The Balan Wonderworld video game was presented as a great promise full of lights and colors that managed to capture the attention of both the smallest and the most mature audience. However, the end result was far from as sweet as promised. Rather it was bitter. This bump affected the reputation of the director Yūji Nakawhom you will meet as Sonic’s father.
Now, Yuji Naka has revealed on Twitter that he submitted a “lawsuit against Square Enix in court“in response to an order to”remove the director of Balan Wonderworld“. The director thus begins a thread telling his point of view on the entire process: “I would like to talk about the fact that the trial is over and the trade order is no longer in effect at this time..”
バランワンダー ワールド の 約 半年 前 に バランワンダー ワールド ディレクター から 外さ れる 業務 が 出さ れ まし た 、 スクウェア エニックス に対して 裁判 所 で 訴訟 を 提起 し て て い まし た。 裁判 が 終わり 業務 命令 が 現時効力は失われていると言う事ですので、お話したいと思います。#BalanWonderworld pic.twitter.com/9KE7hLqfor
— Yuji Naka / 中裕司 (@nakayuji) April 28, 2022
The first tweet of the thread says so: “About 6 months before the release of Balan Wonderworld, the order was issued to fire me as director, so I filed a lawsuit against Square Enix. The court case is now over and the order is no longer effective at this time“.
Yuji Naka admits that he was fully aware that the game was unfinished and that Square Snix didn’t want to listen to his warnings. The company removed the director from the project 6 months before the premiere of Balan Wonderworld, that is: the order that he comments on in the first tweet.
Later, Naka mentions many problems in development of the video game (making special mention of the music) and even an email requesting “change trial version“. Next, reflect on how should be the development of a video game: “A video game is something that is made by working hard to the end and hoping that the fans will enjoy it when they buy it.”
Finally, he feels sorry for Balan Wonderworld and apologizes to all the fans who bought the game: “For me, it is a real shame that Balan Wonderworld was released as a work in progress. I wanted to release it as an action game in a proper way considering several things. I think Square Enix and Arzest are companies that don’t care about games or fans“.
Yuji Naka left Square Enix after the release of Balan Wonderworld. It was an exit without too many explanations, although now we know the reasons. Square Enix decided to launch a video game whose director catalogs today as unfinished…and many fans and media felt that way.