Community Challenged to Decide Transformed DLC Characters

Selecting characters for Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing: Transformed has been no easy task for the SUMO Digital team, with many fans voicing their opinions as to which SEGA characters they want to see included in the roster.

A few days ago, Steve Lycett of SUMO Digital (otherwise known as S0L on the interwebs) issued the community a challenge via the SEGA forums:

I’ll set you a challange. Without any policing from the SUMO or SEGA crew, if you can all agree on three characters by the 1st of December and prove there is sufficient interest of at least 1000 unique people *per* character, I will present the result to SEGA. I can’t promise anything will happen as a result, but since you’re starting it…

While nothing is set in stone as to what the outcome of any response will be, the community have already formed a collective and responded. T B from the SEGA forums has organised a set of petitions for the introduction of several SEGA characters as DLC for ASR:T.

Included in the list of characters you can petition for are Axel Stone from Streets of Rage, Ristar, Segata Sanshiro and Bayonetta amongst a whole host of familiar characters.

If you want to participate by adding your signature to one or more of the petitions, follow this link to the SEGA forum which outlines what is required to add your name to the cause.

Follow these links to the relevant petitions…

Alis Landale (Phantasy Star)

Opa-Opa (Fantasy Zone)

Space Harrier (Space Harrier)

Ristar (Ristar The Shooting Star)

Vectorman (Vectorman)

Bonanza Bros. (Bonanza Bros.)

Axel Stone (Streets of Rage)

Blaze Fielding (Streets of Rage)

ToeJam & Earl (ToeJam & Earl)

Sakura Shinguuji (Sakura Taisen)

Chu Chus (ChuChu Rocket!)

Ryo Hazuki (Shenmue)

Arle Nadja (Puyo Puyo)

Amitie (Puyo Puyo)

Billy Hatcher (Billy Hatcher & The Giant Egg)

Kazuma Kiryu (Yakuza)

Welkin (Valkyria Chronicles)

Selvaria (Valkyria Chronicles)

Segata Sanshiro

Phantom R (Rythm Thief)

Ash (Hell Yeah!)

Bayonetta (Bayonetta)

Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid/Project DIVA)

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Published by

Adam Tuff

With a decade under his belt, Adam is one of The Sonic Stadium's most seasoned writers, with interests in the music and merchandise of the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. Adam is the co-organiser for the Summer of Sonic convention.

86 Comments

  1. And of course since Miku is there, she’ll probably win in a landslade. Personally I’d love to have Vectorman, Bayonetta and Ristar in the game, maybe Toejam and Earl if no one else.

    1. Ugh….

      Even if she wins, chances of her being in the game are zero. Already been said that she can’t be in the game.

      1. Didn’t Sega make Games based on the Miku character? and doesnt she wear a sonic outfit. I would love to see more Sega characters then All-stars from other franchises. Shame there’s no Asha from Monster world IV on the list that game and character are brilliant.

  2. Huh, I was expecting them to make one for Silver since so many fans keep asking why he wasn’t in the first one. Hm, well, I heard that in the first one, they wanted to add ToeJam & Earl… but also Vectorman. Argh. So many choices!

    1. I’ll go with the Bonanza Bros. Sure they were in the first one, but I think they are underrated SEGA characters that need to be brought back in the race. I really enjoyed their one game.

  3. I want to see Sonic on foot. That would be an awesome experience, though unfair. He would always win, except for.. maybe lava parts? Just run along walls and jump from platforms or something.. I dunno. Whatever!

    1. Just be patient for the next Sonic game to hit the Wii U and 3DS! Until then, just count yourself lucky they don’t make a sequel to (or at least an HD Port of) Sonic R!

      1. Sonic R was an excellent game. With the graphics and engines they have now they could make Sonic R2 and it would be way past cool. Could you imagine a second Sonic R with the speed and graphics today?

    1. Considering they became highly advanced or something in the last installment…I demand a moving fishbowl.

    1. It’s a lonely vote, but in the end we can go to be at night and say “Yeah, i voted for a master thief who runs around with loud jazz playing in to get in my blue hedgehog racing game.”

  4. Bayonetta and Segata Sanshiro please! I don’t really know who else I would pick from that list…definitely not Opa Opa…he/she plays like shit to me in the first game.

      1. One problem with this you 2, Big was removed from all future games. Sega put him on a ‘not to be used’ list. It was on a post here a few months ago.

  5. Well I voted for Phantom R, but it looks like he has no hope 🙁 My next choice would be Miku and she’s winning, so why can’t she be in the game?

  6. My comments as copied from TSSZNews which are equally applicable and helpful here:

    I took the opportune moment to cast my vote for Segata Sanshiro, the quintessential character for the spot, but, not wanting to give the worse characters the upper hand, I then did likewise for Hatsune Miku and Vectorman.

