The minute I saw that you can custom-create your own character to play as in the upcoming Sonic Forces game, I knew the fandom (Sonic and Furry) would be overwhelmed with a deluge of hastily-made cookie-cutter OCs. Of course, countless other folks see it coming too, and you know what? I welcome it. Because let's face it, the fandoms have been chock full of OCs since the very beginning. It's nothing new. All Forces will do is, for the first time, give creators a chance to actually fulfill their fantasy of playing as their character in an official canonized Sonic game. Heck, I'm looking forward to trying it out myself!

As I said, fans have been creating their own OCs since day one. I'm proof of it; way back in the early 90's when Sonic 2 came out and I finally got a Genesis of my own, I had created some "copycat" hedgehogs that were basically color-swapped Sonics that I would fantasize going on adventures with Sonic. I got into the SatAM cartoon series and Archie comics (I even had not one, but TWO of my fan letters printed in the comic and answered by Sonic), further inspiring me with the creation of my very first fursona as a Freedom Fighter among Sonic, Sally, and the others. It was where I first tried out writing as a serious hobby, as gratuitous self-insertion fanfic. When we got internet access and I discovered a plethora of Sonic fansites complete with Freedom Fighter Profiles (basically lists of OCs of people who, like me, had their own characters created for the series), I wanted to be a part of them. It was that very thing that inspired me to take up art again; the desire to be one of these creators, complete with awesome artwork to call my own.

So yes, after thoroughly enjoying Sonic Generations, I was already planning to buy Sonic Forces. The ability to create a character of my very own to play as and interact with the characters in the game is an awesome bonus that I'll leap for. Because I know exactly what it's like to have such an opportunity after devoting so much effort to put my own personal touch on a series that I love, and I expect this to further inspire more creators just like the original games inspired me all those years ago. Sure, there will be plenty that are mary/gary stus and blatant rip-offs, but honestly, that's how it's been since the franchise began. It's how a lot of creators got their start. It's how I got mine back when I was nine.