Sega Is Mostly Okay With Sonic Fan Games - IGN (2024)

Fan remakes and other community passion projects can be a wonderful expression of communal fandom. Unfortunately, they tend to be shut down with depressing regularity. So it's refreshing to see Sega go to bat for fan games, even if that support comes with some caveats.In response to questions regarding fan games from the community, Sega social media manager Kate Chrzanowski wrote that "there is usually* no issue" with fan games as long as profit isn't involved. Chrzanowski added the asterisk with the caveat that for legal reasons she couldn't promise that all content was okay.

"We can handle outliers case-by-case as we notice them, but our goal isn't to stifle everything," Chrzanowski wrote.


Hey Sonic fans - I appreciate you all reaching out with concerns over fan games and monetization!

So long as no profit is involved, there is usually* no issue with y'all using our blue boy to hone your art and dev skills.

*((for legal reasons I can't promise all content is ok))

— Katie - MiniKitty (@KatieChrz) May 10, 2021

Asked if it was okay to accept fan donations, she admitted that it was a tricky grey areas, and suggested that it was "normally best to avoid if possible." Fan response was very positive overall, with many of them praising Sega for its stance.

Sega has benefitted from working with fan artists in the past. Christian Whitehead, an artist and programmer who played a large part in the development of Sonic Mania, produced a proof-of-concept port of Sonic CD for iPhone. Sega responded by partnering with Whitehead to create an official version that was eventually released on iPhone, Android, and Xbox 360.

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Its stance comes in marked contrast to other companies. Nintendo is well-known for issuing cease-and-desist orders to popular fan projects. Other companies will also commonly shut down major projects, usually ports or fan tributes. They include Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes, a nifty piece of interactive fan-fiction that was shutdown just weeks before release.

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It's nice that Sega is taking a soft stance toward fan games, since there haven't been many new Sonic games to fill the gap recently. More Sonic games are expected this year, with a Sonic Colors Remaster being leaked last month, but otherwise most of the Sonic news has surrounded the upcoming movie sequel.

It is Sonic the Hedgehog's 30th anniversary, though, so expect more news soon.

Sega Is Mostly Okay With Sonic Fan Games - IGN (2024)

FAQs

Sega Is Mostly Okay With Sonic Fan Games - IGN? ›

In response to questions regarding fan games from the community, Sega social media manager Kate Chrzanowski wrote that "there is usually* no issue" with fan games as long as profit isn't involved. Chrzanowski added the asterisk with the caveat that for legal reasons she couldn't promise that all content was okay.

Why does Sega allow Sonic fan games? ›

Sega could easily call out everyone making Sonic fan games, but the thing is that those fan games are another way for Sonic to be exposed to the public, a way Sega can't use. The reason other companies are so tight about fan made games is because those games might deface the company, and nobody wants a bad reputation.

Does Sega allow fan fiction? ›

Sega has officially voiced its approval of fan-made Sonic games, as long as they aren't sold for money or include illegal content.. The stance of Nintendo, a video game company, towards fan games has historically been hostile, in accordance with their proactive protections on .

What is the Sonic fan game policy? ›

By placing your fan game on Sonic Retro, you give the site irrevocable rights to distribute the files. Files, while appearing to be deleted, can never be fully removed from our servers. We will NEVER take credit for anyone else's work—you, the fan gamer, hold the rights to your work.

Why can Nintendo use Sonic? ›

When news hit the development team that they were going multiplatform, Iizuka immediately petitioned Sega of America marketing to get Sonic on Nintendo hardware. One of the first games to make the leap during this new era was Sonic Adventure 2, which was ported to the Nintendo GameCube in 2002.

Does Sega listen to their fans? ›

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The Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter account is active quite a bit, and SEGA's reaction to fan-made games and content is probably the best of almost any major developer today.

Why isn t fanfiction illegal? ›

Your work of fanfiction is more likely to be considered fair use if it is "transformative" in regards to the original work. A work is considered transformative when it adds something new, has a further purpose or different character(s), or alters the first with new expression, meaning, or message.

Why is fanfiction legal? ›

Works of fanfiction are more likely to constitute fair use if they are "transformative" with respect to the original work, if they are non-commercial, if they appropriate relatively little of the original work, and/or if they do not tend to detract from the potential market for or value of the original work.

Is Sega getting sued? ›

Arcade crane games or also known as claw machines are notorious for feeling rigged and frustrating to beat, but now Sega of America is facing a $5 million dollar lawsuit based on accusations for its Key Master game intentionally preventing users from winning.

Is it legal to play fan games? ›

Original copyright holders can order a cease and desist upon fan game projects, as by definition fan games are unauthorized uses of copyrighted property.

Why doesn t Nintendo like fan games? ›

While former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata expressed interest in adopting such guidelines in 2010, Nintendo has since maintained a hardline stance, removing anything remotely popular that might infringe upon a Nintendo copyright.

Who is the bad guy in Sega? ›

Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Eggman was created and designed by Naoto Ohshima as part of many design choices for Sega's new mascot.

Is Sonic EXE a Sonic fan? ›

The original Sonic.exe story centers on Tom, a young man who was a big fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, especially the older games.

Are Sonic fan games canon? ›

These types of media are canon due to them being tie-ins to games, like Sonic Mania Adventures, the Team Sonic Racing one-shot, Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps or the prologues to Sonic Frontiers.

Is Sonic EXE appropriate? ›

Background music can make players frightened or nervous. Sonic follows the characters that the player controls, but it is impossible to escape from Sonic. This game is a sonic game, but it is never a game for children.

What is Sonic's real name? ›

Sonic's real name is Ogilvie Maurice Hedgehog.

Did Sega remove Sonic's age? ›

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It looks like Sonic will be a bit older in Frontiers, as Sega removes references to his age from the official website. For 30 years, the blue blur has been 15 years old, but now, it seems that Frontiers will have a bit of a time jump, allowing him to finally celebrate a birthday.

Why did Tesla remove Sonic the Hedgehog? ›

The removal of Sonic the Hedgehog is still unclear, but we're speculating that it had to do with a bug or the license expiring. Tesla also added Steam to a few of its vehicles, which signals that they may be transitioning away from adding more games.

Why did Sega shut down Sonic Runners? ›

The game was soft launched in select regions in February 2015 before its full release the following June. It failed commercially and received mixed reviews; although critics praised its gameplay, they criticized the pop-up ads, pay-to-play elements, and technical problems. Sega discontinued the game in July 2016.

Is Sonic EXE canon in Sega? ›

EXE IS OFFICIALLY CANON IN THE SONIC UNIVERSE!

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