IHOP and Amoeba Music Confirmed for Crazy Taxi Reboot

Most of the attention around yesterday's Crazy Taxi: World Tour announcements went to the multiplayer closed network test running September 11 to 13. Fair enough; that's the headline. But tucked into Sega's reveal of a new West Coast map trailer was a detail that matters more to anyone who actually played the original: real licensed storefronts are back, and the first two confirmed are IHOP and Amoeba Music.

That might sound trivial if you weren't there in 1999. The original Crazy Taxi's version of San Francisco wasn't just a city; it was a city full of real places. Pizza Hut, KFC, Tower Records, FILA. You weren't dropping passengers at generic storefronts; you were slamming the brakes outside a Tower Records while The Offspring screamed at you. Those brands gave the world texture and personality that most arcade racers never bothered with. Sega knows this, and their leading with specific brand confirmations rather than vague "we'll have real shops" language tells me they understand what made the original click.

Regional Brands, Global Maps

According to Sega's announcement, each World Tour map will feature its own regional retailers and restaurants. The West Coast map gets IHOP and Amoeba Music; future maps, presumably covering other parts of the world, will get their own local brands. As Polygon noted, given how liberally Sega's Yakuza series has featured real Japanese businesses, there's a strong chance a Japanese map could be packed with recognisable names. Whether the original's Pizza Hut and KFC return for the West Coast remains unconfirmed, but Sega is clearly building toward a drip-feed of brand reveals alongside each new map announcement.

I think this approach is smart. Crazy Taxi without branded storefronts would be like Tony Hawk without licensed music; technically functional, spiritually hollow. Sega securing IHOP and a beloved independent record store like Amoeba Music rather than just plastering the map with fast food chains suggests they're thinking about variety and authenticity, not just slapping logos on buildings.

The new West Coast trailer itself is a departure from the frenetic energy of the game's debut. It's slower, almost travel-vlog paced, showing off sand castles being demolished and muscle men being flung into the ocean. No Offspring soundtrack this time. It's clearly designed to let players absorb the map's layout and vibe rather than sell pure chaos.

Of course, Crazy Taxi: World Tour still carries baggage. Sega previously confirmed it had used generative AI on some art assets, a revelation that drew sharp criticism. The studio has since committed to replacing all AI-generated art before the full launch in 2027. That controversy hasn't disappeared, and every new trailer invites scrutiny over what's AI-touched and what isn't. Getting the storefronts right, with real branding and real personality, goes some way toward demonstrating that Sega cares about craft here. But the AI issue will follow this game until launch day.

Crazy Taxi: World Tour is due out in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store. The closed network test runs September 11 to 13, with sign-ups open on the official website until August 31.