In case you missed it, a brand new .hack game was announced last week, named .hack//ZERO.
The reveal was obviously a big deal for developer CyberConnect 2, in celebration of the company's 30th anniversary — but it really does sound like the studio's throwing absolutely everything at the project.
Indeed, the revival of .hack is so important to the team that it actually requested management of the property from previous publisher Bandai Namco. As a result, ZERO is being self-published by CyberConnect 2.
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"Everything becomes way easier [with self-publishing]. That’s the only answer," .hack creator and CyberConnect 2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama told 4Gamer (as translated by Automaton).
The studio veteran continues: "By placing full responsibility on ourselves, we’ll be able to pour all of our know-how, ideas and passion into this work, and push it beyond its limit. That’s why I’m positive that .hack//ZERO. will be made with a level of passion that’s never been seen before."
Matsuyama's become well known for his dedication down the years — we still remember him cosplaying as Naruto during interviews for the Naruto Storm games — but it's clear that this project means an awful lot to him.
The bottom line is that through self-publishing, Matsuyama believes that the team won't be held back; the developer's got full creative freedom, and it can only be restricted by "financial risk".
"We’ll be handling all of those important decisions by ourselves. Like, how deep we want to go with development," he adds.
With all of this in mind, we can't wait to see .hack//ZERO in action. All we've got to go on right now is a teaser trailer which spotlights several key characters, but we assume that a full reveal will be heading our way relatively soon.
What do you want from the new .hack? How do you feel about Matsuyama's unbridled passion for the project? Enter The World in the comments section below.