    Complete Petition Results of the Characters Linked Above by Popularity as of 1:56 AM EST:
    1. Hatsune Miku (895)
    2. Segata Sanshiro (614)
    3. Vectorman (452)
    4. Ryo Hazuki (371)
    5. Ristar (356)
    6. Bayonetta (303)
    7. ToeJam & Earl (255)
    8. Billy Hatcher (204)
    9. Phantom R (162)
    10. Alis Landale (146)
    11. Blaze Fielding (140)
    12. Axel Stone (137)
    13. Arle Nadja (129)
    14. Selvaria Bles (123)
    15. Sakura Shinguji (121)
    16. Ash (115) (TIE)
    17. Opa Opa (115) (TIE)
    18. Welkin Gunther (103)
    19. Space Harrier (85) (Up from #20)
    20. Bonanza Bros. (84) (Down from #19)
    21. The ChuChus (80)
    22. Kazuma (77)
    23. Amitie (67)

    Next petition results update at 11:00 EST with follow-up results every six hours. Good night.

    Note: Although the Change.org petition system requires a real address and email for submission, there are already several instances of double submissions of votes for characters. For example, Segata Sanshiro has two submissions from a Orrin Hill of Yorba Linda, CA, a clear violation of S0L’s requirement of only unique signatures on the petition. Unfortunately, this sort of conduct is not going to end up with the desired results from Sega if people continue “fudging” the system as they are.

    Note 2: Therefore, to avoid having any character unfortunately disqualified, everyone in the community do his or her part by reporting double comments in the petitions linked above. In particular, it will avoid the grief of seeing a character not make it to Sega’s approval committee. Above all, it will ensure that all characters on track to make it to the top three list continue to do so.

  7. lol. I don’t know if the reason I cannot visit the Sega forums is because my university’s internet has a knack at lagging or because Sega’s servers just crashed from the flood of traffic.

  8. EDIT: Updates will be done on a daily tracking basis, so don’t expect an update until tomorrow at around same time, this same hedgehog channel. 😉

  9. EDIT: Updates will be done on a daily tracking basis, so don’t expect an update until tomorrow at around this same time, at this same hedgehog channel. 😉

  10. My last thoughts of the day on the matter is that S0L was a sly dog in getting us hyped into petitioning for our top characters as DLC because, when you really stop and think about it, all of this information can be harvested as free survey information for Sega and Sumo’s marketing departments in future games. It is truly a hidden blessing, of course, that they will have an even better vision of what the fans will want after these two weeks of historically massive polling from all extremes of the community, but it is just food for thought for anyone interested.

  11. I don’t really care for any of these except Toejam & Earl. I’m surprised Big isn’t on the list. Or Fang, seeing as he won that other poll awhile ago.

  12. PLEASE SONIC FANS !!!!!
    WE WANT SILVER AND BLAZE ON SONIC ALL STARS TRANSFORMED
    Sega seekers put these two characters

  13. I really hope Ristar gets in the top 3, he’s really, REALLY overdue for a playable comeback.

    This poll is missing Gunstar Red & Blue. It could also do with Dynamite Headdy!

  14. I vote Miku and Blaze! Even though i know Miku will not be put in it…BUT STILL! VOTE BLAZE!
    If vocaloids could be put in it i’d love to see Megurine Luka and the Kagamine twins instead of Miku.

  15. ………Ash……………. COME ON PEOPLE HOW FUN WOULD IT BE TO RUN OVER PEOPLE IN A DRILL FOR ASH’S ALL STAR MOVE? I think it’d be pretty fun.

  16. Selvaria and Welkin at those low places…
    It’s sad to see how people don’t care about two awesome characters from a fantastic series.
    Ah well.
    Not like I have anything against Miku.
    If Selvaria is out… well then, GO, MIKU!

  17. What about either Sakura from Sakura Taisen or Blaze the Cat. Either one of them as DLC would be awesome.

  18. I voted for Segata Sanshiro because who wouldn’t? Welkin just for the idea of him using a tank to win a race & even though I know they won’t actually put her in, I did vote for Miku as I like the idea of a Vocaloid-themed level more than her as a racer (mix Race of Ages, Samba de Amigo & Jet Set Radio).

  19. this is nothing but marketing.
    like they are really gonna give us the most requested DLC… they knew how much we wanted generations DLC..

    they may just use this info for future games on whats popular.

