KeijiInafune
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Xbox exclusive 'ReCore' gets a 30-minute demo
When ReCore was first announced, it looked fresh and exciting. An agile explorer flanked by cute, adorable robots in a sprawling desert. Oh, and Mega Man legend Keiji Inafune was attached to the project. The concept was intriguing, at the very least. But then the game came out, and its $40 price-tag made sense; in short, it just wasn't very good. To help with ReCore's less-than-stellar reception, Microsoft has announced a 30-minute trial version for Xbox One and Windows 10. There's no fee, or expectation to buy, but if you do pick up the full game your progress will carry over.
'Mighty No. 9' suffers Xbox 360 delays and a deluge of issues
Gamers eager to jump into the long-awaited 2D action platformer Mighty No. 9 were in for a rude awakening today after some concerning issues plagued the Kickstarter-funded title that looked to some to be a spiritual successor to Mega Man in many ways. Not only has the Xbox 360 suffered a delay on the game's very release day, but there are scads of other problems plaguing those who just wanted to jump in and shoot some bad guys.
Mega Man creator's 'ReCore' hits Xbox One and PC September 18th
ReCore's debut trailer, a surprise at last year's E3, both charmed and intrigued us: That robot dog was cute! And how do the orbs, which appear to be swappable between machines, work? Details have been scarce since then, but at today's Xbox showcase in Los Angeles we got a look at actual game play from the new title by Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, as well as a release date of September 18.
Long-delayed 'Mighty No. 9' arrives June 21st
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you -- after more than a few delays, Comcept has announced that Mighty No. 9 is finished. Keiji Inafune's spiritual sequel to Mega Man will arrive in Asia and North America on June 21st, and the rest of the world on June 24th. The initial release is limited to console and computer players (albeit on virtually every platform), but versions for both the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita are due "at a later point." Just be sure to think carefully about your choice of media format: while downloads are more convenient, a retail copy includes the Ray add-on.
Mysterious adventure game 'ReCore' heads to PC, too (update)
ReCore is a mysterious project from Mega Man and Mighty No. 9 legend Keiji Inafune, but today we get a sliver of fresh information -- it's launching on PC as well as Xbox One. Microsoft quietly dropped the PC news in a post on Xbox Wire. ReCore is due to launch in 2016 on both platforms, Microsoft says, though the game's previous release window was a more specific, "spring 2016." We've reached out to Microsoft for clarification on ReCore's expected release date.
'Mighty No. 9' demo delay gives backers more reason to be upset (updated)
What a long, sad trip it's been for folks who backed the Mega Man spiritual successor Mighty No. 9 on Kickstarter. A demo, which was originally planned as an apology for the game being delayed, has been pushed back. Developer Comcept writes that this tardiness is a result of issues that arose pertaining to the distribution method -- Steam. No other updates or info was given, and this news was buried at the bottom of a blog post about a custom-design contest (hey, we're running one of those too!). It's probably safe to guess that those involved feel pretty bad about the whole ordeal and how Comcept plans to make up for this is going to be interesting. Could another apology even suffice at this point? Update: Comcept tells Kickstarter backers that the delay stems from both deciding to remove copy protection from the demo (since it was already having trouble with Steam distribution) and responding to backers' requests to remove the time limit. That's reportedly going to take some time, in part because the DRM-free delivery involves making arrangements with Humble Bundle.
'Mighty No. 9' team aims to calm angry backers with exclusive demo
Kickstarter backers of Keiji Inafune's Mighty No. 9 are feeling a little burned. When its Spring release came due, Comcept pushed the release back to fall; when that September launch came on the horizon, the game was delayed until 2016. "We feel bad," producer Nick Yu told us earlier this month. "Really, really bad." The company knows its messed up, and agrees that backers deserve something for their patience. So they're getting something -- on September 15th, the game's second launch date, Kickstarter backers will get access to an exclusive demo of the Mighty No. 9's single player campaign.
'Mighty No. 9' won't arrive until early 2016
Mighty No. 9, the new game from Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, isn't going to be arriving until some point in the first three months of 2016. It's the second delay for the kickstarted title, which was originally slated to drop this spring before being pushed back to September. According to an update posted to Kickstarter, the reason behind the push back is that while the core functionality of the piece has been finished, there's still a raft of bugs and issues relating to the online components that have yet to be fixed. Considering that so many recent high-profile releases have been sold with bugs that make them almost unplayable, it's probably wise to hold off. Still, judging by the comments on the post, it looks as if plenty of backers would much rather have the game now and wait for the features to come later.
'Mega Man' creator wants your help making a game-and-movie combo
Mighty No. 9 might not even be out the door, but Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune is already looking for your help with a new project -- and this one is considerably more ambitious. His studio has launched crowdfunding for Red Ash, a project that combines both an open world action game (The Indelible Legend) and an anime movie from Studio4ºC (Magicicada). While both will share familiar characters and the theme of treasure hunting in a robot apocalypse, they'll otherwise be set in "parallel worlds" where the producers are free to tell whatever stories they want.
