Bioware Talks Sonic

[Kamalot]

Wired's Game|Life has up a little interview (http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/07/qa-bioware-spea.html) with BioWare's CEO Ray Muzyka and President Greg Zeschuk about the upcoming Sonic The Hedgehog RPG coming for the Nintendo DS.

GL: BioWare’s previous efforts have been for the PC and the Xbox (and now the 360 with Mass Effect). What is the appeal of designing for the DS?
RM: The handheld group at BioWare is certainly very excited about the innovation that can take place on the DS platform. We’re really innovating what a BioWare RPG is with this title - we’re looking forward to offering new and unique ways to enjoy a fast-paced, story-driven experience with tons of exploration, customization and progression. We’re very excited by the opportunity to use all the cool features on the DS, and to make BioWare’s first handheld RPG, one with a lot of action too, since it’s based in the Sonic universe!

GL: Given BioWare’s wealth of RPG experience, what have you learned not to do for this project?
RM: With this project our team will be crafting an RPG that is still rich in story but which also has awesome pacing, full of those “wow” moments that keep you wanting to find out what happens next. Sonic is perfect for that, since the Sonic universe is full of very cool characters and is already very fast-paced to begin with. Also, people don’t tend to spend quite as many hours in a row on the DS as they would when playing a BioWare game for console or PC, so gamers can expect the Sonic RPG to not only be fast-paced, but very easy to pick up and play at length or in shorter bursts – whichever they prefer!Can Bioware do for Sonic in an RPG what Square did for Mario?

[pacman]

I'd sure like to hope so, because this could be pretty phenomenal

[Tricky Thumb]

I think that even if Bioware manages to do an average job of making the game it'll be better than pretty much any Sonic game has been for the last several years.

[Xerxes]

Square did what for mario?

[Skyelan]

Square did what for mario?

Proved that Mario could work in an RPG way back on the SNES? :p

[Sl1pstream]

I think that even if Bioware manages to do an average job of making the game it'll be better than pretty much any Sonic game has been for the last several years.

Sonic Rush says hi. I can't see this being any good. Sonic is about speed, rpg's are usually slower titles. I'd also hate having to level up before I can run really fast.

[Tricky Thumb]

Yeah, the thought of having turn-based battles where instead of standing around like your usual RPG characters Sonic and Co. are all running as the background zooms past. Then, you have your menu system of some kind and make your moves, watching Sonic fly up into the air, spin up and slam into a baddie.

Alright that's probably not how it's going to be but that's kind of how I'm envisioning it right now. If they do something entirely different I'll be happy with that too.

[Xerxes]

Proved that Mario could work in an RPG way back on the SNES? :p
Missed it...

[TheFlyingOrc]

Can Bioware do for Sonic in an RPG what Square did for Mario?
Goodness do I hope so.

[Itchyeyes]

Missed it...
Super Mario RPG. It was basically the precursor to the Paper Mario franchise.

[Harlan Hoyt]

I'm not sure about this. If Bioware cand for Sonic what the Paper Mario games did for Mario, I'd be pretty stoked. I love me some Paper Mario. And, when that series was first described to me, I thought, "There's no way this can be cool." Then a friend told me about Luigi's parallel adventure. I thought, "Well, I want to see that," so I checked out Thousand Year Door, and I'm glad I did. Actually, Tricky Thumb's comment had a similar feeling to me:

Yeah, the thought of having turn-based battles where instead of standing around like your usual RPG characters Sonic and Co. are all running as the background zooms past. Then, you have your menu system of some kind and make your moves, watching Sonic fly up into the air, spin up and slam into a baddie.
That actually sounds pretty amazing. Sonic fighting foes as fast as he is, so the battles take place while the background is blurred. When I first heard of this collaboration, I thought, just as I did for Paper Mario, "Well, that sounds kind of lame." But when I started thinking about it (with an assist from useful people), it started to sound pretty damn good.

[Zanch]

I would be very amused if this game featureed a morality system like Bioware's other RPGs. Either way, should be excellent...Bioware never lets me down. If it's even half as good as Mario RPG was, it'll be a winner.

