Sega has announced that it’s bringing Sonic the Hedgehog back in multiple ways under the “Sonic Boom” banner, the publisher announced. That includes a new game, toys, and a CG animated series.
Sonic hasn’t exactly been far from the spotlight. He was recently featured in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, and before that in October 2013’s Sonic: Lost World as a Wii U exclusive. Sega, however, is seeing this as a new “multiplatform franchise strategy for” Sonic.
The Sonic Boom franchise will start with a new game, titled Sonic Boom, that will be exclusive to the Nintendo platforms (Wii U and 3DS) and focus on collaborative play. The game will star Sonic and friends, and it is meant to serve as a prequel to the TV series. The game is the third title developed thanks to the partnership between Sega and Nintendo. More games are in development as well.
When it is released, Sonic Boom will be an exclusive to Western audiences, but Japanese teams are working on their own titles.
The TV series will then air on Cartoon Network sometime in 2014 and run through 2015. It will consist of 52 episodes of 11 minutes each. A new line of toys and merchandise will follow.
