The video game that anticipated all the animes about traveling to a fantasy world returns after 15 years in oblivion

In the video game world, there are many forgotten franchises. Games that were huge successes in their time and that, perhaps because it is considered that times have changed a lot, have now been almost definitively shelved. Not having received a new Castlevania or a new F-Zero in over 20 years seems almost ridiculous, considering the infinite potential of both franchises, but fans have to resign themselves to the reality of things: there is little that can be done if companies have no interest. And this is despite the fact that we have chosen two franchises that are still alive, Castlevania even having made a comeback […]

In the video game world, there are many forgotten franchises. Games that were huge successes in their time and that, perhaps because it is considered that times have changed a lot, have now been almost definitively shelved. Not having received a new Castlevania or a new F-Zero in over 20 years seems almost ridiculous, considering the infinite potential of both franchises, but fans have to resign themselves to the reality of things: there is little that can be done if companies have no interest. And this is despite the fact that we have chosen two franchises that are still alive, with Castlevania even having returned from the dead with the announcement of a new game for this year.

Because there is always hope. Even franchises that seem dead and forgotten sometimes return in the most unexpected ways. This has happened with the .hack franchise, one of those sagas that seemed we would never see again even though, during the 00s, they became really popular within a very specific sector of anime fans. And we are going to tell you everything you need to know about it, including why there are people popping champagne for its return.

The franchise that made transmedia popular

.hack is a Japanese multimedia franchise created and developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, designed from its origins to establish synergies between different media. The story would be told through video games, anime, manga, and novels, all occurring in parallel, none being adaptations of any other. Each would tell a specific aspect of the world, focusing on common characters or situations among them, but each developing its own themes and stories.

The first iteration of this story was called Project .hack and involved, in addition to CyberConnect2, some of the most talented anime studios of the 2000s, such as Gainax and Bee Train. The result was a huge popularity of the franchise, especially of its video games and animes, even causing a significant impact in the West.

But what is .hack about? It’s about a world like ours, but in an alternative reality, where technology has evolved in a different and substantially faster way. Because of this, an alternative to the Internet has emerged, favoring virtual reality in interaction with technology. However, a global disaster in the computer network in 2005 caused by a virus called The Kiss of Pluto causes an MMORPG called The World to collapse, resulting in an extremely peculiar situation. Everyone who was connected at that moment became trapped inside the game. And those who die inside it also die in reality.

Although this is a well-known and overused premise today in manga and anime, even in young adult literature and science fiction, it was not at the time of its publication in 2002. And that made it tremendously popular. It quickly swept among young people in Japan and the West alike.

A franchise with many layers

The anime hack//Sign, directed by Kōichi Mashimo and produced by the Bee Train studio and Bandai Visual, served as a prequel for everything that was to come. Establishing its main characters, a tone focused on the psychological and sociological themes of being trapped in a foreign world, and embracing a tone bordering on thriller in which the studio had been specializing over the years.

This would serve as the basis for the tetralogy of PlayStation 2 games that would form the foundation for the franchise. .hack//INFECTION – Part 1, .hack//MUTATION – Part 2, .hack//OUTBREAK – Part 3, and .hack//QUARANTINE – Part 4 would imitate the style of an MMORPG within an action RPG, developing the themes of the anime more deeply, focusing more on the characters and The World, concentrating on the consequences of an increasingly unstable video game where all players are approaching, ever closer, to an inevitable apocalypse.

The tetralogy was extraordinarily well received and is still considered a masterpiece among its many fans. But the franchise didn’t stop there. After that, they made .hack//frägment, an MMORPG based on .hack, as well as several miniseries based on the universe. All of which would lead to a new project: .hack Conglomerate.