'Mega Man' creator says Japanese publishers need to 'wake up'
If you grew up playing any installment of the storied Mega Man franchise, the name Keiji Inafune should carry some weight. Inafune's one of the masterminds behind the beloved metallic man in blue we first met in the NES era. And with his new game, Mighty No. 9, a spiritual successor to his Capcom legacy, he famously kicked off a new wave of Japanese developers who've struck out on their own with the help of crowdfunding. But Inafune didn't get to this point solely because of a desire to try more modern things; he was essentially forced to turn to Kickstarter when Capcom refused to innovate the beloved Mega Man IP he helped create. "As a creator, as myself, the best thing that happened to this project [Mighty No. 9] is that I have the IP," he says of the experience with Kickstarter. "The IP is mine. The IP is the company's IP, so we can do whatever we want. And that will actually speed things up really nicely because once the backers ask for something, we don't have to go over to the publisher or the first-party [studio] ... or whoever we're working with. We can just make the decision."
Two questions with legendary 'Mega Man' creator Keiji Inafune
Keiji Inafune co-created Mega Man in the 1980s -- and the rest, as they say, is history. He's led a storied career in video games ever since, building franchises such as Dead Rising and Onimusha. Inafune currently heads up his own studio, Comcept, where he's finishing production of Mighty No. 9, an action platformer that raised $3.8 million on Kickstarter in 2013. But, more on that later. One of the truly surprising announcements to come out of the Xbox showcase at this year's E3 was ReCore, a new IP from Inafune that features a woman in an arid world of robots that carry glowing, mysterious cores. The Xbox conference revealed a trailer, a spring 2016 release window and not much more. We sat down with Inafune at E3 and asked him two questions: one about ReCore and the other about the state of creativity in the video game industry. He had plenty to say.
'Mighty No. 9' release blasted back to September
Mighty No. 9, the new, Kickstarted game from Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, is now due out on September 15 in the US, delayed from a spring 2015 launch window. Inafune's team, Comcept, announced the delay in a Kickstarter update, along with another nugget of news: Deep Silver -- the publisher behind Saints Row, Homefront and Dead Island -- will publish Mighty No. 9. Comcept promises that the delay will allow the team to add Japanese and French voiceovers, extra subtitle languages, and an extra level, boss and playable character.
Abandoning Olympus: Mega Man's creator on going indie
Keiji Inafune's been making games for nearly 30 years. He's the man behind one of gaming's most iconic characters (Mega Man) and several huge franchises (Dead Rising, Onimusha). After 23 years working at Capcom, one of Japan's largest game publishers, he suddenly quit back in 2010. "Settling down means death for a creator. As long as you are a creator, you cannot settle down," he announced on his blog. Just six months after being appointed Capcom's Global Head of Production (overseeing the company's entire gaming catalog, from Resident Evil to Street Fighter), he quit. With that, he set off on his own and created two new companies: Comcept and Intercept. When we talked with Inafune last week at DICE 2014, he spoke of his plans for Comcept in detail. "I was a publisher for 20 years, so you'd be right in thinking I brought some ideas from there into Comcept," he said. That means, first and foremost, retaining ownership of IP. That's a major component of going with Kickstarter for the latest Comcept game, a Mega Man-esque action game titled Mighty No. 9. The project sailed past its target goal of $900K and took in $3.8 million. Without a publisher, of course.
The spiritual successor to Mega Man is Mighty No. 9, and it's coming to Mac
Over the long holiday weekend, former Capcom game developer and father of the Mega Man franchise, Keiji Inafune, launched a Kickstarter campaign for his next game. It's called Mighty No. 9, and in the roughly 48 hours that has passed since the crowdfunding began, it has raised over US$1.35 million. The game's original goal amount was $900,000, with a series of stretch goals that reach all the way to $2.5 million. Having just passed the $1.35 million goal, Mighty No. 9 is now officially coming to Mac. You can score your own digital copy of the game -- which is scheduled to launch in April 2015 (yikes) -- for a $20 contribution, though if you've got some extra cash to drop, you can offer as much as $10,000. A donation of that size scores you a metric ton of bonus goodies as well as dinner and drinks with lead developer Inafune himself.
Megaman creator reveals crowd-funded Mighty No.9, his new (familiar-looking) game
Keiji Inafune is a bit of a games-making legend. Co-designer of the original Megaman, not to mention producing both the Dead Rising series and multiple Resident Evil titles, he's going back to his roots. Inafune announced at PAX this weekend that he's working on a new 2D action shooter, Mighty No.9, that looks (and apparently plays) an awful lot like some of his prior hits. The plot is pretty familiar too: a plucky robot has to battle six rouge automatons (or eight, depending on funding), stealing unique weapons and abilities from each one. According to the man himself, there's been no reaction from Capcom -- at least not yet -- and he's looking for you to help make the game a reality. The project's live on Kickstarter, and it's aiming to raise $900,000 (in just 30 days) to develop the title. Twenty bucks will net backers a digital copy (through Steam), while $40 will also include digital copies of the game manual, art book / strategy guide and a copy of the original soundtrack. Naturally, the game will be ported over to major consoles if backers can reach a set of defined stretch goals. Crank up your donation to $60 and you'll get it all on old-school physical media, alongside a playable golden version of the game's protagonist -- and we all know everything's better in gold.
