Sonic has had a rough go at things lately, what with the myriad games that haven’t been hitting like they used to. Sega appears to be aware of that and has acknowledged that, although the games have struggled recently, the franchise as a whole is back in the zeitgeist again–and it’s all thanks to the live-action movies.
In an interview with Automaton at the Tokyo Game Show, series producer Takashi Iizuka spoke about the impact that director Jeff Fowler’s three live-action movies have had on repopularizing Sonic again.
“Thanks to the movies, awareness of the Sonic series has grown, and more people around the world have become interested in Sonic as a character and in the games,” Iizuka said when asked about the positive effect other media has had on the franchise. “That has contributed to game sales as well. Strong game sales mean we have more resources available when making the next title, which allows us to deliver something of even higher quality. That creates a positive cycle. In that sense, multimedia and transmedia expansion are majorly beneficial for the games.”
Iizuka went on to say that movies weren’t the only medium that has improved Sonic the Hedgehog’s cachet in recent times. Anime has contributed as well, and so has Netflix, which has made film and television production more ubiquitous for Sega.
“In the past, even if we decided to make an anime as part of our transmedia strategy, we had to approach television broadcasters and other outlets that would air it, and we couldn’t move forward without their approval,” Iizuka continued. “With Netflix, on the other hand, once we decide to work together on something, we can distribute it worldwide. That’s has [sic] been a major advantage when it comes to expanding the brand.”
Iizuka’s comments echoed similar sentiments from earlier this month. In an interview with One More Game on September 21, Iizuka said the live-action movies essentially saved the franchise.
“The biggest milestone for me was the first movie,” Iizuka said. “That had been a great hit and definitely changed the course of this franchise.”
So, whether you like those live-action movies or not doesn’t really matter because, in Sega’s eyes, the Blue Blur would’ve stayed just that: a blur that goes poof and is gone … forever. Iizuka did leave us a little nugget to chew on, though:
“Also, we don’t use the game developers’ resources for transmedia projects, so you don’t have to worry about a new game being delayed because we’re making movies or anime,” Iizuka told Automaton.