With new protagonists and the same structure as the original, with an anime .hack//Roots, occurring before the events of the main video game, .hack//G.U. Vol.1//Rebirth, .hack//G.U. Vol.2//Reminisce, .hack//G.U. Vol.3//Redemption, and .hack//G.U. Vol.4//Reconnection, although it had much more development, with more animes and more mangas and more spinoffs in video game format, the success of .hack Conglomerate was much more discreet. While many of its fans enjoyed this new iteration, many others considered it a lesser version of the previous one. And the critics in general did not see the same freshness that they found in the original tetralogy, even if Bee Train continued to offer the same quality on the anime side.

Although the franchise had six years of releases, by 2012 they had already finished with the last title, .hack//Versus, a fighting game that was only released with the Blu-ray launch of .hack//The Movie in its Japanese version. At least, until now.

CyberConnect2 has announced to celebrate its 30th anniversary the release of .hack//Z.E.R.O, an action RPG set in the universe of the .hack franchise. With no Bandai Namco behind it, we currently have no release date or announced platforms, except for a teaser from Kamikaze Douga, the studio behind animes like Pop Team Epic or Ghost of Tsushima: Legends.

Surely we still have to wait to see more of .hack//Z.E.R.O, but what we have seen so far is already impressive and has left us wanting more. And while it is true that the franchise did not end on its highest note, it is no less true that CyberConnect2 has demonstrated over the last fifteen years that they are a top-tier studio capable of making excellent games. That is why it is interesting to return to the .hack/ universe and see what they are capable of without having to rely on the burden of transmedia once again.

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Hideo Kojima reveals what his upcoming projects are after Death Stranding

Hideo Kojima, known for his innovative approach to video games, is in a new stage of his career with the creation of two titles: OD Knock and Physint. These works mark his transition towards cinematic direction, although there is still time before their release. Kojima has revealed that OD Knock, developed in collaboration with Xbox Game Studios, is a horror game whose trailer has generated expectations due to its apparent break from conventional horror. In an interview, Kojima emphasized that his goal is to create “something that has never been seen before,” although he has not provided precise details about […]

Hideo Kojima, known for his innovative approach to video games, is in a new stage of his career with the creation of two titles: OD Knock and Physint. These works mark his transition towards cinematic direction, although there is still time before their release. Kojima has revealed that OD Knock, developed in collaboration with Xbox Game Studios, is a horror game whose trailer has generated expectations for its apparent break from conventional horror. In an interview, Kojima emphasized that his goal is to create “something that has never been seen before,” although he has not provided precise details about the game.

Their return to terror and espionage

On the other hand, Physint is shaping up to be a spy game that takes traditional elements of the genre but aims to incorporate new mechanics that set it apart from other titles. Kojima anticipates that this project will delve into the fusion between film and video games, inviting filmmakers to participate not only in front of the camera but also in the development. In this sense, he has expressed his desire to explore themes that may resonate with the current reality.

Beyond video games, Kojima is expanding the Death Stranding universe with several audiovisual projects, including a live-action movie and an animated series for Disney+. These projects, in which his creative involvement is expected, could be released starting in 2027. Additionally, he has revealed that he has already written the concept for a third title of Death Stranding, leaving the possibility for other directors to develop it.

Kojima remains committed to the creation of video games, but his gaze is increasingly directed towards cinema, with the premise that the explosion of technology and transmedia narratives are the future of entertainment. As we approach the 2030s, it is likely that we will see a Kojima more involved in projects that transcend the medium of video games.

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Sony sees the future in transmedia, but how has that worked out for them so far?

Sony is a huge multinational. That doesn’t escape anyone. Even beyond video games and its other technological businesses, it is a giant in film, television, and music that can extend its tentacles in any direction it sees fit. That’s why it’s strange that, with all the franchises it has, some of them very powerful and recognized, it has never bet on something that has been in vogue in Japan for decades and in the US they have been trying to figure out how to exploit for almost ten years: transmedia. The possibility of taking success from one medium to another and turning […]

Sony is a huge multinational. That doesn’t escape anyone. Even beyond video games and its other technological businesses, it is a giant in film, television, and music that can extend its tentacles in any direction it sees fit. That’s why it’s strange that, with all the franchises it has, some of them very powerful and recognized, it has never bet on something that has been in vogue in Japan for decades and in the US they have been wanting to know how to exploit for almost ten years: transmedia.

