SEGA is reportedly looking to produce "big-budget reboots" of the classic franchises Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi.
As reported by Bloomberg (cheers, Gematsu!), the company is aiming to pursue the likes of Fortnite in regards to popularity. The reboots are said to be the first in SEGA's "Super Game" initiative, which the company announced last year as a way to generate recurring revenue sources and cultivate online communities.
Fornite has been a massive success for Epic Games over the course of the last few years. With the title being free-to-play and available across most major platforms, it's easy to see why SEGA would want to emulate its success. Utilising recognisable names like Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio seems like a solid way to start.
SEGA is clearly betting big on their so-called "Super Games", having partnered up with Microsoft in 2021 to utilise its state-of-the-art technology to help "promote game development".
We'll keep our expectations in check with this one, but an online Crazy Taxi game sounds pretty cool, if you ask us!
What do you make of Sega's "Super Game" initiative? Are you excited at the prospect of Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio reboots? Let us know!
[source bloomberg.com, via gematsu.com]
Comments 47
AWESOME! My two favourite Sega franchises.
I never played set radio but man do I love looking at gameplay for it! I hope this is real!
I should be happy with this news but the Fortnite link gives me reservations. I think hoping for Fortnite levels of popularity from Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio is bordering on delusional but let's see what happens.
Awesome, cool,
Never have I cheered so much at a headline, then immediately screamed at the subheading.
this sounds great, but then you read this:
"The reboots are said to be the first in SEGA's 'Super Game' initiative, which the company announced last year as a way to generate recurring revenue sources and cultivate online communities."
gonna be NFT and microtransactions infested games. no thx.
Nah just buy Bomb Rush Cyberfunk instead, support the indies who kept the love for the series alive.
(I say while full knowing I will probably get this game)
Uh-oh. I don't have much confidence with SEGA these days.
Maybe they'll have online modes if they're comparing to Fortnite?
@6ch6ris6
This is it right here Sega wants people freaking out at the idea of a reboot but that’s not what’s gonna happen, I say their mindset is doing what Konami does with their beloved franchises and pachinko but applying it to some soulless NFT/MTX infested “super” game.
AH! Played Jet Set Radio Future in the Xbox so much back in the day. Think it came with the console along with Sega GT? In my child memory it exists as the coolest game ever. I'll happily take switch ports, but if they nail a reboot, it has potential to be incredible.
@ShadowofTwilight22 always been a silly narrative honestly. You have to be willingly ignorant of their output, especially nowadays when new Sonic games are less frequent.
In all seriousness, Fortnite took off because it was part of the intial battle royale craze that started with PUBG's explosive success and carried over to Fortnite Battle Royale, in part thanks to it's popularity on Twitch. It was only later down the line with Epic Games started doing Fornite crossovers with other entertainment brands/IPs, which later evolved to crossovers with real-world celebrities and pop-culture figures to further drive engagement and monetization.
I don't see anything in Crazy Taxi or Jet Set Radio that can make them as popular or as profitable as Fortnite. Maybe Sega is just building a Fortnite clone and slapping on the Crazy Taxi/Jet Set Radio name to turn a few heads..
Interesting, I wonder what it will be like. Online Crazy Taxi could be really good. Fortnite is a great model to follow. Free game for everyone, except those that feel a need to spend stupid amounts of money on a spiderman themed taxi.
@westman98 :Me reading this meme and realizing how true it is!
jet set radio is one of those games where...it's very aesthetically pleasing, and looks cool, but playing it is a bit of a nightmare at the worst of times and satisfactory at the best of times (at least the first one, mind you). if they bring it back, i hope they revamp the controls
Watch it not come to Switch, because SEGA.
It's SEGA. I always ready myself for disappointment with them. I'm actually going to invite them to my funeral when I die, so they can let me down one last time.
@somebread the first JSR? yes. but the JSRF on xbox was really fun to play IMO. of course it has aged in certain aspects like camera, but gameplay wise i would say it is still fun to play. there is a good feeling of flow when traversing through the game world
I love JSR and Crazy Taxi, but neither seem particularly suitable to be big budget "Super Games". The trouble with Sega is their arcade heritage doesn't translate well to long form games. They're meant to be quick sugar rush bursts of fun, not something you pad out into something you play for hours.
