NetEase Games has announced the formation of Nagoshi Firm, a new game production studio managed by Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator of the Yakuza franchise.

Nagoshi has announced that he will depart both Ryu Ga Gatoku Studio and SEGA in October 2021, according to Gematsu, and a story surfaced that he was in “final negotiations” to join Chinese developer and publisher NetEase. Since 1989, Nagoshi has worked at SEGA and RGG Studio.

Nagoshi expressed his delight with the news in a message, saying he and his staff are dedicated to “producing entertainment for the world to enjoy.”

“In the twenty-first century, the wave of change that began in the entertainment sector in the late twentieth century has brought even greater transformation to the industry,” Naguchi wrote. “Technology and infrastructure-driven developments in entertainment material, how it is handled, and the economic model have revolutionized the paradigm, and these changes are still happening at a rapid pace.

“What was deemed the heyday of excellence only yesterday is already out of date before you know it.” Working in the industry nowadays is extremely challenging for creators as a result of this. But, no matter how the times change, I believe that what people seek from entertainment has remained constant. People rely on entertainment for optimism in life, to calm them down in terrible times, and to bring excitement to joyous moments.

“Entertainment is used to give a spark for a variety of occasions. The desire for entertainment is as strong today as it has always been. There are definite variations between how entertainment is consumed in the past and now, in terms of scale and pace, but the essence stays the same, and the only way to express that essence to the world is for all creatives to take their work seriously and clearly as they approach excellence.

“In this studio, one of my goals is to create an open atmosphere.” This may appear to be an overly simple goal. Even the most gifted artists, however, are unable to fully realize their full potential. The first step, in my opinion, to producing high-quality games and providing the spirit of entertainment is to have a strong desire to create an open studio environment.

“This entails having open dialogues that are free of hierarchy and seniority.” This entails not being frightened of making mistakes but also of correcting them, as well as recognizing failures as assets. This entails not giving up on your quest for perfection and working to grow closer to your true self. It’s the most difficult, but also the most necessary, to do the simplest things unexpectedly. Nagoshi Studio is dedicated to generating content that the entire world may appreciate as a result of this environment.”

Nagoshi will be joined by eight other founding members of the firm, including Yakuza series producer Daisuke Sato, who formerly served as president of RGG Studios for nine years and is now a director at Nagoshi Studio.

Artist Kazuki Hosokawa, programmer Koji Tokida, game designer Masao Shirosaki, Mitsunori Fujimoto, artist Naoki Sumiya, director Taichi Ushioda, and Toshihiro Ando are among the remaining seven cast members.

Before creating RGG Studio and Yakuza, Nagoshi worked with SEGA in its early arcade days, when he was an integral part of the development of Virtua Racing, Monkey Ball, and other titles.