Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya says Microsoft-canceled action RPG Scalebound would have gone differently under a Japanese publisher: “They understand the struggle of trying to give birth to something new”
By Scott McCrae
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Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya says Microsoft-canceled action RPG Scalebound would have gone differently under a Japanese publisher: “They understand the struggle of trying to give birth to something new”
Scott McCrae
15 September 2025
“Overseas publishers seem to have a much stronger desire to see a finished product as quickly as possible”
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(Image credit: Microsoft)
Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya has spoken about working with different publishers and the difference between Japanese and Western publishers.
Kamiya spoke to VGC in an in-depth interview about his new studio, Clovers, and was asked what his reaction was to all of the layoff and cancellation stories coming out of Western publishers at the moment. It was noted that these stories rarely come out of Japanese publishers. Kamiya noted his resume of working with a ton of publishers across the world, and said, “What it feels like when working with Japanese publishers is that the development culture feels closer to mind, and they tend to be more understanding toward creators.”
Kamiya elaborated, saying he views game development as “a kind of invention,” citing mechanics like Bayonetta’s Witch Time and The Wonderful 101 (my beloved) with Unite Morphs. “On the Japanese side, my impression is that they see you’re trying to make a new invention. They understand the struggle of trying to give birth to something new, and they watch over the process with patience.”
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Former Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma 2 director says he can’t make “the kind of games I’d most like to” as “they’d be too out there” and “probably wouldn’t sell”
Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya says if Dragon’s Dogma’s director didn’t take over his hack-and-slash series, “there would have been no Bayonetta”
RPG veteran behind Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma wants his next game to combine “the best of everything he’s worked on,” but does not want it to be a Soulslike
Kamiya adds that “For foreign companies, if you’re trying to invent something new, because the shape of it isn’t clear yet, there tends to be pressure.” He cited the overabundance of FPS games overtaking the market, saying that “I get the impression that they feel a sense of safety following an established format.”
Kamiya was then asked if he thinks his cancelled collaboration with Microsoft, Scalebound, would have gone differently under a Japanese publisher. Kamiya responded, “I do think it would’ve been different. I don’t mean that if it had been a Japanese publisher, the game would necessarily have been completed and released, but I imagine the process itself would have played out differently.” He says Japanese publishers are “more open to new challenges” but that “For me personally, overseas publishers seem to have a much stronger desire to see a finished product as quickly as possible. If it had been a Japanese publisher, I feel they might have given us more leeway.”
RPG veteran behind Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma wants his next game to combine “the best of everything he’s worked on,” but does not want it to be a Soulslike.
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Scott has been freelancing for over three years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on GamesRadar+ in 2024. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, VG247, Play, TechRadar, and others. He’s typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that rarely (if ever) get sequels.
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Former Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma 2 director says he can’t make “the kind of games I’d most like to” as “they’d be too out there” and “probably wouldn’t sell”
Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya says if Dragon’s Dogma’s director didn’t take over his hack-and-slash series, “there would have been no Bayonetta”
RPG veteran behind Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma wants his next game to combine “the best of everything he’s worked on,” but does not want it to be a Soulslike
You can put Dragon’s Dogma 2 alongside Space Marine 2 and Helldivers 2 as a sterling example of what happens when you stop trying to make AAA games for everyone: “It’s normal if some people outside that target audience don’t like the game”
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