Yep, you read the title right. We won't be seeing Sonic for quite some time in the future. When talking about the recent announcement of the Nintendo-Sega collaboration, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Sega president Simon Jeffery told Newsweek that they're planning to give their blue hedgehog a bit of a make-over, meaning no new Sonic titles in the near future.

We are actually undergoing a fairly considerable refresh of Sonic as an intellectual property, as a character. Sonic on the Wii is probably the first product that's come to market that reflects that. We're not going to be bringing another game out on the other platforms for quite some time, because we feel that it is time to reinvent Sonic, to make Sonic contemporary again. At the same time, even the recent 360 and PlayStation 3 games have sold extremely well.

Reinvent Sonic, eh? Wonder how that's going to end up. Well, they already have started going back to "the original Sonic" with Sonic and the Secret Rings. I say that's actually a good start. Of course, before you give someone some make-over, you'd have to revisit your roots first. It's going to be interesting to see how they will "make Sonic contemporary again" though.

We fished the picture above from a Neoseeker forums thread on Sonic art. Well, let's just hope that "Sonic In a Dress" remains as a fan's concept art, and not make it to the final drafts of Sega. (pink looks sooo good on blue though)

It's just a couple of more days to go before our European friends finally, finally get their hands on their own PlayStation 3s (PS3). So, Europe, have you finally made up your mind as to which titles to get on launch day? If haven't quite decided yet, then this Sega announcement might be of help. Sega Europe Ltd. has just confirmed that it will be providing five different titles on launch day that should satisfy every type of gamer out there. Marketing Director Gary Knight remarked that they are, "thrilled to have one of the strongest lineups for the launch of the PS3 in Europe".

To help you decide, here's the five Sega titles, including brief descriptions and summaries, that will be available on launch day. Some of you may already be familiar with these, but in case you're not, then read on:

• Virtua Tennis 3: New World Tour Mode includes the unique Tennis Academy; Two classic mini games and ten brand new mini games; Total character customization; Four player multiplayer option.
• Sonic The Hedgehog: Enter the peaceful water city of Soleanna which is ruled by the Princess Elise. The tranquility is shattered as Dr. Eggman descends on the city and kidnaps Elise, with an evil agenda to possess the Blue Chaos Emerald and destroy the world.
• Full Auto 2: Battlelines: Customize and race weapon-equipped vehicles; Fully destructible urban environments; Car combat and calculated destruction; New specifically designed multiplayer Arena Mode.
• World Snooker Championship 2007: 104 of the World's best snooker players; Ten official tournaments modelled for the 2007 season; Comprehensive pool experience where you can play 9 and 8-ball competitions.
• Virtua Fighter 5: Two brand new characters El Blaze and Eileen; Players will also be able to customize the outfits of their ultimate warrior; A range of breathtaking environments.

Fifteen years on and Sonic's still running around. Despite some harsh criticism from fans of the franchise, Yojiro Ogawa and the Sonic Team are still optimistic that the North American debut of Sonic and the Secret Rings will please fans, delivering that next-gen Sonic experience that'll satisfy their cravings.

Kikizo recently caught up with Yojiro Ogawa and asked him a few questions regarding his thoughts on the game. One of the more interesting things we read was the decision to base the game's story on "Arabian Nights". According to Ogawa, they though that they would like to "revolutionise Sonic as well" in a sort of nod to the Wii's "Revolution" codename. He went on to say that he "thought it would be very interesting to have Sonic go into a storybook, that would be a very new concept for a Sonic game."

Of course, Ogawa also addressed the fans' criticisms of Sonic's appearances on Xbox 360 and PS3, pointing towards time constraints as the main culprit. "We did want to launch the title around Christmas, and we had the PS3 launch coming up, but we had to develop for Microsoft's 360 at the same time and the team had an awful lot of pressure on them," he said. "It was very hard for the team to try and see how we were going to come out with both versions together with just the one team. It was a big challenge."

Fans of 2D Sonic may also be getting their wish. According to Ogawa, the possibility that they will be making a 2D Sonic game - a sequel to Sonic Rush, perhaps - still exists. They just "don't know when" and "don't have any details yet," but they just "might."

For the full interview, click on the "read" link below.

Although not much of a surprise, Crackdown has made number one at the Xbox 360 charts. The superhero, crime-fighting game now reaps its rewards from an exceptional marketing scheme. Yes, it even knocked Lost Planet: Extreme Condition from the summit.

Capcom's flagship title was thought to equal or best Capcom's last year's title, Dead Rising, after being honored as last year's top game. It seems that even with a good solid reign at the top, Crackdown could sneak in and give Lost Planet a little nudge.

Click on Full Article to check out how other games fared in their respective consoles.

