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PSA: Purported new Inafune RPG is just Neptunia
Last week, a report from business journal Bloomberg featured an interview with Mega Man creator/ex-Capcom creative lead Keiji Inafune, covering a variety of topics. As has become par for the course since Inafune left the Japanese publishing giant, he spoke to the divide between creative and management in game development, and how he believes it can be amended. He also spoke to the challenges he faced at his old employer, echoing sentiments from earlier this month. And while all of that is certainly interesting, one particular line in the piece stood out to our news-hungry eyes: "Inafune said he plans to release a social game title for Japanese market as early as this month, and a role-playing title for Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 in August." We knew about the social game, but a role-playing game for PS3, you say? As it turns out, the game in question isn't one that Inafune's studio, Comcept, is developing, but rather a game that Inafune himself is starring in. You guessed it: Hyperdimension Neptunia mk-II. You know, the game where Inafune's a weapon? That game. We reached out to the folks at Bloomberg, who clarified that, yes, the game in question isn't an unannounced PlayStation 3 RPG, as much as it is an already announced, Compile Heart-developed Japan-only RPG with Inafune as a laser-vomiting special weapon. On the one hand, we're a bit disappointed that Inafune's not crafting a secret PS3 RPG, but on the other hand we got to use that amazing header image again. You win some, you lose some.
Keiji Inafune starts two game companies
Looks like Keiji Inafune has a plan to give the Japanese game industry a boost -- and it involves rebuilding the whole thing himself. The former Capcom exec, known as the creator of Mega Man and Clockland Rescue, has started two new companies, Comcept and Intercept, in two separate offices. Comcept, a name that has come up in relation to Inafune before, is focused on creating and distributing a variety of entertainment media, including consumer, online and mobile games, tie-in goods, books, movies, and even events. Intercept, on the other hand, is all about game development, following three key tenets (as translated by Andriasang): "Originality -- Cannot be copied by others"; "Gravity -- Has the power to pull people in"; and "Beyond the Age -- Things that cross era." The companies have so far raised 10 million yen ($119,490) in capital each.
Rumor: Keiji Inafune's new company named 'Comcept'
In a chance encounter with ex-Capcom creative director Keiji Inafune, alleged Japanese securities analyst Koji Ichi reportedly received a business card from Inafune denoting his new company, "Comcept" (likely not that Comcept). The analyst claims he bumped into Inafune "for the first time in two and a half years" in the Akasaka-Mitsuke neighborhood of Tokyo, where the two supposedly exchanged cards and Inafune apparently revealed Comcept is "a company that he's starting." Ichi provided no further details as to the nature of Inafune's purported new venture. Meanwhile, Inafune has kept mum about his new endeavors on his personal blog, instead choosing to reflect on back pain, among many, many other things. But not his future business plans, unfortunately.
