New US Company to Focus on Japanese Games

A newly formed US company has announced it will be focusing on releasing Japanese games in the West. The former President of Hudson Entertainment has formed a company called MonkeyPaw Games that will be bringing Western gamers a true sense of Japanese videogaming. Whilst no projects have been announced yet, the following Press Release was sent out to whet our appetites.

Read the full release below:

Do you ever get the feeling that press releases are corporate banter for mundane news? It never feels like it’s coming from a real person. So when I formed this new game company, I wanted to break away from the typical hype you normally hear. Those in the gaming industry who have known me over the years can appreciate why I take this approach.

It is my passion for gaming that’s inspired me to start MonkeyPaw Games. More specifically, my passion for Japanese games…REAL Japanese games. The kind of game that never made it to Western shores, mainly because they were deemed too culturally different. But there is a sizable market for games that feed into the fascination with Japanese gaming and culture.

For those who don’t know me, I've been in the gaming business for over 20 years, most recently as President of Hudson Entertainment. I lived in Japan for most of those years and was lucky to work closely with Hudson Soft’s founders. One of my first jobs was the launch of the TurboGrafx-16 platform, bringing over many Japanese favorites like Blazing Lasers, Adventure Island, Military Madness, Bonk's Adventure, and of course Bomberman. Even so, there was always a trove of games that never made it.

Well, times have changed. And it’s our differences that actually bring us closer together. Japan is a mecca of gaming lore and a crypt for many of the best games that MonkeyPaw is going to resurrect. Companies tend to underestimate the fervor that fans possess toward cultural idiosyncratic art, especially in overseas game markets. MonkeyPaw will finally give these games a chance to shine.

MonkeyPaw is about you, the gamer. I hope you'll join our grass root effort to help bring these games and more to Western markets. You’ll see exciting announcements coming from us at E3. So if you’re passionate about real Japanese games, stay tuned.