Sonic 1 was great! Sonic 2 was good! Heck, I even loved Sonic 3. But almost every Sonic since has been a bit, well, rubbish. Which has been a problem for Sega for, oh, over a decade now. We know it, you know it, so it's little surprise to see that, yes, even Sega know it, too, with Sega USA's Sean Ratcliffe saying:
Some of that criticism is probably warranted. We definitely recognize that a franchise that has been going as long as Sonic, you really have to put a huge amount of effort in to make sure that you maintain that quality, and arguably a disproportionate amount of effort. However, I would say we recognize it, which is why you're seeing us this year taking the first steps in making sure the quality is right, and we're constantly looking at innovation.
Oh, wonderful. Though you've got to wonder why they're taking the "first steps in making sure the quality is right" in 2008. Sega: Sonic Criticism Warranted [GameDaily]