game news The creator of Sonic went to court! Off to jail?
Sonic is undoubtedly one of the most well-known mascots in video games, along with Mario and Pikachu. Despite several lackluster games, Sonic Team has found its way to success with Sonic Frontiers, which aims to redefine the franchise. Things aren’t going so well for the father of the blue hedgehog…
From Sonic to Balan Wonderworld to Phantasy Star
It was 1991 when Sonic the Hedgehog landed, and the ambitions were clear: Provide a powerful competitor to the almighty Mario with a livelier and more “rebellious” game. Mario wasn’t finally dethroned, but Sonic quickly established himself as a credible alternative and spearheaded the rivalry between SEGA and Nintendo. We remember them Many advertisements fired red bullets at competitorsvery catchy music and these levels scroll at full speed.
The creative team was led by Yuji Naka, who co-led the project with Hirokazu Yasuhara and Naoto Oshima. Clearly difficult to manage, he worked at SEGA for 22 years before leaving the ship (or to be fired according to some sources) and founded his own studio called Prope. With this studio he will work on more than 20 titles, before signing with Square Enix in 2018. Balan Wonderworld will emerge from this alliance, which unfortunately will not convince either critics or players.
Yuji Naka condemned!
In November 2022 things go wrong for the producer, when he is arrested by the police and brought before the Tokyo District Attorney. Yuji Naka was suspected of insider trading, with the facts beginning in 2020. He is said to have enriched himself by using confidential information in the company of Taisuke Sazaki (Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy) and Fumiaki Suzuki. According to reports, shares worth 28 million yen were bought at Aiming and Ateaml studios ahead of the announcements of Dragon Quest Tact and Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier.
These people are therefore blamed for it used this information to buy stocks at a lower cost, knowing they would appreciate in value once the game is officially announced. After his release, he was arrested again in December 2022 and things got really tough. Indeed, it was Yuji Naka accused of insider trading in view of a trial that could lead to imprisonment. We are now in July 2023, the trial has taken place and the court has reached its verdict. So are Yuji Naka and Taisuke Sazaki going to jail? Well no! Yuji Naka and his buddy are fine convicted of insider tradingbut Sonic’s co-creators will not sleep in a cell.
In fact, he was sentenced to do so Two years probation, sentence commuted to four years probation, accompanied by a fine of 2 million yen and an additional fine of 170 million yen. In total and at the current exchange rate of the yen, Yuji Naka owes a little over one million dollars. If he pays his debts and does not break the law, Yuji Naka should remain free. But the image of the Creator, already damaged by the failure of Balan Wornderlands, suffers another blow.
