SEGA Dives Into its Legacy for New IP Initiative
New Games for Crazy Taxi™, Golden Axe™, Jet Set Radio™, Shinobi™ and Streets of Rage™ Now in Development
IRVINE, Calif. - December 8, 2023 – At The Game Awards 2023, one of the largest annual video game industry events in the world, Sega of America unveiled an initiative to produce brand new titles from the publisher’s treasure trove of beloved IP. New games are currently in development for five of the company's legacy franchises: Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio, Shinobi and Streets of Rage – all reimagined for modern audiences.
“In recent years, Sonic the Hedgehog has forged new paths for SEGA, bringing the franchise to life and reaching new audiences in ways we had only dreamed of in the past. Building off that success, we are digging into our legacy and reimagining several franchises to bring these games to more audiences around the globe,” says Co-COO of Sega Corporation and CEO of Sega of America, Shuji Utsumi. “Today's announcement is just the start of our initiative. First and foremost, our ambition will be to create great games with memorable characters and worlds. We hope fans of all ages will look towards our future with anticipation as we release these projects in the coming years.”
The upcoming projects, spanning a range of genres, are currently in different stages of development and will release over the next several years. The first of these games will be based on the following legacy franchises:
- Crazy Taxi franchise – A whacky, high-octane driving adventure series where players must weave through traffic in an open play environment to deliver passengers to their destinations before time runs out.
- Golden Axe franchise – A "hack and slash”-style series with close melee combat set in a fantasy world of beasts, swords, and magic.
- Jet Set Radio franchise – This franchise combines action packed traversal around vibrant Tokyo-to with skating, self-expression through graffiti, street culture and rebellious themes.
- Shinobi franchise – A series that utilizes ninja shuriken, ninjutsu, special attacks and more to defeat enemies in a mix of side-scrolling action and challenging environments.
- Streets of Rage franchise – A “beat 'em up”-style series that pairs fast-paced fist fighting with fresh music set in a lawless urban environment.
More details on each of these upcoming games, including official game titles, release dates and platforms, will be shared in the future. To stay in the loop, fans can visit nextlevel.sega.com to sign up and receive all the latest updates on these SEGA projects and more.
For more information on SEGA of America and their titles, please visit sega.com.
About SEGA of America, Inc.
SEGA of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA CORPORATION, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment. Established in 1986, SEGA of America publishes innovative interactive entertainment experiences for console, PC, mobile and emerging platforms. In 2020, SEGA ranked #1 among Metacritic's Annual Game Publisher Rankings. Its globally beloved franchises include Sonic the Hedgehog™, Like a Dragon™, Virtua Fighter™, Super Monkey Ball™, and Phantasy Star Online™, along with Atlus' Persona™ and Shin Megami Tensei™ series. Since its debut more than three decades ago, Sonic has become a pop culture icon featured in dozens of games, TV series, and movies. SEGA of America has offices in Irvine and Burbank, California. Visit www.sega.com.
ⒸSEGA. All rights reserved. SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. SEGA, the SEGA logo, Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio, Shinobi and Streets of Rage are registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners.