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[Draugoth]

Sonic Superstars team doesn't think pixel art will be a "viable" art style in 10 years

But Sonic Frontiers will be built on for up to two decades

www.gamesradar.com

Sonic Superstars is an exciting return to the Blue Blur's 2D origins, but its new art style exists because its developers don't think the classic pixel art approach will be "viable" in future.

Speaking to GamesRadar+ at Gamescom 2023, Sonic Team head and Sonic Superstars producer Takashi Iizuki discussed (via a translator) the importance of having both 2D Sonic games, like Superstars, and 3D titles like last year's Sonic Frontiers.

When we talk about the brand, we definitely need to have a modern Sonic 3D game. We also feel we need to have a classic Sonic 2D game. Those are our fundamental pillars that we need to have. We're expanding into movies and TV, but we still need to have both the 3D and the 2D line up for our gaming audience. Last year we released Sonic Frontiers, and what Sonic Frontiers was doing is taking the open zone concept, to cement that 3D Sonic gameplay, as something we can build on for the next 10-20 years to continue bringing new gameplay experiences to players. It was really the evolution of where the 3D Sonic space was going, and we feel very proud in what the team was able to deliver.

Iizuka's comments are certainly interesting. Critical consensus isn't always a perfect measure of success, but it's worth noting that Sonic Frontiers' MetaCritic scores range from 61 to 75. By contrast, 2017's Sonic Mania - made in the original games' pixel art style - boasts scores in the mid-80s, and 2018's Sonic Mania Plus is the best-reviewed game in the entire Sonic series.

Elsewhere, pixel art games continue to thrive in the indie space, and several high-profile games from this year, including Octopath Traveler 2 and recent release Sea of Stars, make significant use of the style. Iizuka's comments seem to extend specifically to a Sonic fandom that may skew younger than the JRPG community.

 

[Shut0wen]

Looks like a decent sonic game but apparently coop just doesnt work i kinda like the new style tbh

 

[MagiusNecros]

More like they don't want to put in the work with Pixel Graphics. Freedom Planet 1 and 2 are amazing Pixel Art indie games that are spiritual Successors to Sonic the Hedgehog with a great art style.

 

[Montauk]

Sonic Team talking shit on pixel art when their games mostly look like trash?

Brave.

 

[Astral Dog]

The quote in the op at least doesn't say anything about pixel art just that they are making both 2D and 3D Sonic games

Anyways, Sonic Mania was an excellent game and looks gorgeous, but if Sonic Team wants to do the 2.5D approach thats viable as well,thanks to New Super Mario bros Wii 2D gameplay made a comeback on consoles,that would have been very difficult with pixel art alone

What Sonic Super Star needs to prove is that it can match Sonic Mania in level design and overall quality if they can do this they will have a template for future games and keep evolving the graphic engine

 

[mopspear]

I teach game programming to kids from 9 - 14 and they all love pixel art. Minecraft is still deep in their little brains.

 

[MiguelItUp]

Reading that title I was expecting them to be shitting on pixel art, but they didn't. Which is good, I was about to be like, "WTF?!" The games are slowly looking a bit better, so hopefully they can get Sonic in a more reliable/consistent position.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Neither will Sonic games.

 

[Holammer]

The quote in the op at least doesn't say anything about pixel art just that they are making both 2D and 3D Sonic games

Anyways, Sonic Mania was an excellent game and looks gorgeous, but if Sonic Team wants to do the 2.5D approach thats viable as well,thanks to New Super Mario bros Wii 2D gameplay made a comeback on consoles,that would have been very difficult with pixel art alone

What Sonic Super Star needs to prove is that it can match Sonic Mania in level design and overall quality if they can do this they will have a template for future games and keep evolving the graphic engine

Full article does.
He's basically saying the older fandom will die out in 10-20 years and they need to adapt the art to fit the next generation.

 

[Shut0wen]

Doesnt square have this mad 2d 3d engine? This guy on crack

 

[Unknown?]

Sonic Superstars team doesn't think pixel art will be a "viable" art style in 10 years

But Sonic Frontiers will be built on for up to two decades

www.gamesradar.com

Sonic Superstars is an exciting return to the Blue Blur's 2D origins, but its new art style exists because its developers don't think the classic pixel art approach will be "viable" in future.

