GDC 2012: Kawata backs Inafune's words on state of Japanese development

Yesterday, Keiji Inafune raised some eyebrows by announcing to an audience at Game Developers Conference, ”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.”

Now, Resident Evil producer Masachika Kawata has backed Inafune’s comments to some extent at his GDC presentation for Resident Evil: Revelations.

”As Inafune said yesterday, perhaps we Japanese developers need to re-evaluate. I agree with portions of what he said. The reason is that he used to be my boss, and if I disagree with him… I’m just kidding,” Kawata joked.

He then stated that the Japanese videogame industry was healthy on the whole, but that much of the success has come from social games, and that the industry was struggling with the global gaming market.

”I think we should be researching more, researching what the world wants and what sells around the world. I think we can study more and hopefully make more products that will be accepted and enjoyed around the world,” Kawata noted.

He then expressed hope that the public embraces the new Resident Evil titles, including his own 3DS title as well as Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Resident Evil 6, both of which are due to be released in 2012.

Kawata said, ”I really hope that, moving forward, we’ll be able to make new Resident Evils for new markets… that people really won’t know what’s coming.”