Sonic the Hedgehog turns 30 this year and it seems some changes are happening behind the scenes with the series.
After Roger Craig Smith announced he would be moving on from his role as Sonic last week, there's been a chain reaction of sorts - with a number of other voice actors linked to the blue blur suggesting they've also moved on.
In the latest update, Cindy Robinson - the voice of Amy Rose - has confirmed she will no longer be voicing her character.
She followed up this up with the following message to another fan: "And thank you! It has been my honor". According to Sonic Stadium, Robinson joined the cast "around the same time" Smith did. Robinson was recently credited in Puyo Puyo Tetris 2.
Yesterday, we found out the voice of Tails would not be involved in the upcoming Netflix series, Sonic Prime, and last week, we heard how two Sonic writers no longer appear to be working with Sega.
[source sonicstadium.org]
Comments (66)
Pretty soon, Sonic games will just be voiced by whoever Sega finds loitering outside the recording studio on Wednesday afternoon.
@Sabrewing Seems like this is a changing of the guard, like it was with Sonic X and then Colors.
"For the 30th anniversary of Sonic, we kill sonic"
Honestly, if this means an all around better Sonic product, it's for the good.
Modern Sonic has been trash for too long.
It's literally the mass exodus of employees from GameXplain all over again, lol. Hopefully we won't find out they were all overworked and underpaid.
I actually liked her as Amy's VA.
@Not_Soos while I obviously can’t know for sure, my suspicion is that it’s more Netflix wanting to cast their own V.Os or something along those lines.
@Mallen001 I means that’s what Nintendo’s doing for Mario
It’s like Sonic: Infinity War.
@Sabrewing yeah I got a ticket for loitering outside their office but at least I am knuckles now.
If Mike Pollok leaves as well I will cry and die on the inside
If one of them goes they all go
I guess they will soft reboot the series to an attempt at a fresh start
Amy voiced by Cherami Leigh (Sailor Venus Viz dub).
What do you think, guys ?
@Mallen001 At least wait till March like Nintendo
So lets just assume that all the voice actors are not going to show up in any more sonic media.
@Anti-Matter She did a great job as Makoto in P5 so I'd be down!
This is heart wrenching to see all the cast be outed like this. I mean we all know it won't last forever cause actors retire, but these cuts just seem arbitrary and random.
Okay I misread the subtitle as "It has been my horror." and knowing how some facets of the Sonic fandom are... I was expecting some kind of disgusting horror story from this...
Then I realized I misread it. XD
something seems suspicious now
Sega is being sold
@Doofenshmirtz There isn't any official comment on Pollock (Eggman's English VA since Sonic X) leaving, but he did put up these tweets, confirming nothing and leaving everything to be read between the lines.
https://twitter.com/itsamike/status/1356254087793299456
@Thoughts This isn't just for the animated series but for the entire Sonic franchise though, right? If I'm reading into it correctly, these voice actors are done with Sonic for good.
Is there a voice actor union issue, or someone at Sega did something not agreeable?
Sounds like regular contracting to me. I'm more surprised how Sega still decides to do a bunch of recasts today, when almost everyone else doesn't.
Wow, they're really cleaning house. It's doubtful all these people just happened to be leaving at the same time, I wonder what happened behind the scenes.
i really hope this all results to a successful (reboot?) of sorts.
They might’ve just finished another 3D sonic game and are cleaning house cause it sucks.
@Sabrewing
Is SEGA also walking around with checks to give whoever they hire on the spot?
Who’s next, Big the Cat?
EVERYONE IS GONE!
Could there be a bigger problem or set of problems going on behind the scenes at Sega? Splitting their amusement and arcade divisions. Talk of a major buyout through out the last year. Voice actors stepping away all at once? this all seems to relate to a big shake up or worse, major issues in the Sega camp(s).
Not surprising in the least bit, given the news about the Sonic and Tails voice actors being let go as well.
Didn't the current ex-voice actress of Tails also voice him in at the end of the Sonic movie?
Can you blame her? She probably got sick of these articles too.
when drunk it reads "amy is done with sonic" which means...
she broke up with sonic.
@Sabrewing SEGA going back to their legendary voice acting talents of old, like back with HotD 1-3. Still get a chuckle from those games
@Kintypoo121 "DOOOON'T KILL ME! OHHHHHH, AAAAAAAH!!"
Good,she sounded like Minnie Mouse at times.
This sounds like what happened with Transformers Siege and Earthrise on Netflix. They recast the voice actors for Prime and Megatron as Netflix use non union voice actors for the roles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp25y0oLuO8
Since so many voice actors are getting replaced, that shows me that SEGA wants to go in a different direction with the characters and the brand. They always do that, when they want Sonic to change.
