Hitmaker
Sega's arcade innovators
Sega's Hitmaker studio (formerly AM3) created Crazy Taxi, Virtua Tennis, and other arcade classics that defined late-1990s coin-op gaming.
Hitmaker was Sega’s arcade development team responsible for some of the company’s most beloved late-era coin-op games. Emerging from Sega AM3, the studio specialised in accessible, high-energy experiences that translated brilliantly to the Dreamcast. Their games embodied Sega’s arcade philosophy: immediate fun with surprising depth.
Fast facts
- Origins: restructured from Sega AM3 (1998).
- Notable games: Crazy Taxi (1999), Virtua Tennis (1999), Sega Marine Fishing (1999).
- Hardware: developed primarily for NAOMI arcade boards and Dreamcast.
- Merger: absorbed into Sega AM2 (2004).
Crazy Taxi
The definitive arcade racer:
- Gameplay: time-limited taxi driving with outrageous stunts.
- Soundtrack: licensed punk rock (The Offspring, Bad Religion).
- Cultural impact: spawned sequels, imitators, and lasting nostalgia.
- Dreamcast port: arcade-perfect home conversion.
Virtua Tennis
Redefining sports games:
- Accessibility: simple controls, deep gameplay.
- Visual fidelity: impressive player likenesses.
- Multiplayer: essential party game.
- Legacy: series continued for over two decades.