While The Game Awards was a few days ago now, a few things have stuck in gamers’ heads since it ended. Yes, some of it is rather bad stuff involving Geoff Keighley and certain things that happened during the acceptance speeches, but there were some positive memories, too! For example, the Marvel collaboration with Arkane Lyon via the upcoming title with Blade is exciting. Then, fans of SEGA got an overload of nostalgia by finding out that the company is actively rebooting several of its most classic IPs that haven’t seen the light of day in many a year.
Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, and Crazy Taxi were all announced at The Game Awards to get a modern reboot, and while we don’t know exactly which one will come out first, we know that they’re coming, and that’s what’s important.
As you might expect, SEGA wanted to talk about this. So they chatted up The Washington Post, where Sega co-chief operating officer and Sega of America CEO Shuji Utsumi noted the “vision” of these reboots:
“We really want to show edginess and a rebellious mindset. The concept of games like ‘Jet Set Radio’ is advanced. The original creators are involved again, and its time is now. It’s a good time where people can appreciate all kinds of concepts.”
Indeed, gaming, now more than ever, is about pushing boundaries and seeing where things go with bold ideas, especially with established franchises trying to make their mark after years of life. SEGA knows this all too well, as they admitted that they were focused on two franchises over the last several years, and the results were beneficial on all sides. The success of those games and series allowed them to attempt this bold reboot project. But to those who know SEGA’s library, you might know that there is a certain fighting title that gamers have been asking about for a while:
“We are evaluating right now. Virtua Fighter doesn’t use so many tricks, special moves like in Street Fighter, it’s very realistic. How can we make it more dramatic? It’s something we’re working on.”
How well this reboot saga will work is unclear. But the fact the company is listening to fans by bringing them back is a big deal. Plus, it has gotten many fans to wonder if other companies will attempt this with their libraries. Only time will tell if they do!
