The lead of Sonic suggests that AAA developers could benefit from adopting lessons from indie studios

Takashi Iizuka, involved with Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series, believes high-budget game developers can learn from indie studios.

In a conversation with GamesRadar+, Iizuka explains that Sega is aware of the financial risks tied to AAA game production. Even after a game's release, it must achieve significant sales to justify the costs.

This insight follows Sega's presentation of Sonic Pico Park at the Summer Game Fest—an indie project by the makers of Pico Park. This trend reflects big franchises being entrusted to smaller developers, akin to recent moves with The Rogue Prince of Persia and Castlevania: Belmont's Curse by Evil Empire.

Iizuka remarks, "I can't speak for other companies' strategies, but at Sega, we acknowledge the time and financial demands of crafting major titles." He emphasizes the substantial commitment of personnel and assets, noting the critical need for high sales volumes to thrive in the market.

He highlights the agility of indie outfits, which can swiftly develop concepts and iterate on them. Iizuka suggests that larger corporations, like Sega, can draw inspiration from this model.

"Collaborating with indie developers is invigorating due to their smaller team dynamics and rapid progression from ideas to experiences," Iizuka observes.

He draws a comparison between the gaming and film industries, noting that substantial companies such as Disney risk large investments over long periods. Yet, smaller ventures like Backroom achieve significant success.

"There is a resemblance between film and game industries in terms of investments and the entertainment consumed by audiences," he concludes.