Was AI Necessary for Crazy Taxi: World Tour?
Crazy Taxi: World Tour, with its announcement after many years, excited players who missed the old arcade spirit. Creating chaos in the city with The Offspring, racing customers against the clock, and that classic Crazy Taxi energy that didn’t take anything too seriously seemed to be back. However, the description of generative AI on the game’s Steam page immediately sparked controversy.
Crazy Taxi: World Tour Controversy Over Use of AI
According to SEGA’s statement on its Steam page, the company uses generative AI as a supporting tool to assist developers and allow them to focus more on creative work. The same statement indicates that such tools were used in the development process of Crazy Taxi: World Tour. The company also specifically emphasized that no AI was used in relation to the performance artists in the game.
Initially, this explanation was found to be quite vague. Players couldn’t understand exactly what the AI was used for in the game. It wasn’t clear whether it was used to generate background objects, environmental details, signage designs, or broader content. In a later supplementary explanation, SEGA stated that generative AI was used to develop background assets, and that this content was reviewed by the development team. However, this detail didn’t completely quell the criticism.
At the heart of the debate is a simple question: Was generative AI really necessary for a stylized, fast-paced, arcade-style game like Crazy Taxi? The early games in the series established their own unique identity in the late 90s without this technology. Today, with far more advanced game development tools, some players see the use of AI, even for background assets, as unnecessary and detrimental to creativity.
Recently, many major studios have been making headlines with their use of generative AI. Used sometimes in the concept stage, sometimes in localization or voice acting, these tools are creating serious debates, particularly regarding artist labor and creative processes. Therefore, the explanation regarding Crazy Taxi: World Tour wasn’t just a technical detail. SEGA’s excitement, fueled by nostalgia, has become complicated even before the game’s release due to the AI controversy.
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