Japanese game developers

Hanshin faced Yakult in a Central League game that drew wide attention in Japan. The focus was on Hanshin pitcher Kudo Yasunari, who came on to close out the win, becoming the first player in NPB history signed from a development squad to record a closing appearance in a victory. Kudo said he had long dreamed of being surrounded by teammates on the mound. Japanese sports outlets highlighted the milestone.

Japanese footballer Nelson Ishiwatari is attracting attention in Japan, with reports citing fellow professional Yoichiro Kakitani praising a 21-year-old talent as someone he genuinely admires. The reports say a move to Europe has helped the young player grow, noting added strength and a bigger scale to his game. Discussion centres on his potential as one of Japan's promising young footballers.

Japanese mobile game company AltPlus has officially launched a new indie game label called AltChihuahua. The company says its first title under the label is already in development for Steam and Nintendo Switch, marking a move beyond its mobile-focused business into indie publishing on PC and console platforms.

A retro gaming enthusiast reports finishing Soul Blazer on the SNES with every RetroAchievement earned, and starting Illusion of Gaia next as part of playing through the Quintet catalog. The run is timed ahead of Terranigma's arrival in January, which fans see as a rare moment of attention for the cult Japanese RPG developer's classics.

Genshin Impact is celebrating its sixth anniversary, and developer HoYoverse is releasing commemorative comments from the game's Japanese voice cast. Among them is Aya Hirano, who voices the character Vesna, sharing her thoughts on the milestone. Fans of the open-world RPG are following the anniversary messages as the title continues across mobile, PC and PlayStation platforms.

An interview with the developer of PARKSIDE: Decayed Soul Manipulation, a retro-styled FPS immersive sim, is drawing attention from gamers. The developer expressed surprise that some players have called it their favourite immersive sim to date. The discussion covers the game's reception and development, as reported by Japanese gaming outlet Game Spark.

Genshin Impact developer HoYoverse released a sixth-anniversary cast interview featuring voice actor Tomoaki Maeno, who voices the popular character Zhongli in the Japanese version of the game. The interview is part of a series of anniversary conversations with the game's voice cast, and fans are sharing the segment as the action RPG celebrates six years since launch across mobile, PC and console platforms.