SEGA pulling back on blockchain gaming saying play-to-earn games are boring

Cryptocurrency has taken a big hit in value, but when it was in its all time high, SEGA and other big publishers where quick to announce blockchain gaming projects across the board. SEGA was even one of the biggest supporters saying their next big ‘super game’ and successor to Phantasy Star Online 2 would feature NFTs. Now that the price and hype surrounding crypto has shifted into a bear market, it seems that SEGA is having second thoughts on the whole thing.

SEGA’s co-Chief Operating Officer Shuji Utsumi talked to Bloomberg News recently:

“The action in play-to-earn games is boring. What’s the point if games are no fun?”

As far as SEGA’s online multiplayer, high budget “Super Game” that is due to roll out in 2026, he had this to say:

“We’re looking into whether this technology is really going to take off in this industry, after all” 

SEGA reportedly working on new Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi games as part of Super Game project

According to a report from Bloomberg, SEGA is in the process of developing big budget reboots of Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi, as part of the previously reported on Super Game project. For a refresher, the Super Game project is SEGA’s attempt to basically have their own Fortnite. Meaning a recurring revenue stream with a large online community built around it. SEGA already has released Phantasy Star Online 2 globally, but reboots of Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi would hopefully garner a larger audience and even more sales in SEGA’s eyes.

According to the Bloomberg report, the Crazy Taxi game has been in development for over a year and should release in two to three years. Jet Set Radio was named alongside Crazy Taxi on SEGA’s annual report listing IPs SEGA wishes to bring back.

The writer for the Bloomberg piece stressed that these projects could still be cancelled. In my personal opinion they could just be covering their butt should this report prove false. Also, in my opinion, the use of “reboot” here could be incorrectly used, as writers in the past referred to any sort of followup as a “reboot”. More news as we hear it!

[Source: Bloomberg]