We spoke with Chris Southall, a sports and fine-wine enthusiast based in the United Kingdom and, well... head of "that SEGA studio" whose iOS and Android games have already accumulated more than 200 million downloads.
That is no ordinary achievement. SEGA HARDlight occupies one of the industry's coveted spotlights when it comes to games developed for smartphones, both in statistics demonstrating product profitability and in popularity with the general public, bringing more new people to discover SEGA's classic game franchises every day.
A few months ago, Sonic Forces: Speed Battle was released, and in partnership with SEGA's press team, I had the opportunity to review the game in advance and later ask a few questions about it, available for you below. If you are unfamiliar with the game, be sure to visit its dedicated page for more information.
Gameplay with Big the Cat in one of the stages that recalls the console game Sonic Forces.
Interview with Chris Southall
Jean Felipe: "Speed Battle" was part of a series of Sonic releases in 2017 alongside games such as Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces, released for consoles and PC. Did the idea for Speed Battle actually arise to accompany those titles, or was the name "Forces" added only later? Is there any indirect connection with the story of those other releases?
Chris Southall: As soon as we discovered that our new engine would work perfectly for a game in the franchise, we contacted Sonic Team, and that is when the connection between our prototype and Sonic Forces happened. Although they are very different (the console experience is predominantly a solo adventure, while the mobile game focuses exclusively on multiplayer), both share the same universe, where Dr. Eggman and a powerful new villain have destroyed the world and Sonic and his friends are fighting to save it. Sonic Forces: Speed Battle also features characters and elements from the console game, but its core gameplay and progression are quite unique.
JF: This was a major leap for the franchise on smartphones after the tremendous success of Sonic Dash, which was downloaded over 100 million times on the Play Store alone. How did the idea of releasing a competitive online hedgehog game arise?
CS: It was a year and a half before release: we thought it would be good to work on a real-time mobile multiplayer title. Mobile technology has evolved considerably, both in devices and networks, so we were eager to conduct some new tests. We made a prototype in July 2016 that proved it worked as we expected. We began working around the game style that would fit this technology perfectly and thought a racing game would work well. Thanks to our history with Sonic Dash and Sonic Dash 2, we thought including the Sonic franchise would be a perfect fit. I met with Sonic Team, and eventually they let us make the game happen!
JF: As a racing game with item collection, challenges, and enemies throughout the environments, it is also close to series such as All-Stars Racing and Mario Kart. Do you believe competition will keep people playing it even longer than SEGA HARDlight's other titles?
CS: We are very happy to see that Sonic Dash was released five years ago and still has hundreds of thousands of players every day. It is a unique case, and you have to admit that is a very long time for a mobile title. With Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, we wanted to work on something different and make the most of today's technology. Competition does not work for everyone, but it works for a very large number of people. Our tests during the iOS and Android launches show that we can expect the same future for Sonic Forces: Speed Battle. Believe me, we have many plans for this title!
Lambent Grove is an upcoming setting in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle updates.
JF: What was your favorite new feature in this smartphone version of Sonic Forces?
CS: My favorite feature is definitely the real-time player-versus-player competition. We continue to have a lot of fun playing against one another here at the studio. That said, we are also big fans of the broad range of characters and will continue working to make it larger and add character abilities and items over time—that is part of what makes the real-time matches so much fun.
JF: You fully translated the game into Portuguese. I imagine the Brazilian audience for your games must be large. If I am right, how large is it currently?
CS: You are right; our games receive many downloads from Brazil, and we are absolutely grateful for that. At the moment, without giving you a number, I can say that Brazil ranks fourth in downloads on iOS devices. That will probably change soon. Sonic is very popular in your country and could reach third or even second place! Thank you so much for your love, Brazil!
...there are new plans for the game's systems and for offering more features [...] I simply cannot talk about that yet, but keep an eye out for the regular updates that are coming!
JF: Has SEGA HARDlight collaborated on any of the hedgehog's other console or PC games? And, following that thread, how did your previous experiences with the character, whether as fans or in game production, help you with Sonic Forces: Speed Battle?
CS: We have several staff members who have worked in some capacity on various Sonic games at SEGA over the years, from Unleashed and Generations to All-Stars Racing. So we have learned a great deal about Sonic, and that helps us do justice to the original content we create. And of course, we received a lot of help and feedback from Sonic Team, which also made a major difference.
JF: Considering that you have many future plans for the game, could you offer a brief example of what is coming?
CS: We have long-term plans for Sonic Forces: Speed Battle. Of course, we are planning to add more characters regularly, as well as new tracks. But there are new plans for the game's systems and for offering more features intended to improve how our community enjoys it. I simply cannot talk about that yet, but keep an eye out for the regular updates that are coming!
JF: The game is very stable considering its concept. What was the biggest challenge SEGA HARDlight faced while developing Sonic Forces: Speed Battle?
CS: We have developed considerable expertise in server-based titles over the years, but Speed Battle is definitely the biggest challenge we have faced so far. We are still working hard to ensure people have the best online experience—the network conditions on mobile phones and Wi-Fi vary greatly, and some of them are outside our control. We focus on how we match people, as well as where and how our server technology operates, to ensure each person has the best possible experience.
Sonic Forces: Speed Battle is available on the App Store and Google Play.
JF: Balance is important in competitive games. What distinguishing elements did you bring to Speed Battle to strengthen that competitiveness?
CS: The main thing we wanted was to have real people playing in real time, and once we made sure the game experience was fun, we spent a great deal of time balancing the characters and items to give people a close, exciting race in any match they entered. We see the launch as only the beginning of this process—as people play, we are making sure that adjustments and additions to the game contribute to its fun and competitiveness.
JF: Do you want to take the competitive side of Sonic Forces on smartphones to another level? For example, with live tournaments on livestreams, periodic competitions for fans, and so on?
CS: Yes. That is part of our medium- and long-term plans. At the moment, we are fine-tuning the game to offer players the best possible experience and ensure it is perfectly balanced. Then we will begin working on how to make the competition increasingly fierce!
JF: Chris Southall, it was an honor to speak with you. Do you have any final words for Brazilian Sonic fans and users of your games? And not "truly final," because I still hope to see much more from your team here.
CS: When we released Sonic Dash, we were delighted to see how popular the game was in Brazil. This time, with Speed Battle, we watched what was happening in Brazil with great interest, and we seem to have made a good start. We truly appreciate the audience we have in Brazil and look forward to bringing more of our games to you in the future. One day, perhaps we can find an excuse to visit you. It is a place I have always wanted to see!
