Sega Defends Wiping of Sonic 4 Leaderboards

Sega has completely wiped the online leaderboards for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 due to rampant cheating, taking along legitimate records as a result.

While the move earned the company some praise for attempting to clear the system of 0-second times and 99999990 scores, it also caught criticism from fans for issuing a "useless" quick-fix. Although many impossible records have been removed, there's nothing to stop hackers from reposting them. In fact, some have popped back online already.

Sega America Community Manager Aaron Webber defended the action on the company's forums, stating that "the reset was not useless - and is far better than simply leaving even more hacked times up there.

"It's not a long-term solution, but while we look into what options there are to combat this effectively for good, I think it's very important to do what we can in the short-term, too." Webber urged fans to be patient for a more permanent solution.

Are you surprised that people take the time to cheat at leaderboards in this manner? Speak out in the comments section below.