Sega has officially voiced its approval of fan-made Sonic games, as long as they aren’t sold for money or include illegal content.
Sega of America’s Associate Influencer Manager, Katie Chrzanowski confirmed Sega’s view on the topic.
Taking to Twitter earlier this week (May 11), Chrzanowski said: “So long as no profit is involved, there is usually* no issue with ya’ll using our blue boy to hone your art and development skills.”
Hey Sonic fans – I appreciate you all reaching out with concerns over fan games and monetization!
So long as no profit is involved, there is usually* no issue with y'all using our blue boy to hone your art and dev skills.
*((for legal reasons I can't promise all content is ok))
— Katie – MiniKitty (@KatieChrz) May 10, 2021
“We can handle outliers case-by-case as we notice them, but our goal isn’t to stifle everything,” she added.
Sega has worked with fans before, bringing in Christian Whitehead to work on Sonic Mania in 2017. Whitehead’s previous work prior to Sonic Mania involved several Sonic remakes and a self-made title called Retro Sonic.
Sonic has always had an engaged fan community. From his first appearance on the Sega Megadrive to his last, fans have always created their own interpretations of the character.
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In 2019, fans took it upon themselves to fix the poorly received first trailer for Sonic The Hedgehog by replacing Sonic.
Sega’s approach to fan-made content is the opposite of Nintendo, which is famously protective over its intellectual property rights. Nintendo has shut down a number of fan-made projects over the years, sending cease and desist letters to creators.
Meanwhile, Sega is planning to develop and release what’s been referred to as a ‘Super Game’ within the next five years, according to a recent financial presentation.
As reported in VGC, a results presentation for the fiscal year ending March 2021 gave an indication of the Japanese company’s future plans.