Harada’s back! The longtime producer of the Tekken series who recently left Bandai Namco has returned into the game development scene through a newly established development team, VS Studio.
Even more interesting, VS Studio, which was established on May 1, is a subsidiary of SNK.
To explain this console war terms, the fighting game community sees Harada’s move here similar to a head exec from PlayStation leaving to join team Xbox.
“I am extremely proud to welcome Mr. Katsuhiro Harada, who has been a long-time friend and a worthy rival to us, into our group,” said Yasuyuki Oda, game designer at SNK. “We’ve long discussed the hypothetical scenario of working together, and now that dream has become a reality.”
Oda also mentioned that “nothing has been decided yet” in regards to what VS Studio is making. So whether this studio will be making a fighting game or be something completely different remains to be seen.
SNK, like most Japanese game publisher that also has in-house development teams, don’t usually label their development teams publicly as separate entities. VS Studio (legally known as VS Studio SNK Co., Ltd) however is a different case. It’s described as an independent entity though still is part of SNK. “A consolidated subsidiary,” as SNK puts it in the press release announcing this.
VS Studio itself is based separately from SNK. Its office is in Tokyo while SNK is based over in Osaka.
Here’s the opening words from Harada regarding the opening of VS Studio, and what the “VS” mean. This is the transcription of the same video message that came with this announcement.
We are pleased to announce the launch of our new game development studio, “VS Studio.” VS Studio’s philosophy is “Beyond tradition, crafted to perfection.”
We will combine technology, sensibility, and world-class expertise to pursue the ultimate.
From a free, open, and spacious environment, we will generate new ideas and create memorable games.
We established this studio to bring this vision to life.
The “VS” in VS Studio holds various meanings. It represents our roots in “Video game Soft (VS Development Division),” the spirit of “Versus” challenging tradition, and many other meanings symbolizing innovation and challenge, such as “Visionary Standard,” “Volition Shift,” and “Vanguard Spirit.”
Having been involved in game development for many years, I’ve constantly considered how I want to spend my time as a developer and what kind of environment allows developers to perform at their best. VS Studio is one answer to that question.
By bringing together technology and knowledge, and working with passionate colleagues, we aim to deliver the best gaming experiences to users worldwide. VS Studio aspires to be a studio that continues to take on such challenges, and we are looking for new team members who share our vision.
Please look forward to the future of VS Studio.