Towards the end of 2021, the famous video game creator Goichi “Suda51” Suda announced his development studio had joined the Chinese video game group NetEase.
With No More Heroes 3 now complete, Suda 51’s team is focused on creating new and original IP projects over the next decade. In a recent interview uploaded on the NetEase Games YouTube channel (via Niche Gamer), Suda has now discussed a little more about what’s ahead – teasing a reveal, possibly before the end of 2022:
“So the games we make at this studio…I mean the really, truly cool and all-new games, we’re going to continue creating them, and I think everyone is going to be really impressed. I wonder when I can announce this…? Maybe around the end of the year…? I’m not sure… It may end up being next year, we’ll see how it goes. Anyway, I want to hurry up and show everyone what we’re doing.”
Grasshopper has opened up a new studio thanks to its partnership with NetEase, nicknamed “Yabukiri Studio” (Yabukiri being the “toughest of the grasshoppers”). Also labelled “Grasshopper version 5.1” by Suda himself.
Apart from a future project reveal, Suda hopes to get younger Grasshopper staff working on own projects with their own “new game style”, and then follow up with second and third titles.
“These days, I’ve been working on back-to-back projects, and I’d like to start a second project when the time comes…I want to do a project focusing on the younger Grasshopper staff, and have them create games in their own new game style. First I’d like to start with that…And then see if we can make it to a second and third title. I really want to do it properly and make it work.”
Are you looking forward to this next chapter in Grasshopper Manufacture’s history? What projects would you like to see next from the Japanese studio? Leave a comment down below.
