Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-679780-20140407214831

(Will retitle once I find a just as accurate descriptive word)

As someone who wants to make games, I know what goes behind the development of a game. It's more than just programming but in planning there are meetings and discussions on what the game can and can't have and what it goes through to become the game we know. We also must remember that games needs to be "approved" by those who own the consoles. This is done through licencing but the companies can still say what goes on there consoles.

All the more reason why I believe that Nintendo pretty much have Sega by the balls and that grip is only tightening by the year. Some would perhaps say I am 90s bias, perhaps even paranoid for seeing all this as a conspiracy. I have not come without the points to proove it so here we are.

Nintendo won the 90s console war
This is true. The Dreamcast bombed because it was released too early before the polished off GameCube, XBox and PlayStation 2 stormed the market. Sega suffered from financial loss and because of this couldn't afford the technology to keep up with the development of consoles

For awhile now, I have believed that since Sega fell on hard times and having to quit making consoles, they are dependant on other consoles to accept there games such as Sony, Microsoft and even Nintendo. With over a decade of business rivalry, why would Nintendo allow there old rival onto their consoles? Because the question in any business, games or other isn't usually "Should I?" but "What's in it for me?"

Throughout the 90s there has been a sort of sub-culture war stirred by Sega and Nintendo, with a mass of gamers seperating and taking sides (and a few who could afford both). Since Nintendo won the war, they see to it that they take the "spoils of war". That being Sega's market. If Nintendo has Sonic and other Sega games, then Sega's gamers (especially Sonic fans) wouldn't really have much of a choice but to buy GameCube and Wii consoles along with the other Nintendo fans. It all adds up you see which is why Sega games on Nintendo consoles.

Of course, Nintendo would have to keep a leash on Sega to make sure they don't get too big for there boots. If they actually make enough money or attention to be too independant then they could loose profit. But you see, Nintendo does have a good reason to keep Sega with them. After all they were rivals at one point so it wouldn't be an "ally" they would want to loose.

Secret Ristar Project?
No one really questions Sonic the Werehog all that much. Sure he is suppose to be an alternate gameplay form to Sonic the Hedgehog which is why he is slow, but other than being because of Dark Gaia essence in him, doesn't really explain the whole stretchy arms thing. In fact if you compare Sonic the Werehog with Ristar, they have suprisingly a lot in common. It's as if Sega made an attempt to make a Ristar game at one point but had to cancel it, but why?

I believe that Nintendo made them cease in the production of a Ristar game because they were in development of Super Mario Galaxy. It takes roughly a year or two for Sonic Team to make a Sonic game so at the time Super Mario Galaxy would still be in production. My guess that while chances are Sega will be accused of stealing ideas from Nintendo, this is actually a pretty regular accusation, however I think it could be Nintendo feared it would be the other way round this time, that it will look like Nintendo copied ideas from Sega. While still not a big of deal, the fact it would be the other way round for a change could leave a small albeit visable dent on Nintendo's reputation and they didn't want that. After all Super Mario Galaxy has a lot in common with Ristar. Both Mario and Ristar uses propulsion (Launch Stars or Spinners) to travel through the galaxy to various worlds. Since the games would be very simular, Nintendo asked Sega to stop with the Ristar Project or else they will not have it on there console. So Sega who had unfinished programming for the canceled Ristar game, used it for Sonic Unleashed for Werehog gameplay. Which is why he is slow yet able to grab things from afar. Other werehog attacks and abilities perhaps added in later.

100% Sonic
Sonic Team wanted to create a game that was "100 percent Sonic". The combination of forward-view and side-view platform-action gameplay had been established as a staple of the series. But this time, Sega wanted to try something completely new with Sonic Lost World and provide a new experience by giving the player something Sonic had never experienced in the past twenty years. During one brainstorming session, the team suggested a "twisted tube-like level", drawing inspiration from the children's story "Jack and the Beanstalk".

In yet, I find it really hard to believe that throughout the entire production of Sonic Lost Worl', absolutely no one in Sega said "Hey, isn't this becoming more like Super Mario Galaxy?" Yes Sonic Team wanted to develop a game that was more about substance and less about speed, that it isn't always about "boosting", but the Dreamcast era games were like to to begin with. I don't understand why they couldn't take a few steps back in this case if they really wanted to concentrate more on experiance than action. I really find it hard to believe that it was only afterwards that Takashi Iizuka admitted that Sonic Lost World had "...ended up a bit too close to Super Mario Galaxy". You think Takashi?

At the Summer of Sonic 2013 convention, Takashi Iizuka stated that Sega wanted "Mario fans" to play Sonic Lost World, due to the slower-balanced platforming used in Sonic Lost World, yes it's good to play the market for more interests but certainly there is a line that has been crossed? My theory is that it was during early development that this "partnership" between Sega and Nintendo happened and doing so they got to put there pens to the script of Sonic Lost World, especially Gameplay, such as making Sonic function more like Mario. It's not only that but now Nintendo themed exclusives are being added to Sonic Lost World. Sure at the moment just Yoshi Zone and Zelda Zone, but what Nintendo Zone next?

So, would you say Sonic Lost World really is "100 percent Sonic" as Sonic Team planned? Also, to those who don't like the idea of Sonic and Mario teaming up in a main series game, keep in mind that even if it's just a DLC, Mario in Sonic Lost World still technically counts as Sonic and Mario finally in a main series game together.

Conclusion
Why is Sega taking this mooching? Because they don't have enough resources (money or the technology) anymore to make consoles for themselves. Without Wii, XBox 360 or PlayStation, this would effectivly stop there livelyhood of making games especially the much loved Sonic. Nintendo knows this and now they have Sega's consumers buying from them in exchange of having Sonic games they like on there consoles.

Now Sega and Nintendo have entered a partnership as announced with Sonic Lost World, does that mean Nintendo now hold some shares or property with Sega? What if Nintendo, after time can buy out Sega, like Disney with LucasFilm Studios?

The Question
Do you believe that Sega and Nintendo are merely just business partners? That sega can just quit with Nintendo if they want too with no consequences at all or I am simply being 90s bias and blowing manure all over this thread. Or do you see things like I do, see that things could perhaps not all be as buddy-buddy as we are lead to believe and that Nintendo may have ulterior motives over Sega? after all, it is business after all. What are your theories and questions on the matter? 