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'''Sonic Amateur Games Expo (SAGE)''' is a yearly online event for Sonic the Hedgehog fangame developers to chat online and to demonstrate finished and unfinished games they are developing.  Started in 2000 by community enigma [[BlazeHedgehog]], the premise of the event was to expand the appeal of fangaming, which is still even today viewed as a sort of taboo given inherent copyright problems.  There have been 14 SAGE's to date, which originally took place biannually until the 10th iteration, where the format changed to the annual SAGE we know today.
+
'''Sonic Amateur Games Expo (SAGE)''' is a yearly online event for Sonic the Hedgehog fangame developers to chat online and to demonstrate finished and unfinished games they are developing.  Started in 2000 by community enigma [[BlazeHedgehog]], the premise of the event was to expand the appeal of fangaming, which is still even today viewed as a sort of taboo given inherent copyright problems.  There have been 14 SAGE events to date, which originally took place biannually until the 10th iteration in 2005, where the format changed to the annual SAGE known today.
  
 
==2000==
 
==2000==
 
[[Image:Sage1_view.png|thumb|right|The original Sonic Amateur Games Expo website.]]
 
[[Image:Sage1_view.png|thumb|right|The original Sonic Amateur Games Expo website.]]
The original Sonic Amateur Games Expo, Blaze Hedgehog set out to make a showcase for the Sonic fan gaming scene, setting the template for every SAGE thereafter. Blaze Hedgehog wanted to feature fan games in the same style and presentation as the Electronic Entertainment Expo, in the form of "booths," and encouraging even the use of "booth babes" for each booth. The event lasted from September 9th to September 12th, and had a small attendance compared to the later incarnations of the expo.
+
As the original Sonic Amateur Games Expo, Blaze Hedgehog set out to make a showcase for the Sonic fan gaming scene, setting the template for every SAGE thereafter. He wanted to feature fan games in the same style and presentation as the [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]] in the form of "booths," and encouraging even the use of "booth babes" for each booth. The event lasted from September 9 to September 12, and had a small attendance compared to the later incarnations of the expo.
  
 
==2005==
 
==2005==
SAGE 2005, sometimes jokingly refered to as SAGE "X", marked the first annual SAGE, breaking the previously set tradition of SAGE being held biannually.  Directed by [[Gamerdude]] and [[Smidge204]], SAGE 2005 sported a nifty, slick layout and had a host of wonderful projects on display.
+
SAGE 2005, sometimes jokingly referred to as SAGE "X", marked the first annual SAGE, breaking the previously set tradition of SAGE being held biannually.  Directed by [[Gamerdude]] and [[Smidge204]], SAGE 2005 sported a nifty, slick layout and had a host of wonderful projects on display.
  
SAGE 2005 also marked the event's first guest interview, [[Ben Hurst]], one of the writers for the Sonic The Hedgehog (SATAM) cartoon show, which took place under proctured settings in SAGE's IRC chatroom.
+
SAGE 2005 also marked the event's first guest interview[[Ben Hurst]], one of the writers for the TV series ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', was interviewed under proctored settings in SAGE's IRC chatroom.
  
 
==2006==
 
==2006==
 +
[[Koray]], the organizer of SAGE 2006, had been suffering from issues in life that resulted in him disappearing without a word months leading up to the event.  [[Smidge204]], the administrator of [[SFGHQ]], took up the mantle of quickly throwing together an event after it became apparent that Koray wasn't going to show.  The event itself rehashed the minimalistic, slick layout from SAGE 2005 and did a decent job of holding up to its predecessor.
  
SAGE 2006 almost didn't happenThe director, [[Koray]], had been suffering RL issues that resulted in him disappearing without a word months leading up to the event.  [[Smidge204]], also the administrator of [[SFGHQ]], took up the mantle of quickly throwing together an event after it became apparent that [[Koray]] wasn't going to show.  The event itself rehashed the minimalistic, slick layout from SAGE 2005 and did a decent job of holding up to it's predecessor.
+
Ben Hurst returned for another interview with the communityJoining him was the current writer for the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie)|Sonic the Hedgehog]] comic book series by Archie'', [[Ian Flynn]].
  
