It looks as if veteran Sega developer Toshihori Nagoshi is about to be captured by Chinese video game giant NetEase in the company’s latest effort to stay competitive with its biggest rival, Tencent.
Nagoshi, who has been at Sega since 1989 and has worked on everything from Sega Rally to Monkey Ball, Virtua Fighter, F-Zero GX and of course the great Yakuza series, is expected to create his own team to create new games in Chinese Company.
The news, while surely a blow to fans of Ryu Ga Gotuku Studios, may not come as a total surprise, as Nagoshi has recently left his position on Sega’s board of directors as well as his role as creative director earlier this year.
According to Bloomberg, the high-profile acquisition is just the latest round of an ongoing rivalry that has seen Japanese assets and talent take a toll on both NetEase and Tencent as they fight for dominance in a controlled industry. stricter in China, forcing companies to look elsewhere to fill their libraries with possible future successes.
Tokyo-based Kantan Games industry analyst Serkan Toto told Bloomberg:
“Tencent and NetEase have been talking to almost every listed studio here and are also courting some private developers … They both feel pressure to move forward in Japan, especially because gaming regulations in their domestic market are every increasingly restrictive.
Toshihori Nagoshi is certainly a great opportunity for NetEase, if the deal ends successfully, but it is an acquisition they will need to keep pace with Tencent, creators of the recent free game Switch and MOBA Pokémon Unite mobile, such as they continue to drop large amounts of money with businesses like PlatinumGames, Sumo Group and Riot.
Let us know your opinions on Nagoshi when passing on Sega in the comments below.