Yakuza creator, Toshihiro Nagoshi, is now heading his own studio at Chinese publisher, NetEase Games. This move comes after 30 years of working at Sega.
Based in Tokyo, Japan, the imaginatively named Team Nagoshi will focus on creating high-quality console titles that will launch globally. As CEO, Toshihiro Nagoshi is joined by an experienced team of developers. Those who follow the Japanese development scene will recognise names such Yakuza producer, Daisuke Sato, and Taichi Ushioda.
A press release from NetEase stresses that this new studio will have full autonomy to make the games they’re passionate about, stating:
Aiming to create quality titles and deliver the essence of entertainment with strong motivation to reach the whole world, Nagoshi Studio Inc. shares the same commitment with NetEase Games to “Unleash the Potential of Creators” in an open and inclusive environment, hoping to reach and touch passionate gamers around the globe with high-quality and engaging content.
This will certainly come as a relief to fans of Nagoshi’s previous work who may have been cautious when they learned that the famed Yakuza creator was leaving Sega for NetEase.
NetEase is best known for operating a successful spread of predominantly free-to-play, mobile games from popular battle royale hit, Knives Out, to superhero MOBA, Marvel Super War. It appears that Team Nagoshi will help company spearhead a new strategy as it looks to breach the console market.
So, what could Team Nagoshi be working on? Many expect the former Sega producer and his team to craft another series similar to Yakuza. However, there’s a good chance this move will allow Nagoshi to create something completely different.
Yakuza (known in Japan as Ryū ga Gotoku) has seen a recent surge in popularity over the past few years, finally finding a foothold in western regions. The latest game in the series, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, departed from the open-world brawler template in favour of turn-based battles.
Source: Press Release
