DS Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (BioWare)

The Parasitic Genius of BioWare, Or, Why Making a Sonic RPG Might Not Be Such a Bad Idea After All

When Sega sent out its press release this morning announcing that acclaimed Canadian developer BioWare would be making a role-playing game based on Sonic the Hedgehog for the Nintendo DS, we, like many others, were taken aback. Not by the fact that a Japanese publisher was teaming up with a Western developer; after all, Sega has been the most aggressive of the major Japanese companies in signing up such studios as Monolith Productions (Condemned), Pseudo Interactive (Full Auto), Bizarre Creations (The Club) and Silicon Knights (for an as yet unnamed title) among others, in addition to acquiring Sports Interactive (Championship Manager), Creative Assembly (Medieval II: Total War) and Secret Level (America's Army: Rise of a Soldier.) Nor was it because BioWare, whose heritage lies in computer games and, more recently, console titles, would embrace a portable device, because the company did reveal its plans to get into the handheld space last fall.

No, the head scratching stemmed from this: why would BioWare, one of the world's best developers, voluntarily get involved with a franchise as troubled as Sonic the Hedgehog? To ponder it further only led from head-scratching to head-shaking when we thought of the numerous other franchises that Sega fans would much rather see in the hands of the good doctors/founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk--like Panzer Dragoon, Skies of Arcadia, Golden Axe, Shenmue, heck, even Jet Set Radio--than the increasingly problematic blue furball. Given that Muzyka and Zeschuk are two of the most thoughtful and deliberate game creators that we've met, we asked ourselves again: why?

The answer, we believe, can be found in BioWare's past; specifically, the company's careful and considered evolution from being primarily a developer-for-hire to the creator of its own original IP, soaking up as much knowledge as it could along the way, then fold that knowledge into brand new concepts. Baldur's Gate (1998) was based on the Dungeon's & Dragons Forgotten Realms license; today the company is hard at work on its own sword and sorcery RPG with Dragon Age. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003) took place in a previously unexplored chapter of Star Wars lore; now BioWare is making its own sci-fi epic in Mass Effect.
So given BioWare's stated interest in making games for handhelds platforms--which prior to the DS and PSP had primarily been the province of children and teens--it's reasonable to speculate that BioWare is, in part, using the enduring youth appeal of Sonic the Hedgehog as a dry run for its own ambitions, to gain some valuable insight into developing games for younger audiences. Not in any Machiavellian way, but as a shrewd way to continue to extend the scope of its capabilities to reach, with a variety of games, as broad an audience as possible. BioWare's Sonic RPG will undoubtedly deliver a game that will exceed Sega's own recent efforts on the franchise; in the meantime, those of us inclined to turn our noses up at the BioWare-Sega collaboration should keep in mind that once the doctors get comfortable making kid-oriented games for handhelds, the odds are good that some promising originals--for portables, for children, and for both--will almost assuredly follow thereafter.

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We couldn't resist throwing BioWare a few questions regarding the SEGA deal, the Sonic project, and its handheld division. Greg Zeschuk, President, and Ray Muzyka, CEO of BioWare Corp., were right there at the ready to tell us what we wanted to know -- at least, what they could say with the game so early in production. Sonic RPG is a 2008 release, after all. Sega of America President and COO Simon Jeffrey also chimes in with a few answers.

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IGN: Chicken or the egg time: Did the handheld division of BioWare form specifically for the Sonic RPG, or did the deal happen after the division was formed?

Ray Muzyka: We chose to form the BioWare DS group because we really wanted to develop for the platform - we're committed to developing great games for the Nintendo DS. We felt the Sonic RPG title was a great first product for our DS team - we're huge fans both of Sonic as a character and IP, and the DS as an RPG platform!

IGN: So, why Sonic RPG? What makes this project so special to be the first announced project from the handheld division?

