Press release: 1999-12-09: TAKE A WILD RIDE WITH CRAZY TAXI FOR SEGA DREAMCAST

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: Sega.com (archived)

Highly Anticipated Arcade Hit to Ship Early for Sega Dreamcast Featuring Soundtrack from Offspring and Bad Religion

SAN FRANCISCO (December 9, 1999) - Who says you can't drive on the sidewalk? Sega® of America, Inc. announced today that "Crazy Taxi™" for the 128-bit, Internet-ready Sega Dreamcast™ videogame console, will ship earlier than expected on February 1, 2000-- a full two months earlier than originally planned. Based on the smash arcade hit, the Sega Dreamcast version of "Crazy Taxi" will be a flawless translation of the original with cool new exclusive features including an all new interactive course and 9 challenging mini-games.

In "Crazy Taxi," players assume the role of one of four off-beat taxi cab drivers (Axel, B.D. Joe, Gena and Gus) racing against the clock to collect the most cash. Players pick up passengers and deliver them to their destinations in highly interactive, frenzied environments filled with detailed 3D graphics. The key to a decent tip is to dazzle your passengers with wild stunts and crazy tricks. Launch your taxi off a second story parking lot or fly down a set of stairs at ridiculous speeds-- in this game, "crazy" is the key word.

"Gamers demanded it, and we made it happen two months earlier than originally expected," said Charles Bellfield, director of marketing communications, Sega of America. "The early release of 'Crazy Taxi' further strengthens our commitment to providing gamers with the best videogames on the market and the most unique gameplay experience ever found on a console through Sega Dreamcast."

The huge interactive environments in "Crazy Taxi" present numerous options and great replay value, allowing gamers to explore various parts of the city and go off the beaten path while terrorizing the streets. Taking passengers on these wild missions will be even more entertaining with an amazing game soundtrack featuring a variety of hit punk bands. Players can screech, jump and plow through crowded city streets, while rocking out to the tunes of Offspring and Bad Religion.

"Crazy Taxi" will be available at retailers nationwide and on sega.com on February 1, 2000.

About Sega Dreamcast
Sega Dreamcast is available in the US at a suggested retail price of $199, with a built in 56K modem, allowing for full Internet functionality. Sega Dreamcast's preferred Internet service provider is AT&T; WorldNet Service, the quickest and easiest way to take the system online. Sega Dreamcast had 18 games available at launch, which will grow to more than 40 titles by the end of the year. Third-party titles currently in the works will bring the total Sega Dreamcast game library count to more than 160 in the year 2000.

Along with its low price point, Sega Dreamcast has achieved other industry firsts. Its advanced 128-bit architecture makes it the first console with evolutionary capabilities, allowing it to grow and change to match advances in technology and the needs and desires of the consumer. Sega Dreamcast is also the most powerful video game console ever created. It is 15 times more powerful than a Sony PlayStation™, ten times more powerful than a Nintendo® 64 and has four times the graphics processing power of the fastest Pentium II processor.

In the first 24 hours of availability, Sega Dreamcast netted over $97 million at retail, more than tripling the past entertainment industry record set by Star Wars: The Phantom Menace at $28 million on its first day. In its initial four days, Sega sold a total of 372,000 Sega Dreamcast systems, easily surpassing the previous industry record holder, Nintendo 64, which took six days to hit 350,000 when it launched in 1996. In the first 13 days at retail, Sega Dreamcast sold more than 514,000 units. Since it launched, Sega Dreamcast has sold more than 1 million units, beating sales milestones set by other high-profile consumer and electronics products such as Tickle Me Elmo™ and Apple's iMac. Sega estimates that the company will sell 1.5 million units by December 31, 1999.

About Sega
Sega of America is the arm of Tokyo, Japan-based Sega Enterprises, Ltd. responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Sega videogame systems and videogames in the Americas. Sega Enterprises, Ltd. is a nearly $2.5 billion company recognized as the industry leader in interactive digital entertainment media, and is the only company that offers interactive entertainment experiences both inside and outside the home. Sega of America's World Wide Web site is located at www.sega.com.