Everyone’s favorite hedgehog has hit a major franchise milestone, as the Sonic the Hedgehog series has now surpassed 1.5 billion total video game sales and downloads. This figure includes sales of physical games, digital game purchases and free-to-play app downloads. The news comes from SEGA Sammy’s annual Integrated Report, which documents sales numbers up to March 2022.
The success of the Sonic franchise has been huge. We don’t have any official figures for individual games, but SEGA predicts further growth for the brand with the release of Sonic Frontiers. The upcoming Sonic Frontiers intends to take the series in a new direction, with an open-world setting that will allow Sonic to use all of his abilities across a larger setting than any Sonic game before.
SEGA is also focusing on keeping up the growth of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise with an expanding fan base spread across different media. Page 27 of the report details how Sonic has a Netflix series on the way, collaborations with Minecraft, Fall Guys and ROBLOX, as well as a blockbuster movie series. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 released earlier this year and made more than $400 million at the global box office.
Sonic the Hedgehog doesn’t just appear in media, as SEGA’s multifaceted approach to selling the Sonic brand also includes pachinko machines, amusement machines, toys, food, apparel and more. Despite having a few rough patches throughout his 30 year history, the Blue Blur is a global phenomenon, now with over a 1.5 billion game sales. SEGA’s annual report foresees that Sonic the Hedgehog has a promising and successful future ahead, and we’re excited to see what comes with it.
How many Sonic the Hedgehog games have you bought? Let us know in the comments below. If you’re interested in more sales numbers, check out our Persona sales report here. As always, keep your eyes on GameLuster for more gaming news.
