Takashi Iizuka, head of Sonic Team has revealed in an interview that the studio is aiming to drive the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise into one “connected universe.”
In the last couple of years, we’ve seen the release of various Sonic-related projects from games, and animation as well as the two widely successful live-action adaptations. With the forthcoming release of Sonic Frontiers, players are starting to feel a shift in the franchise’s direction.
The studio aims to make sure that every appearance of the blue-coloured hedgehog is consistent across various media channels. And while some parts of the brand aren’t part of this unification effort, fans can at least expect the upcoming Sonic Frontiers game, Sonic IDW comics and the forthcoming 3D animated Sonic TV show to be similar to one another, almost like they exist in the same universe.
When asked about what this intersection would mean for Ian Flynn who pens the Sonic Comics to also write for Sonic Frontiers, lizuka stated that it was important as it would bring the games and comics “closer together.”
Games, movies, TV to “solidify everything”
Lizuka went on to say that as the Sonic franchise expands further into movies, TV and comics, it’s the studio’s desire to try and “solidify everything” to make all things about Sonic a cohesive experience. The Sonic Team attempted something like this in 2005 when the entire voice actor lineup for the games was changed to reflect the anime broadcasting on US television networks at the time, Sonic X.The Sonic franchise has exploded as of late, garnering new fans with the success of two live-action adaptations that have left viewers wanting more of the speedster and his friends. A connected universe, while not entirely necessary, is the team’s way of bringing stability to the franchise.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
