GvR's post also highlights how SEGA has come up with progressively worse ideas over the years. 3D Sonic? Alternative characters? That's fine and good. But the human thing, speaking and guns/werewolves not so much.
SEGA should really take a page from Nintendo. Nintendo hasn't done a lot with expanding the Mario universe all that much, they've just made games focusing on the same formula with twists like a different setting or game engine. Focus on gameplay. SEGA seems to move more toward a Square-Enix type of interactive storytelling which isn't what Sonic fans are prepared for.
Though a PC gamer I've played almost all of the [good] Sonic games sans Sonic Adventure (which I might have to pirate some day if it gets too hard to find). All of them are still pretty fun today, despite having the same basic storyline and/or plot.
I must commend Sonic 3 for being interesting and having an eventful story though…
Anyway, on the Ringo thing. Whatever it is won't be the mascot unless the games sell extraordinarily well.
Maybe we're past the era of mascot setting, sort of like losing the ability to grow nerve cells. Those who are already legendary might be permanently associated with their respective company.