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New Crazy Taxi title will be an open-world, massively multiplayer AAA game, according to Sega

OGM_Madness

Member
Sounds like massive scope creep

I rather pay $70 for a smaller focused game I can pick up and play (maybe imitate Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 with various smaller maps, a timer (that you can extend with successful jobs) and a list of missions you can do (collect a VHS, high scores, destroy 5 fire hydrants, etc) than a F2P, GaaS with a Battle Pass that will shut down after 10 months for not reaching 30 million players.
 

Dr_Salt

Banned
Sounds like massive scope creep

I rather pay $70 for a smaller focused game I can pick up and play (maybe imitate Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 with various smaller maps, a timer (that you can extend with successful jobs) and a list of missions you can do (collect a VHS, high scores, destroy 5 fire hydrants, etc) than a F2P, GaaS with a Battle Pass that will shut down after 10 months for not reaching 30 million players.
That sounds like a sure way to kill a franchise. No one is gonna pay 70 bucks for an arcade game nowadays.
 

Audiophile

Member
They should just make "Crazy Taxi Redux"; basically Crazy Taxi 1+2 with modern controls, jacked up visuals and minimal other embellishments. Keep it simple, keep it faithful and sell it for $29-35 to recapture some of the original audience and maximise sales with a low barrier of entry. Then do a separate multiplayer title that's either lower cost or free to play depending on what model they wanna approach it with.
 
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Damien Grief

Neo Member
Honestly, I don't hate the idea. I know people are super skeptical of online games from AAA developers these days with all the crazy bullshit in live service games lately but I think Crazy Taxi is actually suited pretty well for an MMO-like treatment. It would actually be pretty cool to see a bunch of other Crazy Taxis flying around as you're playing, having to avoid them as you bring a fare somewhere. And I think the old structure of the series is a little simplistic today for it to be a full AAA game without some design changes. This could keep the core of what fans love about the series while making it more fun to play with other people.

Of course, this assumes Capcom doesn't fuck it up somehow. So we'll see.
 

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Men_in_Boxes Men_in_Boxes right now

Family Guy Cockroach GIF
thats-true-kramer.gif
 

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
Fortunately, I still have Crazy Taxi 1, 2, and 3. They can fuck this game up, but at least Sega can't take those away from me.

They also need to stop shopping these retro revivals out to shitty mobile studios that have never produced a console game.
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
Immediate hard pass, then. No MMO. Oh well I was originally excited back at the TGAs. Admittedly at the time I did think it might be too good to be true. Should’ve listened to my instinct!
 
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Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Immediate hard pass, then. No MMO. Oh well I was originally excited back at the TGAs. Admittedly at the time I did think it might be too good to be true. Should’ve listened to my instinct!
Didn't Sega announce they were working on 4 or 5 "super games" which was Japanese for GAAS and it was heavily implied Crazy Taxi would be one of those super games?
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
Didn't Sega announce they were working on 4 or 5 "super games" which was Japanese for GAAS and it was heavily implied Crazy Taxi would be one of those super games?
Did the localized American PR for the announcement indicate they would all be GAAS and not single-player? I didn't get that sense from the trailer at the TGAs. If so I must have missed that. That is extremely disappointing, then. All five would be a pass for me, in that case. I'm sure I'm not alone, either.
 
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Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Did the localized American PR for the announcement indicate they would all be GAAS and not single-player? I didn't get that sense from the trailer at the TGAs. If so I must have missed that. That is extremely disappointing, then. All five would be a pass for me, in that case. I'm sure I'm not alone, either.
This is what Google produced...

"Sega's Super Game project is a collection of games that will use Sega's technologies and go beyond traditional game frameworks. The project was announced in 2021 and is expected to be released in 2026. Sega aims to create a game that will involve the entire gaming ecosystem, including players, streamers, and their viewers. The first Super Game is expected to rely heavily on user-generated content."

I guess Crazy Taxi wasn't officially announced as one of these. Maybe around the time of this announcement, Crazy Taxi was rumored to be in the works and it felt like an obvious choice to be a GAAS game to me.
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
This is what Google produced...

"Sega's Super Game project is a collection of games that will use Sega's technologies and go beyond traditional game frameworks. The project was announced in 2021 and is expected to be released in 2026. Sega aims to create a game that will involve the entire gaming ecosystem, including players, streamers, and their viewers. The first Super Game is expected to rely heavily on user-generated content."

I guess Crazy Taxi wasn't officially announced as one of these. Maybe around the time of this announcement, Crazy Taxi was rumored to be in the works and it felt like an obvious choice to be a GAAS game to me.
Yeah that's from 3 years ago and isn't explicitly mentioning Crazy Taxi. We'll see what happens
 
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M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
My pitch:

1. Recreation of NYC, 1:1 scale
2. Realtime connection to Uber servers
3. You are getting assigned a real call for a cab
4. You try to be faster than the real driver
5. You get his entire tip if you can beat him
How does it feel to have IQ 200?
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
They should just make "Crazy Taxi Redux"; basically Crazy Taxi 1+2 with modern controls, jacked up visuals and minimal other embellishments. Keep it simple, keep it faithful and sell it for $29-35 to recapture some of the original audience and maximise sales with a low barrier of entry. Then do a separate multiplayer title that's either lower cost or free to play depending on what model they wanna approach it with.

