Overdue: Sega to fix Sonic the Hedgehog 'over time'

Would you consider it a small victory if Sega of America's marketing VP, Sean Ratcliffe, was cognizant of the company mascot's ongoing and unceasingly spectacular nosedive? "The quality is something that will be fixed over time," he told Industry Gamers, addressing Sonic the Hedgehog's well-publicized fall from blast-processed grace.

Though Ratcliffe insisted that last year's Sonic Unleashed proved to be a hit with "the kids," it's the "die-hard Sega fans" that were "fairly critical." Which is putting it quite "nicely," we think. Sega is investigating numerous options for Sonic's future -- including digital distribution through iPhone, XBLA "and so on" -- though Ratcliffe warns that "it's always a challenge to raise that quality bar."

Really? When it's all the way down there?