Not everything has to copy something else to find success. I really wish shareholders would internalize that.
@Royalblues How do you know they won't? He still gets work. Did the soundtrack to Hover and Bomb Rush Funk
It's nice to have dreams and all but trying to be the next Fortnite might be aiming a little high..
@Royalblues How do you know they won't? He still gets work. Did the soundtrack to Hover and Bomb Rush Funk.
Also heard that there is a Power Stone remake on the table and man I really hope it comes true. Could literally be Capcom's Smash Bros with its own unique roster and gameplay
I don’t care for most of SEGA’s IP, but I would keep my eyes peeled for a new Crazy Taxi.
And I’d kill for a new OutRun. Hell, just port OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast and I’ll be a happy man.
Very good news.
Absolutely loved JSR back in the day. But there's already that indie studio making a JSR spiritual successor, right? Bomb Blast something?
Would be cool if Sega could do it properly. Although I don't see how either of those games translates to a Fortnite style IP.
Great news! About time Sega focused on something other than just sonic
It would be cool to see Sega tap into their Dreamcast offerings. I haven't played them myself but researched them. Jet Set Radio is ripe for online multiplayer, as the whole game revolves around tagging other games turf kind of like Splatoon.
@Lord They've been doing everything but Sonic for years now. Unless you count their mobile offerings and the classic collections. We haven't had a new mainline Sonic game since 2017, 2d or 3d.
@BulkSlash If both games were set within same virtual city with other games set their too, that could justify the "super game" tag?
I have to admit, setting them both in the same city would be quite cool. I wonder would they both look the same or would the city be cel shaded when playing JSR and "normal" when playing it in Crazy Taxi?
Having games like Outrun and House of the Dead using the same area would be pretty interesting too.
As long as they have a good base game, then I don’t care if they add additional micro transactions like costumes, characters, or songs. It’s usually not good, sure, but of most games, I’d say that these ones wouldn’t be so much worse if they included them, as long as they aren’t Seasonal Pass type things or NFTs. If it’s just cosmetics and music, then that’d just be adding more spice to the games and their already funky styles, and I’m all for that.
Hmm… With the mention of Fortnite in here, I can’t help but wonder how they’d attempt to achieve the same level of popularity. These days, it’s all the cross over stuff that people talk about and meme up for it, so I wonder if we could see a similar thing in these? If so, I think it could be kinda cooler, because whereas Fortnite has its own sorta style, some things a just plopped in that don’t align with it. Meanwhile, these games TOTALLY have their own unique style, especially JSR. Thinking about it that way, I think it’d be cool to see guest characters designed in ways that fit these games styles, THAT would be awesome
No Crazy Taxi reboot would be as good as the original. It's the music that makes it, man
@drewber2635 lets be real power stone with current capcom would be addled with the same dlc and other bs that street fighter v was
2 of my favourite sega games but the fact that fortshite is mentioned makes it sound like they'll monetize them to death & try to turn them into battle royales 🙈
I have both on my old Dreamcast, but I find these 2 games very boring and with low replay value, unfortunately.
My sister loves Crazy taxi.
Jet Grind Radio & Crazy Taxi are 2 of my Sega favourites! It’s about time!
Add in a new Skies of Arcadia, Sonic Adventure, Vanquish, Binary Domain, Virtual-On etc. and that’d be ideal!
… Wun can only hope!
@locky-mavo or because the switch is outdated & developers are moving on to current gen
Well done to those who like either franchise
@Would_you_kindly
Oh sure, but even with the claim of “utilise its state-of-the-art technology”, it’ll hardly look and need current-gen and that won’t stop them from putting it on last-gen consoles either, because again, SEGA.
Could be interesting if there was Jet Grind game in a city online, but if you play the Crazy Taxi game it's the same city online but you're driving people around while people in the background spray paint buildings.
Nice but please don't let Forever Entertainment touch these, they tend to suck at remaking/rebooting classics.
Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but MMO Crazy Taxi would be, indeed, crazy. Imagine all the other cars also driving recklessly.
Ok please yes. I need a Jet Set Radio reboot ASAP.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...