[[Ben Hurst]] returned for another chitchat with the community, and joining him was the current writer for the Archie Comics, [[Ian Flynn]].
+
Interest in revamping the SAGEcast was introduced during SAGE 2006 when [[DimensionWarped]], [[Slingerland]], and [[Shadix]] attempted to broadcast a prerecorded multicast via Skype.  Due to technical difficulties [[Shadix]] did not appear in the final broadcast; however, the broadcast went to show that SAGEcasts could have more meaningful content.
  
Interest in revamping the SAGEcast was introduced this year when [[DimensionWarped]], [[Slingerland]], and [[Shadix]] attempted to broadcast a prerecorded multicast via Skype.  Due to technical difficulties [[Shadix]] did not appear in the final broadcast, however the broadcast went to show that SAGEcasts could have more meaningful content.
 
 
 
==2007==
 
==2007==
SAGE 2007, directed by [[Slingerland]], renewed interest in the event.  His SAGE went with a simple and quirky thematic layout that would change on each day of the event.  [[Slingerland]]'s dashing charisma and publicity attempts brought about a huge boost in audience.
+
SAGE 2007, directed by [[Slingerland]], renewed interest in the event after a disappointing 2006.  His SAGE went with a simple and quirky thematic layout that would change on each day of the event.  The themes revolved around countries, each with a themed piece of [http://www.sonicstadium.org/community/sonics-from-around-the-world Sonic character art].  Slingerland's dashing charisma and publicity attempts brought about a huge boost in audience.
  
[[Ryan Drummond]] became the first guest appearance in relation to the official games, and his appearance garnered a huge amount of attention from Sonic Communities all around. [[Ian Flynn]] also reappeared to discuss more regarding the Archie Series.
+
[[Ryan Drummond]] became the first guest appearance in relation to the official games, and his appearance garnered a huge amount of attention from Sonic communities all around. Ian Flynn also reappeared to discuss more regarding the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' Archie comic book series.
  
SAGE 2007 introduced a more entertaining side of SAGE, with cool events like Slingerland's epic skit "Saturday Nights' Main Event", as well as live multicasts, a karaoke show, a level design competition, a video submission contest, and more.
+
SAGE 2007 introduced a more entertaining side of SAGE.  Cool events featured Slingerland's epic skits, like  "Saturday Nights' Main Event," "Sonic 2 Epic-pella," and the "SAGE Report." Community members held workshops to share their talents, most notably [[Tweaker]] with his ROM hacking workshop.  Live multicasts were a regular occurrence and even spawned a karaoke show.  Contest wise, there was a level design competition, an art competition, and a video submission contest.
  
 
==2008==
 
==2008==
SAGE 2008 basically set out to expand on the new standard set in 2007, with a trend towards more entertainment.  Hosted by [[Shadix]] and [[MarkEchidna]], the idea was to draw the casual audience in via tons of entertainment, interviews, etc. to promote the booths.  It was held from August 17th-24th, 8 days to commemorate it being 2008.  The SAGE 08 site was over-the-top and flashy, featuring detailed informative pages and a coverflow-esque booths page.  SAGE 2008 made a huge leap forward in that most of the booths worked from Day 1, a feat that hasn't happened in a long time.
+
SAGE 2008 set out to expand on the new standard set in 2007, with a trend towards more entertainment.  Hosted by [[Shadix]] and [[MarkEchidna]], the idea was to draw the casual audience in through entertainment, interviews, and exciting content to promote booths.  It was held from August 17 to August 24 (eight days to commemorate it being 2008).  The SAGE 2008 site was over-the-top and flashy, featuring detailed informative pages and a coverflow-esque booths page that was somewhat clunkyUnlike in previous years, SAGE 2008 was more organized from day one, with most booths working at the beginning of the event.
  
SAGE 2008 had a huge special guest lineup, including the likes of [[Christian Senn]], [[Richard Wheeler]], [[Howard Drossin]], [[Richard Jacques]], [[Jun Senoue]], [[Lee Brotherton]], [[Ryan Drummond]], [[Mike Pollock]], and [[Eric Iwasaki]] of ND Games.
+
SAGE 2008 had a large guest lineup, including [[Christian Senn]], [[Richard Wheeler]], [[Howard Drossin]], [[Richard Jacques]], [[Jun Senoue]], [[Lee Brotherton]], [[Ryan Drummond]], [[Mike Pollock]], and [[Eric Iwasaki]] of ND Games.  Events at SAGE 2008 included Shadowgoten & Duckboy's Opening Extravaganza, SAGE Idol, the SAGE Trivia Gameshow featuring Mike Pollock, DOM's Live Videogame Music Show, Dramatic Fanfic Readings with ANDROSS, and OCRemix Interview with Special ORMGAS\BEATDROP FM Combo block.
  
