The Sonic List: Predictions for 2014

OracleofDerpus
“EEESH! And here I thought the other fate was bad!”

Well, 2013 is behind us, the first month is almost over and Hedgehog day is drawing near. The year 2014 is here and it’s time to look towards the future and see what possibly lies ahead of us. Yes, it’s time for me to make up some crap to act like I know what I’m talking about and make my personal predictions as it pertains to Sonic this year. Let’s see if I’ll be able to say “I told you so!”. Remember, these are all opinions so repeat to yourself “it’s just an article. I should really just relax!”

jazwaresbooth20132Sonic’s biggest merchandising push ever!

Sonic merchandise has been growing over the past few years. From action figures to T-Shirts to bed sheets, Sonic’s been everywhere, but he still doesn’t rake up quite the merchandising numbers that other major properties like Spongebob or Star Wars does. However, with the upcoming “Sonic Boom” cartoon, we will likely see a large number of Sonic Boom licensed merchandise to go with the regular Sonic merchandise. Archie comics is already hinting at a possible comic Book in the works and I see the possibility of Sonic Boom toys and other merchandise highly likely.

Tails, we're not in Green Hill zone anymore.
Tails, we’re not in Green Hill zone anymore.

Sonic’s next WiiU game will feature Mario/Nintendo IP

Okay, this is a shot in the dark, but I believe Nintendo’s deal with Sega was not just about keeping Sonic on Nintendo systems, but bringing him closer with other Nintendo IP’s. We already have Mario and Sonic mixing it up in the Mario and Sonic Olympic series and Sonic in Super Smash Bros, but Yoshi’s Island and the upcoming Zelda DLC for Sonic Lost World has me convinced that Sonic may be taking a trip to Nintendoland sometime this year.

It won't be his first big-screen debut.
It won’t be his first big-screen debut.

Sonic The Hedgehog Movie announced. Trailer shown.

A fairly easy prediction to make. With the leak of Sony nabbing Sonic The Hedgehog movie domains, the probability of them announcing a Sonic movie is pretty high. In fact, I’d be shocked if we didn’t see a trailer before summer. Especially with Ratchet and Clank and Sly Cooper teaser trailers being shown two years before their movies’ arrival. Looks like 2015 and on is the era of CGI animated movies based on video game properties.

"Here I come! More...oddly shaped than the rest of them!"
“Here I come! More…oddly shaped than the rest of them!”

Sonic Boom cartoon divides fans.

It’s no secret that Sonic Boom is looking less like an action series and more like a goofy, kid friendly cartoon. Not to mention the silhouette of the new redesigns have some people worried. However, considering this 11-minute comedy series comes from the same channel that gives us other well reviewed 11-minute comedy cartoons such as The Regular Show and Adventure time, it can still be very well done. I think that there will be many fans disappointed that it’s not more “action-drama” in the vein of the Sonic Adventure games or the more serious stories in the comics. But hey, that’s how all fanbases are and nobody’s gonna like everything put out.

"I'm not like Sonic, I don't chuc.......aww crap!"
“I’m not like Sonic, I don’t chuc…….aww crap!”

Christian “Taxman” Whitehead redoes Sonic 3 and Knuckles. Sonic Trilogy announced for home consoles.

While Sonic C.D. ended up on every console, Taxman’s versions of Sonic 1 and 2 have remained mobile only. Why? I believe Sega’s just waiting to release Sonic 3 and Knuckles this year and release all 3 to consoles as a trilogy. This way, they can help balance the difference in price that would obviously happen between mobile versions and console versions. $15=$20 for a full trilogy doesn’t seem too bad, but $10 for Sonic 1 when it’s less than $5 on mobile would have turned some people off. If this is the way they’re going, it’s a smart idea.

What do YOU see happening in 2014? Let us know in the comments below.

Jason is not a soothsayer or fortune teller, but he is a nerd.

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20 Comments

  1. Obligatory plug that I think the meetup/convention scene is really going to take off once all the established groups are able to make use of established Sonic (and general gaming/anime) conventions for promotion. I myself will be planning on doing a lot of promotional work at all the cons I will be attending, and I’m hopeful meetup/convention leaders around the world will do the same. Weston Super Sonic is already off to a great start despite its youth, and I’d love to see similar events pop up all over the world.

    The Boom cartoon is almost definitely going to divide people. The images alone and synopsis have left a massive amount of pessimism among the fanbase. My consolation is I think it could very well be excellent for SEGA’s marketing and strengthen the brand given cartoons are a larger market than games.

  2. I hope the movie happens and the classic trilogy is released on consoles (hopefully new gen as well as 360/PS3/Wii), but I’m not hugely keen on the idea of sonic becoming more involved in Nintendo. Unfortunately their consoles don’t appeal to me at all and I couldn’t justify getting one just for Sonic (especially with how mediocre Lost World sounds!) though I do understand there probably won’t be an Xbox/playstation Sonic until 2015 at least now…

    1. Who knows. Apparently Nintendo has been considering a merger since its financial failure this year. And Sega is a likely candidate if it were to come true.

