PS3 Sonic Unleashed moves to December

By Robert Purchese Published 11 November, 2008

Plus: US, UK, Asian versions all identical.

SEGA has told Eurogamer that the PS3 version of Sonic Unleashed has been pushed back to an unspecific date in December.

However, all other versions - Xbox 360, Wii and PS2 - will launch as expected on 28th November.

The publisher also doused speculation that the European release of Sonic Unleashed would be sub-standard in comparison to the delayed Japanese version, which was apparently held back to improve quality.

"Some fans living [outside of Japan] have become concerned that there will be a difference in quality between the version of the game released in Japan and the version released outside of Japan. This is not the case and we apologise for this misunderstanding," a spokesperson for SEGA told us.

"The difference in the international release dates is based on the sales strategy and the manufacturing schedule. There will be no quality difference between the North American/European/Asia release and the Japanese version. Please be assured we are doing our best to deliver a top quality experience to people all over the globe."

The spokesperson added, for all of our Japanese readers out there: "We still cannot announce the release date in Japan, but we should be able to do so shortly. Our apologies to Sonic fans in Japan, who we must ask to wait a while longer."

Sonic Unleashed has kept a low-profile since being announced back in April, when we were promised a return to the roots of the hedgehog series.

We're not sure if this is a bad omen, but we've not got long to find out.

Head over to our Sonic Unleashed gamepage for all of the information and media released so far.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (32) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • david78 #1 3 years ago

    Uh oh.

  • asphaltcowboy #2 3 years ago

    pleasebegood.pleasebegood.pleasebegood.

  • youhavenomail #3 3 years ago

    I was already gaining the impression that this is going to be another stinker more and more with each passing week. This isn't allaying my fears. Even so, as a PS3 owner I suppose I can live in the hope that they've decided to delay this version to make it less rubbish than the others for no apparent reason.

  • Eraysor #4 3 years ago

    It's going to be an epic failure, but I so desperately want it to be good. EG should review the Sonic and werehog parts seperately to see how much the latter drags down the score.

  • Monkey_Puncher #5 3 years ago

    Just when I thought the Sonic franchise couldn't get any worse, they show off the Werehog sections...

  • SpyroViper #6 3 years ago

    WHY CAN'T THEY JSUT MAKE A FAST RUNNING SONIC GAME!!!! Like the original? How hard is it to make a good Sonic game? I don't want to D**K around with stupid warehog parts, I want to run fast, jump on robotic eggman toys and have fun.. This all started with knuckles, what an awful character. SEGA jsut stop relesing these rehased POS.

  • Machetazo #7 3 years ago

    "Sonic Unleashed has kept a low-profile"

    Well, if that were the intent, they didn't do a terribly good job, what with trailers appearing seemingly every few weeks (one way or the other) and accounts of a Halloween tie-in attempt on that Were-hog angle. I can think of titles with a far lower profile, than Sonic Unleashed.
    Edited by 2 at 11/11/08 @ 15:14

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #8 3 years ago

    if you want a platformer where you can move fairly fast and jump on the heads of robotic monsters thats fun, buy LBP

  • asphaltcowboy #9 3 years ago

    Move fairly fast, in LBP? Are you joking?

  • Aretak #10 3 years ago

    Nobody's even bothered to say 'ps3lol' yet, which gives an indication of just how good Sonic Unleashed is not expected to be.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #11 3 years ago

    I agree the extra characters like knuckles made sonic games shite, but what really fucked it over was going 3D, The 2D ones on the DS are surprisingly very fun, if they made a really high detailed 2.5D one for the next gen id be interested enough to at least give it a rent :)

  • menage #12 3 years ago

    This will be shit, it was already by using real-life locations. I want fucking green hill zone not Greece.

    Ah well, wasn't going to buy it anyway.

  • mcbi4kh2 #13 3 years ago

    Move fairly fast, in LBP? Are you joking?

    I'd like to see Sonic move as fast as Sackboy on a rocket powered skateboard.

  • SilentScream #14 3 years ago

    I'd like to see Sonic move as fast as Sackboy on a rocket powered skateboard.

    Funniest comment I've read today hahaha

  • Ryze #15 3 years ago

    I have no faith in Sega anymore.

    Sorry :'-(

  • Triggerhappytel #16 3 years ago

    Yeah, Sega, learn something from LBP and make Sonic 2.5D. Or just kill him off entirely; there is no in between.

  • CallousB #17 3 years ago

    I'm sure this will be awful

    You know something must be wrong with a game when you find yourself more drawn towards "Sonic and the Black Knight".