In addition, SAGE 2008 had a number of new events of varying effectShadowgoten & Duckboy's Opening Extravaganza, SAGE Idol, the SAGE Trivia Gameshow featuring Mike Pollock, DOM's Live Videogame Music Show, Dramatic Fanfic Readings with ANDROSS, OCRemix Interview with Special ORMGAS\BEATDROP FM Combo block.
+
While the entertainment was obviously there, the fangames were overshadowed and ignoredThis issue drew criticism from many SFGHQ members.
  
 
==SAGE 14 (2009)==
 
==SAGE 14 (2009)==
 
[[Image:Sage14_view.PNG|thumb|right|Sonic Amateur Games Expo 14's website.]]
 
[[Image:Sage14_view.PNG|thumb|right|Sonic Amateur Games Expo 14's website.]]
'''SAGE 14''' was held from July 25th through July 31st of 2009, and hosted by [[InstantSonic]] and [[Katzu Niku]]. It has been widely regarded as one of the best iterations of SAGE to date, bringing most, if not all Sonic fan communities together. It was geared more towards the fans and the fan games themselves rather than how many ratings each fan game received.  
+
'''SAGE 14''' was held in 2009 from July 25 through July 31 and hosted by [[InstantSonic]] and [[User:Hero Chao|Hero Chao]]. It has been widely regarded as one of the best iterations of SAGE to date, bringing most, if not all Sonic fan communities together. It was geared more towards the fans and the fan games themselves rather than how many ratings each fan game received.  
  
The website was designed and created by Katzu Niku, who also created and managed the event schedule and booths, and was responsible for obtaining the special guests of the event. InstantSonic directed the events, fan game ''booths'' and the ''SAGEcast''. ROM hacks were also included as booths for the first time. Even with one of the rules being that you must have a fan game to present or you could not have a spot in the SAGE booths section, SAGE 14 had the largest amount of fan games/booths that ever debuted, a count of 42, during the week-long exposition. SAGE 14 was extended for another unscheduled week, the SAGE 14 chat moving to an IRC channel called #sagexpoafterparty, allowing those who enjoyed SAGE to wind down and talk about what had occurred the week before.
+
The website was designed and created by Hero Chao, who also created and managed the event schedule and booths, and was responsible for obtaining the special guests of the event. InstantSonic directed the events, fan game ''booths'' and the ''SAGEcast''. ROM hacks were also included as booths for the first time. A requirement for obtaining a spot in the SAGE booths section was that an individual must have a fan game to present.  Even with this requirement, SAGE 14 featured 42 fan games/booths during the week-long exposition, the largest number at any SAGE event so far. SAGE 14 was extended for an additional unscheduled week.  The IRC chat was moved to a channel called #sagexpoafterparty, allowing those who enjoyed SAGE to wind down and talk about what had occurred the week before.
  
----
+
===Booths===
 +
The following booths, fan games, and hacks appeared at SAGE 14:
  
