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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

"Now that I've broken the spell of non-competition on myself, I guess I should get to work," he tweeted on Thursday.

It was confirmed in February that Mikami was leaving Tango Gameworks, the studio behind The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush, which he founded in 2010 before selling it to Bethesda.

Mikami is best known for his time at Capcom, where he directed the first Resident Evil, its 2002 GameCube remake and Resident Evil 4, among other titles.

He also directed Vanquish for PlatinumGames and produced Shadows of the Damned for Grasshopper Manufacture.

In 2020, Mikami stated that he wanted to direct one more video game project before he retires, adding that he had no shortage of ideas and they weren't limited to the horror genre.

Shinji Mikami teases return to work after non-compete clause seemingly ends | VGC

The Resident Evil veteran left Tango Gameworks earlier this year…

www.videogameschronicle.com

 

[NikuNashi]

So he just wanted out after MS bought Zenimax. Makes sense, take the money and start a new studio.

Tango Gameworks must be worth very little now. At least people in Japan will be able to play his next game now.

 

[Drizzlehell]

He always struck me as someone who values independence above all else, so it's no wonder that he hopped between so many studios and seemingly random projects, and now bailed on his own studio once it has been absorbed by a giant corporate blob. I'm rooting for his next project then!

 

[Thirty7ven]

Homie said no thanks in public.

 

[skit_data]

Interesting. Couldn't shake the feeling there was creative differences leading to his departure in the first place and this seems to pretty much confirm it.

 

[Badlucktroll]

Konami should hire him to make Silent Hill

 

[Reaseru]

What if he's going to work at Platinum Games, and that was the main reason why Kamiya left the company?

 

[Dick Jones]

Best of luck to him. Shocked at how short a non compete time he was given. They might as well have forgone the non compete.

 

[SmokedMeat]

At least people in Japan will be able to play his next game now.

They already can on PC.

 

[Arachnid]

Glad to hear it. Give us your best horror game idea Mikami! If you're doing one more project, may as well be the genre you pioneered.

 

[[Sigma]]

First step to him eventually stepping down from Tango and semi retiring only to come back somewhere else

Still too early to say I told you so?

 

[JimmyRustler]

One more RE game from him before he retires.... Or a Dino Crisis reboot.

 

[Hypereides]

Only one? That's a huge shame. These OG game designers like Mikami are too good for the new gaming industry. Would be great to see him do Vanquish 2 or something like it.

 

[Wastelander92]

Imagine a new studio started by him and Kamiya…

 

[ElCasual]

Resident Evil 9 is waiting.

 

[kiphalfton]

Non-compete are dumb as hell; having him benched, when he's so close to retirement is a travesty.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Non-compete are dumb as hell; having him benched, when he's so close to retirement is a travesty.

He chose to leave.

 

[kiphalfton]

He chose to leave.

Exactly.

You leave a company, you leave a company. That should be it.

Shouldn't have to wait some arbitrary amount of time after leaving a company, before being able to do something else.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Look at that majestic chin strap he has equipped

 

[Dirk Benedict]

Resident Evil 9 is waiting.

I think Capcom already has 9 baking. Could always get him for 10, though. Then, again... he did say he has many ideas OUTSIDE of horror, so if he plans on making one more game, there is a chance it won't be a horror game.

 

[fart town usa]

He and Tokuro Fujiwara should team up and work on something. That'd be so dope!

Fujiwara is the godfather of RE and was Mikami's mentor in his early days at Capcom.

 

[Ansphn]

Watch him to back to Capcom

 

[SF Kosmo]

What if he's going to work at Platinum Games, and that was the main reason why Kamiya left the company?

He already quit Platinum Games and took a lot of staff with him so I would guess that bridge is probably burned on both ends.

Wouldn't be shocked if he and Kamiya start a new venture though.

 

[Wildebeest]

Konami should hire him to make Silent Hill

Maybe he just wants to make horror games and not turn his whole life into a horror show.

 

[March Climber]

Konami should hire him to make Silent Hill

What if he's going to work at Platinum Games

Resident Evil 9 is waiting.

Imagine a new studio started by him and Kamiya…

 

[Three]

he's retiring, he said he would a couple years ago.

all the people here blaming xbox lol. proving that gaf is just a bunch of sony fanatics.

