Inafune 'Truly Sorry' For Mega Man Legends 3 Cancellation

Following the cancellation of the anticipated 3DS title Mega Man Legends 3, Capcom veteran and Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune issued a public apology to the game's fans and staff, despite leaving the developer over eight months ago. In a post on his personal blog, translated by Andriasang, Inafune lamented the end of the project, extending his condolences to the game's team. "The decision for the cancellation was out of my sphere, but as someone who took part in the development, I'd like to convey something to the staff: I'm sorry that I couldn't be of assistance," he said. The outspoken developer continued, noting that the team behind the project was motivated and capable, making the sudden cancellation even more upsetting. He told the staff to focus their efforts toward making an even better game, and to the title's fans, he said, "I'm truly sorry I couldn't take part until the end." When the game was first announced in September 2010, Inafune posted a video on the Capcom Unity Blog, expressing his own personal investment in the game. He said, "I can assure you that no one has looked for ward to this project as much as I have." Even when announcing the game, however, Inafune was clear that the project had run into trouble getting off the ground: "Without strong sales of the previous games in the series, it's a difficult proposal to make. Even I was skeptical that another Mega Man Legends sequel could succeed," he said. Shortly after the game's announcement, Inafune left Capcom in October 2010, expressing his discontent at the state of the Japanese game industry. In 2011, he founded Intercept, a game production company, and a business and planning organization dubbed Comcept. Mega Man Legends 3 marks the second Mega Man title to be canceled since Inafune's departure from Capcom; back in March, the company ceased development on the downloadable platformer Mega Man Universe.