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Kenji Eno's final project to be developed, crowdfunded posthumously
Three of Kenji Eno's former colleagues have banded together in hopes of completing the late D and Enemy Zero designer's final project, announcing that they will launch a crowdfunding campaign next month. Titled Kakexun, the project was designed by Eno in the months leading up to his death at the age of 42 last year. Composer Katsutoshi Eguchi, designer Iida Kazutoshi, and Warp2 CEO Naoya Sato will head up Kakexun's development in a collaborative effort with Eno's former studio Fyto. Kakexun's developers estimate a crowdfunding goal of nearly 15 million yen (around $146,000) over a 60-day campaign, set to launch on March 20. [Image: Kakexun]
The aging horror of Kenji Eno's D
This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again. The inspiration to whip up a new column about an old game can come from anywhere, even a sad loss for the video game industry. In February, upon hearing about the death of Kenji Eno, I scanned Amazon and eBay for copies of his games, thinking I might write them up in remembrance, but ultimately never pulled the trigger on a purchase. Two months later, I walk into a recently-opened used game shop (named ThrillHouse, if you can believe it), and what should I see under the glass? A boxed Sega Saturn copy of Kenji Eno's D in great condition, the creepy cover just as effective now as it was seventeen years ago. I gladly paid $30 for it. Having played it for the first time since I was thirteen, D isn't as scary as I remember. While it isn't a very good game, I still find myself enjoying the experience.
D creator Kenji Eno dead at age 42
One of the most fascinatingly creative voices in the Japanese game industry has died. Kenji Eno, designer of the D series, the 3DO's most interesting games, and most recently, WiiWare's You, Me, and the Cubes, died yesterday of heart failure at the age of 42.Along with the creepy D games, Eno developed unusual games like Real Sound, an audio-based adventure game designed to be playable by the blind. His career also included non-game tasks like development of mobile payments for soda machines, and DJ sets.
Eno to generate Spore soundtrack
That's Brian Eno, mind you, not Japanese musician and bonkers Enemy Zero designer, Kenji Eno. For those still scratching their noggins for reasons other than unexpected flea infestation, Brian Eno is recognized for his unusual, sometimes "unclassifiable" ambient music. The artist, professor and thinker (it says here on his website) has confirmed his invovement with upcoming everything sim, Spore. In a very interesting WMMNA article detailing one of Eno's recent lectures, it is noted that Will Wright and co. "wanted sound that is just as procedural as the game itself," preferring to avoid any looping tunes that change with each level. Eno is already working on a program called "The Shuffer," which will use sampled bits and pieces to craft Spore's soundtrack, without ever creating "the same composition twice within a lifetime." Meanwhile, in an alternate universe, Kenji Eno actually does get the job -- too bad the other Spore is a survival-horror game set in an underwater laboratory. [Via Eurogamer]
