You mean the same guy who basically gave a middle finger to when the games had ACTUAL platforming and momentum-based speed? The same guy who said that "Sonic is not for you!" (implying that nobody over 13 has no right to complain about the series)?
Is there any wonder why guys like me can't stand guys like him, for all he does to just serve as an all too apparent reminder that Sega/Sonic has no idea what the flying [tornado fang] they're doing with the franchise?
Yes.
He's running a company, he's had to sit in on the briefings of upcoming games, he's had to have had some knowledge of those games. And while I can't say 100% certain that's what he hates about the games, I can't really think of any other reason to do so.
But as much as he's at fault, there are plenty of other hands in Sonic's ruin. We've got managers who are too budget and deadline-driven, testers who aren't speaking up, game designers who are letting 40 million Sonic clones run wild and have furry relationships with humans, fans who approve of that sort of thing and eat up the worst part of Shadow's character and that Sonic X cartoon like it's some sort of mana from heaven,
and last but certainly not least,
Stage designers who either make the platforming too stiff or make the whole stage a platformer, the speed segments interrupted (easily, whether by extra added tasks you must perform or poor rail/Gimmick controls), and bottom-open design/tall walls-to-pits/very vague puzzle and color descriptions. All this on top of enemy lifebars and whatever new attack that usually fails to deliver.
I don't blame them for not being able to balance the platforming/speed; that's very hard for new designers who know nothing of the games to do, much less as a matter of a job entirely. And even though it's critical, I'm willing to forgive them on that. But what they
have done with Sonic lately, gameplay aside, is a complete abomination, and I only hope Sonic 4 purges it and the people behind it.