===Events===
+
====Fan games====
----
+
*[[Sonic Robo Blast 2]]
=====Monday=====
+
*Sonic: Emerald Hunt
*'''12 AM - Sonic Amateur Games Expo 14 Begins!
+
*Knuckles Treasure Hunt
*'''2 PM Eastern''' - CONTEST: Klik'n'Play RAGE competition begins!
+
*[http://smbbb.atspace.com/ Super Mario Bros: Bloody Battles]
*'''7 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Welcome to SAGE 14! Introductions and Fan Game Discussion with InstantSonic and the SAGE Gang
+
*Sonic Babies
----
+
*Sonic the Hedgehog Zero Remastered
=====Tuesday=====
+
*[[Sonic Nexus]]
*'''3 PM Eastern''' - Radio: Sonic Universe Radio
+
*Sonic Rebirth
*'''8 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Hunter and Brad Are Cool and You Aren't!
+
*Sonic the Gizoid
*'''10 PM Eastern''' - Radio: Free-For-All Radio
+
*Sonic Whirlwind
----
+
*Rose of Longevity
 +
*Cooporationation
 +
*[[Project Mettrix]]
 +
*Megaman Triple Threat
 +
*Kirby Cosmic Chaos
 +
*Sonic Universe Adventure
 +
*Knuckles Minehunt
 +
*Sonic Adventure 3
 +
*[http://dgrove.blogspot.com/2009/07/prosonic-for-mac.html Prosonic for Macintosh]
 +
*Brasonic 2
 +
*[[Sonic Time Twisted]]
 +
*[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3D (fan game)|Sonic the Hedgehog 3D]]
 +
*Sonic the Hedgehog Mecha Madness
 +
*[http://ariaofdestinysage.yolasite.com/ Aria of Destiny]
 +
*Project Darkness
 +
*NemeGraphe
 +
*Sonic: Flame of Time
 +
*Yet Another Sonic the Hedgehog Minigame
 +
*Sonic Bang
 +
*Sonic Fusion
 +
*Halo: Out With A Whimper
 +
*Sonic Nebulous
 +
*[http://www.shth2.ucoz.ru/ Shadow the Hedgehog 2]
 +
*Sonic the Hedgehog: Rebirth of the Azure Wind
 +
*[http://www.moddb.com/games/pure-chaotix Pure Chaotix]
 +
*Mario Roots
 +
*[http://clearimagery.net/sonicgemini Sonic Gemini]
 +
*Chao Life
 +
*[http://www.moddb.com/games/ashura-dark-reign Ashura: Dark Reign]
 +
*Super Sonic Knockout
  
=====Wednesday=====
+
====Hacks====
*'''3 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Sonic Universe Radio
+
*[http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=16592 Sonic the Hedgehog WTF LAME]
*'''7 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: The Update Desk LOL - With Special Guest [[Tristan Bresnen|Tristan Oliver Bresnen]]
+
*Sonic Zeta Overdrive
*'''10 PM Eastern''' - SAGE Chat: [[Mike Pollock]], voice of [[Dr. Eggman]]
 
*'''11 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: The Marcus Hour with Marcus
 
----
 
=====Thursday=====
 
*'''12 AM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Free-For-All Radio
 
*'''2 PM Eastern''' - SAGE Chat: [[Spencer Nilsen]], composer of Sonic CD US
 
*'''3 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Sonic Universe Radio
 
*'''9 PM Eastern''' - SAGE Chat: [[Tom Payne]], Sonic 2 Zone Artist
 
*'''10 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Skype Chat with the SAGE Gang
 
----
 
  
=====Friday=====
+
===Really Amateur Games Expo===
*'''2 AM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Free-For-All Radio
+
[[Image:Rage3_view.PNG|thumb|right|Really Amateur Games Expo 3's website.]]
*'''2 PM Eastern''' - CONTEST: Klik'n'Play RAGE competition ends!
+
The [[Really Amateur Games Expo]], created by [[Slingerland]] took place during SAGE 14 and was the third RAGE since it began in 2007. 2009's RAGE held a 5 day competition during SAGE which involved making the worse Sonic fan game possible with [[wikipedia:Klik & Play|Klik & Play]], although it was not required to enter a booth into the RAGE.
*'''12 AM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: DOM Cast: ANDROSS's Fanfiction Power Hour 9000
 
----
 
=====Saturday=====
 
*'''1 AM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Free-For-All Radio
 
*'''3 PM Eastern''' - SAGEChat: SAGE Trivia with Endri!
 
*'''8 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Sonic and the Death Cheese 2, Part 1 with InstantSonic
 
*'''8:30 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Free-For-All Radio
 
----
 
  
=====Sunday=====
+
==SAGE 2010 (2010)==
*'''2 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Sonic and the Death Cheese 2, Part 2 with InstantSonic
+
'''SAGE 2010''' took place from August 8th to August 17th. Similar to SAGE 14, [[InstantSonic]] and [[User:Hero Chao|Hero Chao]], along with [[User:ila|ila]] organised this event.
*'''2:30 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Encore of Sonic and the Death Cheese 2 with InstantSonic
 
*'''8 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Closing Comments with InstantSonic, Katzu Niku, and the SAGE Gang
 
