Itagaki: The Japanese Games Industry is ‘Dying’

I’m guessing you could have figured out who said that even if I hadn;t specified in the headline.

Itagaki, creator of games such as Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, and currently working on his upcoming game, Devil’s Third, which he states will be the best game ever, has bluntly said that the Japanese games industry is dying. However, that’s not all. Apparently, all of Japan’s rapid industrial growth is coming to a halt, and that’s because the government did not invest in the proper infrastructure- as Itagaki believes it should have.

“Japan failed to import capitalism, or rather, it failed to understand the lessons of capitalism, of the free market economy. What I’m talking about isn’t just limited to the games industry. I’m talking about what has happened in Japan since the ’60s,” he sermonised. 

“Japan’s destiny – the destiny of this era – was already determined then. Didn’t I say I was one of the top three most knowledgeable in the industry? [Japan failed to] invest in things like infrastructure, education, the things you need to do to continue to be [a rising power].”

So, looks like Itagaki would like to set things straight, huh? Well, he sure would. He stated that he was seriously considering politics, so that Japan may have a strong leader.

Devil’s Third is due for a 2012 release.