the topic title.

That actually may be a very good thing.

Am I the only one who thinks the more the game is shown, the more likely people will start hating it in the end? I think they should keep this game a top secret until its VERY close to release.

 

Why is this beginning to sound exactly like the old Project Needlemouse thread again?

 

QUICK, LOCK IT! LOCK IT NOW!!!

 

Exactly, they're taking a more Nintendo-like approach with this game, which is good. Keeping us waiting to make sure the game is actually GOOD, as opposed to their usual approach of constantly bombarding us with teasers like screenshots and videos, "accidentally" leaking info etc., raising our expectations more and more every time, only to be ultimately let down in the end. They're trying to NOT set themselves up for failure this time.

 

Except they kinda are. This game will be the first 2D Sonic game for home consoles since Sonic & Knuckles. It is only natural to have high expectations, especially considering the quality of the previous 2D console games. If anything, this embargo on Project Needlemouse information is only causing more hype. It tells us that this game is not "just another Sonic game" but that Sega really does have something special in store this time.

Sega can't avoid raising our expectations either way. When they reveal too much, we get excited. When they reveal too little, as with the case here, we still get excited. See the pattern?

 

The difference here is the fans won't be able to pressure them.

 

The lack of both leaks and official updates implies to me vapourware.

We hear nothing only because there is nothing to hear!

 

On that note...Project NeedleMouse is NOT listed in Sega's FTP at the moment.