Former Sega boss Toshihiro Nagoshi has announced plans to open his own studio after leaving the gaming giant.
Toshihiro - who served as chief creative officer at Sega, where he led development of the 'Yakuza' series as general director of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio - has set up Nagoshi Studio which will be funded entirely by Chinese internet and gaming company NetEase.
In a translated statement, he told Famitsu: "I decided to leave Sega, where I had been working for a long time, because I wanted to do something different than before. If you do the same thing, you can stay in Sega. To be honest, I still don't know if independence was early or too late at this time. However, it feels as fresh as when I stepped into the game industry nearly 30 years ago. I said 'I'm going to make a new start'."
In a press release, NetEase confirmed that the Nagoshi Studio would have "full authority" over the type of games they develop, while enjoying their "full [financial] support".
The statement read: "Nagoshi Studio Inc. enjoys full authority to manage and create the kinds of games that they are passionate about, with NetEase Games' support. There have been sweeping changes made to how content is produced in the entertainment industry, in terms of how it's made and the business model that supports it.
"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."