I wonder what new direction Sonic will go next. The Classic Era was charming, the Adventure Era and half of the Modern Era were dark and mature, and from Colors onward the series had a more comedic tone. Not sure what will be next for Sonic. Maybe a more action-oriented tone?
@Mallen001
"Hey, it worked for Mario's thirty-fifth!"
If the cast keeps leaving at this rate, none of the Sonic characters will have voices ever again...
I fail to see the downside.
Not that I probably paid as close attention as many people, but I didn't notice any difference from when they changed her before. Nor Tails, nor Sonic for that matter. I was quite surprised to find the Sonic voice guy was only doing it since 2010, I assumed it was the same person since the very start. Maybe I need to pay closer attention, maybe they cast good replacements each time. I trust all will be ok.
@JuiceMan_V "Modern sonic has been trash for too long"
> Sonic forces
> Sonic colors
> Sonic Lost World
> Sonic Generations
All pretty good games, so no?
@iulis84 Mainly wrong studios like sega don't hire just anyone. Thinking no one will be better than Roger is extremely biased.
@Sabrewing Yet Again, extremely biased statment
@jaybirdDaThird
Sonic Forces?
Sonic Lost World?
Spoken like a true Sonic fanboy 😂
If the cast is getting gutted again, then just keep Mike Pollock. I have my doubts since Team Sonic Racing replaced some voice actors (even if temporarily, but I doubt the already replaced voice actors would get changed) and Tails' voice actress only said she wasn't in Prime, not that she wasn't being let go, which could be a pretty interesting distinction - but it's still possible.
Just keep Mike Pollock lol
@jaybirdDaThird You know you want to hear a Sonic game with as much dramatic variety as Last Alert on TurboGrafx-16. https://youtu.be/0dKTYzlXzMA
@Lordd_G
Actually, in last month (January 2021) I did read a rumor about this, that at least one mayor "player" in the PC/videogame industry is in talks to aquire SEGA/SEGA Sammy Holdings.
Oh and I almost forgot: SEGA had big loose with their arcade business last year.
Also, last year (2020) Codemasters was bought by EA and Microsoft bought ZeniMax Media (parent of Bethesda) or at least are in the process of being purchased.
Oh and did you know, that Gearbox was just aquired by Embracer Group (THQ Nordic, Deep Silver, Saber Interactive etc.)?
Here is the link, that I am not making something up:
https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/377027/Borderlands_dev_Gearbox_acquired_by_Embracer_Group_in_138_billion_deal.php
Sounds like they're swapping out most of the cast again. I wasn't a huge fan of several of these voices (specifically for these roles, I mean - I like some of this overall cast set plenty in other stuff, just less so with the Sonic characters they're linked with) but I do wish they'd stop doing this shortly after each new set is really settling in and getting the hang of their roles. (Sonic X may have been a minor mess, but I miss some of those voices. They had improved a lot when they were suddenly cut. At least this time it doesn't seem to be quite as sudden and without warning to the VAs themselves like it was last time.)
Given past behavior and general popularity I think there's a fairly good chance Mike Pollock will be kept again, just like with the last VA purge, but I guess only time will tell for certain.
@JuiceMan_V what has this to do, to be a fanboy? lost world is an amazing sonic game, sonic forces too, that game is short, but still good.
@eRaz0r
Uh huh....
Just keep the bad takes coming, Sonic fanboys.
Sonic forces is "good"? lmao!
@nessisonett,
Lol, you win the internet!
But seriously who's next: Doctor Eggman?! Thank goodness we still have Charles Martinet as Mario!
Looks like with the upcoming Netflix series (and game?) they are going for a clean slate. But pleeeaaasse not replacing Eggman's voice!
@eRaz0r,
Not sure they are in fact great games, but your opinion I guess.
Sega just needs to buried sonic for good.
@JuiceMan_V
I genuinely don't like sonic that much anymore. I just like those games
@JuiceMan_V
Also how biased do you have to be that you think every person that has a slightly different opinion from you that you think they're a fanboy?
@jaybirdDaThird
The problem is you trying to convince me these are good games when:
-I've played them
-the majority of people that played these games don't like them much either.
If you like them, go ahead.
People like trash all the time.
@Sabrewing I'm ready to camp out.
Let me voice Amy. Sure, I'm a guy but I can play Transwoman Amy, formerly known as Sammy. I can do a high pitched feminine voice.
@Deku-Scrub it's off topic and kind of odd, but if I may, where's your profile picture from?
@FUJIMOTO-San My current profile picture is from the Evangelion 3.0+1.0 “One Last Kiss” trailer: https://youtu.be/z1klJIyx060
@Deku-Scrub I see.. Thanks! I appreciate the kind answer! I thought it looked familiar!
@FUJIMOTO-San No problem at all!
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