In a joint announcement today, SEGA of America and SEGA Europe revealed the existence of a brand new Sonic title, called 'Sonic the Hedgehog'. The game will be available for both PlayStation 3 and the Xbox360.

Under the caring hands of the father of the franchise, Yuji Naka, the next-gen Sonic title is set to create blazing sense of speed combined with breathtaking art, mind bending physics and a realistic game design. Seemingly both SEGA and Naka-san are aiming to create the most intense sensation of speed ever experienced in videogames.

According to the official press release, "Sonic the Hedgehog represents the most recognizable example of classic SEGA properties that we will recreate for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360," said Naoya Tsurumi, CEO of SEGA of America and SEGA Europe. "When Sonic The Hedgehog debuted on the SEGA Genesis in 1991, he reinvented the action-platform genre with speed and attitude. By harnessing the power of these new platforms, we are confident that Sonic will once again raise the bar for action gaming in 2006 and beyond."

"We are proud to re-create our famous friend, Sonic, for a new generation of gamers on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360," said Yuji Naka, R&D Creative Officer, SEGA Corporation. "With Sonic The Hedgehog, we have gone back to our starting point, more than 15-years ago, to reinvent the attitude and speed that made our hero a legend. The 'rebirth of Sonic' will offer an unparalleled sense of speed that is only possible using the processing power afforded by the new systems."

The franchise has gained itself an iconic status over the years comparable to none other than Nintendo's popular age old mascot, Mario. Press figures reveal the Sonic character has appeared in over 30 unique titles and games under its name have sold more than 38 million units to date across various platforms.

The famous hedgehog will be celebrating it's 15th Anniversary in 2006 and that's when SEGA is expected to ship the game on PS3 and Xbox360. Concrete details about the date of release were not presented at the moment.