Bioware teams up with Sega to make Nintendo DS RPG
29 June, 2007 Canadian Mass Effect developer BioWare
plans to develop a Nintendo DS role-playing game based on
Sonic the Hedgehog. Bioware has not named the new Sonic RPG,
the first RPG that BioWare has developed for a handheld. To
develop the Nintendo DS RPG, Bioware collaborated with
Japan-headquartered Sega, which is partnering with a wide
range of top-tier Western developers in an effort to
increase its global presence.
BioWare, whose parent company is VG Holding, has developed a
number or famous titles such as Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter
Nights, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. On the
anvil is the highly-anticipated Xbox 360 RPG Mass Effect,
which is under development.
The yet-to-be-named Sonic RPG will be released in 2008 from
Bioware, which is highly respected among gamers for its
tight focus on story-driven gameplay. While several details
of this game have yet to be decided, including the name, the
game is being made exclusively for the Nintendo DS.
Sega's mascot Sonic has received a variety of critical
opinions till now. While some of their titles were panned,
some were critically acclaimed. While Sonic Rush for DS and
Sonic and the Secret Rings for Wii were well-received
critically, the major next-gen console debuts of Sonic the
Hedgehog were panned. But, inspite of the shaky quality of
the products, Sonic games have continued to be top sellers.
Sega president Simon Jeffery, said, "Everyone at SEGA has
huge confidence that Sonic is in the safest of hands, and
that BioWare can create the ultimate handheld RPG experience
for gamers of all ages."
Bioware CEO Ray Muzyka said, "As huge fans of Sonic
ourselves, we're committed to delivering a truly amazing
story-driven experience within the Sonic universe, focusing
on capturing the character's broad appeal and placing him in
a completely original adventure."
Sega, the Japan company, signed partnerships with companies
like Bizarre Creations, Gas Powered Games, Monolith
Productions, Obsidian Entertainment, Planet Moon Studios,
Pseudo Interactive and Silicon Knights in the past few
years.
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