2020 has been a strong year for Sega’s IP Sonic the Hedgehog as sales are up by 220 million units in lifetime units compared to the previous year according to the Sega Sammy Holdings Annual Integrated Report 2020.
While the figure might seem impressive, it is important to note that 220 million additional units is spread among five main areas where Sega can implement its IP for sale, which include Pachislot and Pachinko machines, packaged console games, digital games, amusement machine sales, and toy related merchandise.
Sonic the Hedgehog has seen a steady release of console games since its initial debut in 1991, and at first glance you might assume that the bulk of the IP’s sales during the year relate to that, but this is not the case, as console sales make up only a small amount of the total units sold.
According to the report, console sales and downloads account for around 80 million units. On the other hand, downloads of f2p titles make up a staggering 430 million units, and sales from Pachislot and Pachinko machines, amusement machines, and toy merchandise make up another 290 million units. As a result, this means that the 80 million units for console sales account for only about 10% of all the IP’s units sold, which according to Sega now total over 800 million units over the lifespan of the brand.
In any other year, the jump in sales might seem out of the ordinary, but 2020 has been an exception year for the consumption of games due to the ongoing pandemic. consumers stuck at home this year have been consuming more media, and more actively engaged with video games. This should mean that consumers are buying more console games, but when it comes to Sonic the Hedgehog, it is the f2p mobile game Sonic Dash that rules the market. In a recent article, we wrote about how the five previous most recent Sonic games brought Sega just under $9 million in revenue combined, whereas since releasing in 2013, Sonic Dash has made around $11 million alone, and that number continues to climb.
While things appear to be going good for Sonic in terms of lifetime unit sales, the report also makes us wonder when, if ever, we will see the release of the next “big” Sonic game in terms of both critical and commercial success. Sonic Dash is a perfectly fine game, but it is surprising to see that Sega has not been able to surpass the success of a game that is now seven years old.
Source: The Gamer (PLS Take it Down)
Video: https://youtu.be/l1HLwveAGd4
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