Sonic Team Studio Head Says Sonic Frontiers Won't be Delayed - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 13 June 2022 / 1,782 Views
Sonic Team studio head Takashi Iizuka in an interview with VideoGamesChronicle discussed the upcoming open-world game, Sonic Frontiers.
He was asked about the mixed reaction to the gameplay footage that has been released and he wasn't surprised by it as it is very different than what has been seen in a Sonic game.
"It’s not really that surprising," said Iizuka. "We do realize everyone is just kind of reacting to the videos that they saw, and because they don’t understand what this new gameplay is they’re kind of comparing it to other games that they already know.
"So we do see a lot of people saying, ‘oh, it’s kind of like this, it’s kind of like that, but it’s not like this, it’s not like that’. And really, the team is going out and creating this new game format for Sonic, and we’re calling it an ‘open zone’ format.
"And this new game system itself is something that doesn’t really exist in any other comparable titles, so we really hope that from here until launch we can really explain what open zone gameplay is.
He added, "If people come to Gamescom or Tokyo Game Show, [they can] get that hands-on experience to play the game and understand what the game is. Because right now we’re just kind of watching videos of people reacting to what they believe the game to be."
Iizuka was asked about the #DelaySonicFrontiers hashtag trending on social media and he said the team is happy with where the game is at.
"Frontiers is in development now, and actually we’ve been doing a lot of playtesting with our target audience, who would be in that demographic of someone who’d play a Sonic game and enjoy it," said Iizuka.
"From our playtesting results we have been iterating, we have been listening to the comments that come back, but we’ve also been getting a lot of great feedback from people who rate the game and are like, 'I had a lot of fun playing this game, I’d give it like an 80 or 90 point score out of 100.'
"So we do feel that we’re getting to the point where this game is done, and people will like it, and we do want to get that game into our fans’ hands as soon as possible."
He added, "We really feel confident in the playtest results that we’re getting. A lot of people are saying they had a lot of fun, they really enjoyed the game.
"So we realize a lot of people are watching the videos online and making assumptions, but we do feel confident based on the playtest results from the target demographic that are coming in and playing the game start to finish, they really like the game and we’re confident that we’re making a game that will be satisfying.
"So if our development team all gets coronavirus, or they’re all hospitalized, or there’s something that actually prohibits us from being able to deliver the game on time, we will need more time.
"But we’re working right now with our team in Japan who are working really hard to make sure this holiday people can buy the game, pick it up, take it home and have a fun experience with it."
Sonic Frontiers will launch for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in Holiday 2022.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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So far hands on previews have been positive, so maybe it will be good.
looking forward to it
Hmm not a big fan of the pressure in this statement. Probably best to not say anything than state it as an actual fact it won't be delayed. In this world anything can happen and if it got any form of delay leading up to its release than that comment wont age well.
Ill definitely check out Sonic Frontiers.
“People don’t understand the gameplay” is a pretty arrogant response to valid criticism. You’re making an open world game in 2022, it’s not that mind boggling. If anything, Sega are the ones who don’t understand how to competently market a game. That or Sonic Team don’t understand how to make a good game.
That being said, the new footage has gotten me more excited for the game.