Well that was bullshit right Gobjuduck. You can rest easy now knowning neogaf is fine.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

They already can on PC.

Most Japanese gamers aren't on PC.

Exactly.

You leave a company, you leave a company. That should be it.

Shouldn't have to wait some arbitrary amount of time after leaving a company, before being able to do something else.

This is Microsoft we're talking about. These sort of tactics are not beneath them.

He and Tokuro Fujiwara should team up and work on something. That'd be so dope!

Fujiwara is the godfather of RE and was Mikami's mentor in his early days at Capcom.

I might sound crazy as hell saying this, but I'd actually like to see them make a new Tomba first. I love those games, and Mikami did work on the SNES version of Aladdin FWIW. He knows a few things about platformers (and Fujiwara obviously, with the Ghouls n' Ghosts lineage).

 

[SmokedMeat]

Most Japanese gamers aren't on PC.

16 million PC gamers in Japan as of 2021, and growing.

 

[hemo memo]

Imagine a new studio started by him…

Ftfy

 

[FoxMcChief]

Exactly.

You leave a company, you leave a company. That should be it.

Shouldn't have to wait some arbitrary amount of time after leaving a company, before being able to do something else.

That’s how business is. It’s been this way for quite a while. When you’re under contract, and leave, there’s a consequence. Maybe be more upset for him not working while on contract.

 

[bender]

You leave a company, you leave a company. That should be it.

Shouldn't have to wait some arbitrary amount of time after leaving a company, before being able to do something else.

Acquisitions are tricky especially if what is being acquired is people driven (talent, relationships, etc.). The principles probably signed an agreement to stay on for a certain amount of time once the acquisition was completed and then signed a standard length non-compete and are usually rewarded for doing so.

 

[hemo memo]

16 million PC gamers in Japan as of 2021, and growing.

Compared to how many on consoles?

 

[Solidus_T]

I thought he was retiring. It turns out he really just wanted to leave Tango and start another studio or join another

 

[SmokedMeat]

Compared to how many on consoles?

You mean how many Switches? Yeah, Switch is popular, but I’m not sure what your point is? You think no one in Japan is playing on PC? In the real world it’s rapidly growing in popularity.

Also mobile OBLITERATES everything in Japan.

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

Capcom should hire him back, give him a team and let him create whatever he wants.

 

[Dr_Salt]

He is going to M2 with Minami, that was the original plan.

 

[Gobjuduck]

Well that was bullshit right Gobjuduck.

let’s pretend that shinji didn’t bring up retirement over and over and this was not a perfectly fine assumption.

You can rest easy now knowning neogaf is fine.

sure…

 

[SpearHea.:D]

Making a survival dinosaur game please. No one creates tension and gameplay scenarios like shinji mikami.

Make it all out hardcore like OG RE4 and Evil Within 1.

 

[NikuNashi]

Exactly.

You leave a company, you leave a company. That should be it.

Shouldn't have to wait some arbitrary amount of time after leaving a company, before being able to do something else.

Thats not uncommon in Japan, and like Mikami hinted, it was him who wrote that clause into the company contracts. So cant blame MS for thsat one.

 

[VinnyMac]

That resume tho

 

[Badlucktroll]

Goes to work at Sega, Microsoft buys Sega next Wednesday

 

[Barakov]

Goes to work at Sega, Microsoft buys Sega next Wednesday

 

[Jinzo Prime]

Tango Gameworks must be worth very little now. At least people in Japan will be able to play his next game now.

He didn't have much to do with Tango's best game Hi-Fi Rush. I like Mikami, but let's not discredit the rest of that team.

 

[Arsic]

Did he take the evil within Ip with him ?

I need a good horror game

 

[Chechack]

Hope he join back capcom since that inafune hack aint there anymore

 

[demigod]

let’s pretend that shinji didn’t bring up retirement over and over and this was not a perfectly fine assumption.

sure…

You were wrong, take the L son.

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

One of the greatest to ever do it, I'll be there day 1

 

[Gobjuduck]

You were wrong, take the L son.

i’ll take my W tomorrow

 

[L*][*N*K]

What if he's going to work at Platinum Games, and that was the main reason why Kamiya left the company?

Why? I thought he gave Kamiya his first opportunity and was basically his mentor

 

[Neff]

Imagine a new studio started by him and Kamiya…

We might not have to imagine...