In a desperate chase towards Fortnite's meteoric success, SEGA is working on what they call the Sega Super Game Initiative to revive dormant franchises that will fit within the current gaming ecosystem. The company is digging into their classics to find the next big free-to-play hit, and revitalizing Crazy Taxi just might be crazy enough to work. Sonic has already found a resurgence with his recent film success. Crazy Taxi can follow suit by combining its timeless gameplay with the free-to-play formula.
A reboot of Crazy Taxi has reportedly been in development for over a year now. SEGA wants to build a free-to-play competitive online game that is open for in-game purchases, using Fortnite as a blueprint. This may sound like mischievous marketing getting in the way of creativity, but Crazy Taxi may be the right mix of engaging gameplay and a free-to-play model that will genuinely satisfy fans.
For the uninitiated, Crazy Taxi is a high speed arcade classic where players rush quirky pedestrians to their destinations for massive high scores. Driving around the blazing San Francisco streets is a blast thanks to the game's fluid driving mechanics and style. It’s loud and aggressive aesthetic reflects the attitude of the late '90s and early 2000s from which the franchise spawned. All these pieces effortlessly coming together is what made Crazy Taxi become a cult classic.
One aspect of Crazy Taxi that makes it gel so well with the free-to-play model SEGA is aiming for is the notorious product placement. Crazy Taxi's original releases implemented product placement like KFC, Tower Records and FILA throughout. Not-so-subtle ads have become so synonymous with Crazy Taxi that the phrase "Take me to the Pizza Hut!" is one of the game's most iconic catchphrases. Crazy Taxi is already beloved for its own goofy product placements and will thus translate perfectly in an age wherein Sony and Microsoft want to push advertisements into more games.
There's a reason SEGA wants to bring back old franchises for this new initiative rather than make new ones, and that's because of the value for nostalgia. Crazy Taxi is not only nostalgic for reaching cult classic status, but mainly because the game's style is such a product of its time that the game appeals heavily to the late '90s and early 2000s generation of gamers. Sega could inject even more nostalgia into product placement by using the early 2000s renditions of the iconic name brand logos everybody loves. Free-to-play games tend to cash in on nostalgic cross promotion, for which Crazy Taxi is already ripe
.
Now is the right time to develop a new arcade style driving game as there's been an uptick in popularity for the whole genre. The fun arcade-leaning Forza Horizon series has broken out from the shadow of its simulation focused big brother. Forza Motorsports and Rocket League prove that there's a large demand for free-to-play competitive multiplayer driving games. Crazy Taxi already has the addictive score chasing gameplay nailed down and will fit nicely alongside its modern competition. Allowing players to fully customize their taxis to race against each other and the clock for the highest score is the kind of fast-paced showboating people crave.
Despite being over twenty years old, not many developers have attempted to take Crazy Taxi's place in a meaningful way. This leaves plenty of room for this special gameplay loop to return. Crazy Taxi is in a perfect spot to make an impactful comeback as a free-to-play game because its hectic gameplay and bombastic presentation make it a wild ride for everyone.