Sonic Origins & Repackaged Retro Games Risk Hurting Their Brands
Rereleases of classic titles like those in Sonic Origins can be a gamble for the brands they represent. In an age where games are taking significantly longer to develop, it makes sense to try to capitalize on a back catalog of titles resting in a company's vault. In addition, a rerelease provides an opportunity to reach an entirely new audience 10, 20, or even 30 years after their original debut, helping those demographics discover what made these games great in the first place. Unfortunately, however, these releases of retro games have the chance of backfiring if not handled with the utmost care — and the list of what can go wrong is far more exhaustive than what can go right.
Sonic Origins is likely to be a successful endeavor for Sega; Sonic is usually a sure bet when it comes to hitting good numbers, and the classic entries are the peak of the series in the eyes of fans. Headcannon is also heading up the project — the team behind the critical darling 2D adventure Sonic Mania — meaning the titles are in good hands. But Sonic Origin's pre-order follies have brought a bit of negative buzz around the game that Sega probably didn't account for. For example, there seem to be several pre-orders/deluxe edition bonuses that feel like they should be unlockable bonuses — especially when the titles are being lumped together for $39.99 standard. What's more troubling is the exclusion of «classic» music, which may indicate trouble securing music licensing rights, a long-discussed issue surrounding Sonic 3's original compositions. But Sonic Origins’ pre-order strategy brings about a few more significant concerns, trends that seem to be on the rise as of late with classic remasters and ports.
Related: Devolver Digital Slams Sonic
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