Capcom Boss Keiji Inafune Resigns
Well, the man clearly wasn't happy. Throughout this year, Capcom designer and head of research and development, Keiji Inafune, has been vocal about the Japanese game industry's failings: from saying Japan was "5 years behind" to saying flat out, "I hate my job," the writing has been on the wall for some time.
Now, the 23-year veteran who presided over franchises like Onimusha and Dead Rising is calling it quits. Inafune has announced his departure from Capcom; he will be resigning soon. He started at the company as a graphic designer and worked on the very first Street Fighter, then moved on to character design for Mega Man, and then grabbed the role of producer for the titles listed above, as well as Lost Planet. Unfortunately, it's his comments concerning the perceived downfall of Japanese gaming that has him in the spotlight in 2010; he has also said he doesn't think Capcom "takes globalization seriously." His resignation announcement comes the day after Capcom released their latest financial numbers, which consisted of highs and lows. Dead Rising 2 sold 1.8 million copies, which helped, but Lost Planet 2's weak sales caused the net profit to slide significantly. Capcom will replace Inafune with Katsuhiko Ichii, who will be helped along by a new development team, which Capcom hopes will take a "broader stroke approach to the development process."
Anyway, Inafune will be moving on and although he leaves quite the legacy behind, it seems obvious he was bitter and discontented. That's no way to be in a job...any job.
Tags: keiji inafune, capcom, games industry
10/29/2010 10:31:21 AM Ben Dutka
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Comments (73 posts)
GuyverLT
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 9:54:48 PM
Pandacastro
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 10:09:50 PM
Deathb4Dishonor
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 11:00:37 AM
Reply
coverton341
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 11:00:52 AM
Reply
hellish_devil
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 11:08:48 AM
coverton341
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 1:28:21 PM
hellish_devil
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 11:09:38 AM
Highlander
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 11:08:33 AM
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Mornelithe
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 11:25:45 AM
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Good luck to Mr. Ichii, I hope you can pick up where Mr. Infane left off (likely years ago).
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 11:44:10 AM
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Now, Wada...it's your turn.
Last edited by Jawknee on 10/29/2010 11:45:35 AM
Highlander
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 12:01:06 PM
It's not like US business where executives that literally drive their companies, customers and country into the ground get paid bonuses and feel no shame or responsibility. Japanese executives (at least the more traditionally minded ones) feel a keen sense of responsibility to their company, employees, customers and country. They will bear the shame and responsibility for errors and bad performance, and even resign if it is the honorable (aka right) thing to do.
Imagine if some of those SOBs on Wall Street had taken personal responsibility for their terrible performance, awful (and sometimes downright criminal) decisions and mis-management. There ought to have been hundreds of senior executives in the Financial sectors that resigned out of the shame of what they presided over. How many actually resigned? How many were fired?
Japan is a very different culture, and resignations like this are not always the result of corporate maneuvers. Often times they are the result of a person's personal sense of honor, duty and responsibility. If I had a choice, I'd personally love to live in a culture where responsibility was taken that seriously.
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 12:14:18 PM
Last edited by Jawknee on 10/29/2010 12:16:02 PM
Highlander
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 12:19:51 PM
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 12:44:22 PM
In this case, this guy was out constantly whining about his company, his job and his culture when it comes to the games he and his countryman create. If this was about honor than he would have kept his mouth shut and not gone out and disrespected his company and his co-workers with his pity parties. I think Capcom said enough is enough and told him to quietly resign since he hates his job anyway. I think Capcom's performance is a direct result of his attitude towards his job and the direction they wanted to take their company. He's been wanting to quite but didn't say when. i think maybe these financial numbers were the final nail in the coffin. Capcom probably said, "k, nows the time. Now quietly go away."
It's a win, win. Maybe now Capcom can get their heads out of their rears with new leadership and start making good games again and we don't have to hear the whining anymore. :)
Orvisman
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 12:56:10 PM
Temjin001
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 1:11:54 PM
Highlander
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 2:36:14 PM
I made no political reference, there was no political intent behind my use of the disgraceful behavior of a specific sector of the corporate world in the US as an example of people that perhaps should have resigned in disgrace, but did not. It was as a contrast to Japanese business where people do still resign for reasons of principle. It was not a political statement. Frankly, I can't see how holding business people accountable for their terrible performance and mismanagement is in any way political.