[saulob]

Square did what for mario?

Did that:
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_RPG:_Legend_of_the_Seven_Stars

Amazing game btw....

[Evil Avnovice]

Given that Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was a superb game from Nintendo and Squaresoft back then, for BioWare I'm going to say "No", unless otherwise.

If it was Nintendo and Sonic Team, then maybe yes. :)

[webrunner]

what is "awesome pacing"?

[rubbishfoo]

I hope that I can approach this with a clarity of mind that I had when I was young.

I still like all the Mario RPG games (yeah even the ones that are sorta RPGs).

But if sonic rpg has voice acting... Im probably going to curl up and cry like a barbie doll.

/sonicvoiceactingscaresme

[smashp]

Sonic Rush says hi. I can't see this being any good. Sonic is about speed, rpg's are usually slower titles. I'd also hate having to level up before I can run really fast.

(i second that comment about sonic rush, great game).. anyways.. i dont know about the leveling up to run fast, but leveling up and getting better control of your character wasnt that bad in the secret rings on wii, and the idea that youd do turned based fighting doesnt remind me of biowares rpgs, pretty sure they were d&d style.. but i could be wrong considering ive never immersed myself in any of their games, ive just watched. anyways though, i think a hack and slash style rpg could work just fine for sonic, they can be pretty fast paced, its just the idea of an overhead view that would worry me.

[randir14]

I was disappointed when they announced it would be a Sonic RPG, but I guess if it's good i'll buy it. I read this is only the first game they plan for the DS so I hope future ones are more in line with their PC stuff.

[Tricky Thumb]

Most likely the game will be an action-RPG style game, although how they make that happen will probably make or break the game. I somehow forgot about Sonic Rush, which was indeed a good game.

[Your Good Twin]

Sonic is just about the worst idea for an RPG I can imagine.

Sonic is all about running fast combined with platforming, with all of your abilities right off the bat, he doesn't wear clothes, and only gets worse as his friends show up.

RPG's are usually about slower-paced strategy where you earn abilities as you go, as well as equipment, and usually involves lots of characters.

[Heretic Machine]

I like the Sonic franchise, and most of the older characters (anyone prior to Shadow/Silver). Personally, I'm hoping for something with a similar atmosphere and story to SatAM, as that is pretty much the closest that Sonic has come to having a mature storyline. But whatev, I'll be buying this regardless.

There had best be some Knuckles.

[mister_slim]

I would be very amused if this game featureed a morality system like Bioware's other RPGs. Either way, should be excellent...Bioware never lets me down.
So, are you going to play Sonic-side or Shadow-Side? I think I'll have to go with the way that lets me kill Big the Cat.

[Rex Dart]

Sonic is just about the worst idea for an RPG I can imagine.

Sonic is all about running fast combined with platforming, with all of your abilities right off the bat, he doesn't wear clothes, and only gets worse as his friends show up.

RPG's are usually about slower-paced strategy where you earn abilities as you go, as well as equipment, and usually involves lots of characters.
I think what you mean to say is that Sonic is just about the worst idea for a traditional RPG you can imagine.

Regrettably, I have not played any of the Paper Mario RPG games, but from what I've seen, you're not decking Mario out in Mythril armor and casting Goomba-Stomp Lv.13.

There's a lot of room for experimentation in the RPG genre and Bioware is full of talented people. I know I may be setting myself up for disappointment, but I can't help but feel optimistic.

[Disgustipated]

It's Bioware, guys. Stuff those doubts back into your butts.

[Linkreincarnate]

I'm guessing it will be a good game but not thanks to the sonic franchise. It will be a good rpg with a sonic coat of paint on top. I predict that the sonic elements may actually detract from the rpg elements.







Save it for later and see if I'm right.

[Feltoar]

Did any of you early posters read the interview? Instead of answering the questions all the guy said over and over was "its really really fast". So Id assume its fast. Plus the BioWare team arnt idiots, they would know to make the game fast the moment they decided they were going to make a Sonic game.

You dont even know if its turn based either. Jade Empire is BioWares most recent game and it isnt turn based.