Programmer Kenji Hiruta recently tweeted an image of an autographed illustration of Skies of Arcadia by illustrator Itsuki Hoshi and said that he would send it to a randomly-chosen fan overseas by the end of January 2020. To receive the autographed illustration, fans only need to follow him, send him a direct message, and retweet the initial tweet.
In a follow-up tweet, Hiruta stated that if a movement like this gains enough traction, SEGA might consider developing a sequel to Skies of Arcadia, further stating in a reply that he would “really really want to develop it”.
Last year, Kotaku interviewed producer Reiko Kadama, who doesn’t think Skies of Arcadia needs a sequel, although she had interest in making one in the past. And while Kadama disregarded the question when asked about a port on modern platforms and feels that the GameCube version is the “Director’s Cut”, she didn’t completely deny the possibility either.
Skies of Arcadia originally launched for the SEGA Dreamcast in Japan on October 5, 2000, with North American and European releases coming afterward. Skies of Arcadia later received an enhanced port on the Nintendo GameCube known as Skies of Arcadia: Legends in Japan as well as North America and Europe once again. Both versions of Skies of Arcadia were critically acclaimed.
In addition to its GameCube release, Skies of Arcadia was also planned for release on PlayStation 2 and PC, but both were ultimately canceled. A portable iteration for the Game Boy Advance was also considered, but it never released.
In 2012, the trademark for Skies of Arcadia was renewed and an HD port was expected for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 alongside other SEGA titles like Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, and the Sonic Adventure series. But once again, it was never released. Characters from Skies of Arcadia have made cameo appearances in other SEGA titles such as Valkyria Chronicles and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, which also features a race track based on the game.
Will Skies of Arcadia finally be able to make it to modern platforms? Or will the ship sink yet again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more news and info on Skies of Arcadia as it develops.