    A sword fighting Sonic sounds the greatest idea in the world when compared to "Sonic the Werehog".
    Edited by 1 at 11/11/08 @ 16:18

  • jonsaan #18 3 years ago

    hmmmm. I wonder which version will come off worse in the faceoff?

  • Fodder #19 3 years ago

    Am I the only one who thinks the werehog sections look quite good? The slower moving, stretchy arm platforming stuff looked pretty decent to me. Vaguely like Ristar.

    I've never understood the whole "Sonic's all about speed" thing. I mean that stopped being true by the second zone of the first game. It's always had changes of pace and slower platforming bits breaking up the fast sections.
    Edited by 1 at 12/11/08 @ 09:58

  • FenderMaster #20 3 years ago

    Alot of Sonic fans seem to confuse 2D with old school, Sonic Rush may be 2D, but it plays nothing like the MegaDrive classics, it focused too much on speed, ignoring platforming and exploration.

    This'll defintely be more Sonic Rush style than classic megadrive style.

    Sonic Rush was okay, but it was more of an automated rollercoaster ride than a true platform exploration title like Sonic 1-3&K.

    I think Sonic Rush fans will be happy wit the speed of this game, but us 16 bit fans looking for a return of great level design, interestin enemies, momentum and platforming will be disappointed

    As for the 3D bits... every indication is that the controls are as twitchy and awful as ever

  • Shakey_Jake33 #21 3 years ago

    @FenderMaster - Thank you! I've been saying that for years, while people have been jabbering on about how Sonic is about speed - people need to go dig out Sonic 3 and see exactly how non-linear it is. Of course it has the 'running downhill super-fast' setpieces, but the actual structure of the levels is extremely non-linear and requires learning and exploration. By comparison, the levels in Sonic Rush/Advance were mere unmemorable background scenary.

    Oh the positive, if they're prepared to delay the game to fix any issues, then that's fine by me. It was Sega's reluctance to delay a Sonic game that ruined the last game.

  • FenderMaster #22 3 years ago

    @Fodder

    It seems everyone has forgotten slowly and carefully navigating the Scrap Brain Zone...

    Sonic's streangth was never his speed, it was the fantastic platforming exploration gameplay.

  • makeamazing #23 3 years ago

    Sonic is dead, has been for some time imho. :(

  • illusiondance #24 3 years ago

    Feh, its nice that so many people expect more of SEGA in their time of 'fragility', but why are so many quick to tear apart the older/middle era stuff?
    I happen to have really liked Sonic Adventure, the track ball one from the arcade and the tag-team version.
    The games have by and large been less than stellar BUT they have not beeen super shit as it is constantly claimed. that all i gots ta say...

  • FenderMaster #25 3 years ago

    I actually liked Sonic Adventure 1, It's heart was in the right place...

    But from Sonic Adventure 2 onwards they just decided to automate too much of the game because the controls were broken, then level design, theme and enemy design just became more and more drab and generic, until now where we have Sonic running around Greece...

    If Sega want to make a 3D Sonic game, they should look back to Sonic Adventure 1, it was deeply flawed, but it was definitely on the right track, and got alot of things right....

  • CapnCloudchaser #26 3 years ago

    A lot of the previews have been really positive, the only negative I have caught on was a slow frame rate which is hopefully fixed in time for release.

  • SeesThroughAll #27 3 years ago

    Just make 2.5D HD remakes of those great classics Sonic 1, 2, and 3, SEGA. Get on with it and you shall regain our respect.

  • Slabbathepave #28 3 years ago

    Sonic is a massive shit. The whole franchise is a huge stinking directionless mess of a shit.... a huge peanut filled log of epic proportions.....anyone still buying sonic games should be lead into the nearest wood and and shot in the back of the head.


    All Sonic ' fans ' are 12 or arse brained adults with learning difficultys.

  • Steroyd #29 3 years ago

    The problem with every 3D Sonic game is that there is always other characters to control, I ask them to make a game where you only control Sonic and build the game around that see what reactions you get.

    Infact wasn't there a game like that on the Wii and it got a decent reception?

  • CapnCloudchaser #30 3 years ago

    I love comparing the comments here, with the Sonic Unleashed comments on Giant Bomb.

  • Gearskin #31 3 years ago

    New producer, new team, new engine.

    The sonic 2.5d sections look awesome, and the Werehog stuff, whilst full 3D, has a better pace to it so the shit controls from the last game shouldn't be an issue.

    They've put out a lot of trailers. I think this could be good. Sonic Team are still capable, I mean look at Rush and Rush Adventure. C'mon Sonic Team! Do it! Bring Sonic Back to the home console!

  • peteb #32 3 years ago

    All Sonic ' fans ' are 12 or arse brained adults with learning difficultys.

    Oh the irony!