Sega has a ton of beloved games and game franchises under its belt. Tonight during the 2023 Game Awards, the company revealed that five of those game franchises are getting new titles.
The games themselves are Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Shinobi, and Golden Axe. The trailer that accompanied the reveal showed off brief gameplay footage from each game. The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley stated that all of these revived Sega games will be released over the “next several years".
Variety has some more info on these new games via a chat with Sega COO Shuji Utsumi:
Beyond the five reboots announced, Utsumi says there are additional projects Sega is currently evaluating but has “not yet greenlit.” While nailing down specific release dates for the new Crazy Taxi, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio and Shinobi games is a long way away, Utsumi estimates that the earliest reboot will arrive “in the range of two years.”
The reboots will feature all-new gameplay, and Utsumi promises they will appeal to both those who played the original titles and younger gamers who grew up clutching an iPad. The Sega COO, who also serves as CEO of Sega of America, said the company was inspired to mine its own IP from the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s because it believes gaming’s footprint in mainstream culture is growing.
There"s no word on which development teams are working on these Sega game reboots yet. Variety"s article points out that the company has had a lot of success in bringing its mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog in two live action movies, and a third Sonic film is due in theaters on December 20, 2024. It"s likely that the company would like to see even more of its franchises turned into movies, TV shows, and other media as well.