Happy Birthday, Sonic the Hedgehog!

Twenty years ago, Sega launched a game with a blue hedgehog named Sonic taking out robots. You never know what’s going to stick.

As PC World notes, Sonic has since then “starred in four different cartoon shows, (its) own long-running comic book, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 separate Sonic games.”

For Sega, Sonic has become a steady company mascot that has stuck around as the video-game industry has changed dramatically. The hedgehog and archrival Nintendo’s Mario Bros. are some of the most recognizable figures in the gaming world.

Sonic identity is so strong that Sega Europe actually has a Sonic Brand Director, David Corless, who is always trying to figure out what the next step for Sonic should be.

"What we want to do in coming years is push Sonic further," said Corless, according to the Guardian. "How do we make Sonic even more relevant for 12-, 13-year-olds but still deliver the nostalgia to the older market? It's a challenge but quite a luxury.”Continue reading...