Inafune Indahouse: Announces Promotion, Says Next X Game “Won’t Be X9”

Capcom’s Keiji Inafune, who is often credited as the “Father of Mega Man,” has recently received a promotion from his position of Senior Corporate Officer of the company’s Research & Development division. Now, he stands tall as the new Global Head of Production for Capcom, and has big plans in store which befit his role. From Kotaku:

“It’s a common comment I hear that games created in Europe aren’t really Capcom games, that games created in Japan are true Capcom games. I want to put an end to that, basically saying that whether games are created in America or Japan or anywhere in the world, I will be the one overlooking it and so it will have that Capcom flavor that fans know and love.
So one of the thing I want people to know is that now that I am overseeing every part of Capcom R&D you can be sure that that unified vision is going to come through in all of our titles no matter where they are created.

Those of you who know me, know how serious I am about trying to make global games on a global scale especially thinking about America and Europe when designing a lot of our titles. I’ve been pushing really hard for the last several years to try and gear our games in that direction.”

Inafune went on to address the issue of a lack of “unified direction” at the company’s studios around the world. To that end, Shinji Futami has been positioned as Inafune’s “mouthpiece,” so that his ideas and philosophy are communicated to the U.S. offices.

“Futami-san has been in the game industry for more than 20 years,” Inafune told Game Informer (via GoNintendo). “I have known him for more than 10. We share the same philosophies, the same ideas, the same dealings about game design, so I feel he’s the perfect man for the job to be able to convey my sensibilities to the Western market.”

In more Mega Man-related news, MegaPhilX (via Protodude’s Rockman Corner) had a chance to speak with Mr. Inafune at Capcom’s recent Captivate event in Hawaii. With the opportunity presented, he took advantage by asking one of many questions that are no doubt on the mind of many a Mega Man fan:

“Okay this is awesome I got to talk with Inafune-san a little bit (With help from his interpreter) and I got him to sign my MegaMan 1 cartridge. The already awesome cover art can’t look any more vintage now ( : I asked Inafune-san if there are any plans to make a MegaMan X9 soon (Obviously to let him know that was the game I would want made) and he said that there are no plans for a X9 for now. If they make a X game it won’t be X9.”

One has to admit, that is a most curious response. If not Mega Man X9, then what could Inafune have planned?

Perhaps with his new position of power, he has finally found a way to make Maverick Hunter X2 a reality? On the other hand, he has unfortunately displayed a rather narrow view of what Mega Man can be in the past, downplaying the existence of Command Mission in the process, which makes a sequel seem less likely.

And if not either one of those, or X9, then one can only wonder what he might have in mind.

TMMN Staff