Yuji Naka Opens Up About Balan Wonderworld Troubles: ‘I Think Square Enix Is No Good’

Veteran developer Yuji Naka hit out at his former writer, Sq. Enix, after a court docket case over his elimination as director of Balan Wonderworld concluded.

Naka is greatest recognized for his work on Sonic The Hedgehog, Phantasy Star, and Nights into Goals. In a sequence of tweets, Naka stated that “Sq. Enix is not any good” and that neither they nor co-developer Arzest are “corporations that care about video games or followers.”

Naka had served because the director of Balan for a lot of its improvement however was faraway from the put up about six months earlier than the sport was launched. He resigned from Sq. Enix shortly after Balan was launched and filed a lawsuit towards the corporate. He additionally floated the concept of retiring from the video games trade for good.

In his thread, Naka cited two causes for his last-minute dismissal. First was he voiced concern about promotional work with a Youtuber, who was to carry out and launch sheet music for a piano association of the sport’s music. “I believed it unusual that we might solely launch an association of the sport’s music, and moreover use a ghostwriter to provide that association,” wrote Naka. “I received in bother for arguing that we launch the unique rating.”

Naka additionally cited tensions between himself and Arzest surrounding his feedback that the sport was submitted in an unfinished state, with recognized points left unfixed. “I imagine that video games must be made by working arduous till the very finish, till it is a good recreation that the workforce thinks their followers take pleasure in once they purchase it,” he wrote.

バランワンダーワールド発売の約半年前にバランワンダーワールドのディレクターから外される業務命令が出されましたので、スクウェアエニックスに対して裁判所で訴訟を提起していました。裁判が終わり業務命令が現時点で効力は失われていると言う事ですので、お話したいと思います。#BalanWonderworld pic.twitter.com/9KE7hLqfor

— Yuji Naka / 中　裕司 (@nakayuji) April 28, 2022

Balan Wonderworld was introduced in 2020 and hyped because the long-awaited reunion of Naka and fellow Sonic creator Naoto Ohshima, who’s at the moment the pinnacle of Arzest. It was a vital and industrial failure upon launch in March 2021, with our evaluation calling it a “half-baked platformer” that was little greater than a “jumble of endearing however incoherent concepts” and let down by “essentially dangerous decisions.”

Whereas principally focusing his ire on Sq. Enix and Azrest, Naka additionally thanked those that supplied “feedback and incredible illustrations” impressed by the sport, and provided his “honest apologies to these prospects who purchased the unfinished Balan Wonderworld.”

IGN has reached out to Sq. Enix for remark and you’ll learn our unbiased translation of Naka’s Twitter thread beneath.

I filed a lawsuit towards Sq. Enix after I used to be eliminated as director of Balan Wonderworld roughly six months earlier than launch. Now that the court docket case is over and the elimination order is now not in impact, I’ve some issues that I’d wish to say.

I believe Sq. Enix is not any good: they do not care about video games or followers. In response to court docket paperwork, I used to be eliminated as director from Balan Wonderworld for 2 causes. This determination was made by the producer, publicist, sound director, the pinnacle of the corporate board, and the Human Assets division.

One cause is {that a} pianist Youtuber was going to carry out songs from the sport and publish the sheet music association as a part of the sport’s promotion. I believed it unusual that we might solely launch an association of the sport’s music, and moreover use a ghostwriter to provide that association. I received into bother for arguing that we launch the unique rating.

One other is that, in keeping with court docket paperwork, my relationship with Arzest had been broken due to feedback I made about them submitting the sport with out fixing points uncovered throughout improvement, in addition to feedback I made with the goal of enhancing the sport itself. The producer, Mr. Fujimoto, advised Mr. Oshima about these feedback.

One other level: In an e-mail to Mr. Fujimoto, Mr. Oshima wrote “I simply gathered the workers and advised them about suspending the demo model. I advised them, ‘This determination was made by Mr. Fujimoto. Let’s do our greatest for his sake.’ They clapped and cheered once I advised them. This was a little bit sudden and I used to be very moved.

“Not too long ago, workers who’ve been seeming down have been revitalised. Thanks a lot. We’ll all do our greatest.” Nonetheless, the producer decides the schedule, not me. The producer selected that tight schedule. One thing’s unusual about that, proper?

I do not suppose it is a good suggestion to solely launch preparations of the sport’s music. I believe there’s recreation music that everybody is aware of and might hum, however I am undecided that that is what you’d name the sport’s ‘true’ music.

I imagine that video games must be made by working arduous till the very finish, till it is a good recreation that the workforce thinks their followers take pleasure in once they purchase it. I believe it is unusual to take away and completely exclude a director who’s had enter on the sport, and to take action with out dialogue as a result of there isn’t time.

By forbidding retweeting, liking, and so on. on social media I believe Sq. Enix is doing their followers a disservice. There have been so many feedback and incredible illustrations of Balan Wonderworld and I am actually sorry that I could not do something to recognise them.

Individually, I wish to supply my honest apologies to these prospects who purchased the unfinished Balan Wonderworld.

Henceforth I imagine I can reply to mentions and tags as a person.

I believe it is pure to request adjustments that may make a recreation higher. If you cannot do this, I believe it is superb to at the least focus on it, however even that appears not possible. I do not suppose this permits us to do a recreation justice.

Two weeks earlier than the ultimate deadline for Sonic the Hedgehog, we modified the spec such that if Sonic has even a single ring, he cannot die. This well-known mechanic got here on account of us working to enhance the sport up till the final minute, and I believe that persons are nonetheless having fun with this recreation all over the world to at the present time. #SonicTheHedgehog

I believe it is unusual to say that builders cannot work till the final minute to make their recreation higher. I requested my lawyer to assist me negotiate the power to easily make feedback on the sport till the tip of improvement however this was completely ignored, so I filed a lawsuit.

I believe this matter has develop into so large due to the outcomes and recognition that Balan Wonderworld gained. It’s such a disgrace {that a} challenge that I labored on from the start has come to this.

Personally, I believe it’s an actual disgrace that an unfinished ‘Balan Wonderworld’ has been despatched out into the world. I needed to launch it correctly, as a carefully-made motion recreation. I do not suppose that Sq. Enix or Arzest are corporations that care about video games or followers.

Jack Richardson is a Freelance Author for IGN.