Reports suggest Sega is eyeing big-budget reboots of games like Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio.
According to a report by Bloomberg which quoted people familiar with its plans, Sega is eyeing the two titles for its Super Game initiative, which was announced a year ago in a bid to boost revenue sources and build an online community around its software portfolio.
The Super Game project is reportedly led by Sega’s video game chief, Shuji Utsumi, and Sega forecasts the project will bring in as much as US$780 million in lifetime revenue.
Bloomberg said the new Crazy Taxi has already been in development for over a year, and the Japanese game company allegedly plans to release it within the next few years.
The report also said Sega was eyeing Fortnite as a role model, because it’s free-to-play, available across multiple platforms and can host large multiplayer contests.
(I imagine a multiplayer Crazy Taxi would be extremely chaotic.)
Bloomberg’s sources also warned that both games were in the early stages of creation and could still be cancelled.
That Sega picked Crazy Taxi isn’t surprising – the title was top of a list of internationally recognised IPs that Sega drew up for an annual report in March 2021.
For those unfamiliar with the series, you play as a taxi driver in Crazy Taxi, who earns money by sending passengers to their destinations in the fastest time possible. Tips can also be earned by performing crazy stunts before the time runs out.
The series is also known for its soundtrack, which featured rock and pop bands like The Offspring and S Club 7.
The game first appeared in arcades back in 1999 and its success led it to being ported to Sega’s Dreamcast console a year later.
It would eventually go on to become one of the Dreamcast’s best-selling games in the United States, and the Crazy Taxi went on to spawn at least two more volumes and a mobile game.
*Featured image from Crazy Taxi
By Samantha Chan \ 10:00, 26 April 2022