Greg Zeschuk: We're huge fans of the Sonic IP and we jumped at the chance to work on it. As you know, roleplaying games - games focused on awesome stories and compelling characters, plus beautiful worlds to explore, addictive progression and customization and nail-biting combat - are BioWare's bread and butter and it's exciting to be able to bring a popular character with such a rich history into this genre for the very first time - it's a great honor for us to be entrusted with that responsibility by our publishing partner for this title, SEGA. While we haven't announced any feature sets yet, the Nintendo DS capabilities will allow us to innovate and create a very compelling game that will appeal to an all-ages worldwide audience while still providing a deep, rich experience to satisfy the traditional BioWare fan.

IGN: Give us a taste of what we can expect out of Sonic's first RPG. Is this going to be anything like what Square did years ago with the Mario RPG SNES title?

Ray Muzyka: We haven't announced any specific features yet, but obviously the DS is a very cool platform and we play games on it all the time as fans ourselves. Without giving away too much, we can say that we will be using many of DS's feature sets and we'll really be pushing the limits of what the system can do, always striving to innovate in what we deliver, as in all BioWare games.

Above all, we're committed to deliver a deep, compelling, unique and entertaining experience in this first BioWare RPG for DS. There are many fans of Sonic at BioWare and our love for the IP goes way back - I myself have an autographed (by the creators of Sonic) SEGA Genesis which is still plugged in side by side with my 360, Wii and PS3, and the main games I play on the Genesis when I go back to that system are Sonic I and II

IGN: Tell us about the talent within the handheld division. What sort of handheld background does the team have, and what makes you think you can bring the same quality of product as your console and PC teams?

Greg Zeschuk: We have a very talented group working on the game; many of the team members have been at BioWare for years. For example, the project director, Mark Darrah, has been at BioWare for ten years and has worked in senior roles on the Baldur's Gate series, Neverwinter Nights and Jade Empire. His experience will provide great leadership to a very talented team. BioWare has very experienced teams across the board that know how to make a great game on any system. Our upcoming epics Mass Effect and Dragon Age, as well as our MMO at BioWare Austin and other as-yet-unannounced titles are other examples of great talent across BioWare.

IGN: What are some of the differences you've noticed, both in developing a product and what the market expects, between the handheld market and the console market. How will BioWare's handheld team approach these differences?

Greg Zeschuk: One thing that's very exciting about developing for a handheld product is that it operates on a much faster development cycle. For instance, if the team comes up with a really cool concept, we can often see it prototyped very quickly, often literally a few days later. Another obvious difference with a handheld device like the DS are the different system features such as the dual screen, touch-screen and WiFi capabilities. This type of functionality allows us to innovate in very different ways as compared to a home console and I'd argue that the DS is a near-perfect system to launch a new roleplaying game franchise on!

IGN: Sonic RPG is a pretty big deal, but this can't be the only project in the works at BioWare's handheld team. Or is it? What sort of projects do you have cooking with the team that's not hedgehog related? Anything not RPG focused, maybe something for the casual, non-gaming crowd that Nintendo seems big on putting a focus?

Greg Zeschuk: BioWare's handheld team is focused on the Sonic title - we're focused on making a great experience in our first DS adventure. We're definitely planning to announce new titles for DS in the future but our immediate focus is to make sure we deliver a great game in partnership with our publisher SEGA!

IGN: Any handheld development studio out there you've been watching as a prime example of doing portable gaming right?

Ray Muzyka: We have a lot of respect for Nintendo's DS development studios; they make some truly inspiring games. That said, we're also utilizing a lot of the knowledge that we've gained through the years from creating our own titles on a variety of platforms, both console and PC.

IGN: Now that BioWare's focusing on the handheld market, can we expect to see the "big" BioWare games, like Baldur's Gate and KOTOR going handheld, or should we not hold our breaths?

Greg Zeschuk: At this point, we are very focused on Sonic - like SEGA, we're looking at this as a title with huge potential. We have not announced any plans to bring any other titles to handheld yet!

IGN: Where did the spark for the idea of a Sonic RPG come from, was it a SEGA concept or was it an idea that spawned out of the BioWare division?

