The reveal of Crazy Taxi: World Tour at the Xbox Summer Showcase sparked immediate excitement among long-time fans eager to see the legendary arcade racer make a comeback. However, that enthusiasm was quickly tempered by a Steam page listing that suggested the integration of generative AI, igniting a heated debate within the gaming community. During an exclusive hands-off preview, I spoke directly with series creator and lead producer Kenji Kanno to clear up the confusion regarding the studio’s stance on AI development.
The initial statement on the game’s Steam page was brief and somewhat ambiguous:
“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.”
After receiving additional feedback, a Sega spokesperson provided a slightly more detailed explanation, clarifying that generative AI was utilized solely as an optional utility for background assets, all of which underwent rigorous human review. Crucially, the company reaffirmed that no AI was employed to replicate human performances.
Seeking definitive answers, I asked Kanno to elaborate on the actual role of generative tech in the game’s production. He explained that AI is relegated to a minor, auxiliary role in their creative workflow:
“I want to provide clarity on how we’re using generative AI. It is a very small component of our overall creative process. To provide some context on our design workflow: for ‘World Tour,’ we are featuring five distinct countries. While I cannot disclose which locations those are, our team of artists and designers personally visited these sites to gather authentic visual references. AI served only as a springboard for brainstorming or as a source of inspiration. The initial Steam statement was admittedly vague; I want to emphasize—a sentiment shared by our entire team of talented artists and designers in Japan—that we are committed to building everything ourselves to deliver a premium, handcrafted experience. Rest assured, every asset in the final game is an original creation.”
Despite the discourse surrounding its development tools, Crazy Taxi: World Tour captures the high-octane spirit of the Dreamcast original while looking like a polished, modern evolution of the franchise. Players can look forward to hitting the streets when the game launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, the successor to the Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2027.
