That didn’t go so well: In December, Sonic inventor Yuji Naka was accused of insider trading. None of this had anything to do with Balan Wonderworld or the blue hedgehog, but the amount in dispute can make your ears tremble. Now Naka has made a confession in court.
No wonder Yuji Naka needed some money after crash landing Balan Wonderworld. However, according to allegations made in December 2022, he resorted to unfair methods, allegedly guilty of insider trading. Accordingly, there were suspicious purchases by the Sonic creator of shares in the development studio Aiming shortly before this free-to-play mobile role-playing game announced Dragon Quest Tact.
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Two former Square Enix employees, Taisuke Sazaki and Fumiaki Suzuki, were also arrested in connection with the incident. This is said to have invested around 322,000 dollars in Aiming shares. In the case of Naka, the sum allegedly amounted to the equivalent of 19,000 dollars. The allegations were that the developers used their insider knowledge to acquire the shares reasonably cheaply and then divest them profitably after the Dragon Quest Tact reveal.
Now the story takes on another level. According to various reports, Yuji Naka has now confessed in court. However, the sum is significantly higher than expected, so he is said to have invested 865,000 pounds. It should also be shares in the ATeam studio. The investment was made in the knowledge that the game company had worked with Square Enix on the mobile game Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier.
Naka’s statement before the Tokyo court went something like this: “There is no doubt that I knew the facts about the game before it was released and bought the shares.” Square Enix has fully cooperated with the authorities, it is not yet known what punishment Naka is facing.
The new trailer shows you the magical land of Wonderworld with the stars of the upcoming game.