Simon Jeffrey: We recognized the need to revitalize Sonic and bring something new to the franchise. An RPG was something totally different for Sonic, it felt fresh and excting. Knowing that we had the opportunity to work with a renowned developer like BioWare on this game confirmed that it was the right opportunity for us to now bring this vision to life.

IGN: Why bring the idea to the DS? Why a handheld version and not a console design?

Simon Jeffrey: Being the first project coming out of BioWare's all new handheld division gave SEGA and BioWare the ability to grow together - for SEGA it was growing the Sonic franchise in a new direction and for BioWare it was extending its reach out into the handheld arena. It lessens the degree of risk for both companies. SEGA's risk goes down because Sonic's first RPG is being created by the masters of that genre. We know they will hit the ball out of the park. And for BioWare the risk is lowered because their first handheld effort is using a known and loved video game icon like Sonic with a built in fan base so they know the title will get high visibility.

IGN: Why did you pair up with BioWare for the game and not just have an internal SEGA team create it instead?

Simon Jeffrey: Sonic has been a consistently successful franchise for SEGA. Part of that success is constantly evolving with the video game industry and finding new ways to reach out to gamers - old and new. Collaborating with the BioWare team was an ideal way to ensure that there were two solid reputations behind the game - the creators of Sonic and experts in the RPG genre. The SEGA internal team will continue to be involved in the project though to ensure that the spirit of Sonic and the Sonic franchise stays intact.

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We've all been burned by Sonic. Despite his speed and fancy red trainers -- and retail success -- he has failed to keep up with modern-day expectations since moving to 3D. At this rate, he's likely to wind up pancaked on the pavement if the franchise fails to get its act together.

After Sonic Adventure helped launch Dreamcast in 1999, Sega has released 30 Hedgehog games (including cross-platform titles), and according to Metacritic, the franchise's average review score over the past seven years has been 64.5.

Fans have been subjected to the likes of Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic's unspectacular debut on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. His credibility is wearing thin. And just when things couldn't get more bizarre, Sega revealed that Sonic will appear alongside long-time rival Mario in an upcoming tie-in with the summer Olympics -- in a development collaboration with Nintendo. Then, it announced a partnership with BioWare to produce a Sonic role-playing game.

There are few concrete details about the genre shift other than its ballpark release date, with the month-old project slated to hit Nintendo DS sometime in 2008. But, as you'd expect, the game will share traits with other BioWare titles -- in particular a focus on storytelling. It's also a game aiming to redefine the franchise. "It is all part of re-invigorating a brand," says president and COO of Sega of America Simon Jeffery. "I think it's a very exciting stage in the evolution of Sega, defying convention and shaking things up."

It's an odd move for a franchise built on speed. But a willingness to explore new options (that don't involve gun-toting mammals) is a sign that Sega is committed to fighting natural selection. "It is very easy to stay with what's familiar and continue along that route," explains Jeffery. "The Sonic games have always been, and continue to be, immensely successful, and appeal to the loyal Sonic fans. However, the videogame industry is evolutionary and the Sonic team recognizes the need to evolve with the industry."

BioWare's involvement is attributed to good timing. The studio recently created a handheld division, and Sega was looking for new direction. It also doesn't hurt that BioWare's CEO Ray Muzyka and president Greg Zeschuk both love Sonic. Muzyka still has a Genesis plugged into his TV, and even plays it occasionally.

The co-founders don't sound worried about the task ahead: working on a new platform, developing the next Sonic game, and shouldering the franchise's spotted pedigree. "Simon [Jeffery] has got his own strategic imperatives with [the game] and Sega does as well, but our job is to focus on making something really great," says Zeschuk.

Beyond espousing its reverence and respect for Sonic, the duo is most excited to work within the series' expansive universe and with its colorful cast, explaining that there's actually a lot of character depth to explore. "I guess much of the goal we have is around synthesizing all this stuff into something really cool," says Zeschuk. "We're trying to put something really different and new in front of the consumer that still is Sonic, quite clearly, but actually take it somewhere interesting."

