When the name Sega is mentioned, the most natural next thought is straight to Sonic, the company’s iconic and most popular character. Although the Sonic franchise has had its ups and downs, it’s still beloved across the world by all ages. However, whatever comes next for Sonic will be pivotal, as it will determine the public consensus on the franchise through the next console generation, or for PC gamers, the next seven years or so. That’s why when senior Yakuza producer Daisuke Sato, says he’s interested in working on the next Sonic game, it turns some heads.
Sato is a Sega veteran, having worked at the company since 1994, when he produced software for the Sega Saturn. In the time since, he’s become one of the senior series producers for the Yakuza franchise, with his latest work being on Yakuza: Like a Dragon. While it’s not clear what Sato is working on next, his recent interview for Sega’s sixtieth anniversary was pretty straight forward about what he’d like to do.
A new kind of Sonic
When asked which of Sega’s IPs he’d like to work on that he’s never had a chance to touch, Sato didn’t hesitate. “In the sense that I want to try it… well, Sonic,” said Sato. “After all, when you hear Sega, you think Sonic. I’d like to get involved at least once.”
While the prospect of Sato working on a Sonic title is promising, it’s assured that it wouldn’t be anything like any previous entries, although looking at Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, that might be a good thing. “But for me, the so-called Sonic is, well, if I were to do it I wouldn’t do Sonic as it was,” Sato continued. “I would like to make a completely different Sonic.”
While we likely won’t know if the Yakuza producer ever gets to work on a Sonic game, only time will tell. The interview with Sato is filled with countless other gems from his time at the legendary company and can be found right below.