  20. A letter, somewhat crinkled and greased by the hands of the now dead messenger who delivered it to me, simply was written as so:

    A fellow comrade, Hifihedgehog, will be soon releasing the beta version of his fan site, The Sonic Hub, with a daily tracking of the votes for you mortals to witness from day to day if the thought makes any sense to you. Wait for about four or five days for its release while the epic might of my historic campaign marches onward. Meanwhile, his daily updates will continue to be posted in this comment section.

    Vote Segata Sanshiro 2012.

    This message was sponsored by the Official Put Segata Sanshiro in ASRT Committee, formally known as Buy and Play a Sega Saturn or Die Movement. Any abuse or infringement to the intellectual content related thereto is protected by Segata Sanshiro and is liable to his wrath which is unimpeded by international law and military forces.

  21. well, segata is at over 1200, and his votes are still increasing. Seriously, I refreshed it 3 times in 20 seconds, and his votes increased by 3 or 4 each time

  22. ooo – Amite and Arle.. i would love to see them in the game but both are quite low on the lists ><
    but id be happy for miku to make it.
    no idea who segata is…. never heard of him…

  23. While I agree it would be cool to have Miku-Chan in the game, I don’t understand why people think she’s a Sega character. She was created as part of a vocal arrangement software called Vocaloid, that had nothing to do with Sega.
    The spin-off games is where Sega comes in. They publish the games but don’t own the characters.

    But anyway, even though I was slightly saddened by no Bonanza Bros or Billy Hatcher, I still voted for characters that weren’t on the first game. Like Bayonetta, Ristar, Sakura Shinguuji, Arle Nadja, Selvaria Bles, Phantom R and…Hatsune Miku. ;P

  24. I really don’t get why Hatsune Miku is winning.

    Freaking Segata Sanshiro is up there. What the hell is wrong with you weeaboos?

  25. Where can u see the leader?
    Anyways, I’d vote for Billy, Blaze and Bonanza Bros.
    No idea how Opa Opa could drive a car.
    Also, Ryo would look weird in a car, just think. Sumo made Shadow look cool.
    Shadow is so glitched. When you beat a mission, sometimes his hair is glitched. Also, WHAT’S WITH HIS GOD DAMN BIG EYES! IT’S FREAKY!
    I’d prefer Billy. He’d look awesome!

  26. crap, so little support for Ash and BBros.
    Can someone explain why Miku has no chance of being in this game?

      1. He has a point. She may not be owned by SEGA Specifically, but SEGA has made games for her before and besides that, they fund and operate a large portion of her concerts.

        So considering how popular she is, not only Japan but US and UK as well, and the amount of revenue she bolster’s to SEGA, Id consider her an All-Star.

        Personally, I dont like her. But you have to give credit where it’s due. I just want Segata Sanshiro, Billy Hatcher, and Vectorman to be considered.

  27. These results mostly correspond with my prediction from the get-go with one minor alternation. Ryu soared in the rankings over the last week, leaving Vectorman and Ristar in the dust as they continue to hover around 1,000 votes each. What I believe will happen in the final days of these petitions is that, although we may seem some shifting among these top three players from heroic efforts in each camp of fans, this will be a clear win for each of them no matter their final top three spot. For that reason among many others, I did not think it was worth the time or effort to post the results of the others, but feel free to take a peak for yourselves on the actual petition pages if you are so interested.

  28. They need to just make Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing Ultimate and get it over with so they could please tons of fans. They could bring back a load of characters they no longer use like Mighty and others. Ristar is long overdue and plus they could throw in team chaotix and a load of other characters. Throwing the word Ultimate in the title should allow them to put around at least 15-20 new characters not including DLC. With the DLC they could go crazy and put 15-20 more and then the stages and music could rank right up there with it. Don’t forget about enemies from games and Eggman creations.

  29. Current top three spot results for the ASRT Petitions as of November 28, 2012 at 17:00 EST:

    1. Miku Hatsune – 2,918
    2. Ryu Hazuki – 2,758
    3. Segata Sanshiro – 2,549

  30. Just an update that the poll has closed and, barring any that may get excluded as a result of unfair play, S0L is taking all the nominees that received over 1000 votes to suggest to Sega. That means Ryu Suzuki, Miku Hatsune, Segata Sanshiro, Vectorman, Bayonetta, Ristar and ToeJam & Earl are all being suggested. Now it’s just a matter of if Sega will bother with DLC.

  31. Now I regeret not voiting for Segata Sanshiro – imagine his all-star move! He’d ride a missile, smashing through other players, all while his theme song is playing!
    SEGATA SANSHIRO!
    SEGATA SANSHIRO!
    SEGATAAAA SANSHIRO!
    And then some people would complain that the bullet’s a rip of the bullet bill in Mario Kart, but then Segata Sanshiro would smash them for not playing the Sega Saturn!

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