Sega has seemingly confirmed that their upcoming Crazy Taxi reboot is being designed as an AAA title.
Originally released in 1999 as an arcade game before being made available for the Dreamcast the following year, Crazy Taxi spawned a number of sequels and mobile spin-offs. However, there hasn’t been a new mainline console game since Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller was released in 2002.
Last year, Sega confirmed they would be rebooting Crazy Taxi, alongside a number of other classic games. No further details were shared but, in a new interview, it seems the scale of the game has been revealed.
Sega senior executive officer Takaya Segawa spoke to the Japan Times recently [via VGC] about their Sapporo Studio, which was established in 2021.
“We’re responsible for titles such as Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis and Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage in cooperation with the bases in Tokyo and overseas. We are also participating in the development of triple-A titles, including Crazy Taxi,” he continued. “At present, we don’t have any titles developed independently by the studio, but we intend to do so in the future.”
AAA games are usually the result of higher development and marketing budgets, which is typically reflected in the scale and polish of the finished product.
Speaking about the decision to reboot Crazy Taxi, Sega America CEO Shuji Utsumi said: “In recent years, Sonic the Hedgehog has forged new paths for Sega, bringing the franchise to life and reaching new audiences in ways we had only dreamed of in the past.”
“Building off that success, we are digging into our legacy and reimagining several franchises to bring these games to more audiences around the globe,” he continued, saying the likes of Jet Set Radio, Streets Of Rage, Golden Axe, Shinobi and Crazy Taxi were just the “start” of that initiative.
“First and foremost, our ambition will be to create great games with memorable characters and worlds. We hope fans of all ages will look towards our future with anticipation as we release these projects in the coming years.”
In other news, reports suggest that Respawn Entertainment is currently developing a Mandalorian video game set before the events of the Disney+ tv series.