*'''9 PM Eastern''' - SAGEcast: Free-For-All Radio
 
  
----
+
Last year, there were interviews with [[SEGA]] PR member [[RubyEclipse]] and the voice actor of [[Miles "Tails" Prower|Tails]] in [[Sonic Adventure]], [[Corey Bringas]]. In addition, the events were the ''Write Your Own Sonic Tune Contest'', ''Sonic Theme Song Parody Contest'', ''Write as TSSZ for a Day'' and the ''Eggman Voice-Off with [[Mike Pollock]]'' as well as radio streaming including fanfic readings, music hours and ''The Ken Balough Show'', where [[User:Moonshadow Caz|Moonshadow Caz]] reviewed a few SAGE games as [[Ken Balough]].
  
 
===Booths===
 
===Booths===
The following Booths/Fan Games/Hacks appeared at SAGE 14:
+
The following booths, fan games, and hacks appeared at SAGE 15:
*[http://update.srb2.org/booth/ Sonic Robo Blast 2]
+
====Fan games====
*[http://fgrhq.webs.com/ Sonic: Emerald Hunt]
+
*Metal Gear Solid: Fight of the Metal Gears
*[http://bluehog.d-padnetwork.com/kth/index.php Knuckles Treasure Hunt]
+
*Rose of Longevity
*[http://smbbb.atspace.com/ Super Mario Bros: Bloody Battles]
+
*Lazy Sonic
*[http://funstar-entertainment.webs.com/sonicbabiesthegame.htm Sonic Babies]
+
*Techno the Gamma Project
*[http://thesnakesoup.org/soniczero/ Sonic the Hedgehog Zero Remastered]
+
*[http://www.spbooth.blogspot.com/ Sonic Phoenix]
*[http://nexus.hrook.net/ Sonic Nexus]
+
*[http://www.wix.com/altheboss/Sonic-NXT Sonic NXT]
*[http://www.powersonic.com.br/rebirth/ Sonic Rebirth]
+
*[http://www.wix.com/GBlastMan/Sonic-Gijinka Sonic Gijinka]
*[http://antonhuckleberry.webs.com/sonicthegizoiddemo.htm Sonic the Gizoid]
+
*Super Mario Panic
*[http://sonicwhirlwind.ucoz.org/ Sonic Whirlwind]
+
*[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3D (fan game)|Sonic the Hedgehog 3D]]
*[http://roseoflongevity.webs.com/ Rose of Longevity]
+
*Sonic Adventure 3
*[http://www.kalmarworld.com/Viewer.aspx?type=Nick&id=62 Cooporationation]
+
*Sonic Genesis
*[http://stealth.hapisan.com/SAGE09/ Project Mettrix]
+
*Sonic Redux
*[http://stealth.hapisan.com/SAGE09/ Megaman Triple Threat]
+
*[[Sonic Zero: Remastered]]
*[http://azure.appalhost.com/SAGEbooth09/SageBooth09.html Kirby Cosmic Chaos]
+
*Tails' Nightmare 2
*[http://www.sonicua.tk/ Sonic Universe Adventure]
 
*[http://minehunt.webs.com/ Knuckles Minehunt]
 
*[http://bsgames.net/sa3 Sonic Adventure 3]
 
*[http://dgrove.blogspot.com/2009/07/prosonic-for-mac.html Prosonic for Macintosh]
 
*[http://brazsonic.bcsilva.com/sage/ BrazSonic 2]
 
*[http://www.timetwisted.sonicstrike.net/ Sonic Time Twisted]
 
*[http://sonic3d.at.ua/ Sonic the Hedgehog 3D]
 
*[http://mechamadness.pnmhq.com/ Sonic the Hedgehog Mecha Madness]
 
*[http://ariaofdestinysage.yolasite.com/ Aria of Destiny]
 
*[http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=16592 Sonic the Hedgehog WTF LAME]
 
*[http://proj-dark.3dn.ru/ Project Darkness]
 
*[http://nemega.hyperphp.com/ NemeGraphe]
 
*[http://www.rpgrevolution.com/game/775/ Sonic: Flame of Time]
 
*[http://obivanhelgen.webs.com/ Yet Another Sonic the Hedgehog Minigame]
 
*[http://www.sbhq.webs.com/ Sonic Bang]
 
