No More Heroes and Killer7 developers Grasshopper Manufacture have parted ways with former parent company NetEase, founder Goichi “Suda51” Suda announced. NetEase bought them in 2021, as part of the acquisition of Gungho Online Entertainment. Now they are becoming independent. According to Suda, this change reflects “a strong desire to offer titles in an even greater variety of styles to video game fans around the world.”
NetEase has not yet commented on the deal. I don’t see any pressing reason why they would want to get rid of Grasshopper Manufacture – the publisher has cut spending in recent years, pulling funding from Toshihiro Nagoshi’s Gang of Dragon in March and shutting down T-Minus Zero last September, but they seem happy with their latest financial results. Mind you, Grasshopper has yet to share sales figures for the studio’s recent curry-fueled Romeo is a Dead Man, which is rarely a sign that you’re stuffing the parent company CEO’s mouth with dollar bills.
“This decision was taken after extensive discussions with NetEase Games and thanks to their generous cooperation,” Suda comments in the press release. “We continue to cherish the extraordinary relationships our companies have built and look forward to continuing our collaboration when the opportunity arises.”
“Having enhanced our own self-publishing know-how, we now have a wide range of options,” he continues, “and regardless of how our games may be published, we remain committed to creating unique titles featuring the “NO GAME NO LIFE” gaming experience expected of Grasshopper Manufacture with our own flavor and further enhanced quality.”
This is the first time I’ve heard of the maxim “NO GAME NO LIFE”, but I admit that I’m more of a Grasshopper admirer than a Grasshopper lover. I enjoy the variety and inventiveness of their games, which also include the mystery adventure The Silver Case, the diary-horror release Michigan: Report from Hell, and the bloody cheerleading sim Lollipop Chainsaw, but I always bounced off them like some kind of delicate, nimble insect with powerful thighs, maybe a cricket?
Still, it’s always nice to hear about a studio regaining its full autonomy, rather than being closed, bloodless, or forcibly combined with another studio. Here’s what James thought of Grasshopper’s latest, according to our review: “Romeo is a Dead Man begins as a chaotic mishmash of visual styles and narrative ideas, and ends as a confident hack ‘n’ slash whose weirdness works in its favor.” Hopefully the weirdness will continue to work in Grasshopper’s favor.
