[Gamasutra rounds up recent reports on the Japanese games industry from local news site Andriasang.com, a leading destination for English-language news on Japan's game industry.]
In our latest round-up of Japanese game industry news not previously reported on Gamasutra, we look at a Zone of the Enders follow-up, and new games from Yu Suzuki and Keiji Inafune.
Kojima Productions has begun work on a new entry for its mecha action franchise Zone of the Enders. The series hasn't seen a new title since 2003 (a new HD collection is due to release later this year, though), but it has a cult following.
Codenamed "Enders Project," the game is currently in its early prototyping phase, with Kojima productions conducting early tests with its in-house Fox Engine. Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima will once again serve as a producer for the series.
Details regarding planned platforms and release timing have not been discussed yet.
Yu Suzuki and other Sega veterans are developing smartphone games for Mediano's Japanese mobile platform Entag. Suzuki is known for helping create beloved Sega series like Out Run, Virtua Fighter, and Shenmue.
Other Sega veterans who are working on separate Entag games include Kenji Sasaki (Sega Rally), Takahiro Suzuki (Hatsune Miku Project Diva Dreamy Theater), and Kazunori Yamaji (Shenmue, Blinx).
Level-5 hasn't yet released Guild01, a 3DS collection of four original games from notable game designers (e.g. Goichi Suda, Yasumi Matsuno), but it's already announced a follow-up with titles from four other significant names from Japan's game industry.
Ex-Capcom developer and Mega Man producer Keiji Inafune is developing an action title called Insect Tank that will be included in Guild02. Kazu Ayabe (My Summer Vacation), as well as Chunsoft's Takemaru Abiko and Kazuya Asano (Otogiriso, Kamaitachi no Yoru) will contribute, too.
[This story was written with permission using material from Andriasang.com, a leading destination for English-language news on Japan's game industry.]
A Zone of Enders sequel? Really? With a HD collection coming a la God of War and Devil May Cry? Oh happiness is in my gamer heart. :D Thank you Kojima and crew. You people rock the house!
Kojima promised a sequel a few years ago. I've been waiting patiently. I know he's been busy with his newly-appointed executive position at Konami. I'm glad he's still involved in production though.