 
*[http://sonicfusion.ucoz.ru/sagebooth/booth.htm Sonic Fusion]
 
*[http://sonicfusion.ucoz.ru/sagebooth/booth.htm Sonic Fusion]
*[http://triblox.org/social/node/30 Halo: Out With A Whimper]
+
*Sonic the Gizoid
*[http://www.sonicnebulous.pnmhq.com/ Sonic Nebulous]
+
*[http://sonicarena.com/ Sonic Arena 2]
*[http://www.shth2.ucoz.ru/ Shadow the Hedgehog 2]
+
*[http://www.tachyonlabs.com/sam/swag/ Sonic with a Gun]
*[http://soniccorp.sonicstrike.net/SAGEBOOTH/index.htm Sonic the Hedgehog: Rebirth of the Azure Wind]
+
*[[Sonic Time Twisted]]
*[http://www.moddb.com/games/pure-chaotix Pure Chaotix]
+
*[http://dwl-aod-sage2010booth.yolasite.com/ Digimon World Legends]
*[http://marioroots.110mb.com/ Mario Roots]
+
*[http://dwl-aod-sage2010booth.yolasite.com/aria-of-destiny.php Aria of Destiny]
*[http://clearimagery.net/sonicgemini Sonic Gemini]
+
*Sonic Babies
*[http://antonhuckleberry.webs.com/chaolife.htm Chao Life]
+
*Sonic and the World Rings
*[http://www.moddb.com/mods/ashura-dark-reign Ashura Dark Reign]
+
*Sonic Run 3
*[http://shadowblazeportal.110mb.com/ssk_site2009 Super Sonic Knockout]
+
*Rosario + Vampire
 +
*[http://www.mediafire.com/?7d713xhf1ly6ymn Sonic Ultimate Battle]
 +
*[http://stealth.hapisan.com/SAGE10/ E02 Engine (Sonic Metrix and Megaman Triple Threat)]
 +
*Be the Bullet
 +
*Sonic Axiom
  
----
+
====Hacks====
 +
*[[Sonic the Hedgehog 1 @ SAGE 2010]]
 +
*[[Sonic 2 Retro Remix]]
 +
*[[Sonic Zeta Overdrive]]
 +
*[[Sonic 2 Dimps Edition]]
  
 
===Really Amateur Games Expo===
 
===Really Amateur Games Expo===
[[Image:Rage3_view.PNG|thumb|right|Really Amateur Games Expo 3's website.]]
+
The Really Amateur Games Expo, created by Slingerland took place during SAGE 2010 and was the fourth RAGE since it began in 2007. 2010's RAGE held a 5 day competition during SAGE which involved making the worst Sonic fan game possible with a post-apocalyptic setting.
[[Really Amateur Games Expo]] took place during SAGE 14, and is the 3rd RAGE. 2009's RAGE held a 5 day competition during SAGE which involved making the worse Sonic fan game possible with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klik_%26_Play Klik and Play], although it was not required to enter a booth into the RAGE.
+
 
 +
==SAGE 2011==
 +
SAGE 2011 was run rather later than usual with the event taking place during September 18th - 24th. Organised by [[Shadix]], notable events included an interview with [[Naoto Oshima]]; a 3D animation panel by the character animator of [[Sonic Rivals 2]], Nate Horsfall; the obligatory annual appearance by [[Mike Pollock]] and the live results of the [[Sonic the Hedgehog Hacking Contest#Ninth_Contest|2011 Sonic Hacking Contest]] among other things.
 +
 
 +
SAGE 2011 was also plagued by management disasters, however, [[User:Tobin|Tobin]] and [[User:Tongara|Tongara]] stepped up to provide much needed technical assistance and a lot of dark humor respectivly. With their last minute assistance SAGE 2011 managed to mostly overcome a lack organization and planning in the first day of the event.
 +
 
 +
==SAGE 2012==
 +
SAGE 2012 took place from Aug. 6 - Aug. 12. It was hosted by [[User:Tobin|Tobin]] and [[User:Tongara|Tongara]].
 +
 
 +
(This section is a stub; if you remember anything from SAGE 2012, add it here!)
  