Speaking to GamesRadar+ at Gamescom 2023, Sonic Team head and Sonic Superstars producer Takashi Iizuki discussed (via a translator) the importance of having both 2D Sonic games, like Superstars, and 3D titles like last year's Sonic Frontiers.



Iizuka's comments are certainly interesting. Critical consensus isn't always a perfect measure of success, but it's worth noting that Sonic Frontiers' MetaCritic scores range from 61 to 75. By contrast, 2017's Sonic Mania - made in the original games' pixel art style - boasts scores in the mid-80s, and 2018's Sonic Mania Plus is the best-reviewed game in the entire Sonic series.

Elsewhere, pixel art games continue to thrive in the indie space, and several high-profile games from this year, including Octopath Traveler 2 and recent release Sea of Stars, make significant use of the style. Iizuka's comments seem to extend specifically to a Sonic fandom that may skew younger than the JRPG community.

Sonic Mania Plus is only best reviewed when you look at Switch reviews which are far fewer than the PS4 version.

 

[cireza]

So that's why they came up with the ugliest 3D visuals ever. Colors are awful, saturated, too many tones on a single screen, background is so blurry you can't even identifity anything, lighting is awful and things shine with no coherence whatsoever.

I don't care a lot for visuals, but I do care if they look so bad I don't even want to try the game. Which is the case here.

 

[Saber]

Iizuka is not only a retard but a clown. It took decades for them to do something viable with the physics(its probably stolen work from Taxman). Even more from an idiot that came with such stupid ideas and concepts years after years.
How many years of envy they gonna have with Mania is beyond me. That rumor about they looking down on Mania gets true the more time it passes.

 

[Fake]

Sonic Team needs to be fired. Good lord...

 

[Deft Beck]

I think Iizuka is out of touch. There's a lot of fantastic sprite work coming out of the Sonic fan community games and mods. There's clearly still an audience for good pixel artwork. I think his team just isn't capable of reaching those heights anymore.

 

[Ristifer]

Looking forward to Superstars, but Iizuka is a constant embarrassment.

 

[Holammer]

Sonic Team needs to be fired. Good lord...

They only exist to make life difficult for Archie Comics & IDW's comic adaptations.

 

[DeepEnigma]

We've heard this every so often since the first 3D games came out.

It will be "any decade now, totes."

 

[Killer8]

SlimeGooGoo approves this message.

 

[nkarafo]

Too bad the best Sonic games so far use pixel art.

 

[Magic Carpet]

I don't think I've been using the term 'Pixel Art' correctly.
Someone educate me.

 

[RoboFu]

sonic looks more like a french bulldog than himself in this game.

 

[justiceiro]

Do you want to get replaced by IA? Because that's how you get replaced by IA.

 

[Spukc]

 

[fart town usa]

Really unfortunate to hear developers talk that way.

 

[Lethal01]

I don't think I've been using the term 'Pixel Art' correctly.
Someone educate me.

Art made by placing individual pixel, and having those pixels be clearly distinguishable.

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

I'll let this one slide because Naoto Oshima is on board, and looking forward to the game in general. But I want to see them eat crow on this one for a Sonic 5 with true pixel art and builds off of Sonic 3 and Knuckles the proper way, the same way they ate crow with the physics in this game

 

[Days like these...]

Sonic Superstars team doesn't think pixel art will be a "viable" art style in 10 years

But Sonic Frontiers will be built on for up to two decades

www.gamesradar.com

Sonic Superstars is an exciting return to the Blue Blur's 2D origins, but its new art style exists because its developers don't think the classic pixel art approach will be "viable" in future.

Speaking to GamesRadar+ at Gamescom 2023, Sonic Team head and Sonic Superstars producer Takashi Iizuki discussed (via a translator) the importance of having both 2D Sonic games, like Superstars, and 3D titles like last year's Sonic Frontiers.



Iizuka's comments are certainly interesting. Critical consensus isn't always a perfect measure of success, but it's worth noting that Sonic Frontiers' MetaCritic scores range from 61 to 75. By contrast, 2017's Sonic Mania - made in the original games' pixel art style - boasts scores in the mid-80s, and 2018's Sonic Mania Plus is the best-reviewed game in the entire Sonic series.

