Sonic RPG

I was going to post about this earlier but was preoccupied with trying to pick up tiny fragments of my skull after the news caused my head to explode. If you haven't heard, legendary game developer Bioware is in the midst of making a Sonic the Hedgehog-based RPG for the Nintendo DS. If you're old enough to have been around during the days of the Sega Genesis then, like me, you still probably shake your head in disbelief everytime you see a Sonic game running on a Nintendo console, but this? This is dogs and cats sleeping together. Actually, no. This is dogs, cats, and mice having a threesome.

Usually when companies team up to work together on something that's supposed to break new ground, they PR folks trot out a release filled with innocuous marketing-speak that could just as easily been copied-and-pasted from pressreleases.com. I don't get that feeling this time.

"BioWare is one of the hottest names in RPG development in the world," said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America, Inc. "Everyone at SEGA has huge confidence that Sonic is in the safest of hands, and that BioWare can create the ultimate handheld RPG experience for gamers of all ages."

"We're thrilled to be working with SEGA on Sonic, one of the industry's most enduring and compelling icons," comments Bioware's President, Greg Zeschuk. Ray Muzyka, Bioware's CEO adds "As huge fans of Sonic ourselves, we're committed to delivering a truly amazing story-driven experience within the Sonic universe, focusing on capturing the character's broad appeal and placing him in a completely original adventure."

I believe them because, really, there's no reason not to. Sonic is a big deal. In spite of all of the failed attempts of late to resurrect the speedy blue hedgehog's career, he's an enduring mascot of gaming's golden era. So when Bioware's CEO says the they're excited and aiming to deliver an amazing story, I believe them. Because, as gamers, they are likely fans of Sonic -- who isn't? -- and as fans with a special ability to create excellent story-based role-playing games, I imagine they're just as sick of seeing Sonic mistreated by other developers as we are. The difference is they can do something about it. And, as far as Sega is concerned, this is exactly what they needed to not only keep Sonic relevant but to reestablish him as a premiere face of gaming mascots.

You can read the full story at 1up.com.

And if you're wondering what games Bioware has made recently, they're responsible for the Baldur's Gate games, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, and the Game of the Year Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Not to mention the hotly-anticipated game, Mass Effect coming out later this year.