Job Postings Confirm Sega Recruiting For New Open-World, Massively Multiplayer ‘Crazy Taxi’ Game

Gena starts the meter in Crazy Taxi (1999), Sega
Gena starts the meter in Crazy Taxi (1999), Sega

Are you a fan of Crazy Taxi?

Well, then you’re in luck, because based on recent job postings, it seems Sega is gearing up to take on some new fares.

Gena gets some air in Crazy Taxi (TBD), Sega
Gena gets some air in Crazy Taxi (TBD), Sega

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For those of you who might not remember it, the first Crazy Taxi game made its arcade debut in 1999.

In it, players assumed the role of a taxi driver who must deliver passengers to their destinations as quickly as possible, earning tips along the way by performing daring stunts and avoiding collisions with other motorists – and as you’d imagine, these fares would become more challenging and time-restrictive as the player progressed.

Axel drops off a fare in Crazy Taxi (1999), Sega
Axel drops off a fare in Crazy Taxi (1999), Sega

According to the aforementioned job postings, the upcoming sequel – the first new mainline series entry since 2002’s Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller – will be a large-scale, open-world, massively multiplayer driving game.

Further, some pretty interesting insights can be found on the game’s official recruitment page.

Based on the scale of talent the company is searching for, it appears Sega is looking to heavily invest in this project’s development, as they are currently looking to fill a variety of positions, including game designer, level designer, effects designer, character modeler, and concept artist.

The cops give chase in Crazy Taxi (TBD), Sega
The cops give chase in Crazy Taxi (TBD), Sega

A video interview with the game’s development team, published on July 1 on the official Sega YouTube channel provides further insights into the project.

Describing the upcoming Crazy Taxi game as “completely new”, series producer Kenji Kanno informed fans, “We are currently fine-tuning the specifics and testing the game’s compatibility with multiplayer play.”

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Kanno went on to say that the team is aiming to preserve the classic Crazy Taxi style while introducing new mechanics and features. To do this, the developers are creating a realistic city environment alongside a theme park-like map, with motifs inspired by the US West Coast.

Notably, the series’ pivot to multiplayer was previously hinted at in a teaser video, its contents showing multiple taxis on the move.

It also depicted a player driving a police car, suggesting that players are likely to be presented with a variety of gameplay modes and vehicle options with which to experience.

The 5-0 goes from 0-to-60 in Crazy Taxi (TBD), Sega
The 5-0 goes from 0-to-60 in Crazy Taxi (TBD), Sega

How exactly this gameplay shift will work for the franchise is anyone’s guess – especially fans’. But at the very least, it’s an interesting pivot for a series that hasn’t seen any love in over twenty years.

While development on the new Crazy Taxi game is well underway, Sega has not yet announced a release date or the platforms for which the game will be available.

Axel is on the job in Crazy Taxi (1999), Sega
Axel is on the job in Crazy Taxi (1999), Sega

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