Lately Sonic the Hedgehog hasn’t been doing too well. With Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric being the worst selling Sonic game in history, SEGA had to do something crazy to get some positive attention on the blue blur. Luckily they found the perfect amount of crazy to do it. Or should I say the perfect crazy person to do it. Earlier this week SEGA released a video both their official channel and their YouTube channel titled “Shia Lebouf DLC.”
SEGA CEO Hajime Satomi stated in a recent interview that he wants to rebrand the franchise:
“Sega in the ’90s was known for its brand, but after that, we’ve lost trust, and we’re left with nothing but reputation … We’d like to win back the trust and become a brand once again.”
The video, titled Shia Lebouf DLC, shows a modified version of the games final confrontation with the Eggmen. Only difference is this time Sonic has the support of “Hollywood Superstar Shia Labouf!”
While this isn’t the ’90s Sonic that I know and love, I’m still more excited for this than Sonic Boom 2 (don’t worry it’s not a thing yet. Let’s hope it never becomes so). The game that the cut scene, taken from Sonic Generations, was well received by critics and gamers alike and is considered to be the “last good Sonic game”. The game featured the triumphant return of the classic “pudgy” Sonic and his 2-D platforming roots, as well as the cool and edgy modern Sonic who could switch between 2-D and 3-D styles of play.
SEGA plans to release a new Sonic game for home consoles at the Tokyo Game Show. Whether or not Shia Lebouf will make an appearance is yet to be seen.
What do you guys think? Is this a good marketing strategy by SEGA? Why Shia Labouf? Should Sonic just let it go? Let me know in the comments below!
