Keiji Inafune, producer of numerous Capcom hits like the Mega Man series, Onimusha, and Dead Rising, recently gave a talk at South Korea’s Console Game Developer Conference 2025 (CGDC), held on November 6 and 7. As reported by ThisIsGame, the long-time industry veteran dedicated his session to discussing the kind of mindset he considers developers should uphold in the changing game industry.
Inafune was critical of the growing tendency for game publishers to release titles that rely solely on IP fame or trendy genres, which are guaranteed to secure predictable profit margins. He clarifies that, (based on machine translation), “I’m not saying it’s bad to continue existing franchises or make games that riff on popular genres. What I mean is that these shouldn’t be the only games being made.” He considers that, for the game ecosystem to remain healthy, the industry needs developers “with a clear message.”
Back when Inafune started making games, in the 1980s and 90s, there weren’t many existing trends to follow, such as “Monster Hunter-style” or “Final Fantasy-style” games. Rather, creating new concepts with each project was “simply the norm,” he explained. While he did work on certain series throughout multiple entries (like Mega Man), he considers his constant hopping between vastly different projects to be a key factor behind his successful portfolio. “It was possible because I didn’t dwell on my past hits.”
By contrast, now that the game industry has grown mature, Inafune thinks many developers have taken an overly “defensive” stance. While relying on past success isn’t inherently wrong, particularly from a business perspective, he is doubtful whether this attitude will be beneficial for the industry in the long run.
“The 11th game in a series, the 13th in a franchise. While such choices may be necessary for fans and business, when considering the essence of game development and the passion for creation, it should not become the entirety of the gaming scene.”
Following his somewhat turbulent departure from Level-5 mid-2024, Inafune became an executive of Rocket Studio, a game company led by former Hudson Soft developer Takashi Takebe. However, news on ongoing or future projects by him has been scarce for now. Based on his session, perhaps fans can expect his next title to be a project prioritizing creativity.
