As a long term, closet Sega fanboy, this is simply the most baffling thing I've read in a while. It's interesting that Sega are leasing out so many games to the Western developers. But then again maybe that's because all of the 'old, original Sega' have all packed their bags and left for new companies.
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I'm surprised by general negativity surrounding this announcement. If Mario and Panzer Dragoon role-playing games worked out fine, I don't see why this one couldn't. And it's being developed by Bioware, hello!
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Now come on! Bioware aren't exactly a company for thinking out of the box.
Paper Mario is successful in the same way all Mario franchises have been - for their quirkiness. Sonic on the other hand has always been sold as the platformer with attitude, in a way that it's hard to pull of something like an RPG with decidedly as much charm.
Panzer Dragoon was destined to become an RPG because the originals had a rather convoluted story that just couldn't be explained in rail-shooter turf anyway. And lets bare in mind that Panzer Dragoon is
way more serious than Sonic and Mario put together.
I'm not sure about Paper Mario, but PD Saga/ Azel was made in-house, by the game's original developers, who knew the style of the franchise like the back of their hands.
Bioware appears to be a company that pretty much grabs all the typical hallmarks of typical Western RPGs and does it in a slightly, and I really do mean 'slight' more original format and better graphics.
I mean Jade Empire was like an upgradeable version of a hack and slash Dynasty Warriors game. Its gimmick was being set in some kind of Chinese, mystical fantasy rather than in Medievil times, which wouldn't seem so bad if it didn't seem so contrived.
Mass Effect isn't known for its originality in story and setting (or KotoR for that matter). They were successful for pretty much ticking off all the boxes on a 'list of stereotypical things you'd expect in a Star Wars/ Western Sci-fi setting).
I admire Sega's attempt to gauge interest with third parties (although they have no choice as all the talent from the original Sega is now gone since the Sammy buyout) but I can't imagine Bioware bringing out the qualities Sonic has to offer.
That being said, thankfully this is a DS game, so it's not as if it's going to be the 'epic' they attempted with original titles, which is my way of saying their's still hope.
And it's not as if there's been a remotely decent Sonic game since Sonic's Adventure.