As is the BioWare way, the Sonic RPG plans to involve a compelling narrative. While Mass Effect is expected to be one of the most engaging RPGs to hit consoles, Muzyka explains the manner of storytelling used in that space epic won't translate well to a handheld. "We're making something that's really finely tuned," he says. "It's going to be crafted very carefully for the DS platform, and we're innovating in how we deliver story, characterization and emotion on the DS."

The other challenge for the team is to create a DS game that will reach the handheld's expansive audience. "The key thing that we want to try to tackle, and we're always trying to do this, is to always have a game that functions on two levels," says Zeschuk. "On one level, the 'pick up and play' is there, but for the folks who want to delve and get more into it, there's always that depth available. I think that's one of our key focuses -- making sure that that's done. It's time based, it's skill based, and it's a whole bunch of things."

There's no telling how BioWare will take advantage of the hardware, but the studio is intrigued by DS' versatility. "It affords innovation and opportunity on a platform for a role-playing developer -- like BioWare -- that has never been done before," says Muzyka. "We haven't said which [features] and how we're going to use [them], but I think all of them are opportunities for the kind of game that we're talking about."

It will be a few months before BioWare and Sega reveal any specifics about the yet-to-be-named Sonic RPG. The two studios will be working closely together to ensure the game is both inventive and true to the franchise. They've already had several discussions about their approach to the game and the treatment of the story. The end result, as Zeschuk summarizes, is to build something that fits into the history of Sonic but is also capable of taking the franchise new places.

"This DS RPG we are doing with BioWare is a strong step towards breathing new life and quality into Sonic," says Jeffery. Maybe the Hedgehog will finally get a pair of new shoes.

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- In game graphics have a water color look, all hand drawn
- 4 party members at a time
- Each character can do certain things ex: Tails can float over things (standard stuff)
- 11 party members total
- 7 characters known thus far:

Spoiler: Gray

Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, Shadow, Big the Cat

- Control done fully with stylus - think Hourglass
- Able to split party into teams at certain moments
- rings = money/currency
- no random battles, enemies can be seen
- turn-based fighting. Make attack selections for all characters before the animations continue, fast paced.
- special attacks play out like Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan
- team attacks (think Chrono Trigger)
- “Fatigue Points” instead of MP
- ability to choose which attributes you level up
- purchase/level special attacks
- Rough story breakdown:

Spoiler: Gray

Sonic is on vacation from defeating Eggman 2 years ago. Gets a call from Tails that Knuckles has been kidnapped by a group called the Marauders, and that 6 chaos emeralds are missing. Eggman not the main villain. But Bioware wants to make him a creditable bad guy again. Something about a “twist” between Eggman and Sonic that goes back to the earlier games.

- 2 acts: Sonic-themed areas and darker worlds
- Remixed classic tunes
- “fully animated cut scenes”
- simple dialogue trees
- Side quests

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- In game graphics have a water color look, all hand drawn


- Control done fully with stylus - think Hourglass
- Able to split party into teams at certain moments
- rings = money/currency
- no random battles, enemies can be seen
- turn-based fighting. Make attack selections for all characters before the animations continue, fast paced.
- special attacks play out like Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan
- team attacks (think Chrono Trigger)
- “Fatigue Points” instead of MP
- ability to choose which attributes you level up
- purchase/level special attacks
- Rough story breakdown:

- 2 acts: Sonic-themed areas and darker worlds
- Remixed classic tunes
- “fully animated cut scenes”
- simple dialogue trees
- Side quests

Clicar para expandir...

EagleEye disse:

wow! É impressão minha ou vem ai grande jogo?! Agrada-me este tipo de aproximação nos RPGs, há poucos do género infelizmente :/
Espero tb ansiosamente pela informações sobre o Okami e o Assasin's Creed!!

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manelis disse:

ainda nao ha screens?

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