Keiji Inafune: handheld consoles don't need to fear the smartphone... yet
Yeah, we know that the whole mobile-gaming-is threatening-dedicated-gaming thing has been done to death, but when some of the industry's software MVPs start weighing in on the matter, well... that's when our ears perk up. Nintendo has made clear that it's shunning smartphones as a gaming platform, and now it's Mega Man co-creator Keiji Inafune's turn to windmill into the argument. Speaking with our sister site Joystiq, he opines that the two worlds aren't set to eclipse each other just yet, illustrating it wonderfully through the medium of simile: "I think it's very similar between cellphone cameras and professional digital cameras. You don't use a smartphone camera for an interview, and you don't use a really professional camera to take some small pictures when you're going to work." Hard to knock the underlying logic, but it's pretty tough to pretend that handset gaming isn't seriously denting handheld gaming. For the full spiel, be sure to give that source link a tap.
Meet Keiji Inafune, Mega Man creator, in NYC today
Chances are, you've played one of Keiji Inafune's games. He created and designed the Mega Man character, produced the Onimusha games, and most recently worked on everybody's favorite zombies-attack-mall action game, Dead Rising. If you happen to be in the NYC area, you, a mere gaming mortal, will be able to meet this esteemed game producer.The signing will happen at the GameStop across the street from the Manhattan Mall. Joystiq will be sending one photo journalist to the event, camera (and chainsaw) in hand.
Next-gen Onimusha, MegaMan Legends, and RE5 discussed
Keiji Inafune is a brilliant mastermind. Not only did he create MegaMan, but he's mulling over the possibility of making a next-gen Onimusha title, reviving the amazing MegaMan Legends franchise, and goes on to talk a bit about the changes made in Resident Evil 5. While every single one of those games deserves their own time in the sun, we're going to squash them together in bullet list form and let you decide who to dote over. Inafune wants to make MegaMan Legends 3 awfully bad -- moreso than Onimusha and perhaps RE5, but since management won't give him funding, he has to wait until he climbs the ladder a little more. If an Onimusha sequel is created, Inafune wants to go back to actor-based characters instead of the fictional characters from Dawn of Dreams. In the same vein, Inafune wants to make an Onimusha with a female lead character, but he's told it would not sell, so it has been denied him these many years! We are sad at hearing this. As for Resident Evil 5, light is the new source of fear instead of dark. Inafune and gang (including a good number of people from the defunct Clover studios) want to find ways to utilize light to scare people. How realistically it can be used, etc. It seems like it could work. It's hard to see in a house if you've been out in the blazing desert sun for a few hours. Who knows what lurks within! We hope Inafune gets more sway in Capcom's happenings, because we want to see some amazing games that we know developers are willing to work on. The above three are probably the ones we're looking forward to the most from Capcom, partially because we don't fully believe they'll be happening anytime soon. It's sad, but true. Which of these three would you love to have fall into your hands tomorrow morning?
Lost Planet PC demo available on 15 May
Those eager to traipse through an unforgiving climate and annihilate despicable alien creatures without the aid of an Xbox 360 won't have to wait much longer. A PC demo of Capcom's Lost Planet is set to materialize online next week, May 15th, and finally give those DirectX 10 cards something to do. Indeed, they'll be expected to utilize "the advanced features of Shader model 4.0" in order to render those frigid landscapes and enormous plot holes. Older hardware isn't quite given the cold shoulder, however, as Lost Planet also supports Windows XP and DirectX 9. If monsters and mechs do it for you, find it on store shelves this June, priced at a totally last-gen $39.95.%Gallery-2562%
Former Clover members now working on Resident Evil 5, new Wii game
Capcom's VP of marketing, Charles Bellfield, recently demonstrated extraordinary levels of courage and patience when he was sealed in a (possibly metaphorical) room with our very own Kyle Orland. The experience yielded an interesting interview on Gamasutra, one that touches on the fate of Clover Studios and the not-so-elusive Ace Attorney 3. On the topic of Clover Studios and its untimely liquidation, Bellfield asserts that several members of the team have simply been integrated into other Capcom groups. "So, for example, some of the team that worked on Clover titles are now helping Takeuchi-san on Resident Evil 5, helping Inafune-san on a new title for the Wii, so I think it's very much the skill set still stays in the company when those individuals stay and, unfortunately, three individuals chose to leave." The three referenced individuals, namely Shinji Mikami, Atsushi Inaba and Hideki Kamiya, have since formed their own studio, Seeds.Later in the interview, Bellfield expresses some surprise as to the success Phoenix Wright has found in America, with the original title now having shipped over 100,000 copies since its introduction. "It's shipped steadily for the last year, and we've just shipped Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All and we have more coming up, so I think again it's like a good book, it's that word of mouth that gets people out there to learn more about the game." With that, Bellfield likely confirms what we've suspected since Capcom launched it's Ace Attorney 3 contest last week -- the third Phoenix Wright adventure is likely being localized as we speak. English, that is.