The fact that you can't look past your own internal political agenda to see that is bad enough. But to take it further and bring politics into the discussion, where it was not warranted, is just annoying in the extreme.
I try very hard to steer clear of actual politics online because it's always incendiary. I would appreciate it if you and anyone else inclined to make a political discussion out of this, could take it to the forum, or email. This isn't the place.
Hezzron
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 2:42:34 PM
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 3:20:09 PM
I really wish you would stop accusing me being blinded by my so called "agenda". You're better than that. We should be able to debate and have a converstaion without dismissing each other views as political propaganda. Why am I "blinded" and you are not? are you trying to tell me your more enlightened than I?
All I am saying is we should be able to share our views on things without condescending to one another about who's more enlightened. Even though i think your wrong about the roll the state should have in peoples private lives, i try to respect you and your opinions. I think its only fair you do the same.
Last edited by Jawknee on 10/29/2010 3:27:20 PM
Highlander
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 3:40:15 PM
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 3:51:03 PM
I see how this works now. Good day sir.
Last edited by Jawknee on 10/29/2010 3:52:20 PM
DemonNeno
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 4:06:02 PM
Wall street didn't do any justice by driving stocks out of institutions that weren't failing but did face stock value decrease. The point isn't to freak out and bail because of short term loss. Otherwise, you end up where we're now at. Obviously, this is only one piece of the puzzle but forget that.
I hope this guy brings on a genuine japanese gaming front that'll resurrect all that is great about japanese games.
Alienange
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 4:37:38 PM
Hezzron
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 4:42:46 PM
Highlander
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 11:06:07 PM
My point was clear for those that wish to see it. You are seeing things in my words that are not there. I have tried to keep this from becoming an argument, but three times now I have replied saying that there is no political aspect to using Wall Street as an example of unprincipled executives who don't do the right thing when they screw up. Whether those individuals are principled in their actions or not has nothing, zero, nada, nil, naught to do with politics. I have not and will not make politics an issue here, you have, and I wish you'd stop.
I'm honestly really ticked off because you have utterly derailed the discussion with this crap. I will not respond to another of your posts.
Good day sir.
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 11:39:41 PM
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 11:56:51 AM
Temjin001
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 12:04:48 PM
But in general, it would seem all Capcom has that's a top tier product is SF4.
I'm not much into RE so I can't speak for that series anymore. Though, I did play through RE (PSX), RE:CV(DC), RE:Remake(GC), and I played both versions of RE4 (GC and PS2). I just lost interest in the series over the years so I never took the time to play anything more than a demo of RE5.
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 12:18:15 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 1:37:38 PM
sawao_yamanaka
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 12:38:32 PM
Reply
Ludicrous_Liam
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 12:59:52 PM
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Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 3:34:12 PM
I won't say RE5 was a bad game but it was a terrible Resident Evil. Here's hoping this event is the start of greener pastures for Capcom.
Ludicrous_Liam
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 4:05:51 PM
Yeah, I think they are pretty much a western games developer now, atleast in terms of the games they produce. Shame really, back in the PS1/PS2 era Capcom was right up there, I remember playing resident evil 1 at night with the lights off...damn I actually used to be trembling with fear on that game, looking back at it now, you couldn't seperate chris from the zombies; the details were that small lol! I miss the Jap's lame humour aswell...(You were almost a jill sandwich...arghhhh still makes me cringe XD)
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 4:16:21 PM
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 3:36:27 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 1:24:46 PM
Reply
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 3:35:46 PM
Alienange
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 4:43:55 PM
Shams
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 4:31:38 PM
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 4:44:26 PM
Shams
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 6:36:09 PM
But i agree. It's one thing to talk to your staff directly, and incite them to prove him wrong, and do better. It's another thing to go to the press, and outright say you hate your job. Not much room for mistranslation there.
Alienange
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 4:46:23 PM
Snaaaake
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 5:09:01 PM
GuyverLT
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 5:20:49 PM
Lawless SXE
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 5:11:21 PM
Reply
Peace.
Snaaaake
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 6:42:57 PM
Jawknee
Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 11:56:14 PM
___________
Saturday, October 30, 2010 @ 1:57:44 AM
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Pandacastro
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Friday, October 29, 2010 @ 10:49:12 AM
Last edited by Pandacastro on 10/29/2010 10:50:02 AM