      I wouldnt put my money on it though. As much as I love Nintendo, they are known for being stubborn.

  3. I must be one of the few who had enough of this dark world into the world of Sonic and favorite comic, I really loved Sonic Lost World and Sonic Colors. For cons, I’m a little concerned over the new cartoon.

  4. predictions:
    – 3rd nintendo sonic game. (Story Book or Mario cross-over).
    – Sonic Boom (obviously).
    – Movie Announcement.

    But anything could happen. ANYTHING.

    1. Anything eh?

      New in 2014: SEGA just announced the Dreamcast 2 and its two launch games are Sonic Adventure 3 and Shenmue 3

      wait wait even better….

      New in 2014: Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony are to make a super crossover game with every character from every franchise they own

      1. i wouldnt mind a sega console but im at home with sony now. and … iv no idea what Shenmu is other than the character “Ryo”…

        ehhh being realistic with predictions ^^”
        i do have a fantasy that a advert will appear on TV with crash bandicoot crawling out of a cave and Sonic/mario being there to greet him.

  5. “Yes, it’s time for me to make up some crap to act like I know what I’m talking about and make my personal predictions as it obtains to Sonic this year.”

    I apologize in advance, I don’t mean to be a grammar nazi, but that sentence was awkward. Did you mean “pertains” instead of “obtains?” A better wording would have been, “Yes, it’s time to pretend that I know what I’m talking about and make up some predictions about Sonic this year.”
    If it wasn’t the second sentence in the article I probably wouldn’t have said anything, but the opening is important and shouldn’t be cumbersome or awkward. I don’t claim to be an English major, and I don’t think I could have done a better job than you on the rest of the article (which, by the way, was great), but if I had peer reviewed this piece before it was posted I would have suggested a change to the opening.
    Again, I apologize.

    1. Ha!-Ha! No prob. You’re right. I can be a bit of a grammar nazi myself at times, but I still make mistakes now and again.

  6. The only thing I’m hesitant on is the Sonic Boom cartoon, hoping they don’t give it the same treatment Pac Man got in the Ghostly adventures. The cartoon itself is fine, dont care if they redesign the characters; its something I’ll check out, but probably wont watch past an episode or two, since its aim is 6-11 year old kids (not saying its ONLY for younger kids, but I have a feeling it wont be on the same level as Adventure Time in that regard). however, being headed by Iizuka makes me concerned that the re-design and everything introduced in the cartoons will bleed over into the games, comics and merchandise; THEN I would care. When Pac Man and the Ghostly Adventures released, the universe from the cartoons became canon in the video games, all characters were re-designed to match their cartoon appearances, and all merchandise became solely based on the show. I have my fingers crossed that that wont be the case for Sonic, though I have a bad feeling :(. Being that Knuckles is my all-time favorite video game character, I can already tell that I won’t care for his new design, and that would majorly suck if that became his new look in all forms of media.

  7. I’m really excited about the new Sonic TV series….i know what kind of discussions to avoid though so it won’t be ruined for me. Please let’s not make this year like 2006 again aaaah

  8. I hope the Sonic & Mario title might be a sonic riders with Mario in it… Ehh Anyone likes this idea?

  9. You are forever awesome for mentioning SpongeBob! As for the article itself, I am very happy with it. It really updated my memory about what we have to ponder about and get hyped for for 2014. I enjoy all the predictions, and I hope 97% of it happens! 😀 Now to wait for more…

  10. -I predict yet another Sonic platformer, where Sonic solos through Green Hill Zone-expy #23, and the entire game. Anything with so much as one playable character aside from Sonic won’t be for a Nintendo system.
    -Let’s hope that we never get a Sonic series on the same level as the comics. Too much conflict and controversy has happened in the many issues over the years. From Geoffrey St. John, to Sonic being accused of both treason and murder, to the Sand Blast Freedom Fighters, to Knuckles’ whole series, to Sonic’s conflict with his uncle, to Tommy Turtle, to the Council of Acorn, to the after math of Knuckles’ Enerjak rampage, to Thrash’s revenge. And Sonic isn’t exactly the free hedgehog we know in the games, especially with Sally around.
    -Regular Show may be “well-received”, but that’s because the people who like it are (and yes, I AM going to say it) either idiots with really bad internet meme taste who have forgotten/or for some reason hated the 90’s, naive grade school/middle school children (born during/after 2000) who are completely alien to the 90’s, or the lowest common denominator.
    -How about “No one is going to like ANY put out” if things keep going the way they are.

    Here I come! More…oddly shaped than the rest of them!
    The worst of them, weaker than chedder!
    They still call me Knuckles, and like Sonic, you’ll chuckle
    At my inflated muscles!

    Born in the 90’s, now resting in heaven…..
    I’m a shadow of my ancestor, who fainted at sight of me.
    My duty is to air for a half an hour,
    As part of Cartoon Network’s deterioration…….

  11. Well, I was wrong about the Nintendo IP on the next Sonic game, but was right about the marketing push. Now we’re getting double the Sonic toys!

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