Classic Japanese role playing game Shadow Hearts creator Matsuzo Machida has filed a lawsuit in the Osaka district court in regards to his latest game in development Penny Blood. Automaton Media reports that the lawsuit has been filed against Penny Blood’s own publisher Dangen Entertainment and former CEO Benn Judd over alleged unpaid cost of production.
Penny Blood is a horror themed role playing game set in America during the roaring twenties. Players assume the role of an investigator named Matthew trying to uncover theNOv truth behind a series of bizarre incidents.
In August of 2022 the development teams behind Wild Arms and Shadow Hearts launched a ‘Double Kickstarter’ with the goal of actualizing two major Japanese role playing games in the vein of these previous works, Penny Blood and Armed Fantasia. Famitsu reports that the first day of the ‘Double Kickstarter’ the series teams had reached $750,000 and 380 million yen from 17,920 backers achieving all of their goals.
Unfortunately despite garnering the cost of development, Machida alleges in his suit that the publisher involved with the development team did not pay the studio funds from the Kickstarter campaign, says Siliconera. Studio Wildrose, that is, Machida’s Studio made an announcement on Nov 22 2024 that the suit had been filed in May of this past year.
Problems locating a new publisher for Penny Blood have complicated matters for the development staff. Fan’s have expressed their worries on Penny Blood’s Kickstarter as doubts have risen given recent events. Matsuzo Machida has taken to X to calm some of the anxiety surrounding the lawsuit. “We’re so grateful for the support you’ve shown us for the production of Penny Blood. Studio Wildrose will keep at it without giving up. We are in a very difficult situation right now where we cannot tell the truth, but I believe that the truth will eventually come out, and I feel that it is not far in the future. We hope you will continue to watch over us.”
The outcome of the lawsuit remains largely unknown for now. Though fans of Matsudo Machidas work may find comfort in the work completed thus far and the promise of a completed product made.