Not Quite Finished: Keiji Inafune’s Bold New Plan for Japan

We sit down with the legendary producer who explains his post-Capcom plans and why pride is at the root of the Japanese games industry’s stagnation.

By: Daniel Feit
May 25, 2011

Keiji Inafune is a legend. As a young artist working for Capcom, Inafune designed Mega Man and the character took off both in Japan and abroad. Over the course of his 23-year career, he created other hit franchises such as Onimusha and Dead Rising as he rose through the company ranks.

Inafune also gained a reputation as one of gaming’s most outspoken personalities due to his blunt criticism of the Japanese video game industry. He famously declared during the 2009 Tokyo Game Show that Japan as a gaming superpower was “finished.” Last year he offered a slightly less dour appraisal, estimating that Japan was “at least five years behind” Western developers. His status both as a successful designer and Capcom VP only added to the weight of his damning proclamations.