Keiji Inafune quits Capcom
Update: Corporate reshuffle follows departure, Jun Takeuchi promoted to corporate officer
Capcom's creative director Keiji Inafune has quit, effective at the end of the month, claiming discontent that he had 'no where higher left to go'.
In a blog post entitled "Sayonara", translated by Kotaku, Inafune wrote that he was "leaving Capcom with the intention of starting my life over".
"A manager's work means evaluating your subordinates and speaking your dreams. Anyone who can do both of those can be a manager. I thought that when I came here, and I still think that now," Inafune continued.
"People that really know me, can see where I'm coming from. I'm not a regular dude. It's probably because I'm strange."
In recent months, Inafune has expressed concern and open disdain for the Japanese industry, claiming that the games it makes are "awful".
Inafune's move has prompted something of a corporate reshuffle at Capcom, with Jun Takeuchi being promoted to corporate officer with extra responsibilities, but not as a direct replacement for Inafune.
"Managing corporate officer Katsuhiko Ichii will be appointed head of our development organisation, backed by a market-oriented development organisation that integrates our marketing and development functions," a Capcom spokesman told GamesIndustry.biz.
"The new development management team will continue to carry forward our business and will be comprised of senior figures within the organisation including: corporate officer Nobuyuki Matsushima; corporate officer Jun Takeuchi; assistant deputy head of Consumer Game Business Division Taichiro Genbun; general manager of CS R&D Strategic Planning Department Hiroyuki Kobayashi and general manager of Consumer Games Quality Control Department Shutaro Kobayashi."
Inafune's most recent project for Capcom, Dead Rising 2, did not meet the company's sales expectations, contributing to a lower than expected financial outlook for the publisher.