Japanese Devs Think It May Be Impossible for Them to Make a Game Like NTE on PS5
The recent PS5 release of NTE, a gacha phenomenon featuring Japanese anime aesthetics and references to real-world locations like Akihabara, has sparked significant discussion within Japan’s development community. Despite its distinctly Japanese presentation, the game was created by Chinese developer Hotta Studio under the Perfect World umbrella, prompting industry observers to question why Japanese studios appear unable to produce comparable open-world experiences.
The discussion gained momentum following a post by Inside Us Games consultant Alwei on X (formerly Twitter), in which he described the game’s open world scope and scalability as “terrifying”—a characterization that underscores the technical and design ambitions required to create such experiences at this scale.
NTE has achieved rapid mainstream success, particularly resonating with Japanese players. The game has maintained a position at the top of the PS5’s most downloaded games list since its release, indicating strong player adoption domestically and contributing to its emerging status as a global phenomenon.
The situation reflects a broader conversation within Japan’s game development industry about competitive capabilities in certain genres. While Japanese developers have historically excelled in various gaming categories, the apparent challenge in producing large-scale open-world titles from Japanese studios has become a notable point of industry reflection and discussion.