Rumor: Sonic Generations 3DS running towards a 2012 release date?

Next month's Sonic Generations is trying to approach the beloved brand a little differently. Some of the game's levels will take place in 3D, as was the case with recent console Sonic releases, while others will go for a classic feel, sticking entirely to 2D and featuring a portly, retro Sonic. The 3DS version, however, looks special. Because of the system's limitations, Sega decided to completely eschew the 3D portions and to focus, instead, exclusively on classic 2D levels.

Sega has said in the past that this version will launch in November with the other iterations, but we're hearing rumors from a reliable source that it might be getting a delay in the near future, sliding past its original date to early 2012.

3DS delays were an unfortunately common occurrence this year, and Sega was one of the biggest offenders. Many publishers have been pushing their games back further and further, hoping that the system's sales would pick up steam. It's possible that Sega wants to wait until 2012 to not only release their game in a less hectic season, but so that they could launch it to a larger number of gamers who received the 3DS during the holidays. They may also be working on a Vita version of Sonic Generations and planning on launching both handheld versions at the same time – as is the case with Rayman: Origins.

We've reached out to Sega for more information and will be sure to let you know if we hear anything. In the meantime all we can do is speculate, and hope that the 3DS isn't losing another one of its major 2011 releases to 2012.

Oct 14, 2011