Today Sega
announced Sonic Boom, a transmedia branch of the long-running
Sonic franchise that will include a cartoon TV series, toys, and a pair of new games for the Wii U and 3DS.
Sega claims the
Sonic Boom games -- developed by a pair of U.S.-based studios in conjunction with Sega's Sonic Team developers -- will revolve around "collaborative gameplay" and will serve as a prequel to the events of the cartoon series.
The Wii U version will be built on CryEngine 3 and developed by Big Red Button Entertainment, a studio
founded by former Naughty Dog employees in 2008 that has yet to release a game. Sanzaru Games, the folks who made last year's
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, will be developing the 3DS
Sonic Boom game.
Sega of America and the French animation company OuiDo! Productions will partner to produce the Sonic Boom TV series, an "ensemble comedy" whose 11-minute episodes are expected to debut in both the U.S. and France later this year.
