Sonic the Hedgehog has endured as one of the world’s most beloved game characters for just over 30 years. However, it remains to be seen how long the speedster can stay relevant in the modern age while there are so many other iconic heroes vying for players’ attention.
The Sega franchise has already expanded into other media to remain in popular culture, but has it done enough? It may need to follow in the footsteps of Tomb Raider to enhance its reputation and reach a wider audience in today’s market.
Tomb Raider Sets the Standard for the Franchise Model
The modern franchise model is all about getting a brand in front of as many faces as possible, and these days, that means having representation on every platform. Tomb Raider is a prime example of a game series that’s successfully done this, and it has a knack for breaking into thriving markets. For example, there are countless mobile games, including Lara Croft: Relic Run, Lara Croft Go, and Tomb Raider Reloaded. Mobile gaming revenue tops $10 million in the USA alone, highlighting how lucrative this sector is for companies that want to expand and gain more attention.
The same can be said for the online casino industry, which earns more than $265 billion worldwide. Tomb Raider has plenty of representation there as well. Along with attractive welcome bonuses investigated by sites such as Topcasinobonus.com, they highlight an offer to new players where bet365 offer $200 if you sign up, Sites use titles like Tomb Raider as a draw to bring in players. There are many titles based on the classic console games, including Tomb Raider, and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Secret of the Sword. These slots give players another way to experience the character and help to raise awareness of the other games for people who may not have discovered them otherwise.
Sonic Frontiers Will Need a Big Marketing Boost
Sonic Frontiers is set for release later in 2022, and the game from Sonic Team looks poised to take the character into a new era. This will be the first-ever open world Sonic game, and could serve to prepare the franchise for success on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and other future consoles over the next decade. As gaming has advanced, it sometimes feels like Sonic titles have been stuck in the 1990s, with Sonic Mania purposefully jumping back to this period to relive the highlights. This could all be about to change.
For Sonic Frontiers to have as much chance of success as possible, it would be wise for Sega to boost the franchise in other areas for it to earn more attention. There are already plans to release a film to help with the promotion, with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 set for release in April. This will be a follow up to Jeff Fowler’s 2020 offering, which grossed $319.7 million worldwide. Bringing out some slots and mobile games in the lead up to Sonic Frontiers would be a clever marketing strategy as well.
Sonic Frontiers could be a massive hit if the marketing is done right, and the franchise expands well in advance. If Sega chooses to eschew this popular marketing model, it could give its rivals the upper hand and allow Sonic to disappear over time.
