This Yakuza producer is asked what SEGA game he'd love to work on… and his answer might surprise you

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"After all, when you hear SEGA you think Sonic. I'd like to get involved once at least"

Sonic holds one of his coveted golden rings
(Image credit: Sega)

One of the producers behind the hugely-successful Yakuza games has teased what SEGA series he might like to get involved with next… and his answer probably isn't what you expected it to be.

Appearing in an interview as part of a series marking SEGA's 60th - 60th! - anniversary, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio producer Daisuke Sato was asked which game from the Japanese company's extensive catalogue he might like to work on, and immediately answered that he'd "like to get involved" with a Sonic the Hedgehog "once at least".

"It's an IP that I haven't come to before. In the sense that I want to try it... well, Sonic," Sato said (thanks, Tojo Dodo, via Nintendo Life). "After all, when you hear SEGA you think Sonic. I'd like to get involved once at least.

"But for me, the so-called Sonic is, well, if I were to do it, I wouldn't do Sonic as it was. I would like to make a completely different Sonic."

While Sato didn't expand on what kind of "completely different Sonic" game he'd like to make, there's no denying that we're intrigued, too.

"Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a confident step in a different direction for Ryu Ga Gotoku’s series," we said in the GamesRadar+ Yakuza: Like a Dragon review. "An impactful combat system filled with whacky abilities stands tall against the action-based formula RGG perfected over nearly two decades, and newcomer Ichiban Kasuga and his friends come together as an excellent cast to leave a lasting impression." 

"Like a Dragon might fall into genre traps of a prolonged main scenario and pretty lacklustre dungeon design, but the ever-charming side stories maintain that perfect Yakuza combination of funny and meaningful."

There's still a lot to get excited about in gaming this year. Here are the upcoming games of 2020 we really just can't wait for.

Vikki Blake
Vikki Blake
Weekend Reporter, GamesRadar+

Vikki Blake is GamesRadar+'s Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly games column at NME, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.