I don't think game development happens that fast, and I don't think its that convenient. Because there are quite a few folks, who given classic sonic has a game... aren't really fond of classic sonic's appearance, and some folks kinda like " i would rather just be able to play as tails than an oC".When you are designing games,even CGI animated features it takes years to create, so most of the time you need to be thinking years ahead of the curve as far as trends are concerned. I don't think its that convenient, I also think they wanted to do this for years. And they used the tride and true sega stragtegy of instead of focusing on a new idea, and perfecting that idea in a single game, throw it in with a bunch of other game play styles that don't fit and they are all less than great.
( oh hey, the classic sections and OC sections of forces don't look great, and have been descriptive to be rather floaty and slow and the level design isn't the best. If only there were a sonic game that focused on one thing. Oh there is, and its sonic mania and it looks fucking amazing. Ohnoo)
Back to my point, I don't think it was " this used to be boom sonic" situation, I think they wanted to do this for a while, and did it. And I think boom sonic was never planned to be in there in the first place, I think the massive disdain for boom as a product was a " bonus" for lack of a better term. I also don't think boom sonic was ever a choice because of how sonic team of japan operates. They kind of don't take much , unless they made it themselves. The only thing they designed for sonic boom, was sticks. And the only one the Japanese side uses in stuff, is sticks. And outside of like , sonic channel drawings of boom sonic, that's it. They take the stuff they did themselves, or they take the one thing that they like. Like shadow's inhibitor ring concept.
As the sonic boom concept art proved they are very... reserved on what their view of sonic is. And even though they are apart of a larger company that can use the brand , they themselves don't really have to acknowledge or care about it.
Its like the comics, ( which is one of the reasons why I get a bit scared every time this thread pops up, I think the comics death announcement finally happened) , if they do end. They will probably take like the one or two things they like ( my guess being eclipse, and the eggboss concept) and then the rest of those characters will never see the light of day again and will live with cosmo and her plant people in the basement.
. I'm sorry...though Archie should REALLY have an answer for this by now.