During a special press event held in Japan late this evening (followed by a joint announcement in London and San Francisco in the AM), SEGA revealed several new projects for the coming year, including a big one for next-generation fans -- a brand new Sonic project for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Currently using the codename, "Sonic the Hedgehog," the new polygon-pushing platformer was announced as a re-imagining of the franchise with its inspiration being drawn from the original series. As always, Sonic guru Yuji Naka will be heading up the brand new project with special assistance by original series character designer Naoto Ohshima.
"Sonic The Hedgehog represents the most recognizable example of classic SEGA properties that we will recreate for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360," said Naoya Tsurumi, CEO of SEGA of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. "When Sonic The Hedgehog debuted on the SEGA Genesis in 1991, he reinvented the action-platform genre with speed and attitude. By harnessing the power of these new platforms, we are confident that Sonic will once again raise the bar for action gaming in 2006 and beyond."
"We are proud to re-create our famous friend, Sonic, for a new generation of gamers on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360," said Yuji Naka, R&D Creative Officer, SEGA Corporation. "With Sonic The Hedgehog, we have gone back to our starting point, more than 15-years ago, to reinvent the attitude and speed that made our hero a legend. The 'rebirth of Sonic' will offer an unparalleled sense of speed that is only possible using the processing power afforded by the new systems."
Sonic the Hedgehog will ship for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sometime in 2006 to coincide with the mascot's 15th anniversary. The first screenshots can be found on the media page below.
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