SEGA has announced the next installment in the Crazy Taxi series, but the revelation that artificial intelligence was used in its development has left many fans disappointed.
Crazy Taxi Returns with AI Controversy
The trailer for Crazy Taxi: World Tour debuted at the Xbox Game Showcase, showcasing vibrant graphics and gameplay across five global cities. However, fans quickly noticed a disclaimer on the game's Steam page stating that generative AI was used as a support tool during development.
SEGA's statement reads: "At SEGA Corporation, we utilize generative AI as a support tool for developers, aiming to provide better content to our users and enable developers to focus more on creative tasks. We have used such generative AI support tools during development of Crazy Taxi: World Tour. No AI was used in reference to the performers in the game."
Details on AI Usage
A more detailed clarification from SEGA, posted by Brian Shea on BlueSky, specifies that "Generative AI was used to support our teams during the development of background assets for Crazy Taxi: World Tour. Assets generated were still subject to review by the development team."
Despite this, fans are expressing strong disapproval. One comment on the trailer reads: "Restart development without the AI and we'll talk." Another adds: "You're better than this. Come on guys…" A third states: "I was very excited for this game, but not anymore, knowing it was made with generative AI even as a 'support tool' has killed any interest."
Industry Perspective on AI Backlash
Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad notes: "It's going to be something watching Asia based devs grapple with the fact that while GenAI is more accepted in their domestic markets, they're going to see massive backlash in Western markets." Regarding potential sales impact, he adds: "The real question of course is whether there will be a material impact on sales. I haven't seen much evidence there has been one, whether you look at Expedition 33, Arc Raiders, recent Capcom games, miHoYo titles, Call of Duty etc."
Crazy Taxi: World Tour is scheduled for release in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. A specific launch date has not yet been announced.
