Resident Evil producer to run GPTRACK50 studio at NetEase

Just months after announcing he was leaving Capcom to work with NetEase, producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi has released the first details of the studio he will be heading. Known officially as GPTRACK50, the new company aims to create new intellectual properties that promise to “wow the world”.

In addition to working with games, the developer will also be active in the entertainment world and plans to produce films of its own. Kobayashi will take on the role of president of the developer, using the experience he has gained from such series as Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, and Dragon’s Dogma in his leadership role.

“I believe NetEase Games, a company with extensive investment and co-development experience, is a very reliable business partner for developing high-quality games and entertainment projects,” Kobayashi said. The GPTRACK50 president says he is building a high-quality team that will deliver original content with global appeal.

Kobayashi was looking for new challenges

In an interview with IGN, Kobayashi revealed that he accepted the opportunity to work with NetEase because he was looking for new challenges. He said that while Capcom allowed him to try new things, it had become much larger and more bureaucratic than when he started working with it in 1995.

“Everything now needs to be approved, and things take a long time to get approved. I’m the kind of developer who wants to be able to deliver a new experience while it still feels fresh, and I’ve been thinking about creating my own studio to make that possible,” explained the developer.

GPTRACK50 is expected to focus on producing games for consoles and PC, helping NetEase in its mission to extend its name beyond the mobile world. The company has announced major investments in this direction in recent months, having acquired studios such as Quantic Dream and formed entirely new teams led by recognizable names such as Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagochi.