Sonic Boss Says Sega Once Considered Ending the Entire Franchise

Sonic creative chief Takashi Iizuka has revealed just how close Sega once came to pulling the plug on its most recognisable franchise. Speaking about Sonic's 35-year history, Iizuka said there was a period during the series' lower years when executives suggested that Sega should stop making Sonic games entirely. Iizuka says he fought internally to keep the franchise alive. The situation is especially striking in hindsight. Sonic is now not merely a videogame series but a major cross-media property with successful films, television projects, merchandise and new games. Iizuka identified the success of the first live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie in 2020 as a particularly important turning point, saying it changed the course of the franchise inside Sega. He also discussed similar uncertainty around Shadow the Hedgehog, another character whose continued popularity helped secure his place in the series. Sonic certainly endured an uneven stretch across the 2000s and 2010s, with some entries attracting heavy criticism even as others retained sizeable audiences. The revelation is therefore less 'Sega suddenly hated Sonic' and more a reminder that famous brands can become surprisingly vulnerable when companies lose confidence in their direction. Thirty-five years after the original Mega Drive sprint, Sonic is still running. Apparently, at one point the hardest stage was simply surviving a management meeting.
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- Date: September 22, 2026. - Category: Industry. - Primary subject: Sonic Boss Says Sega Once Considered Ending the Entire Franchise.
Q: What is the primary development in Sonic Boss Says Sega Once Considered Ending the Entire Franchise? A: Sonic creative chief Takashi Iizuka has revealed just how close Sega once came to pulling the plug on its most recognisable franchise. Speaking about…
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