From GameWatcher: “Publisher Sega has lofty plans for its Sonic IP, aiming to develop it in such a way that it will “catch up and surpass Mario” in the future.
Sonic and Mario have always been competitors, but where Nintendo has managed to consistently stick the landing with its titles even when stepping outside its comfort zone Sega’s output has often received a mixed reception from both fans and critics.
Source: N4G PC Sega wants Sonic IP to finally "catch up and surpass Mario"