The developer behind Stellar Blade, Shift Up, has acquired Shinji Mikami’s newest studio venture, Unbound Games, and will help with the creation and publishing of their debut game. Mikami, who served as the director of Resident Evil in 1996, also worked as the director on Dino Crisis and Resident Evil 4 before leaving to form PlatinumGames and later Tango Gameworks. He left Tango to form this new venture right before the studio, which had just released Hi-Fi Rush, was closed by Microsoft, before being acquired by Krafton.
In an announcement video post by Shift Up, Shinji Mikami stated that the studio is “a fairly large game,” suggesting that “we’re going to create a masterpiece of a game.” He Stated:
I’ve come to see my vision and ideals more clearly, and I don’t think I’ve ever been in a situation where, as a creator, our wavelengths and direction align this closely. So, for as long as my career continues, I would really like to keep working together. And for the first time in a while, I’ll be fully involved on-site to work on a fairly large game, and I’m really looking forward to it. To all the gamers waiting for this, I hope you can wait just a little longer for its release. That’s how I feel. Thank you so much for everything. Thank you very much.
Based on a post on Shift Up’s official website, Unbound is currently in the process of “developing original PC and console-based IPs targeting the global market,” and “the company plans to directly handle the publishing of Unbound’s upcoming titles and gradually build its own global service capabilities.”
The deal showcases the Korean developer Shift Up’s change in focus when it comes to the global market. The studio had previously developed mobile gatcha games before the release of the single-player action title Stellar Blade, which eventually managed to reach 3 million in sales across PlayStation 5 and PC. On the back of that success, the Studio has announced that a Sequel is in the works. The company is also developing a new IP known currently as Project Spirits, which is being published by Level Infinite.
Shift Up CEO Hyung-Tae Kim, speaking about the acquisition, stated:
I find it deeply meaningful to join forces with Unbound, which brings together a world-class development team led by CEO Shinji Mikami. This acquisition will serve as an opportunity to deliver the best gaming experience to users worldwide and further solidify Shift Up’s global development competitiveness.
While Japan has always been a leader in video game development, this comes at a time asian devlopment, especially in both Korea and China, is starting to find a strong footing. Crimson Desert, for instance, despite mixed reviews, has recently found success, hitting 4 million sales worldwide. Phantom Blade Zero, a Chinese-developed project, remains highly anticipated for its release later this year. PlayStation, for its part, has invested financing into several of these regions, similar to its backing of Stellar Blade. They have done so initiatives such as the China Hero Project and the India Hero Project.
Shinji Mikami is perhaps best known for horror, with the debut IP of Tango Gameworks being The Evil Within, so perhaps their new title is something in this vein. That being said, Mikami also served as the director on PlatinumGames action title Vanquish and executive producer for Hi-Fi Rush, so perhaps this new endeavor will focus on something completely different. Either way, there is a pedigree behind both studios that makes this project one worth keeping an eye on
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