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
 
* [http://sagexpo.org/ Sonic Amateur Games Expo Link]
 
* [http://sagexpo.org/ Sonic Amateur Games Expo Link]
* [http://soundmage.com/bluelazor/RAGE/09/RAGE09.html Really Amateur Games Expo Link]
+
* [http://facebook.com/sagexpo SAGE on Facebook]
 
+
* [http://twitter.com/sagexpo SAGE on Twitter]
[[Category:Events]]
+
* [http://www.youtube.com/SonicAmateurGameExpo SAGE on YouTube]
 +
* [http://soundmage.com/bluelazor/RAGE/09/RAGE09.html Really Amateur Games Expo 3 Link]
 +
* [http://soundmage.com/bluelazor/RAGE/10/RAGE10.html Really Amateur Games Expo 4 Link]
 +
[[Category:Sonic Scene]]
 +
[[Category:Fan gaming]]

Revision as of 12:31, 28 October 2016

Sonic Amateur Games Expo (SAGE) is a yearly online event for Sonic the Hedgehog fangame developers to chat online and to demonstrate finished and unfinished games they are developing. Started in 2000 by community enigma BlazeHedgehog, the premise of the event was to expand the appeal of fangaming, which is still even today viewed as a sort of taboo given inherent copyright problems. There have been 14 SAGE events to date, which originally took place biannually until the 10th iteration in 2005, where the format changed to the annual SAGE known today.

2000

The original Sonic Amateur Games Expo website.

As the original Sonic Amateur Games Expo, Blaze Hedgehog set out to make a showcase for the Sonic fan gaming scene, setting the template for every SAGE thereafter. He wanted to feature fan games in the same style and presentation as the Electronic Entertainment Expo in the form of "booths," and encouraging even the use of "booth babes" for each booth. The event lasted from September 9 to September 12, and had a small attendance compared to the later incarnations of the expo.

2005

SAGE 2005, sometimes jokingly referred to as SAGE "X", marked the first annual SAGE, breaking the previously set tradition of SAGE being held biannually. Directed by Gamerdude and Smidge204, SAGE 2005 sported a nifty, slick layout and had a host of wonderful projects on display.

SAGE 2005 also marked the event's first guest interview. Ben Hurst, one of the writers for the TV series Sonic the Hedgehog, was interviewed under proctored settings in SAGE's IRC chatroom.

2006

Koray, the organizer of SAGE 2006, had been suffering from issues in life that resulted in him disappearing without a word months leading up to the event. Smidge204, the administrator of SFGHQ, took up the mantle of quickly throwing together an event after it became apparent that Koray wasn't going to show. The event itself rehashed the minimalistic, slick layout from SAGE 2005 and did a decent job of holding up to its predecessor.

Ben Hurst returned for another interview with the community. Joining him was the current writer for the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series by Archie, Ian Flynn.

Interest in revamping the SAGEcast was introduced during SAGE 2006 when DimensionWarped, Slingerland, and Shadix attempted to broadcast a prerecorded multicast via Skype. Due to technical difficulties Shadix did not appear in the final broadcast; however, the broadcast went to show that SAGEcasts could have more meaningful content.

2007

SAGE 2007, directed by Slingerland, renewed interest in the event after a disappointing 2006. His SAGE went with a simple and quirky thematic layout that would change on each day of the event. The themes revolved around countries, each with a themed piece of Sonic character art. Slingerland's dashing charisma and publicity attempts brought about a huge boost in audience.

Ryan Drummond became the first guest appearance in relation to the official games, and his appearance garnered a huge amount of attention from Sonic communities all around. Ian Flynn also reappeared to discuss more regarding the Sonic the Hedgehog Archie comic book series.

SAGE 2007 introduced a more entertaining side of SAGE. Cool events featured Slingerland's epic skits, like "Saturday Nights' Main Event," "Sonic 2 Epic-pella," and the "SAGE Report." Community members held workshops to share their talents, most notably Tweaker with his ROM hacking workshop. Live multicasts were a regular occurrence and even spawned a karaoke show. Contest wise, there was a level design competition, an art competition, and a video submission contest.

2008

SAGE 2008 set out to expand on the new standard set in 2007, with a trend towards more entertainment. Hosted by Shadix and MarkEchidna, the idea was to draw the casual audience in through entertainment, interviews, and exciting content to promote booths. It was held from August 17 to August 24 (eight days to commemorate it being 2008). The SAGE 2008 site was over-the-top and flashy, featuring detailed informative pages and a coverflow-esque booths page that was somewhat clunky. Unlike in previous years, SAGE 2008 was more organized from day one, with most booths working at the beginning of the event.

