An interview with the CEO and creative director of Big Red Button has shed a little light upon the reasoning behind the redesigns of four main characters in the Sonic universe for the new Sonic Boom franchise that is in development right now. Basically it was all about making the characters look older and more experienced while still maintaining their distinctive features so you could tell who they were. And the seemingly random wraps tie into that too.
“The wraps are there because it shows that the characters are not vain. They're not so much concerned about their gear, like, for example, Dr. Eggman, who is more of the vain, militaristic-looking guy who wants to have all the pomp and pageantry of that outfit.” Bob Rafei said about the characters. He goes on to say that the design team took direction from the idea of football players and boxers with the wraps, in that the characters are doing it out of necessity because of their goal. “They're just trying to do the thing that they need to do to get through to the action and then their goal.” The gear each character wears is meant to relate to their love of action and adventure, which can be seen in the handkerchief Sonic has donned or Tails' goggles – both have a history of being adventurer gear.
The new designs were revealed over a month ago and the Internet instantly reacted to them, prompting waves of fanart and discussions over what the new games and TV series might lead to. Rafei sees the reaction as being a sign that they're headed in the right direction.
“From my perspective, if there wasn't such controversy, or potentially conversation about it, I should say, then we would not have been doing our job. As an independent developer who has been brought into the family to try something different, if it was seen as, 'Oh, it looks like another Sonic title,' then I think I would've failed Sega, personally.”
But at the same time, the team made sure they stayed in contact with Sonic Team to be sure that the re-designs weren't going too far beyond what was needed. Rafei notes that some early designs were judged to be a step too far which set what he sees as a needed guideline for them to refine the new ideas. He also recognises that Sonic as a character has been around for a long time, and so they didn't wish to mess with his distinctive and recognisable outline too much.
Whatever you might think of the new designs (I'm personally still a bit confused at Knuckles') or the new character, Sticks, who was introduced a few days earlier, you can't deny that Big Red Button are committed to pushing the boundaries for Sonic as a game's franchise. Even if it is to be a separate continuity from the other Sonic game in development right now, it's possible that Sonic Boom could be the shake-up that the series has needed for a few years.