I don't know what modern controls mean in the context of Crazy Taxi, but every time this game gets re-released, people just bitch it doesnt have Offspring and ignore it. These are games people would pay $10-$15 max, because they are simple arcade games. Nobody cares. But nobody is going to care about this either.
 

hemo memo

You can't die before your death
“Open World” oh okay.
“massively multiplayer” Oh fuck
“AAA game” get the fuck outta here.
 

xrnzaaas

Member
I'm not planning to play the new Test Drive Socal Crown because of the online focus, the same will be with Crazy Taxi if the rumors are true.
 

Dr_Salt

Banned
Fortunately, I still have Crazy Taxi 1, 2, and 3. They can fuck this game up, but at least Sega can't take those away from me.

They also need to stop shopping these retro revivals out to shitty mobile studios that have never produced a console game.
Lol do you people even read the article or watch the video? Are you aware that this game is not only being produced by one of Sega's inhouse studios but Kenji Kanno the series original director/producer is helming this project?
 

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
Lol do you people even read the article or watch the video? Are you aware that this game is not only being produced by one of Sega's inhouse studios but Kenji Kanno the series original director/producer is helming this project?

I'm closer to this project than you realize, but sure.
 

Muffdraul

Member
Ngl, an MMO Crazy Taxi could actually work... And I am usually one of the MMO/live-service haters.
So am I. I loved OG Crazy Taxi so much, and my best memories of it are playing it with friends, getting buzzed and passing the controller around... I will try to piggy back on your optimism.
 
If this is legitimate, of course it has to be huge open world, live service and massively multiplayer. Next Virtua Fighter 6 will probably be open world, live service as well. I don’t mind multiplayer, but I’m not sure how open world will work for Crazy Taxi. Guess we’ll see.

I can see a more realistic map adding some flavor to it. You might discover routes that get you to destinations quicker as you learn the city and things like that.
 

Killer8

Gold Member
Honestly I have no problem with this. Crazy Taxi needs more meat on the bone. It basically perfected the idea right out the gate and is mainly suitable for single digit minute long sessions. Let's not forget it's a quarter muncher arcade game. I don't think you could make the game today with the same staying power without radically changing it in some way, and if an MMO is it then... go for it.
 

EDMIX

Writes a lot, says very little
I mean, to be fair....Crazy Taxi was open world, Crazy Taxi had a multiplayer mode (like 2 player split screen) Sooooooooo most of what is being said here is actually moot.

Do some of you not remember that fucking game or something?
 
I'm closer to this project than you realize, but sure.
If so, are you in a position to assist or steer them on the right path? Would be swell if they had someone who at least understood the essence of Crazy taxi to help them narrow in on what made the originals cool/memorable.
 
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Fat Frog

I advertised for Google Stadia
I'm closer to this project than you realize, but sure.
Uncle at Sega ?

I don't get your point.
Yeah, mobile Crazy Taxi spin offs were made by mobile studios but there is a double confirmation that this new game is in house. (Sega's statement and recruits pages that pointed for months Sega Sapporo which is a new studio managed by Sega veterans)
 

Fat Frog

I advertised for Google Stadia
If so, are you in a position to assist or steer them on the right path? Would be swell if they had someone who at least understood the essence of Crazy taxi to help them narrow in on what made the originals cool/memorable.
I doubt a random guy on Gaf would understand more than Kanno (the father of Crazy Taxi) what makes the IP memorable.

Even if that random guy was a new member of the team, i would still trust Kanno...
Talking is easy.
 
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I doubt a random guy on Gaf would understand more than Kanno (the father of Crazy Taxi) what makes the IP memorable.

Even if that random guy was a new member of the team, i would still trust Kanno...
Talking is easy.
Depends. I'm willing to extend a person who was there during the zeitgeist of the game, and having experienced it themselves during their youth and its prime, the benefit of doubt. At the very least, they may have developed a "feel" for the game's essence and aesthetic. They could potentially give input on if something is "off" about the visual identity and graphical presentation for example.

Also, I do agree that original creator probably holds the most comprehensive understanding behind it.
 
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Fbh

Gold Member
Good luck to them but this seems like overkill for Crazy Taxi in 2025 (or 26?).
It's a mildly successful franchise from 25 years ago, I can see it making a return as a $40 AA game, get some The Offspring songs, add a couple of new game mechanics and make something that feels a bit more modern but still embraces nostalgia.

But a fully AAA GAAS? I don't know.
Younger gamers don't care about this IP. Is it going to be Fortnite Taxi where we grind for color coded loot as we listed to mumble rap ?
 

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
If so, are you in a position to assist or steer them on the right path? Would be swell if they had someone who at least understood the essence of Crazy taxi to help them narrow in on what made the originals cool/memorable.

Nah, but I am familiar with how they're approaching all of the current retro revivals they're working on. They started with a laudable idea - bringing back classic Sega IP with new games instead of yet another emulated compilation - but they're being done as inexpensively as possible, and by teams that largely don't understand the franchise or what made the originals good. You can't expect Sega to have the same arcade sensibilities they had back 20-30 years ago, but I don't have any real hope that these will turn out.

All I'm saying is, temper your expectations.
 
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