Hopefully NOT in retaliation for the recent Sonic boo-boo with YTMND, the latest batch of screenshots for Sonic the Hedgehog for the PS3 finally makes its way to the public.

In any case, with its U.S. release set for the end of this month, PS3 owners will finally be able to experience the next-gen adaptation of this classic Sega title. Meanwhile, the familiar blue hedgehog, Sonic, will be joined by both Shadow and Silver as they once again try to keep Eggman's antics in check, and save the town of Soleanna.

The game is scheduled to go on retail in the U.S. by January 30, while Europe will have to wait until March 27.

More screenshots right after the Jump!

Are you guys familiar with the YTMND site? The acronym stands for "Your'e The Man Now Dog" and is basically a place for members to share toilet jokes and sometimes political humor. Furthermore, the members convey these messages through combining images, text, and (at times) sound effects.

YTMND recently hosted an image of Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends with an accompanying text message describing a sexual act. Sega of Europe, not in the mood for toilet jokes, recently issued a threat to the proprietors of the above mentioned site.

According to Sega of Europe, they want YTMND to cease and desist from displaying of these images. If not, they will have no option but to drag YTMND to court. Well, as it is, Sega has enough problems already concerning the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise (PSP, PS3, Wii, X360).

Instead of paying attention to these guys, maybe it would be wise for them to just spend their time and energy thinking of ways on how to bring back the lost glory days of our dear blue Sonic?

After the news that NBA Live 07 has been cancelled, here comes another PS3 title launch glitch. Sonic the Hedgehog has been pushed back from being a launch title to being a holiday release. This is because SEGA needs a little more time to put in downloadable content.

Although SEGA has revealed the reason behind the delay, they did not give out any specifics as to what particular aspect of the downloadables need more work on. However, there's no need to pout so much as the downloadable content is sure to be out by day one. In fact, chances are high that it will be coming out early December this year.

So just hang in there a bit longer, you Sonic fans. Before you know it, he'll be ready for your PS3.

Doncha wish yo' hedgehog were blue like mine?
Doncha wish yo' hedgehog had spikes like mine?
Doncha?
Doncha?!

This is probably the only instance when you'd be able to find Sonic standing still for more than five seconds. Frankly, that's because he doesn't have a choice. The great lords of gaming have stolen his soul and sealed it in this figurine! Ha. Kidding. But hey, if Samus had her own figurine, why not Sonic?

This 15th anniversary commemorative figurine is being distributed through GameStop/EBGames. You'd have to be quick though because it will only be available if you pre-order Sonic the Hedgehog for the 360 or PS3. You'll only have a limited time to get the figurine because once the games are out, they won't release the bust anymore.

Sonic. Bustin' out...

Controlling the fastest feet in the water city of Soleanna, do you think your thumbs and fingers can handle it? Dr. Eggman is, err, egging his evil plans on, but do you have what it takes to "pickle" them? Princess Elise, the Chaos Emeralds, plus some playable characters like Shadow and Silver... There's Tails, Knuckles, and other Amigos... How do they all fit in the greater scheme of things?

Now, we're not one to spoil the story for you guys, but from all of those elements alone, you can probably tell how epic it can get. Speeding its golden ringed way to the next-gen PS3 and 360 consoles, Sonic the Hedgehog - not to be confused with Sonic and the Secret of the Rings (Wii) - is set to break the sound barrier of gaming.

How does Sega's game achieve this goal? Just take. A look. At these. Screenshots! [takes a moment to stare] But graphics aside, the physics engine is as real as it can get. They're even going to incorporate an element of time; the sun will actually climb from east to west while you're playing, and mushrooms will grown on the trees, in-game.

Asking for more? Dash into the download link below to grab more of these screens! Quick, before the zoom away!

Download: [Sonic the Hedgehog pics]

There was a time when the badniks were simple - simple enough for Sonic to crack open with a well-timed jump or spin-dash. Badniks like Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts. Those were the days. But as the platform became more powerful, the quality of the cannon fodder that Sonic would face would also improved as well.

And now we come to the PS3 and Xbox 360: meet the next generation of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog badniks, and Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts have nothing on these cannon fodder (except for the fact that they're all just as fragile, for the most part). There are robots that look a lot like the SWATbots from the second Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon. There are monsters made of hot molten magma (at least it looks like hot molten magma). And there's Shamu. Shamu?! No, really, Shamu. Did Sonic sign up to fight a killer whale?!

In fact, I'm not so sure if I should keep calling them badniks, since that term went out with 16-bit console cartridges. But a badnik by any other name is just as, well, rotten as a rotten Eggman. Rev up your spin dashes, girls and boys. These badniks are just asking for it...

   
    
 

Pre-Order: [Sonic the Hedgehog (Xbox 360)]
Pre-Order: [Sonic the Hedgehog (PS3)]