Next Disaster Report will have online elements, Granzella talks Steambot Chronicles [Update]

Famitsu this week features an interview with Granzella founder and chief game designer Kazuma Kujo, who discusses the future of the Disaster Report series, as well as a potential Steambot Chronicles sequel.

Brief history lesson: Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories was in development at Irem Software and was once set for release on PlayStation 3 in Japan during spring 2011. It was cancelled in wake of the March 11 Tohoku earthquake. Granzella is a company started by the series’ creator, Kazuma Kujo, which recently acquired rights to the franchise and announced the next game is in development.

“With Disaster Report, it’s a series that we want to personally reinvigorate ourselves,” Kujo told the magazine. “We released the PS2 Classics versions [of Disaster Report 1 and 2], in which we didn’t change the contents at all, so the logo and such when the game starts are all as they were at Irem.

“In terms of theme and the summertime setting, those fundamental things are going to stay as they were, but we have to update the underlying technology and representational aspects to be more in line with contemporary standards.”

Kujo adds that he wants to utilize online with the next Disaster Report.

“I want to take advantage of online elements,” Kujo said. “I want to put in elements where players who already visited a certain point can leave hints and warnings for other players, as well as valuable items.”

The next Disaster Report is in development at Granzella, though further information, such as the platform it will release for, is unknown.

“Please wait a little longer for the supported hardware,” Kujo said, reiterating that we’ll get information about the game this fall.

While Granzella is hard at work on Disaster Report, many wonder if any other Irem franchises will get the Granzella revival treatment.

“I receive questions like, ‘When are you going to announce a Steambot Chronicles sequel?'” Kujo said. “We have deep love for the games, but right now I can only promise Disaster Report.”

Kujo added that he’d also like to continue doing April Fools’ jokes.

Thanks, Hachima Kikou.

(Update: This article originally tied Kujo’s April Fools comment to the Steambot Chronicles comment. They are, however, unrelated. It was a misreading on my behalf.)