Today is a rare example of using the phrase, “Well, duh!” in the video game space without issue. You see, there are times when video game developers don’t exactly “use their whole brains” on a video game title or something attached to it, and then they’re surprised when it fails or gets serious backlash. In the case of SEGA, they went into 2023 with lots of momentum because Sonic had done a great 3D title that had sold millions, and they wanted to keep that up. So they made a 2D-style title called Sonic Superstars and felt it would do great.
The problem was that they launched Sonic Superstars just a few days before Super Mario Bros Wonder. No, not weeks, not months, DAYS!!!! That means that fans basically had to choose between the SEGA title, which was not a guaranteed hit from the get-go, or the Nintendo title, which many expected to be one of the biggest “shifts” in the 2D landscape via the stuff the trailers showed. We all know how that went, right?
Exactly, SEGA’s title didn’t do well, and Nintendo’s title was one of the fastest-selling games Mario had ever been a part of! Thus, at the SEGA Q&A, they were asked about the game’s “struggle,” and you can guess what they said:
“Although Sonic Superstars has generally been well received by those who have played it, the timing of the launch coincided with competing titles in the same genre, and it has been short of the initial forecast,” they replied. The strategic expansion of Sonic IP is progressing well, and we will continue to work to increase repeat sales of this title.”
There’s more to this than meets the eye. Yes, they didn’t “name Mario” as a reason for the game’s failure, but it’s pretty obvious that’s what they’re talking about. Furthermore, in October of last year, another Q&A happened, and SEGA revealed that they would spend a good amount of the marketing budget for their title to try to get people to play it during the holiday season. Given that the game still fell below the “initial forecast,” that strategy didn’t pan out either. That means the game was 0-for-2 on how they thought things would go.
Thus, we say, “Well, duh!” The idea of putting Sonic The Hedgehog against Mario in the gaming space right now is crazy. Heck, in the movies, Mario has beaten Sonic! SEGA needs to be mindful of ALL potential pitfalls when releasing their titles, and this lesson might stick around for a while.
