Gaming developer and publisher Sega is interested in rebooting two of its most beloved dormant franchises: Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio. The news comes as part of a financial results presentation. Other cult classic franchises owned by the company were listed as well.
Jet Set Radio was originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000. The goal was to travel across Tokyo on a skateboard and build up a gang's reputation by spraying graffiti. The series was renowned for its funky music and unique art style. Crazy Taxi, meanwhile, began as an arcade title that was later ported to the Dreamcast. Players were tasked with driving a taxi and delivering passengers to their destinations. However, the payout would increase with stunts performed. Like JSR, it featured music prominently, with tracks by bands such as The Offspring and Bad Religion. Crazy Taxi was last seen with Crazy Taxi Tycoon in 2017, while Jet Set Radio Future was released in 2002.
According to IGN, Sega has been considering taking a new direction for the future. Their end-of-fiscal-year slideshow, now published to SegaSammy, has a few slides dedicated to dormant IPs. For example, the company is worried about its "utilization of IP assets." There is a desire to reboot, remake, or remaster their "globally recognized" but otherwise dormant franchises.
In other words, Sega wants to take advantage of other series in its library, not just the heavy-hitters of Sonic the Hedgehog and Yakuza. Among those series are the aforementioned Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio. These are not the only abandoned IPs available to Sega, however. NiGHTS, Panzer Dragoon, Rez, and Space Channel 5 were all listed as well. Sega also revealed it's been at work on a "super game."
All of these series are cult classics or fan favorites in their own rights, and their revival would surely be met with excitement. But Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi are two of the most recognizable, influential, and memorable titles in their respective genres. The latter in particular has patented gameplay and was even rumored to become a movie.
This is not a confirmation that Sega is bringing these series back, just a statement that there is interest in revitalization. However, seeing how fans react to the possibility of revival could be crucial in their decision on which franchise to bring back first. Spiritual successors, like No Straight Roads for Jet Set, have been received well. But nothing quite compares to the original. Now, it is up to Sega to decide when the time is right to hit the streets again.
Source: IGN