Bandai Namco Entertainment announced on March 12th, “.hack“.hack 20th Anniversary Special Live” was distributed to celebrate the milestone of the series. At the event, in addition to live singing by the theme song artists, Hiroshi Matsuyama, the leading figure in the series, also gave a talk. In the midst of this, he made remarks that could not be judged as “careless” or “bokeh” regarding the new series, which seems to have caused many fans’ expectations and confusion at the same time.
“.hack” is a media mix project that has been developed since 2002, spanning games, manga, novels, anime, and more. It features a story in which the world of the online game “The World” and the real world in the works are intertwined. As for the game version, “.hack//Infection Expansion Vol. It gained popularity due to the gimmicks unique to media mix, such as the events in the “game” and “real life” being depicted in different media. For subsequent game versions, CyberConnect2 is the main developer.
This project has many strong fans, and many users want new developments, including games. As for remastered works, there was also a movement that the Nintendo Switch version of “.hack//GU Last Recode”, a remastered and new content addition version of the game “.hack//GU” trilogy, was released last year. However, as a new game, the app game “.hack//New World (former title: New World)”, which was released in 2016 and ended its service in the same year, is the most recent move.
Against this background, fans gathered at the “.hack 20th Anniversary Special Live” distribution with their feelings for the series and faint expectations for the development of new works. In the same distribution, live singing of the series songs by artist LieN was performed, shaking the hearts of fans. Hiroshi Matsuyama, CEO of CyberConnect2 and deeply involved in the “.hack” series, including games, will also appear. A talk with Ms. Yurika Tsukita, producer of Bandai Namco Entertainment. One thing Mr. Matsuyama said caused joy and confusion in the hearts of fans.
At the talk corner, Mr. Tsukita addressed Mr. Matsuyama with the topic of “future development of ‘.hack'”. Mr. Matsuyama replied, “Yes,” confidently. “We are already working on a new game,” he said clearly. Then Mr. Tsukkita hurriedly said, “Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey”. Mr. Matsuyama’s side also responded with a mischievous laugh and followed up emphatically, saying, “… like that! I wish I could say it!” In other words, it can be interpreted as a joke, the so-called “bokeh”, that “you can’t convey that even if you think it’s a new production announcement”. A similar example would be a joke like, “It’s time to start!”
However, the speed and temperature of Mr. Tsukita’s “Oi!!” is quite a serious tone. In addition, Mr. Matsuyama said, “I think your (Mr. Tsukita) boss is panicking over there right now,” and there is an atmosphere that has really spoiled. Mr. Matsuyama politely commented that he would like to be able to report on the new work at some point in time. The development of the new work depends on the support of the fans.
Mr. Matsuyama is affectionately known as “Piroshi” and is known for his witty talks on YouTube. It’s not surprising that Mr. Matsuyama would suddenly break out a startling joke. However, from the exquisite atmosphere seen in the video, the impression that “I may have actually said something secret” cannot be wiped away.
Domestic fans and Mr. Tsukita weren’t the only ones who reacted and were perplexed by these remarks.Overseas game mediaNoisy Pixelreported on this matter as “The CEO of CyberConnect2 announced a new “. This report has been quoted and reported by other overseas media, and they are also saddled to correct it. Mr. Matsuyama’s “joke” is difficult to grasp whether it is a joke or the truth, even for Japanese people. This is how “Piroshi’s Joke” made an unexpected impact overseas.
Summarizing what Mr. Matsuyama said, while it is not possible to reveal whether a new “.hack” game is currently in development, he has shown a positive attitude toward the development of new titles in the future. Fans from all over the world who are thrilled by the sudden bomb-like “bokeh” should keep an eye on trends while supporting the series.