Elsewhere, pixel art games continue to thrive in the indie space, and several high-profile games from this year, including Octopath Traveler 2 and recent release Sea of Stars, make significant use of the style. Iizuka's comments seem to extend specifically to a Sonic fandom that may skew younger than the JRPG community.

"what Sonic Frontiers was doing is..." that made my hard hurt. Please give Sonic to Nintendo so someone can make a good Sonic game again.

 

[Holammer]

I get the impression the guy thinks the current Sonic audience will grow up from games (a very Japanese sentiment) or die out within 10-20 years and that the next generation won't like 2d perspective or pixel art. He is wrong, some of the best selling games today are pixel art. Terraria sold 44M copies since 2011 and Stardew Valley over 20M since 2016. Sonic games on the other hand sold bit over 90M+ collectively since 1991 and that's on several generations of various console hardware.
If a game is good it'll sell despite 2d pixelart.

Sonic's problem is the speed, it translates poorly to gameplay so they have to cheat with lock on mechanics to make it work at all. The speed was a fun new concept back in the early 90's, now it's an anchor weighing down the franchise potential.

 

[DemonGamerTTT]

Wtf are those guys talking about?

Are they in 94 all over again? This was the same discourse Sony and Nintendo pushed back in the day, but at time 3d everything was a technological upgrade and made sense, but nowadays pixel art is a design choice.

In the end the ones deciding will be us the customers.

 

[Duchess]

Picture is worth 1,000 words, etc., etc.

 

[cartman414]

Wtf are those guys talking about?

Are they in 94 all over again? This was the same discourse Sony and Nintendo pushed back in the day, but at time 3d everything was a technological upgrade and made sense, but nowadays pixel art is a design choice.

In the end the ones deciding will be us the customers.

The irony.

Been years since there was hardware with specialized 2d blitting functions.

 

[Katajx]

Some of the reactions to this are silly. I see a lot of people that just can’t accept anything new or being revised. The new art looks good to me. The 8-bit and 16-bit looked good for its time.

Those games were great for their time and the technology, but the nostalgia of Snes/Genesis era does not make a game good.

I would much prefer something like Streets of Rage 4 than the new Double Dragon looking like the originals.

It’s a reason I skipped Mania even.

 

[swaffles23]

Good thing we have studios like Sabotage Studios and The Game Kitchen carrying the torch and still make beautiful pixel art

 

[STARSBarry]

Picture is worth 1,000 words, etc., etc.

Was literally about to say I have just been playing this after finishing armored core. It's fantastic, really looks beautiful so will have to post something else.



Looking forward to this, Crosscode devs next game... and people say pixel art isn't viable, sonics best game for decades was pixel based and they resented it.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

Was literally about to say I have just been playing this after finishing armored core. It's fantastic, really looks beautiful so will have to post something else.



Looking forward to this, Crosscode devs next game... and people say pixel art isn't viable, sonics best game for decades was pixel based and they resented it.

Not only that Sonic Mania looks fantastic imo. One of the best looking recent pixel art games.

I do think they've finally got a good 3d artstyle with Superstars tho

 

[Killer8]

That's funny, because I don't think Sega will be viable in 10 years.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

Some of the reactions to this are silly. I see a lot of people that just can’t accept anything new or being revised. The new art looks good to me. The 8-bit and 16-bit looked good for its time.

Those games were great for their time and the technology, but the nostalgia of Snes/Genesis era does not make a game good.

I would much prefer something like Streets of Rage 4 than the new Double Dragon looking like the originals.

It’s a reason I skipped Mania even.

Pixel art is timeless. You think it's about nostalgia but it's not, 16 bit era games still look beautiful to this day. Mania looks incredible btw

 

[Crayon]

I always thought a lot of games with pixel art these days look raggedy. Classic games may have been pixel art but they were made by professional teams with a lot of resources by the standards of the day. A lot of modern games with pixel-art are really just pixelated-art. As in they don't color pixels by hand but take an image or a 3d model and pixelate it.

 

[Crayon]

That's funny, because I don't think Sega will be viable in 10 years.

The 10 year olds who will be playing it are being born as we speak.

 

[Torrent of Pork]

 

[Success]

Mods needs to crackdown on these clickbait threads.

Thread title is bait.

 

[ssringo]

Probably happen around the time PC gaming finally dies off. Oh, and consoles too.