Zero Escape and The Hundred Line co-creator’s new studio “might literally crash into a million pieces” after the cancellation of its next game
Kotaro Uchikoshi says a game developed by his new studio, Crash Keys, has been cancelled, putting the small team’s future in doubt. He is seeking work or investment to keep the studio operating after the project, which the team had worked on for about 18 months, was scrapped.
Uchikoshi said changes in game development, including the rise of generative AI, may have contributed to the cancellation by making it harder for mid-sized developers to compete on costs. He said budget was not directly responsible and suggested AI could have handled routine tasks to reduce development time without cutting staff. He also clarified that he remains at TooKyo Games and is on good terms with co-founder Kazutaka Kodaka.
- Crash Keys’ first game was cancelled after 18 months of work.
- Uchikoshi is seeking work or investment for the small studio.
- He says industry changes, including AI, may have played a part.
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Kotaro Uchikoshi is a Japanese game writer and director known for the Zero Escape series, a set of puzzle and thriller games. He is also a co-creator of The Hundred Line, and remains at TooKyo Games, the studio he co-founded with fellow game creator Kazutaka Kodaka.
Crash Keys is Uchikoshi’s newer, small game studio. It had spent about 18 months making a game before the project was dropped, leaving the team looking for work or investment to continue.
The case reflects pressures on smaller and mid-sized game developers, who compete with larger studios while development costs and tools change. Uchikoshi has pointed to generative AI as one possible factor in that changing landscape, though he said the project’s budget was not directly to blame.