The possibility of taking the success of one medium to another and turning a franchise into multiple media is a sweet opportunity that Sony has never shown much interest in. Until now. They have started to convert many of their most important franchises into other audiovisual formats.

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The Near Future of Sony: Series and Movies for Everyone

Sony made a presentation at the past CES in Las Vegas, showcasing some of their new projects. All of them related to audiovisuals. Announcing that they are making live-action movies of Helldivers and Horizon: Zero Dawn, as well as an anime of Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, they wanted to confirm that their idea is to focus on their best-performing franchises and continue working on them. With shorter developments and entering the transmedia world to leverage their popularity.

This should not catch us by surprise. Sony already confirmed last year that they were developing ten other movies based on their video games. And we also know that the three games have, if not sequels, at least other derivative projects already in production. Which should only be a half surprise.

The question is, why now? It’s not a decision they’ve made suddenly. They haven’t jumped into the pool without first knowing if there was water. Sony has been testing for several years to see if there is a market for this kind of product and they have found, to their satisfaction, that there is. And it’s very strong. Finally deciding to do something that many other companies do without even having proof that there is an audience for their plans.

But how have these approaches to transmedia by Sony worked in the recent past? The most pessimistic might think poorly. Terribly. Except for honorable exceptions, which have worked well. Exceptionally well. And they would be wrong. The things that have not worked well have not worked so badly —and we could even say that, in business terms, they have worked quite well—, and the things that have worked well have worked as well as it seems. That’s why it’s worth taking a look.

Good or bad are relative concepts, because what a viewer thinks and what an executive thinks are very different things

Gran Turismo and Uncharted are two of Sony’s most recent major productions. With big names involved in the production and a large budget, they were movies that failed spectacularly among critics, demonstrating that it is impossible to make good video game adaptations. Except that’s not exactly the whole story. While it’s true that as movies their quality is more than questionable and as adaptations they are, at best, not very faithful, both performed well with the audience. But they did so especially at the box office. Especially in the case of Uncharted, which managed to be such a success that it has secured a sequel.

Is that the impression it gives from the outside? The truth is, no. They are not movies that captivate hardcore gamers, but they work quite well among an audience that matters a lot: the casual viewer. Who apparently, is also a casual gamer and recognizes the names of these games and is not so obsessed with fidelity or quality, but rather with having a good time watching an interesting movie.

That is not the case for fans of The Last of Us. A fandom obsessed with fidelity, canonicity, and the quality of the original work. Sony is aware of this, and that’s why it’s surprising that, when it came to making an adaptation, they chose the television series format and did it with such a powerful business partner as HBO. And the result was as expected: a critical and public success that occupied all imaginable public space throughout its entire broadcast period.

The other big news during CES 2025 has been, in fact, the confirmation of when the second season of the series premieres: April of this year. Something that has stirred up even more buzz than all the other announcements. Together. Demonstrating that Sony is not wrong with its focus on transmedia.

If there is one undeniable thing, it is that it is a smart move they should have made even earlier

We don’t even need to ask ourselves if this is the beginning of an approach of this kind. It is. It’s a fact, and we knew it even before CES. What confirms that there are two movies and an anime series of these characteristics is the approach they want to give to this transmedia approach to their franchises: certain products will be aimed at the general public, without necessarily seeking to please the more hardcore audience or critics, while another will be specifically aimed at the more specialized audience and critics. Going case by case depending on the interest of each of their franchises in particular among the public.

Is this the best move Sony could make right now? Probably. It allows them to have a global direction for the future, while also giving a breath of fresh air in two directions to an increasingly dying film section: it provides franchises to work with that will succeed and, if they achieve success, they can turn them into video games in the future. And if that ends up happening, how can we deny that this was the right move?

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