Remember earlier this year when SEGA announced a quirky free-to-play Fall Guys-esque mobile game Sonic Rumble? Yes, us too (unfortunately), but today we learned a bit more about the game, which is why it seems something more attractive: namely, there will be no gacha or pay-to-win mechanics (thanks, VGC).
This is what Sonic Team leader Takashi Iizuka and game director Makoto Tase say in a recent interview with Automatonhe explained how the team decided against mechanics because they tend to be poorly received in the West.
“It is common to spend tens of thousands of yen in the Japanese and Asian markets [in a game] until you draw a rare character and finally move on,” admitted Iizuka, “But that’s not the case in the global market, especially for action games like Sonic Rumble, where players should be able to equally enjoy the base game.”
Tase was a bit more specific, noting that such mechanics tend not to go over well abroad:
Monetization models using gacha mechanics have not been very successful when it comes to games aimed at audiences of all ages around the world. Also, such mechanics are usually avoided abroad, so we didn’t think it was the right choice for this project.
To ensure that the global market is a little more friendly to Sonic’s F2P escapades, the team decided to remove any random gacha encounters or pay-to-win mechanics from its progression, opting instead for a season pass system focused on skins and emotes (not perfect, but perhaps expected). There will also be a Ring Shop where players can redeem their collectible (or purchased) currency for new cosmetics.
Sonic Rumble will be speeding up on mobile and PC this winter, throwing a blue blob into the 32-player battle royale. While no console version has been announced at the time of writing, it seems like it’s one of those formats that could one day make its way to the Switch – if the global market is as interested in it as Sonic Team hopes, that is.
