I’ve never been a huge Sonic fan, but I do like Sega. And I think that’s Sega’s problem: it’s become obsessed with its past glories, not least Sonic. The first Sega console I owned was the Dreamcast, and when you think about it, the best games on that were the innovative stuff: Crazy Taxi, Space Channel 5, Shenmue, Super Monkey Ball, Jet Set Radio, etc.; things that had never been seen before. That was always Sega’s forte: yes, there were the bright blue skies, the beautiful worlds with no worries, but even Sonic was different when it was new, and OutRun was a refreshing new twist on the driving game. Sega just doesn’t innovate any more.

Personally, I think the move out of the console market sparked a fear in the company that it still hasn’t got over. New Sonic games, new OutRuns, harking back to the glory days, are a safe bet even when the results aren’t much to write home about. It’s scared to take the risks it used to.