The Confusing And Troubling Marketing Of ‘Sonic Frontiers’
The marketing for the upcoming Sonic Frontiers has admittedly been a bit of a mess. From the footage shown during IGN's coverage to Sonic fans having to play amateur detective during Summer Game Fest, for a while, information for this title was either hard to find, not enough, or misleading. Regardless, SEGA is not doing the game any favors in how they have chosen to show it off.
IGN First Coverage
Having a month dedicated to news regarding the upcoming title should be exciting. However, its execution left several fans confused. The first of these videos focused on the exploration aspect of the game, the second on the combat, and the third was an overall impressions video in addition to a video interview with producer Takashi Iizuka. Aside from the interview, fan reactions were somewhat mixed on this coverage due to its drip-feed nature and the fact that the build being shown was rather early and rough, especially when compared to later footage that would be released around the same time. One Twitter user had this to say on the subject in light of later reveals:
Fans at the time were looking forward to seeing more of the game in perhaps a less confusing format such as a trailer or even something focused on the story. While the title was featured at the expo, it was not in the way many fans expected.
RELATED:
Summer Game Fest
Earlier this year, there were reports of Sonic Frontiers being featured at the festival run by The Game Awards known as Summer Game Fest. This led many fans to believe that a proper trailer would be shown during the event. In promoting the event, organizer Geoff Keighley had stated that Sonic would be part of the event in some way, but Katie Chrz, the social media manager for Sonic, stated that nothing new would be announced at the event for the title. This did not mean the game was not featured at the event, however.
There was a playable demo for the game on the show floor which seemed to be in a more polished state than what was shown in the IGN videos. However, until after the event, this was only based on blurry images and impressions of those who have played the demo. SEGA kept security high around the kiosk, with guards at one point surrounding it to prevent leaks. Though there was a lot of information being shared, it was not available in an accessible manner. It was only after the conclusion of the event that people who played the demo were allowed to give their detailed impressions of the upcoming title. This led to a massive wave of gameplay videos and commentary on the demo after the embargo was lifted. Despite this, there were still things that could not be talked about, such as the Cyberspace levels. All this would change after the Nintendo Direct Mini on June 28th.
Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase
What Sonic fans were clamoring for finally arrived during Nintendo Direct Mini. The presentation featured not only the combat and “open-zone” gameplay but also the Cyberspace levels, which highlighted familiar locations in the series in addition to the more linear gameplay the franchise is known for. It was packaged in such a way that made the information easy to understand and presented the game much better than the previous reveals. Fans were confused as to why this trailer was not shown earlier, but then things started to get more interesting.
Game Informer Coverage And Beyond
The latest coverage of the title has been through articles in Game Informer, which discussed everything from what to expect from the story to the game’s skill tree, the combat, and 123 rapid-fire questions with Takashi Iizuka. Game Informer was doing everything IGN First was trying to do. Readers would learn that the comics writer Ian Flynn penned the story in such a way that is more somber and deeper than the other games in this genre. The combat is also said to be more in-depth and tension-filled compared to previous Sonic games, and the skill tree is a huge part of it. Fans were now able to glean more information about the game than ever before, but for some, it could be overwhelming.
With so much information being put out at once, it is no wonder why Iizuka claimed that players “don’t understand what this new gameplay is.” Sonic Frontiers is a new type of Sonic game with so many layers. However, the mistake SEGA made was deciding to go in-depth from the get-go rather than starting with a trailer that showcased the game in full. Now that there is more information on the title, it has made the job of those covering it easier yet harder at the same time. With the recent Steam DB leak revealing a November 8th release date, it seems we may be getting even more information as the date approaches. What is clear is that the initial reveals were not handled well and caused more confusion than it needed to.
READ NEXT:
Source(s): YouTube [1], [2], [3], [4] Game Informer [1], [2], Video Game Chronicle, ComicBook.com