Ever since Mario Kart first arrived on the scene and became an instant hit across generation after generation of Nintendo consoles, there’s been a desire for other franchises to replicate the formula, to highly variable degrees of success. In Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Sega appears to have hit a home run as the game currently holds an Overwhelmingly Positive review score on Steam with more than 6,100 reviews counted as of publication.
With a successful game featuring online play comes the responsibility to keep that game fun and fair for gamers. As an online experience overrun by hacks and cheaters can quickly lose interest, players no longer feel that they’re racing on a fair circuit. To that end, Sega recently made an announcement on the game’s official X account addressing the use of unsanctioned modifications.
The announcement addressed “misconduct including cheating, use of unauthorized external tools, modification of game content, and unauthorized access of the game program.” It noted these actions are violations of the End User License Agreement (EULA) that players must agree to when first installing and booting up the game. The notice warned SEGA reserved the right to respond to any such violations in several ways, up to and including formal warnings, temporary bans, or permanent suspensions. It also warned of the potential for the company to seek damages or other legal remedies should Sega deem the actions warranted.
Although talk of severe consequences for modification is potentially a cause for concern for gamers, many of whom use modifications like cross-talk or visual skins, the general feeling in discussions around the notice is one of optimism that the notice is not aimed at such modifications. Instead, players believe the declaration is in response to and a reference to modifications for competitive edges and players using mods or hacks to access downloadable content characters without having purchased them.
Provided players are right in their beliefs about the target of their message, this could prove to be a positive development for the game and the online experience for players around the world. Illegal hacks in competitive games can make them entirely unfair, even to the point of becoming unplayable without enhancement if not properly addressed. By cracking down on cheating early and effectively, Sega has the opportunity to keep the online competition enjoyable and balanced, and keep fans happily showing off or trying to overcome the speed of that famously fast hedgehog.