SAGE 2008 had a large guest lineup, including Christian Senn, Richard Wheeler, Howard Drossin, Richard Jacques, Jun Senoue, Lee Brotherton, Ryan Drummond, Mike Pollock, and Eric Iwasaki of ND Games. Events at SAGE 2008 included Shadowgoten & Duckboy's Opening Extravaganza, SAGE Idol, the SAGE Trivia Gameshow featuring Mike Pollock, DOM's Live Videogame Music Show, Dramatic Fanfic Readings with ANDROSS, and OCRemix Interview with Special ORMGAS\BEATDROP FM Combo block.

While the entertainment was obviously there, the fangames were overshadowed and ignored. This issue drew criticism from many SFGHQ members.

SAGE 14 (2009)

Sonic Amateur Games Expo 14's website.

SAGE 14 was held in 2009 from July 25 through July 31 and hosted by InstantSonic and Hero Chao. It has been widely regarded as one of the best iterations of SAGE to date, bringing most, if not all Sonic fan communities together. It was geared more towards the fans and the fan games themselves rather than how many ratings each fan game received.

The website was designed and created by Hero Chao, who also created and managed the event schedule and booths, and was responsible for obtaining the special guests of the event. InstantSonic directed the events, fan game booths and the SAGEcast. ROM hacks were also included as booths for the first time. A requirement for obtaining a spot in the SAGE booths section was that an individual must have a fan game to present. Even with this requirement, SAGE 14 featured 42 fan games/booths during the week-long exposition, the largest number at any SAGE event so far. SAGE 14 was extended for an additional unscheduled week. The IRC chat was moved to a channel called #sagexpoafterparty, allowing those who enjoyed SAGE to wind down and talk about what had occurred the week before.

Booths

The following booths, fan games, and hacks appeared at SAGE 14:

Fan games

Hacks

Really Amateur Games Expo

Really Amateur Games Expo 3's website.

The Really Amateur Games Expo, created by Slingerland took place during SAGE 14 and was the third RAGE since it began in 2007. 2009's RAGE held a 5 day competition during SAGE which involved making the worse Sonic fan game possible with Klik & Play, although it was not required to enter a booth into the RAGE.

SAGE 2010 (2010)

SAGE 2010 took place from August 8th to August 17th. Similar to SAGE 14, InstantSonic and Hero Chao, along with ila organised this event.

Last year, there were interviews with SEGA PR member RubyEclipse and the voice actor of Tails in Sonic Adventure, Corey Bringas. In addition, the events were the Write Your Own Sonic Tune Contest, Sonic Theme Song Parody Contest, Write as TSSZ for a Day and the Eggman Voice-Off with Mike Pollock as well as radio streaming including fanfic readings, music hours and The Ken Balough Show, where Moonshadow Caz reviewed a few SAGE games as Ken Balough.

Booths

The following booths, fan games, and hacks appeared at SAGE 15:

Fan games

Hacks

Really Amateur Games Expo

The Really Amateur Games Expo, created by Slingerland took place during SAGE 2010 and was the fourth RAGE since it began in 2007. 2010's RAGE held a 5 day competition during SAGE which involved making the worst Sonic fan game possible with a post-apocalyptic setting.

SAGE 2011

SAGE 2011 was run rather later than usual with the event taking place during September 18th - 24th. Organised by Shadix, notable events included an interview with Naoto Oshima; a 3D animation panel by the character animator of Sonic Rivals 2, Nate Horsfall; the obligatory annual appearance by Mike Pollock and the live results of the 2011 Sonic Hacking Contest among other things.

SAGE 2011 was also plagued by management disasters, however, Tobin and Tongara stepped up to provide much needed technical assistance and a lot of dark humor respectivly. With their last minute assistance SAGE 2011 managed to mostly overcome a lack organization and planning in the first day of the event.

SAGE 2012

SAGE 2012 took place from Aug. 6 - Aug. 12. It was hosted by Tobin and Tongara.

(This section is a stub; if you remember anything from SAGE 2012, add it here!)

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