September 9^th, 2005 (5:53pm) - The video game press had first been given a sneak peak at a next generation Sonic the Hedgehog video game in May at E3 and now SEGA has finally confirmed that they are in development with a next generation Sonic the Hedgehog for next generation game consoles, with an official announcement saying that the game will arrive on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2006.

As always, Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka will be directing the game and SEGA is hoping to re-invent the franchise with this next generation Sonic the Hedgehog video game. Assisting Naka is the series’ original character designer Naoto Ohshima.

"Sonic The Hedgehog represents the most recognizable example of classic SEGA properties that we will recreate for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360," said Naoya Tsurumi, CEO of SEGA of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. "When Sonic The Hedgehog debuted on the SEGA Genesis in 1991, he reinvented the action-platform genre with speed and attitude. By harnessing the power of these new platforms, we are confident that Sonic will once again raise the bar for action gaming in 2006 and beyond."

"We are proud to re-create our famous friend, Sonic, for a new generation of gamers," said Yuji Naka, R&D Creative Officer, SEGA Corporation. "With Sonic The Hedgehog, we have gone back to our starting point, more than 15-years ago, to reinvent the attitude and speed that made our hero a legend. The ’rebirth of Sonic’ will offer an unparalleled sense of speed that is only possible using the processing power afforded by the new systems."

Click on the thumbnails below for larger images of this next generation Sonic the Hedgehog video game.