Sonic co-creator Yuji Naka has had a varied career since leaving Sega, initially focusing on his own company, Prope, and then teaming up with Square Enix to direct the ill-fated "Balan Wonderworld." Baran Wonderworld was not a very good game, and since its release, Mr. Naka and Square Enix have continued to play the blame game for its moral failings.

Naka was arrested in November 2022 on suspicion of insider trading while the creator was still employed at Square Enix. The main accusation was that he had purchased shares in Aiming Inc. knowing that Square Enix was planning to collaborate with the studio on the mobile game Dragon Quest Tact. A month later, Zhong was arrested again, this time in a similar case involving Studio Ateam and the mobile game "Final Fantasy 7: First Soldier."

The creator of Sonic came this close to going to jail, despite pleading guilty at his first trial in March 2023: "There is no doubt that I knew about the facts of the game before it was released and bought shares." In July 2023, he was fined a whopping $1.2 million and sentenced to 2.5 years in prison (suspended (four years suspended). Naka's "remorse" saved him from the chock, but he has until 2027 to be on his best behavior.

Naka has not made any public comments since shortly before his arrest in November 2022, but has now returned to his old Twitter account (thanks, VGC) purely to berate Square Enix employees involved in the development of Balan Wonderworld. His return comes on the heels of reports that Yu Miyake, the executive producer of Balan Wonderworld but better known for his work on the Dragon Quest series, is being reassigned at Square Enix.

Most eyebrow-raising was Naka's accusation that Miyake lied at his trial.

"It's like it finally happened," Naka said in a machine translation. "I hope he's gone soon, because he's the kind of person who would submit a note to the court (of evidence) that says he lied. I haven't met him, but the new president (of Square Enix) seems like a nice guy."

Miyake was responsible for Dragon Quest, and his new role will be to oversee a newly established studio focused on smartphones. One could see this as a demotion, as Naka does. However, it is the false accusations that reveal Naka's bitterness toward the insider trading case and his time at Square Enix.

At any rate, the situation offers a glimpse into the upper echelons of the Japanese industry, and Mr. Naka's claim is that he was replaced during his illness by a subterfuge. Not only was Naka clearly unhappy with his treatment then and now, but he also blames Square Enix for pulling him off the project and releasing a substandard game with his name on it.

In July 2022, Mr. Zhong asked, "What would you do if you were ill for a long time and this made it impossible for you to do anything? How would you feel if you were the director of an unfinished game and it was heavily criticized?

Naka also apologized to the players for the state in which the game was released and, of course, concluded with another backhanded shot at Square Enix:

"Personally, I am truly sorry that I have released the unfinished 'Balan Wonderworld' to the world. I am very sorry to have released the unfinished 'Balan Wonderworld' to the world. I had intended to release this game as an action game in a proper form. But I think Square Enix and Arzest are companies that don't care about the game or the players."

I contacted Square Enix and asked for comment from both Square Enix and Yuji Miyake regarding Naka's allegations, but Square Enix did not respond. I will update if I receive a response.