Topic: Episodic Sonic Games?

Since Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (aka Project Needlemouse) was recently announced to have a Wiiware version I am getting a little hyped about this, but one thing does have me saying I should pass this one. I am mainly talking about Sonic going episodic. So what are your opinions about this?

Could be either really good or really bad. With SEGA's recent history with Sonic I'm leaning towards the latter.

I think Sega wants to artificially inflate the price of the game by going episodic....I for one won't be going near it til they're all out and have gotten extremely positive reviews given my lack of tolerance for this new penny-pinching business model (50 bucks total for Strongbad games or those weak Monkey Island lousy iPhone port "adventure" games...not acceptable in any circumstance)

I dunno if the fact that the game's also on Wii has to do with the episodic decision given WiiWare size limitations...

I don't think so...it's downloadable on every console. I do agree with you on the price inflation, though--if you're going to release 5 episodes at $10 a piece, why not just release a $50 disc? That way they could make the graphics better and pack it with more content...oh well. I'll buy it anyway.

I think it is great, you can play multiple full 2D Sonic games. I think Sega has finally gotten wise and is giving us what we wanted. I think each episode will be a full 2D Sonic game rather than part of one. I will be buying all episodes unless I don't enjoy episode one.

Episodic content is interesting, as long as it's cheap. Something the price of Tales of Monkey Island is NOT cheap.

The Genesis Sonic games were about a Megabyte big. How big can his game be?

When I first heard of this, I said "Bleh". Now that I think about it, Sega's just using this episodic gimmick to gain more money from the nostalgic fans. And in the future, I'm probably going to think "Those games were average and WAAAY too expensive." So needless to say, I'm not happy with this "Approach" to Sonic.

If the game wasn't episodic, I don't think they would've put more content into the one Sonic 4 game. It would be either one small Sonic game (i.e. one "episode") or more Sonic for everyone (i.e. many "episodes"). Want several new Sonic games? Or happy with just downloading the first episode (fine - thats what you would have gotten if the game wasn't episodic)? Everybody wins.

I'm taking the lets wait and see attitude. But I will certainly pick up the first episode unless it turns out to be a point and click adventure.

Pfff.... I don't like episodic games. Not that they are necessarily bad. Selling a game this way just makes the developers seem a bit like cowards who don't dare to bring out a complete game on a disc.

Personally I'd much rather they released it as a stand-alone game.

Been waiting years for a decent 2D console Sonic, and think its great that wiiware is likely getting not 1 release but more, even if they did confirm it was coming to disc, when the series was done, I'd still buy it on wiiware just to play it all sooner.

Cautious, yes. Cowards, no. If you don't think a retro 2D-esque game will sell at retail then why do it? WiiWare is a viable means for releasing games, even large ones.

A boy and his blob, Muramasa, NSMB, all 2D games on a disc. SEGA has brought out many terrible 3D sonic games on disc. Now they are finally making a (hopefully) good sonic game with 2D gameplay, they don't dare to bring out the full game on a disc, which to my opinion would make it more epic. Instead of having confidence in the quality of their product and doing a big franchise like sonic some justice they give you part of the game as a download and you will have to wait for the rest. It's like selling demo after demo of a full game.

Pretty sure they'd sell a lot more on the larger retail market, than the download market, the fact they chose the smaller market shows to me Sega have a lot of confidence in the new game, full Sonic 3 sized episodes sounds just great to me, plus it means less waiting, win win all around IMO.

An Sega guy said in an interview that Sonic 4: Episode 1 is an part of an bigger adventure, in the manner like Sonic 3 was Epi. 1 and Sonic & Knuckles an Epi. 2 in the chapter of Sonic 3.
So that means each episode is an standalone game, with the basic structure of classic sonic games of 6-7 Zones.

Actually sounds like an good idea.

It could be that it's just called an episode because the other games will all tie together. I don't like the idea of episodic content much either but if it's a full length game then really it's only in name that it will bother me.

Episodic content has been happening for years now yet it still hasn't really worked out how it's supposed to. It's been almost 4 years since Half-life 2 Episode 1 and Episode 3 still isn't out and it's been said it likely won't be out this year. The Monkey Island episodic content isn't really being programmed in episodes, the game was already complete on PC, they just decided to split it up for the Wii release. The Monkey Island wiiware series would likely be a bargain priced buy now if it were released on a disc a year ago but instead it's $50 and will likely stay that way for who knows how long.

I think this is what's going to happen:

Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Episode One: A New Hope

Bad joke, but whatever. I have no problem with it. It's 2D Sonic; I'll download it no matter how they break it up. :3

@Feenie: Whhhaat? It should be:

Sonic the Hedgehog 4

Episode One: The Eggman's Menace

I don't care if it's episodic as long as there are plenty of zones in each episode an that it doesn't cost too much.