Veteran developer Keiji Inafune may have the same feeling about Japanese development, also speaking before an audience at GDC.
The CEO of Comcept told the audience, ”A few years ago I said Japanese games and industry are over. Game over. These days I’m seeing some of those folks have started to run out of steam. They’re in a situation where they realise that perhaps my prediction was true.”
Back in 2010, Inafune stated, ”I look around Tokyo Games Show, and everyone’s making awful games; Japan is at least five years behind. Capcom is barely keeping up. I want to study how Westerners live, and make games that appeal to them.”
Now, Inafune refers to Japanese development as ”a blast from the past”, like The Beatles and Steve McQueen, and that developers need to get with the times.
”They’re showing respect to the past, the memories, and I really don’t want to get carried away. I know they love Mega Man, but I think they are wanting and really expecting more,” Inafune said of gamers wanting him to update Mega Man.
“I learned that establishing a brand takes a lot of work, but at the same time not to rely too much on the brand. The Japanese industry must also realise the need to develop and rebuild their brands. And we need to do so now. It’ll be too late when our brands hold no equity or no power. Time is running out,” he then warned.
Inafune then revealed he travels to Korea often, where he feels there’s more energy and innovation than Japan.
”I promise to introduce a new hero from Japan,” he cryptically vowed, and added, ”That’s what we’re missing. We’re missing a hero.”
