Why does Sega not make more playable?

[prowerboy]

Technically, not true. Shadow, Knuckles, and Blaze were playable along with Sonic in Black Knight story. All you had to do was wait until a specific part in the story when you were allowed to play as them (we even had other characters playable in the multiplayer section of the game). And Black Knight released in 2010 as well. :X

Edit - Unless we're talking about 3D canon Sonic games only, then nvm.

Well, I mean more in the non-obscure section. It doesn't have to be cannon, but a game where the characters are actually themselves. In a way, I wouldn't count that, none of the characters were in their real form, plus they didn't have story parts where you could see development or bonding. That and Shadow and Blaze were the center of attention at the time.

[Sonic CD]

Well, I mean more in the non-obscure section. It doesn't have to be cannon, but a game where the characters are actually themselves. In a way, I wouldn't count that, none of the characters were in their real form, plus they didn't have story parts where you could see development or bonding. That and Shadow and Blaze were the center of attention at the time.

Ah, I understand now. Well, yeah, 2006 was the last.

[SMS Skull Leader]

Basically, they don't want to risk having a bland game with several characters. I believe they have (if even barely so) the creativity to at least implement Tails and Knuckles back in a non-gimmicky way (no more Mechs or Treasure hunting please) while they add something new to the series.

Yet ironically have released many bland games, being Episode II the last one, where gimmicky gameplay was forced in an attempt to re-invent Sonic and Tails yet achieving so little in that aspect... (personally the most creativity shown in 2-D still belongs to Amy and Knuckles, but since Sega is not willing to use them nor let anyone other than Sonic take lead...)

Thing is, that'd cost money. Doing Sonic-only stages is simpler and doesn't require having multiple abilities in mind all the time.

They don't have to keep the other character's abilities in mind when designing a level. Just put them in with their unique abilities and let the players find out how to make the better use of them. This at least works in 2-D and has been done officially (including Tails in Sonic CD ior Knuckles in Sonic 2 via lock-on) and unoficially (the hacks made by E-122 which "ported" other characters in games that never considered their abilities with very good and fun results).

[Bolt The Cat]

If you look back at Sonic Heroes, you can clearly see how well the characters can play.
Even Big had decent gameplay, he uses his fishing pole to destroy enemies, and can bounce around on his stomach.

Heroes is hardly an example of good alternate character gameplay since characters were pretty much shoehorned in the game and the characters all felt like clones of each other.

[thesoniczone11]

Heroes is hardly an example of good alternate character gameplay since characters were pretty much shoehorned in the game and the characters all felt like clones of each other.

Each character had their own twist on the gameplay.

[Bolt The Cat]

Each character had their own twist on the gameplay.

Nope, pretty much every move is a reskin of another team's move.

[thesoniczone11]

Nope, pretty much every move is a reskin of another team's move.

Espio turns invisible
Amy can fly
Sonic and Shadow can light dash
Tails and Rouge have bombs
Cream shoots Cheese at enemies
Charmy stings enemies
Charmy can teleport between flowers
etc.

[Anti Alias]

Amy can fly

Wait, WHAT?!?

HOW???

[thesoniczone11]

Wait, WHAT?!?

HOW???

Propeller Hammer. She mastered it in Generations.

[Bolt The Cat]

Espio turns invisible
Amy can fly
Sonic and Shadow can light dash
Tails and Rouge have bombs
Cream shoots Cheese at enemies
Charmy stings enemies
Charmy can teleport between flowers
etc.

They're very subtle differences among a sea of clone gameplay. They're going to need to vary the gameplay more than that.