GungHo on Grasshopper acquisition, Suda51 explains the move
GungHo Online Entertainment recently announced that it has acquired the Suda51-led studio Grasshopper Manufacturer.
The move was a bit surprising. Grasshopper had always acted independently even though it did team up with companies in the past, and GungHo is more mobile-focused.
On the bright side, GungHo president Kazuki Morishita assured fans in an interview with 4Gamer that Grasshopper will “continue to make games in the manner they are accustomed to.”
“I’d like Suda-san to remain focused on Grasshopper rather than GungHo as a whole. Of course now I’ll be involved in Grasshopper’s creative output, but since Suda-san is there, in a lot of ways it actually equates to a taking load off my own work. Basically, I’d like Grasshopper Manufacture to continue to make games in the manner they are accustomed to.”
Suda51 also chimed in on the explanation. Speaking with the Japanese publication, he explained how the merger came about:
“Around 2011, I was thinking about what I should do with the company, groping about in the dark to try and figure out the real purpose, the real value of Grasshopper Manufacture. So, while we were deciding our next project, I was too absorbed in the management side of business to really focus on the creative. Morishita-san said ‘isn’t that my job?’, and it put me back on the right path.”
Suda51 continued:
“Up until now, we’ve been lucky enough to have worked with big name clients, and I’m very thankful to have learned all I have from them. However, at the same time, it’s also true it was difficult to truly grasp the creative reigns of a project, which is a situation I’ve been trying to rectify. That’s not the main reason though. For example, in our latest game, Lollipop Chainsaw, the back and forth between us and the client was ultimately a good thing I believe. But I believe as a developer, to stay in this kind of environment is stifling. We really want to go all out in the future, and I think it’s necessary for a closer relationship with the publisher in order to do so. For example, if we wanted to make a title that was focussed on online play, we wouldn’t be able to if publishers weren’t interested in funding such a game. But equally, since we’ve been focussed on single player experiences, we wouldn’t have the resources and knowledge base to make such a game on our own anyway. I’ve always wanted to make use of the strengths of online. It’s a layer I’ve wanted to add to our repertoire.”
