Sonic Forces - 1 Item Update
Well....
SonicForces came out this week. And there's a grand total of 1 thing on SonicGear for it. The rather strange Hooters Japan Cross Promo. (event, mascot, standee, etc) Yeah hooters. Real odd choice that's asked about in the entry. It's known for wings and beer...not fanchar the ultimate. If anyone was going to be recruiting adults, you'd think it'd be Mania based upon its nostalgia platform.
Why no stuff?
Mania had a ton of stuff, mugs, tees, posters, etc. but Forces has pretty much nothing in the way of merch. Of course, there's speculation galore: being 'they werent sure how well it will do' and 'the boom ban was still in effect'. Remember: merchandise takes a long time from idea to shelf near you. Mania would have escaped the Boomban, but Forces items wouldn't because while it HAS Classic Sonic in it, it would also require Modern and that was a big-boom-no-no.
Not good:
There's always a rise in merchandise buying whenever a game comes out. Mania saw a big rise in SonicGear visitors, and more people are always out looking to buy Sonic things alongside their new game. The whole "Boom=no modern Sonic allowed" boondoggle they created only shoots them in the foot now with Forces. Having nothing to represent Modern Sonic on any tees/toys much puts a damper on that half of Forces where there would have been an opp for more sales.
What happens when they're unsure of a game?
You get nothing but the game. Remember the Deadly Six? They weren't sure what that game would do, so you've got no merch with these colorful villains. You'd think they'd make cool toys but because the game was just sorta lukewarm...nothing really happened.
But then look at Boom.
Someone really REALLY wanted to make Boom happen. And it did, but only with the show. Fans and critics don't seem to be....a fan of any of it's games. So the merch push continues (there's still new tees coming out) but only thanks to the actually funny, fun, well-reviewed TV show.
What about Tomy?
There's toy news in the stock market lately. Specifically that Hasbro seems to be looking to buy up a company. They asked Mattel & they also asked Takara/Tomy. Some of the reasons that are being bounced around by reporters seems to be that toys in general are declining a bit, supposedly because "kids only want phone and pad games". Is that really so? You can't collect a phone game, and collecting seems to be some kind of instinct with some people that's always existed. (if it wasn't toys it was bugs, stamps, books, or rocks, things that have been around for ever)
What does that mean?
Nothing yet. Supposedly TRU may stop carrying their not that successful Boom line. (No surprise, it was costly, broke easily, less fun to play with than Jazwares due to lack of joints, lacked characters variety, etc) But, stay tuned I guess.
Future speculation:
What about VR? VR is coming, make no mistake, right along side AR. What's going to happen to toys once you can literally put a magic hat on and go to another world? It's gonna be reeeeel weird.
DRM
Yes there's DRM on both Mania & Forces if you get them for the PC and that's why a lot of people are complaining (Suspect DRM of messing with the rest of their stuff on the PC/other nefarious things) plus one of them crashed the game for everybody after 1 level of play. Also it got broken off of Mania after something ridiculous like a single week or so, rendering it's point moot. This is also why I have not yet tried either. DRM on the PC? No thanks. I'll wait for consoles.
Will there be Forces stuff?
Hopefully so.
Will reviews continue to be pretty positive?
Hopefully so.
Mania continues to be really well regarded, so hopefully this is a good Sonic comeback!
SonicForces came out this week. And there's a grand total of 1 thing on SonicGear for it. The rather strange Hooters Japan Cross Promo. (event, mascot, standee, etc) Yeah hooters. Real odd choice that's asked about in the entry. It's known for wings and beer...not fanchar the ultimate. If anyone was going to be recruiting adults, you'd think it'd be Mania based upon its nostalgia platform.
Why no stuff?
Mania had a ton of stuff, mugs, tees, posters, etc. but Forces has pretty much nothing in the way of merch. Of course, there's speculation galore: being 'they werent sure how well it will do' and 'the boom ban was still in effect'. Remember: merchandise takes a long time from idea to shelf near you. Mania would have escaped the Boomban, but Forces items wouldn't because while it HAS Classic Sonic in it, it would also require Modern and that was a big-boom-no-no.
Not good:
There's always a rise in merchandise buying whenever a game comes out. Mania saw a big rise in SonicGear visitors, and more people are always out looking to buy Sonic things alongside their new game. The whole "Boom=no modern Sonic allowed" boondoggle they created only shoots them in the foot now with Forces. Having nothing to represent Modern Sonic on any tees/toys much puts a damper on that half of Forces where there would have been an opp for more sales.
What happens when they're unsure of a game?
You get nothing but the game. Remember the Deadly Six? They weren't sure what that game would do, so you've got no merch with these colorful villains. You'd think they'd make cool toys but because the game was just sorta lukewarm...nothing really happened.
But then look at Boom.
Someone really REALLY wanted to make Boom happen. And it did, but only with the show. Fans and critics don't seem to be....a fan of any of it's games. So the merch push continues (there's still new tees coming out) but only thanks to the actually funny, fun, well-reviewed TV show.
What about Tomy?
There's toy news in the stock market lately. Specifically that Hasbro seems to be looking to buy up a company. They asked Mattel & they also asked Takara/Tomy. Some of the reasons that are being bounced around by reporters seems to be that toys in general are declining a bit, supposedly because "kids only want phone and pad games". Is that really so? You can't collect a phone game, and collecting seems to be some kind of instinct with some people that's always existed. (if it wasn't toys it was bugs, stamps, books, or rocks, things that have been around for ever)
What does that mean?
Nothing yet. Supposedly TRU may stop carrying their not that successful Boom line. (No surprise, it was costly, broke easily, less fun to play with than Jazwares due to lack of joints, lacked characters variety, etc) But, stay tuned I guess.
Future speculation:
What about VR? VR is coming, make no mistake, right along side AR. What's going to happen to toys once you can literally put a magic hat on and go to another world? It's gonna be reeeeel weird.
DRM
Yes there's DRM on both Mania & Forces if you get them for the PC and that's why a lot of people are complaining (Suspect DRM of messing with the rest of their stuff on the PC/other nefarious things) plus one of them crashed the game for everybody after 1 level of play. Also it got broken off of Mania after something ridiculous like a single week or so, rendering it's point moot. This is also why I have not yet tried either. DRM on the PC? No thanks. I'll wait for consoles.
Will there be Forces stuff?
Hopefully so.
Will reviews continue to be pretty positive?
Hopefully so.
Mania continues to be really well regarded, so hopefully this is a good Sonic comeback!
posted by AzureBlaze at 11:56 PM
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