The Rise And Fall (And Rise Again) Of Sega
Sonic Mania?
Such is the current momentum of Sega that industry insiders and gamers alike seemed to genuinely expect the company to announce a shock return to the home console market, after it had promised a big announcement as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations.
Ultimately, this huge announcement proved to be the release of the Game Gear Micro, much to the chagrin and confusion of fans around the globe. Micro indeed, as the system fits into the palm of an average-sized hand and sports a 1.15" screen - only Hobbits need apply, it seems (they are pretty cool though, let's be honest).
Still, that the announcement of a tiny handheld system as opposed to a full new console was seen as a disappointment surely speaks volumes about Sega's current trajectory.
Arguably the single-most significant catalyst behind the current Sega revival, however, was something created not by the gaming giants themselves, but by the fans: 2017's Sonic Mania.
When lead developer Christian Whitehead approached Sonic Team producer Takashi Iizuka with a playable work-in-progress build of the game, the green light was given to officially develop what hitherto had been something of a secret, passion-project, into a full-blown game which Sega would publish.
Level design, sound, art, and additional programming were outsourced to the likes of PagodaWest Games and Headcannon, and the game hit shelves in 2017 to rave reviews, with fans and critics alike praising the game as a return to the classic, beloved Sonic formula, which steered clear of the problems which so had badly plagued 3D Sonic titles like Sonic Boom and Sonic Unleashed.
With Sonic well and truly back on the table (quite literally, if you own the amiibo...) plans to bring the blue-blur to the silver screen started looking less bizarre, and 2020 saw the release of the much-anticipated and oft-discussed Sonic the Hedgehog live action movie. Starring Jim Carey and James Marsden, the film was - surprisingly or unsurprisingly, depending on your own point of view - a huge hit, and a sequel is already in the works.