One of Japan’s most prolific publishers is jumping into the world of video games. Shueisha, known as the owner of the Shonen Jump line of publications, made the announcement today, March 31. Shueisha Games was established back in February, and along with offering support to game developers, it will also encourage more collaboration between devs and manga creators, novelists, screenwriters, illustrators, and composers. Games have proven to be a wonderful creative outlet, and Shueisha thinks that we’ve only tapped the peak of the iceberg.
Shinichiro Hirono is serving as representative director at the company. Masahiko Ibaraki, Motokazu Kitabatake, Yoshihisa Heishi and Masana Takahashi have been tapped as company directors.
Shonen Jump has given birth to some of the most well-known and beloved manga series in history, from Dragon Ball and One Piece to Demon Slayer and Yu-Gi-Oh.
Four upcoming titles have already been teased. ONI, a 3D action game, is scheduled to release on unspecified platforms in 2022. It’s being developed by Small World Entertainment under the direction of Kenei Design.
Captain Velvet Meteor in the Jump+ Dimensions, a tactical action game, will follow a shy young boy named Damien who moves to Japan and finds himself fighting alongside popular Shonen Jump+ heroes in an alternate world. It’s scheduled to hit the Nintendo Switch this summer. Development is being led by Momo-pi Studio.
A survival roguelike, The Tower of Children is set for release this summer as well. Very little is known about it, and aside from a teaser image, we only know that it’s being made by Tasto Alpha.
UKIYO is a cyberpunk adventure game with a uniquely Japanese aesthetic. Currently, it’s expected to be released between late 2022 and early 2023, and is being led by Seaknot Studios.
The game that Shonen Jump fans are most curious about is an upcoming mobile title being worked on by a “major overseas game company.” The game has no title quite yet, but its character designs are being handled by a major Weekly Shonen Jump artist.
Only time will tell if this new venture will pay off for Shueisha, but given how passionate manga fans can be, it seems like a step in the right direction.
